Originally a private members club, this fine dining Cardiff restaurant is now open to all, but still retains an air of exclusivity.
Housed in a stately Grade I-listed gothic building, Park House Restaurant & Bar has been in operation since 2005 and can be described as a modern French restaurant. The wood-panelled dining room at Park House is a traditional and stylish space featuring high ceilings, velvet drapes, a baby grand piano and an maroon hues, while the impeccably behaved staff ensure that your every whim is catered for.
Park House’s French-accented cooking is modern in style but traditional in approach, using classical French cooking techniques to achieve its dishes. You can choose between a five- or eight-course tasting menu, but there is also the option to order from the à la carte. The offering changes with the seasons, but on your visit you might find starters such as cauliflower tart with tahini yoghurt and orange blossom, or chalk stream trout cured in gin and juniper.
Main courses might see the likes of 90 day aged Pembrokeshire Beef with black truffle and ceps, or perhaps confit leg of Aylesbury Duck paired with spiced red cabbage in a port jus. To round off your meal, tuck into decadent desserts such as tonka bean panna cotta with blackberry sorbet or Valrhona chocolate with Cornish clotted cream, while diners with a savoury tooth can instead choose to enjoy five cheeses served from a trolley alongside condiments and freshly baked biscuits.
While Park House may be rooted in tradition, it’s not afraid to adapt to modern tendencies (note the dedicated vegetarian and vegan tasting menus), while the restaurant’s wine list is a oenophile’s dream, featuring more than 1,500 bottles to choose from. Prices are unsurprisingly high, but the lunch tasting menu offers a more affordable way in and there’s always the option of enjoying charcuterie boards at the bar too.