I think I was one of the first local foodies to pick up on the fact that “ex Michelin two star Chef Martin Blunos” was going to open a restaurant in Cardiff. The fact that he was going to do it in conjunction with Crown Hotels and Restaurants (CHR), owners of the one Michelin star [...]

Ever since I was a kid, I've always loved looking at maps. In those days it was maps in encyclopaedias and atlases. Then, in my days as a Rally Navigator, it was Ordnance Survey maps with all their incredible detail. These days, of course, anyone interested in maps or cartography is living in the golden [...]

“13 weeks,” said Nathan, our waiter, in answer to my question of how long had .cn been open.  I liked Nathan and not just because apart from MrsA, the niece and myself he was the only other Westerner there. I liked Nathan because he was extremely helpful and seemed to enjoy answering all our questions [...]

I've been to The Hardwick about 5 times before, ate food cooked by Stephen Terry at a banquet at the National Botanical Garden of Wales and also at a Chef's demo evening at The Tithe Barn in Abergavenny. You could say I'm a fan.   So when MrsA suggested we help celebrate the Bank Holiday [...]

The first time I went to the Charthouse it had been open about 6 weeks and quite frankly, it showed.  Not that there was anything really wrong with the food, it was just that you could tell that front of house wasn’t quite a well oiled machine yet.  I almost reviewed it at the time [...]

I’ve always had a bit of a love hate relationship with the Thai House in Cardiff. I’ve never had an issue with the food, but I have with the service and attitude of the staff. However, when my Bahamian niece, decided that it was time for Aunty and Uncle to take her out for some [...]

So I have a confession to make. It's a big one so you'd better prepare yourselves, deep breath, sit down, stiff drink and all that. OK, ready? Here we go… James Sommerin took my virginity! Yes, in a hot, steamy kitchen and with a backing track of roaring gas burners, clanging pans and shouts of [...]

I generally go to Brecon about once a month, usually on the second Saturday, to coincide with the Farmers Market. After a hard morning buying the finest local produce, lunch at the local hostelry is normally called for. Occasionally MrsA will demand a lunch upgrade and just to be sure her wish was granted, she'd [...]

Have you read Anthony Bourdain’s book Kitchen Confidential? Right at the start he describes how as a child he’d eat anything. By anything I’m not talking about lumps of coal or bits of wood but anything edible that nearly all children and most adults would shy away from, you know things like raw oysters or [...]

It’s not the first time I’ve been to the Nantyffin Cider Mill, a shocking pink structure on the A40 just outside Crickhowell that can trace its history back to the 16th century. It is, however, the first time I’ve had Sunday lunch there, but Mrs A had declared the kitchen a no go zone that [...]