Curado Bar

Why we love it

Curado Bar, akin to its Aberystwyth and Narberth based cousins (the superb café-deli pairing of Ultracomida), has only been open since the end of 2016 but has already firmly established itself as one of the best places to eat, drink and soak up the all-day ambiance in Cardiff.

Owners Paul and Shumana have faithfully preserved Ultracomida's deli vibe (clean-cut shelves groaning under the sheer first-rate weight of Basque cheeses, cured meats and drizzle-worthy dressings) and its focus on hand-picked provenance, they've introducing a special twist for Cardiff's foodies by marrying a dizzying array of delicious Basque-region cooked specialities to a vibrant two-floor Pintxos bar. Every lunchtime or evening dish tells a different story, and almost all the fantastic food you'll savour (from the downstairs finger-food spreads to the heartier hot tapas "de la cocina" upstairs) is available to purchase from the deli to take home for later.

Expect air-aged Jamón ibérico hang purposefully above gently uplit bottles of crisp alcohol, the constant warming hum of conversation against a backdrop of gently whitewashed brick and exposed modern steel, and a bar-top of almost endlessly palatable colour: deep reds from rapidly diminishing wine glasses, shimmering golds from keenly swirled sherry, and an entire spectrum of carefully constructed, absolutely irresistible Pintxos - stretching almost as far as the eye can see... or at least astride every available bar, table and deli surface.