Gina's Cafe

Why we love it

Gina's café's two floors of chakra rejuvenating colour, polished copper teapots, earthy trinkets and upcycled wooden table tops wouldn't look (or feel) out of place in the healing field of Glastonbury Festival. It's a sanctuary of shabby chic, complete with well-loved fixtures & fittings, letters from home proudly displayed on the walls and second story floor cushions scattered with board games, books and bowls of biryani.

Value-packed Indian street food is the order of the day here, with filled chapatti's, crisp dosas, homemade curries and spicy wraps flying from kitchen to polished-metal-tray every few minutes (diners invariably lick their trays clean and would probably head back for second helpings if the portions weren't so generous in the first place).

Popular accompaniments such as tomato chutney and lentil sambal get tongues wagging (they're a quintessentially Indian pairing combining understated sweetness and a subtle, rolling spice), and palettes immediately perk at the prospect of sampling something from the handwritten drinks menu (with fragrant Chai, sweet and creamy Teh Tarik or intensely fruity Mango Lassi always popular choices).

For a relaxed lunch on the go or a reflective morning overlooking Cardiff Castle from on high (perhaps with legs crossed in the lotus position), Gina's is an enjoyable stop that does the job, fills you up, leaves a smile on your face and - importantly - never comes close to breaking the bank.