KIN+ILK (Pontcanna)

Why we love it

This unusually named group of café-bars has sites in the City Centre's Capital Quarter and on Cathedral Road (squeezed up against against Pontcanna's leafy spine). A functional yet thoroughly design-led space with a hint of the "cherry picked Swedish design club" about it (think Scandi cool rather than noir), Kin + Ilk is a melting pot of approachable cool.

Rimless-spec tweakings, imaginative murmurings and enthusiastic get-togethers come in waves from the precisely assembled stools, tables and worktops. It's a hub for remote working or catching up with your boss, a space for creatives and freelancers, a caffeine-fuelled idea incubator, and an ever-so-pleasant place for a down-tempo brunch. Friends meet here, kids accompany parents on the weekends, and the after-work crowd takes full advantage of the alcohol license, locally-sourced beer selection and wine list (Fizz Friday is a particularly popular pick with the Capital Quarter crowd).

Food wise, the menu is small but diverse: expect freshly made filled or open sandwiches, Welsh cheeses & meat, homemade soups, creative salads, brilliant brunches, artisan coffee and cakes. There’s even a tempting range of bar snacks, including a vegan antipasti platter.

It’s very chilled at Kin + Ilk. Whether you’re sipping cappuccino or Chianti, you’ll feel cool, calm and collected – even if that chat with your boss isn’t going so well…