Walking out of The Potted Pig in Cardiff last evening I genuinely believed (and still do) that it had provided me with quite possibly the best meal experience I have ever had. This sounds like a bit of an overstatement, their menu has not changed the culinary world nor were the floors paved in gold, but hold out and I shall try and convey what has led me to state such a bold line...
As the only restaurant in Cardiff that requires you to book a month in advance I am sure many must agree that a restaurant of this standard has been long overdue in a capital city. The Potted Pig is situated in an underground bank vault with a strpped back interior and no fussy unnecessary decoration. The party I was with chose a selection of starters from the interesting selection including deep fried whitebait with aioli and potted pig with toast and pickles which were both beautiful dishes. However, I must rave about the texture and flavour in the duck hash with fried duck egg. If I am honest, I did not know what to expect with this starter, what arrived was a shredded duck and vegetable base topped with a perfect fried duck egg which, when combined, just melted in the mouth. We combined our starter with a wonderful bottle of Merlot available from their extensive wine list, The Potted Pig is best known for it's amazing gin selection but after a long week sometimes only a glass of full bodied red will suffice.
The menu is a strong, meat domiated affair and our table was split, lamb shank versus pork belly. As I previously mentioned, the menu is not particularly innovative but the quality of the meat and the expert way in which it has been cooked will absolutely blow you away. The table was silent for a good five minutes after the chorus of praise at the first mouthful as the meat just fell apart. The Potted Pig know has a very strong identity and I believe this is why they have been so successful, they also are very aware of their strengths and use these to their advantage.
After great reviews in The Guardian and from everyone who has visited, this relatively small restaurant is set to achieve great things. I can see that word of this restaurant is already reaching those across the border as Friday night's star studded visitors demonstrated...
Yes, so this may be another reason why I enjoyed my Potted Pig experience so much, at the table opposite our own sat David Walliams and wife Lara Stone. I have to be honest, it is not every day that you are sat in the company of a world class supermodel (I didn't stare I promise!).
So there is the proof, The Potted Pig restaurant is the only restaurant in Cardiff in which you should be seen. I can only hope that the success of this unexpected gem spurns a food revolution in the Welsh capital...bring on the competition!
