Quick info
About Forest Cafe
Forest Cafe is a cafe on Castle Rd in Cardiff, reached via a walk into the forest near Castell Coch and Forest Fawr. Resident peacocks share the grounds, alongside seating both inside, near a fire, and outdoors. The kitchen keeps to homemade cakes and toasties, with soup, jacket potato and beans, and breakfast items such as fishfingers and chips also on the menu, though vegan options are limited and not clearly separated from vegetarian ones on the menu. Dogs are welcome throughout, with pup cups offered, and a step-free, wheelchair-accessible entrance serves visitors with mobility needs. High chairs are available for families with young children. Reservations are recommended, and the cafe opens daily. A small number of parking spaces sit on site for those driving in, though space is limited given the setting.
Good to know
- ReservationsAccepts reservations
- ParkingFree of charge street parking · Free parking lot · Paid parking lot
- AccessibilityWheelchair-accessible car park · Wheelchair-accessible entrance · Wheelchair-accessible seating
- Good for kidsGood for kids · High chairs · Kids' menu
- DietaryVegetarian options
Menu & Prices
43 dishes · mains £2–8- Beef, Horseradish, Cheese, Sausage & Bacon£8.00
- Turky, Cranberry, Cheese, Sausage & Bacon£8.00
- Ham Egg & Chips£7.40
- Beef Burger£4.80
- Chicken Burger£4.80
- Burger & Chips£7.60
Reviews
What reviewers say
Reviewers most often mention dog friendly, homemade cakes, forest setting and resident peacocks.
What reviewers say
Reviewers most often mention dog friendly, homemade cakes, forest setting and resident peacocks.
Customer Review Summary
Cakes and coffee draw most reviewers to this forest side cafe near Castell Coch, with the mushroom and Stilton soup, toasties, and hot chocolates also singled out for praise. Many describe it as dog friendly with a roaring fire and plenty of seating inside and out, and several mention the resident peacocks and a walk into the forest as part of the appeal. Breakfast items like fishfingers and chips for kids and generous portion sizes come in for repeated recommendation, alongside prices most call reasonable. Service is consistently called friendly and quick, even when one group of fifteen arrived at once, though a few note cleanliness lapses, with one reviewer describing a dirty outside table and another finding some areas clean and others not on the same visit. One reviewer also flags a lack of vegan options, noting the soup and jacket potato had sold out and no vegan butter was available. Multiple visitors say they would return after a hike or walk nearby.
Customer Review Summary
Cakes and coffee draw most reviewers to this forest side cafe near Castell Coch, with the mushroom and Stilton soup, toasties, and hot chocolates also singled out for praise. Many describe it as dog friendly with a roaring fire and plenty of seating inside and out, and several mention the resident peacocks and a walk into the forest as part of the appeal. Breakfast items like fishfingers and chips for kids and generous portion sizes come in for repeated recommendation, alongside prices most call reasonable. Service is consistently called friendly and quick, even when one group of fifteen arrived at once, though a few note cleanliness lapses, with one reviewer describing a dirty outside table and another finding some areas clean and others not on the same visit. One reviewer also flags a lack of vegan options, noting the soup and jacket potato had sold out and no vegan butter was available. Multiple visitors say they would return after a hike or walk nearby.
Featured reviews
- Jackie Payter
“Gorgeous breakfast good value dog friendly will definitely go again highly recommend”
- Joe Flanagan
“Very simple, honest food, done well and quickly. Kids ate the lot, great cup of tea. Very well priced and good value for money. If I had to be critical, our table outside was quite dirty and need more than just a wipe over. The till is located in quite an awkward position right near the front door and the entrance to the kitchen. We were jumping around like a fish out of water as staff were flying in and out carrying various tasks. It would work better round the corner where the cans are.”
- Debs
“Not suitable for vegans. It seems like a nice place if you're veggie or a meat eater but we went in and there were no vegan options available and the menus don't clearly say what is vegan and what's veggie. We thought we might be able to get the soup or a jacket potato and beans but both had sold out by the time we arrived and I don't believe they had vegan butter. Don't be fooled by the fact that Google recommends this place as suitable for vegans.”
- Emily Franklin
“Really cute forest side cafe, great spot for a bit of food and has a lovely local atmosphere and plenty of seating inside and out. Really close to local forest, has a small parking for a few cars. Dog friendly, would recommend”
- James Hurst
“Lovely spot in the forest. Simple, tasty homemade food at a crazy low price. Homely, quaint and friendly.”
Hours
- Monday
- Tuesday
- Wednesday
- Thursday
- Friday
- Saturday
- Sunday
Highlights
- Fireplace
- Great coffee
- Great dessert
- Great tea selection
- Popular for lunch
- Popular for solo dining
Amenities
- Wheelchair-accessible car park
- Free of charge street parking
- Accepts reservations
- Outdoor seating
- Dogs allowed
- Takeaway
Show more amenities
- Dine-in
- Good for kids
- Vegetarian options
- Casual
- On-site services
- Coffee
- Dining options· 7
- Breakfast
- Brunch
- Lunch
- Dinner
- Dessert
- Seating
- Table service
- Facilities· 1
- Toilet
- Family-friendly· 2
- High chairs
- Kids' menu
- Highlights· 3
- Fireplace
- Great dessert
- Great tea selection
- Popular for· 1
- Solo dining
- Crowd· 2
- Groups
- Tourists
- Parking· 3
- Free parking lot
- Paid parking lot
- Parking
- Offerings· 2
- Quick bite
- Small plates
- Atmosphere· 2
- Cosy
- Romantic
- Accessibility· 3
- Wheelchair-accessible entrance
- Wheelchair-accessible seating
- Wheelchair-accessible toilet
- Pet-friendly· 2
- Dogs allowed inside
- Dogs allowed outside
Location
Cafes near Forest Cafe
- 0.8 miOutdoor seating
cakes, coffee, lemon drizzle cake
- Pisani's Cafe5.0251.9 mi
burgers, egg and mushroom roll, vegetarian breakfast tray
- Fairwater Cafe4.41363 miDeliveryReservations
full breakfast, generous portions, breakfast rolls and wraps
| Place | Rating | Distance | Mentioned in reviews |
|---|---|---|---|
| Forest CafeOutdoor seating · Vegetarian options · Reservations | 4.6722 | — | dog friendly, homemade cakes, forest setting |
| Walnut Tree Junction CafeOutdoor seating | 4.761 | 0.8 mi | cakes, coffee, lemon drizzle cake |
| Pisani's Cafe | 5.025 | 1.9 mi | burgers, egg and mushroom roll, vegetarian breakfast tray |
| Fairwater CafeDelivery · Reservations | 4.4136 | 3 mi | full breakfast, generous portions, breakfast rolls and wraps |
The 3 nearest cafes by distance. Ratings, hours and review terms come from public business profiles.
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