The Sultan

Featured reviews

• G

  Google user

  ·3 months ago

  “Best food I’ve ever had !! two courses £15.90, three courses £18.90 and we ordered from the lunch time menu. The service was amazing and the food was beautifully presented and fresh. Atmosphere was calm and very easy to hear each other across the table. Lots of natural light and the inside is decorated simple and warm.”

• G

  Google user

  ·3 months ago

  “Incredible food and flawless service! Every single dish we ordered was cooked to perfection. The staff are exceptionally attentive, friendly, and knowledgeable about the menu. Truly a five-star dining experience from start to finish. Highly recommended!”

• G

  Google user

  ·4 months ago

  “Lovely stuff. Loved the vipe. Food was really good but it was a little cold. Tomato was real cold like if It wasn't cooked at all but otherwise the food tested great. Everyone was helpful and nice.”

• G

  Google user

  ·4 months ago

  “a must-try place in cardiff! great atmosphere, staff was very polite, humorous, kind and friendly. the food was absolutely amazing! we had calamari and asparagus for starters, they’re were just soooooo good! the bread and cottage cheese they served us with the shish will forever stay in my memory, it’s just so yummy! didn’t feel like anything was too dry or too greasy, me and my mommy had a mixed shish and chicken shish, both were great! rice, pickled veggies and salad that came with it were all perfectly fresh, the meat was definitely high quality. the food came out really quickly despite it being quite busy. definitely one of my favourite places in Cardiff, would recommend everyone 🫶”

• G

  Google user

  ·4 months ago

  “I rarely write reviews, but I hope more people get to experience this restaurant We visited on Saturday with no booking just a walk in, the service has been by far the best I’ve ever experienced. It was obvious there was a lot of new training staff but everyone has to start somewhere, everyone was so friendly the managers were also on the floor speaking with customers which was lovely to see The food!!!!!! Beautiful, my partner had the beef which fell apart and I had sliced beef which was also very tasty. The desert was a Turkish home made and was the best I’ve ever had including those in Turkey. We will be returning and cannot wait”

• G

  Google user

  ·5 months ago

  “We tried The Sultan yesterday for dinner and the experience was absolutely incredible! The place is clean with nice decor and chill atmosphere. Staff were welcoming and friendly, the manager in particular helped us to find a spot to pray as we were about to miss prayers! The restaurant is halal friendly and the food was 10/10. Everything was delicious and well served! The best Turkish restaurant in the UK. Will definitely comeback to try breakfast/lunch. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️”

• G

  Google user

  ·5 months ago

  “A beautiful place with excellent customer service! Went with family and left the place with bellies full and a happy smile. The staff was great in making sure everything was okay with our food! We were given complimentary bread and tea and were looked after by members of staff. The food was delicious and was presented very well. Will definitely be coming back here !!!”

• G

  Google user

  ·5 months ago

  “A Must-Visit in Cardiff Incredible Food & Heartfelt Hospitality I had the pleasure of dining at The Sultan twice during my three-day stay in Cardiff and both visits were absolutely outstanding. From the moment I walked in, I was made to feel welcome, but it was Gulsen who truly made the experience unforgettable. Her warmth, genuine smile, and attentive care went above and beyond she’s the heart of this place. ATA also great and stood out with his professionalism and friendly energy, making every moment feel personal and comfortable, great hospitality. The food? Exceptional. You won’t leave this place hungry the portions are generous, fresh, and bursting with authentic Turkish flavour. The goat cheese and butter with warm bread served complimentary was a delightful start, and the Turkish tea at the end perfectly rounded off the meal. Special shoutout to Nella and Sethi thanks to you both for your service. A lovely team, all around. I came back for my second visit just because I knew I couldn’t miss it, and I’ll definitely be back on my next trip to Cardiff. Highly, highly recommend.”

• G

  Google user

  ·5 months ago

  “Absolutely beautiful food and atmosphere. Definitely recommend, starter of beef and mushrooms were delicious accompanied by breads. The mains were outstanding meat cooked perfectly with salad and rice. We had a mixture of mocktails and cocktails. The Caribbean Scooby mocktail was a massive favourite!! ❤️ price was a little steep but food was cooked beautiful and service was outstanding. Restaurant was clean with such a great quiet atmosphere. Definitely be back.”

• G

  Google user

  ·8 months ago

  “We were greeted warmly at the door and shown to our table without fuss — first impressions were good. Unfortunately, the seating immediately let things down. The chairs are uncomfortably low for the table height, and the metal-framed tables leave nowhere natural to put your feet. It’s not something I usually notice in restaurants, which tells you how distracting it was. I swapped seats with my partner and found the bench worse, if anything. It’s a small detail on paper, but when you’re aware of it for the entire meal, it matters. Drinks were straightforward. There are only two draught beers, but Poretti and Estrella are a solid, slightly more interesting choice than the usual suspects. The pints themselves were poured noticeably below the top — a small thing, but when you’re paying restaurant prices, presentation matters. There was a brief communication issue when ordering a pint of Coke, but we got exactly what we asked for and it was handled politely. In general, the staff were friendly and attentive throughout. When it came to starters, we were given time to look over the menu and spent around ten minutes deciding, only to be told when ordering that the Turkish pizza wasn’t available. It’s not a huge issue, but a quick heads-up when the menus were handed out would’ve saved the time and kept things moving more smoothly. We started with green olives and beef skewers. The olives were excellent. The beef was beautifully cooked — genuinely high-quality meat — but almost completely under-seasoned. Technically spot-on, flavour-wise a little shy. The bread and dips were a real highlight. The bread felt homemade: warm, crisp on the outside, soft inside, and clearly made with care. The dips were equally strong — fresh, confident, and very moreish. For mains, we had the chestnut chicken and the mixed chicken & lamb şiş. The chestnut chicken was an interesting idea, but the sauce didn’t land for us. If it weren’t for how well the chicken itself was cooked, it would’ve been a miss — again, excellent produce, questionable execution. The mixed şiş was the stronger dish. Three generous pieces of lamb and three of chicken, all juicy, perfectly cooked, and clearly good-quality meat. Seasoning was still restrained, but the cooking carried it. The thin bread underneath soaked up the juices nicely, though there wasn’t really enough of it to do much. The cabbage was fine, but the rice was bland and forgettable, closer to boiled-in-a-bag than something you’d expect alongside such good meat. Turkish tea on the house was a lovely final touch. Even my partner — who normally won’t drink tea without milk — enjoyed it, which says a lot. The bill, including a 10% tip, came to £87.34. And this is where The Sultan ultimately falls short. For excellent meat, very good bread and dips, but weak sides, uncomfortable seating, and cautious seasoning, the value just isn’t quite there. At around £60, this would feel fair. At close to £90, it invites comparisons — and in Cardiff Bay, those comparisons are tough. Bottom line: Outstanding-quality meat, cooked with real skill. Great bread, great dips, genuinely friendly staff. But uncomfortable seating, underwhelming sides, and pricing that overshoots the overall experience keep this from being one of the Bay’s best. ⭐️⭐️⭐️ (3/5) — Honest food, paid for with hard-earned money. Follow @thankfoodforthat for reviews, collabs & invites.”