ADREF Cafe & Bar

Featured reviews

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  Martin Heywood

  ·1 month ago

  “This place is just fantastic! The staff are lovely and friendly. The venue is beautifully done with a sophisticated decor but the food is incredible! Seriously one of the nicest meals I have ever had! I so wished this place was near to us, we would be eating here on a regular basis but Essex to Wales is a bit of a drive. If you are nearby do not miss the opportunity to eat at this fabulous venue!”

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  Melanie Thomas

  ·1 month ago

  “Wow! This was SO nice. Better than most places in Cardiff. The cheese soufflé was delicious and a nice change from the usual options. Amelia was such a lovely friendly waitress. Couldn’t recommend more.”

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  Adam Rayner

  ·1 month ago

  “Expectation is an important thing. When you order a breakfast at a Wetherspoons and pay around £5 for it, you have an expectation of what you’re going to get. You accept that the ingredients aren’t going to be locally sourced and organic; the food might not be piping hot and the fried egg may have been under a heat lamp long enough to bring into question its edibility. And while this is not excusable, you are paying £5 for a full breakfast which in this day and age is astounding value. On the other hand, when you’re paying £16.95 for a full breakfast, the expectations are very different. That’s why my visit to Adref was so disappointing. We visited on a weekday morning before 9am and were the first—and, for a while, the only—customers. First impressions were excellent. The décor is lovely, and the waitress was friendly and welcoming. My wife and I both ordered the Full Breakfast (£16.95 each). I also asked if I could have the crispy bacon instead of the standard back bacon, and the request was acknowledged. The food arrived promptly, but the presentation immediately felt underwhelming. As you can see from the photo, the eggs had simply been piled on top of one another rather than plated with any real care. More importantly, both yolks were completely solid, with no run at all. Then there was the bacon. The crispy bacon I’d requested never arrived. Instead, I was served lukewarm back bacon. A fair question is: why didn’t I mention it? In hindsight, I probably should have. At the time, I genuinely wasn’t sure whether this was what Adref considered to be its “crispy bacon”. It was only later, when another customer’s pancakes arrived topped with genuinely crispy streaky bacon, that I realised my request had simply been missed. Perhaps the biggest disappointment was the menu description of the Trealy Farm Boudin Noir. That wording conjures up the image of a thick, rustic French-style blood sausage. What actually arrived was a thin slice of black pudding. There’s nothing inherently wrong with black pudding—but if that’s what you’re serving, just call it black pudding. The sausages, mushroom and grilled tomato were all fine, but none stood out. They were competent rather than memorable. At nearly £17 for a cooked breakfast, the standard simply needs to be higher. I’d expect quality ingredients, food served piping hot, careful presentation, and attention to the requests made when ordering. Unfortunately, this breakfast fell short on too many of those points. It’s a shame, because the venue itself is attractive and the service was genuinely pleasant. But based on this visit, I wouldn’t return for breakfast.”

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  Adam Jones

  ·2 months ago

  “First time and won't be the last. My wife and I came with our 3 year old when we were met warmly and promptly shown to a table, upon sitting drinks order taken in good time and when ordering our food our daughter wanted to have the lovely buttermilk pancakes, our server showed great initiative know children can be particular and we had the accompaniments separated which she loved. The adref breakfast was beautiful and the other dishes we had were phenomenal. Overall this is definitely a stand out place in the town of carmarthen and deserve more custom and all the praise worthy of their dishes the chefs and front of house team should all be proud to have produced a stunning establishment and outstanding food.”

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  Emily Johnson

  ·2 months ago

  “Came for here for the first time on Saturday and waw! It wasn’t just the amazing food that stood out it was the super friendly staff working there. I eat out for lunch quite a lot on weekends and in every place I’ve been this place is by far the nicest atmosphere. The staff here went above and beyond for us, Stopping to chat to my little boy, giving him free marshmallows the smiles and laughter every time they passed. It wasn’t just lunch it was an experience that left us really smiling walking out. Onto the food first thing we noticed was how incredibly reasonable the prices were for what you were getting. Not overpaying for bare minimum here you truly get fresh outstanding food and for such a reasonable price.Million percent will be returning what a lovely place and a lovely bunch of people working there!”

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  Samiya Woods

  ·2 months ago

  “Adref is a very decadent place that is worth a journey to try their food! I have gone twice now, once for breakfast having their French toast with a flat white, and it was so unexpectedly amazing especially as a barista Im so picky with how I like my coffee but it was just right! The French toast was brilliant and had zesty notes I never would have thought to try for myself that I wish I could replicate at home. I knew I needed to try their evening menu. I went back and ordered their lamb shoulder and somehow even as im not a fan of goats cheese I now have to rethink my preferences as it paired so perfectly with everything on my plate, with the richness of the Chorizo and the tender lamb. I now truly know what decadent means. The staff both times were extremely accommodating, and we were checked on at least 3 times. Im so happy I live near this hidden gem and I will definitely go back to expand my palate! Thank you for an extremely memorable experience.”

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  Erik Cummins

  ·3 months ago

  “An absolute gem of a find. We sat on an area where the external doors had been opened wide and it was great. The staff were very attentive and helpful. The food was wonderful, I had a blue cheese salad which was not just some lettuce with a bit of cheese but a variety of tasty ingredients and tremendous value.”

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  Sophie Williams

  ·4 months ago

  “We had a lovely time celebrating a 50th birthday over lunch. The food was great, and the service was fantastic— the staff member was so friendly and welcoming. It made the occasion feel really special. We truly enjoyed our experience and would happily come back again.”

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  wayne croxton

  ·10 months ago

  “We came here for breakfast a few months ago n said we will come for dinner. We are so, so glad we did to be honest. The staff are very welcoming and extremely polite. Very nice atmosphere none to shabby. Now for reason we came the food. The christmas ( none festive) menue is on for the next 4 weeks, 2 courses @ £34 or 3 for £40 chef likes to change the menue regular. I had the pork belly and scallops, to die for. The pork was so soft you could cut it with a spoon, the butternut squash added the little bit of sweetness. We both had steak cooked to our liking. Wife had the crème brùlèe was apparently sex on a plate”

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  Katie Myringthomas

  ·11 months ago

  “My favourite cafe in Wales. The venue is gorgeous, the staff are so welcoming and accommodating. This place has delicious and beautiful food. Disability friendly location with parking on the street and dog friendly. Can safely recommend this place to anyone and everyone.”