Wellfield Road in Roath is in many respects the Poncanna Street on the opposing side of town. It is not quite as up market as Pontcanna, but it's not far off in some respects. It has the Boothby Green Deli, which can happily match any of the deli's across the way, and it also has a few independent boutiques that can also definitely compete. Where it differs quite significantly is that it has a more bohemian feel. If Poncanna is at the established, more mature end of the chilled out spectrum, that is reasonably conservative in its tastes, then Wellfield is propping up the younger more cosmopolitan and funky end of the scale.
What I really love about Wellfield Road is that it is pretty much self-sufficient. People who live in Roath really don't need to venture into town that often. Until recently it wasn't possible to buy fresh meat, as there's no family butchers, but Boothby Green has remedied that in a big way by offering exotic meats as well as the more conventional cuts. So, these days it's possible to do a weekly shop on Wellfield Road alone. There's the great fruit and veg stall at the Albany Road end of the street, which sells really well priced fresh produce, (that helps soften the blow after paying over the odds for the meat, worth it though it is).
The same applies to clothing and gifts. Wellfield Road has loads of great value independent clothing shops for both men and women where you can buy everything from designer gear to vintage, retro and pre-loved clothing. There's at least three menswear shops, and even more women's clothing outlets... there's even a dress agency in the Wellfield Court Arcade, just around the corner from the retro shop.
Health and wellbeing are also well catered for with a couple of opticians, chemists and health spa's. The arts are fairly well represented also. The Oriel, just around the corner on Penylan Road is a fantastic little indie gallery that is well worth visiting.
And finally, there are some great little places to eat out, or grab a coffee. read more