Falafel Kitchen has become my go to for a quick and filling lunch. I will admit I didn't like…read morefalafel before I started eating here, but its reviews intrigued me. It's a very versatile restaurant, so you can take away your pitta, or take a seat and eat in. If you're not against the clock, it's also worth opting to upgrade to a plate for a proper sit down meal. My personal preference is to take away, the experience is generally seamless, you go to the counter and one of the friendly staff take your order, you take a seat and wait no longer than 10 minutes (maybe 15 during peak times) for your order. Once you've collected your food, make your way to the salad bar and indulge in the selection of sauces and fresh salad, fill your pitta to your heart's content, et voila! Wherever you choose to eat it, sit back and enjoy the flavour sensation. Carnivores, do not fear! Their schnitzel and shawarma options are great too, I personally prefer the schnitzel, and highly recommend a half and half schnitzel/falafel pitta. Out of this world. There are other options such as omelette too, but I've not had the pleasure of trying them yet. Baklava is freshly made, and I cannot encourage you enough, if it is available on the day. The only downfall is that opening times can vary. Sometimes they are open fully through the day, other times they take a break between lunch and dinner, but you are guaranteed to be fed if you arrive before 3pm most days. (Seem to be closed on Sundays & Mondays)

Top notch Tagine in Cardiff? Why not! Mezza Luna came recommended by fellow Yelpers and was a…read moredelight. Wait staff and servers were charming and helpful, service was prompt and the food did not disappoint. I had the roasted Aubergine starter with pita and opted for the Tagine Andalus for my main. Delicious, very visually attractive and with lots of well-cooked seafood, the Tagine was just as described - a paella done in the Tagine cooker. Thoroughly enjoyable and highly recommended. I will certainly be going back.

Going into this restaurant with my boyfriend I was happy to be greeted by a friendly but…read moreprofessional waiter. I was really impressed with the prices which I thought were extremely cheap (However, upon looking at the menu online before writing this review to make sure that I get everything right, I realise that the meat dishes are actually not that cheap - not expensive, just not cheap). I had a vegetarian tagine and we shared various mezze. The service throughout was excellent. It was attentive but also not too pushy or intrusive. The ambience of the whole place is brilliant and it's one of the places that I always recommend to people now. It's a little away from the normal place that people go to eat (more towards town) but it's worth the small walk.

Troy is probably my favourite kebab house on this stretch of City Road. They take such care with…read morethe food that it tastes a whole lot better than everyone else's. This may have something to do with the fact that Troy is a restaurant and not just a take away. They serve Turkish and Mediterranean food, as well as the most refreshing tea in the world! The place is run by really friendly people who take a pride in what they do. The atmosphere is very relaxed, and it's a place where a lot of the locals pledge their allegiance. Business is not as brisk as it used to be a few years ago. There are now too many restaurants and takeaways doing the same thing, providing too much competition along the City Road. Troy was one of the first, and thankfully they haven't lost the passion for what they do. A kebab will set you back about £6.00, but there's enough food for two people, making them really well priced for what you get.

Another Turkish kebab house? I think not…read more On the off chance you visit this place and not for the kebab on the night out you should try there charcoal grilled specials, this being their saving grace and unique offering for the area. The have takeaway food as you would expect and some interesting items on the menu. I'm always impressed to see the food I ordered be prepared and cooked in the front of house. The doner kebab is exactly like any you'd find down the street but competes well with Adonis kebab takeaway.

Mediterranean Sweets is owned by the same guy that owns The Continental Delicatessen, a business…read morethat is located a little way down City Road on the opposite side of the street. Whilst The Continental Delicatessen has been around for just over ten years, Mediterranean Sweets is a baby by comparison. It has only been in existence for one and a half years. Although very different in many respects, the two businesses share one key ingredient that allies them on a fundamental level. Both sell products using Halal meat and poultry. The Continental Delicatessen was the first shop on City Road to sell Halal meat and poultry, and so this is unsurprising. Fazal Ali, the owner, laughs when he tells you that there are now about ten shops on City Road selling Halal meat, supporting this information with the commercial consequences of operating in a saturated market... "no-ones making money", he almost guffaws... "we're lucky to be just paying the rent". I guess Fazal has room to laugh. Not only was he the first to meet the demand for Halal meat in the area and so enjoyed exclusivity, and the associated financial rewards of being an innovator, but he also reaps the rewards of not putting all of his eggs in one basket. He is also an electrical engineer, and has worked as one much of his life, only retiring a year or so ago. So! Fazal has made his money and is very comfortable it seems. I'm really glad for him. He's a really lovely guy! Mediterranean Sweets is in direct competition with City Bakery, a shop that opened six years ago, and is directly next door to The Continental Delicatessen. City Bakery is a larger outlet than The Continental Delicatessen and so it made sense for Fazal to invest the time and effort to open Mediterranean Sweets. Everything at Mediterranean Sweets is made from scratch at the shop itself. As you will see in one of the photographs that I've uploaded, they have a large oven at the rear of the retail space where much of the magic takes place. I can't tell you how good the food is here, you are going to have to try it for yourself! Suffice to say that words don't do it justice! I can however tell you that all of the people that work here are lovely. Really smiley, jovial people who are also pretty talented!

Unfortunately I can't help but compare this to The Falafel Bar on Woodville Road, which is one of…read morethe best places to get a quick lunch in Cardiff. Perhaps it is a little unfair to compare them so heavily because the food here is actually good and I was happy with every aspect of my experience there: the food itself, the service, the price. But it just lacks a little something. Perhaps it's just because the shop itself isn't so nice, or because it's a little further away from the main route to university for me. Whatever the case, I found my appetite satisfied. But I did want something more from it. Also, they serve Baklawa, which I think is the stuff that the genie sings about in Aladdin - I must go back to try this!

Tony's is a classic city centre fish and chip bar, located on Caroline Street - which was always…read morereferred to by locals as 'Chip Alley' until it was tarted up a few years back (around the time when Brewery Quarter opened). Caroline Street is the top spot for Cardiff clubbers to congregate in the early hours to soak up some of their alcohol and cure their late night munchies. Tony's and Dorothy's both do the job well, and generally have queues snaking out of the door during their peak periods, but Tony's is best known for its chicken curry and chips - a hot favourite. They also have pies, battered sausages, fish cakes, battered plaice, kebabs, and even falafels for vegetarians. One other thing about Tony's is the fact that the staff deal so well with all the drunken people they face night after night! I guess they've built up a thick skin, but still they always manage a smile even on the rowdiest of nights.

I feel bad for the other companies on this street; when faced with the dual juggernauts of Tony's…read moreand Dorothy's, they don't stand much of a chance. Sure, most of them have managed to survive for a sizeable amount of time by picking at the scraps these two have left behind, but at 4am, there's really no competition. You walk up Chippy Lane and the only question is "Dorothy's or Tony's?" In fact, the only reason any other chippy on Caroline Street gets any business is because those two often end up so packed with customers, potential punters give a disheartened sigh and "may-as-well" their way to one of the lesser shops. And it's a reputation that's well deserved. At 4am on a Sunday morning, a chippy could get away with serving chips made of wood shaving and cutting kebab meat off a rotisserie pigeon and most of the punters would be none the wiser. Tony's doesn't do this. Instead, they serve some truly excellent fish and chips (I don't speak this highly of artwork; clearly I have issues). They are very proud of their chicken curry off the bone, and they should be; it's good stuff. It's their sausage and batter in chips that is where it's at, though. Getting that in your stomach is the perfect ending to a wasted evening.

One little star is taken away here for my not being able to sit down inside to eat. After all, it…read morecalls itself a cafe... Other than that, though, I was extremely impressed by my whole experience. Looking at the shop from the outside, it actually looked rather posh but the person who served me was really friendly. The food was just delicious. So much so that I wolfed it down and then had rather bad indigestion. But then, I did have a good lunch to show for it, so... swings and roundabouts.... I would definitely go back (what am I saying? I HAVE gone back) and I've told lots of people about it too. Now I'm telling you. Go to Fornos!

Café Fornos is as much like the other sandwich joints around the roath area offering baguettes,…read morepaninis, beverages and the like. The food was yummy and the tea was hit the spot, for a refreshing take out. This place has many loyal customers and it's easy to understand why. Simple food at competitive prices that are all prepared first class service by well-trained staff. The counter has a good selection for panini's but I think they need to up the ante and offer something to really get people coming back like a reward coupon scheme or something.

I love this little Lebanese place! I'm a sucker for Falafel and strong coffee, and so I am bound to…read morearen't I? They definitely serve up the best coffee in the area, and they do a mean breakfast too, which I have been known to partake of on occasion. Despite having cornered the market on quite a few things in the area, and being the best at many, they keep their pricing good and affordable, and so I have to love them for that as well! These lovely guys work hard. They are open for the morning trade and work well into the night... It's another business in this area that relies quite heavily on the student trade, but unlike some of the others, it is popular with the locals as well. Now that's a commendation in itself! By the way, I don't eat my Falafel with my coffee, just in case you are wondering... that wouldn't work! Instead, I tend have one coffee beforehand, and then another one after... a bit like a coffee- Falafel sarnie, except not! No points for guessing whether I'm a smoker!

Appearing a bit neglected from the outside, this Lebanese coffee shop and café is better than it…read morelooks. Located opposite Gassy Jack's, right at the heart of Cardiff's most popular student area, it is a favourite amongst many vegetarians because it offers them more choice than many of the other establishments along Salisbury Road. They serve up all day breakfasts as well as reasonably priced Middle Eastern fare, and pizzas too. They have filled pittas with interesting fillings such as falafel, houmous, baba ganoush (a lovely smoky aubergine dip), tabbouleh and stuffed vine leaves - many of which are suitable for vegetarians and some even for vegans. They also sell coffee and those delicious baklava-type sweets, made of honey-soaked filo pastry with pistachio nuts.

The Magic Wrap is a growing chain throughout Cardiff, with its recent new shop opening in Cardiff…read moreStudent Union. It is clear to see why this shop has expanded, people are often queueing out the door for these special wraps. There is a huge choice of make it yourself wraps, including chicken,beef, falafel and so much more, not evening mentioning the huge selection of salads and sauces to accompany them. The wrap gets pricier, the more fillings you desire - obviously, but do take advantage of the stamp card scheme where you can get the 7th wrap for free. These wraps are freshly made and toasted while you wait, which does mean you can incur a lengthy waiting time. I think once I waited about 15 minutes in total including my queueing, but don't get me wrong, it is indeed worth it, just don't get tempted like myself by the cookies looking at you, begging to be snacked on while you wait.

YUM! Is this a new addition to the ever-expanding local chain of Magic Wraps? It's one I haven't…read morespotted until recently, anyway - and once again they've picked a great location in the heart of studentville. As Rachel says, however, it isn't exclusively the domain of students and is open to all... The wraps are generous in size and flavour, and you can pile in as many fillings as you like - you just pay more the more you fill it! The falafel wraps are incredibly filling, and with a huge choice of salads and sauces you can make it different every time. The marketing-savvy owner has also very wisely introduced a loyalty scheme to keep his customers coming back time and time again: you pick up a stamp card and after collecting a certain number of stamps you get a free wrap. Bargain!

Forced to close due to RAT infestation. Rats seen dragging away raw meat, seating area infested…read morewith feces, kitchen staff refuse to follow basic hygiene protocols.

To be honest, Lilo Grillhouse didn't deliver much for me on any front. Neither did it really…read moredisappoint, or lack anything greatly. It left me feeling a little bit as though I wished I'd stayed at home instead of spending money on going out (though, actually, I didn't - good ol' boyfriend) because it was all a bit average. The service was alright but the food didn't seem to be of a particularly high quality and it didn't come out very quickly. There was no real ambience in the restaurant and I felt uncomfortable. Really, though, it is actually nice enough. If you're going out to lunch with someone you never usually see, you probably won't care much about all of this. But, that's not really the sign of a good restaurant, is it?...

La Mina Juice Bar is pretty mediocre in my estimations. It doesn't exactly yell health at me with a…read morefull lung capacity, born of eating and exercising right... hmmm, could that be perhaps because it's been eating stuff off it's own menu!? Now let's see... does that include too many pieces of chocolate fudge cake at £1.99 a pop, or perhaps the carrot cake... (ah, hang on, there's a vegetable in that!). Ok, what about the cheesecake...? What? Half a strawberry perched on every slice? Surely that's considered more of a garnish, rather than a health giving ingredient...? Besides, one lean soldier in a cholesterol army of thousands isn't going to win the war of the yucked-up artery is it? And since when was deep frying considered to be an imperative component of health defence? La Mina Juice Bar seems keen to announce the recent addition of Falafel to its menu. Yep, Falafel is deep fried, Yep, that's right... Hmmm... I won't go on as I'm enjoying this a little too much, and it's a bit mean... I guess it's a bit like getting to play the baddie in a movie when you are an actor that's seen to be whiter than white... you do it with relish... but perhaps, I'm over egging that pudding...? 'Which one of the many?', I hear you cry... for shame!

You won't find their business information through a Google search and you probably wouldn't look…read moretwice at their slightly off coloured branding yet don't be deterred! La Mina's Juice Bar is home of the best baguettes and sandwiches in Cardiff. Despite being dubbed a 'Juice Bar' I only ever carb-load when visiting here and as everything in covered in mayonnaise / copious amounts of butter I doubt any would consider it a healthy option!? I forever order the same: Minted Lamb Baguette with Salad. The occasional BBQ Chicken if they've sold out. They have seating inside yet I'd recommend you walk / drive around the corner to Roath Park and take a seat in front of the lake. Bliss.