La Trattoria Molisana is a family owned restaurant that serves pretty authentic Italian food, as well as a few more generic old favourites, like steaks etc.
If I eat here I stick to the Italian menu, with a preference for the fresh fish dishes, as a steak house will make the steaks better (I like mine ultra-blue, which most restaurants don't manage to achieve unless they specialise in steaks, which ultimately leads to expensive errors, and one very disgruntled eater! I used to complain, but the evening was always spoilt regardless... now I just avoid the steak options on the menu unless I'm convinced that who I'm ordering them from can do them right... and I remain unconvinced that La Trattoria Molisana can!) It also concerns me that they serve Veal, which I always avoid wherever I am!
La Trattoria Molisana are not the best Italian in Cardiff by any stretch of the imagination. But in its defence, there really is some seriously stiff competition, and you don't have to ever go too far to find it. The Dolce Vita on Wellfield Road is a good example. Anywhere else La Trattoria Molisana would be considered fairly good, but, being spoilt for choice in Cardiff, the upshot is that it can only be considered passable. The pizza is usually made well and the fresh fish is just that... fresh! Luckily La Trattoria seems to have a dedicated following as well as access to some great fish, (one of the benefits to being a coastal capital). These two things combined ensure that the stock rotation is quick, so the fish never sits around in the fridges for long. I recommend the trout or the sole.
Sometimes I think they get a little too busy for their own good, and this is when problems occur. The kitchen can get overwhelmed and mistakes tend to creep in. But on the whole, I've been pretty happy with the food, and always appreciate the attentive service. read more