Another restaurant that I'd go to if I was passing but wouldn't go out of my way to get to. Its a pretty small venue that feels a little bit cramped though it suits the style of food they sell. Its Mediterranean tapas or pizza's, so good food to share. I've had lovely calzone's from Puccini and its a good lunch spot for me really as you can relax on a sofa and enjoy a light bite. The service is fine and its quite cheap too, it just doesn't have much of a wow factor. read more

Puccini - Mediterranean Near Me - Cardiff, CRF

Puccini is an old-school style restaurant that is not trying to be new-fangled and faddy, and for this I love it! The rather curious and somewhat questionable look of the place has been created with longevity in mind. I can oly assume that the owners have probably paid handsomely for the rather naff mural, of what looks like it could be the Amalfi Coast, with a curiously positioned arch in the foreground, (the kind you train creepers and roses on, but I can't recall what they are called...!). This would perhaps be less of a faux pas if it were painted on one of the garden walls, but instead, this lurid, ill-conceived, badly rendered piece of art covers the full extent of one of the interior walls. Perfect! I guess that they decided that the mural might up-stage the sizeable statuette of David that they have in the garden?! Love it, love it, love it! This is not to say that I don't appreciate high design, I do! But I would hate for everywhere to look the same. Besides which, corporate homogenisation of interior design is usually little better than appalling. Sports pubs, family pubs with their awful carveries on Sundays, fast food chains and supermarket cafes all make my skin creep! Give me Puccini any day of the week! Their mural may not have been painted with the skill of the Sistine Chapel, but I bet they thought long and hard about it, and chose a subject dear to their hearts. Yes, I guess it would be true to say I have disparaged it somewhat, but that's simply because it is not to my taste. I don't profess to be an arbiter of the urbane, I simply offer my opinion for what it's worth. And, I like things that are naff in the way I perceive the art to be naff at Puccini's. Anyway, the food! All can be forgiven for the food. Reasonably priced and homemade, with a good varied menu, and attempting to cater to everybody's tastes, Puccini's is a decent little eatery in it's class. But I go there just to ogle the mural! read more

Puccini - Mediterranean Near Me - Cardiff, CRF

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This is a pretty average restaurant/coffeeshop but the reason why it deserves 4 stars is because everything in it is made by the same person, you can tell that the pizzas were just done and are original to the place. This restaurant is a cross between an Italian and a Lebanese, but it doesn't lose identity because of that it actually gains some uniqueness. I order a Lebanese pizza, which in fact is a Calzone with Halloumi cheese and Spinach. It came with a sald by the side and it really tasted good! And was actually quite cheap (lunchtime deal, pizza/pasta £5), the only trick is that they over charge on the drinks, £1.80 for a Pineapple juice seemed a bit expensive for me, but still I got well fed there! The decoration is pretty Italian cliché but still quite pleasant, it feels larger from the inside than when you walk in. Which is always good. They have some sofas next to the dining tables, for me that is very comfy and that was what this restaurant felt to me. The owner/waiter is friendly and the food is also pretty nice. It was a discovery which I will certainly repeat! P.S.: If you are veggie like me. pay attention to the plates marked with a V, cause there is a V Arriabata pasta and it has chicken on it. read more

Puccini - Mediterranean Near Me - Cardiff, CRF

This Mediterranean tapas lounge and pizzeria is only small, with slightly cliched, old-fashioned décor - including a rather ghastly but well-intended mural depicting an Italian coastal scene. If you can get beyond the gammy décor, the food is excellent value. The menu offers plenty of choice, the pizzas in particular are very tasty, and it's all made on the premises. They have some lunchtime deals with pizza or pasta dishes for about £5, which for the quality you get is very good. The calzone folded pizza with halloumi cheese and spinach is delicious. Drinks are less of a bargain, so I guess that's where they make up some of their profits. read more

I'm sorry, but I refuse to go back to La Tasca. You can't microwave a bag of frozen potatoes and call it Spanish tapas. Even if I receive 50% off my total bill with one of those movie ticket vouchers, I still won't go. Which is why I've come to appreciate the tasty dishes at Puccini - yes, the decor is a bit, um, over the top, but for me, that's all part of its charm. I know they offer other dishes besides tapas here, but that's all I've ever had and it's all I go back for. Your best bet is to visit with four or more people and just order every tapas dish on the menu, guaranteeing a lively and engaging dining experience. I'm a prickly hummus lover - the ultra-creamy varieties sold in grocery stores make my stomach turn, but the Puccini recipe is thicker and a bit grittier, like it's just been mixed in the back and brought out to your table. And it has - everything here is home made and you can tell by the way it tastes. I'm going again on Friday for a mate's leaving dinner, and I'm already foaming at the mouth thinking about their hummus and tabouleh. Sad, I know, but it's true. read more

Nice little Italian / tapas place in the Roath area of Cardiff. We were the only customers on a Wednesday lunchtime, but the food was nice and we took advantage of a good lunchtime deal. Taste Card deal available on evenings only. read more

This Mediterranean restaurant is a little jewel in Cardiff. It has a fairly wide menu and most people will have no difficulty in finding something that they like. The Lebanese pizza has already been recommended and I would echo that. Service is very helpful and pleasant. read more

A small, friendly, family run restaurant. It has a mediterranean theme with a fair menu. The food is nicely prepared and the prices are fair. Service is unobtrusive but helpful and polite. Well worth a visit read more

Have just got back from a meal at Puccinis after taking up an offer for £40 worth of tapas for £16 on Groupon. All I can say is I don't understand other peoples review of 4 stars. The service is the poorest I've had in a long time and that includes fast food chains. 10 mins after seating a drinks menu was presented followed by a 10 min wait to order it followed by 2 request for a menu which appeared 10 mins later followed by a 20 min wait to order. This was not a one off every table was the same! The food was nice but on realising that due to the offer our portions were half the size of customers without a voucher a bad taste formed in my mouth and has not gone away. I understand it's an offer but surly the aim to build a business not push people away. Poor and mediocre at best! read more

Warm welcome to this cosy and homely mediterranean style restaurant. The unremarkable exterior is misleading. I won't add to the excellent descriptions made by previous reviewers. It was sorely tempting, viewing the long list of enticing tapas (also available as mains) but on this first visit we were eating as an extended family party, on a budget so no starters, wine or afters, unfortunately. There were plenty of vegetarian and non-veggie mains, but we all chose pizzas, which were beautifully fresh, large and generously covered with toppings. Salad was delightfully served with a subtle touch of herb flavoured dressing. A small misunderstanding over one order was soon rectified, without fuss. Looking forward to coming back for the rest of the menu! read more

Went on Saturday. It was very quiet for lunch. The Italian mural mentioned by others is faintly bizarre and I spent happy minutes wondering what was to scale or not ! The food - oh very good. My wife and I ordered 4 tapas (and could have managed at least 2/3 more). All were freshly made and full of taste. Prawns were our favourite. My son had penne pasta ( a little on the chewy side) with meatballs. All for £26, incl drinks. This is a quirky litle place that has something of an identity crisis - is it Lebanese, Italian or Spanish ? Actually though, who really cares ! Lovely, we'll be back. read more

I loved this place! The decor just made me feel like I was on my holiday :) Great service... clean surrondings & excellent food at a good price. Will definitely be returning. Very happy customer. read more

Excellent! Wide choice of food on menu, from tapas to pizza. Fantastic decor, reasonable prices especially with vouchers which are available on the usual sites. Would visit again! read more

Considering the number of people I know who have visited this small Mediterranean tapas lounge on Albany Road, i'm surprised there are so few reviews to be found on Yelp. I have visited this little restaurant on many an occasion (much to the annoyance of my girlfriend due to her suspicions that I fancy one of the waitresses, to which I decline to comment) and have found it to be great value for money and a pleasant all-round experience. Firstly, the minor negatives. It's quite a small establishment which means that the sound can get a little much if you're visiting on a particularly busy evening, but by no means uncomfortable. Also as a result of its size the rear room, where the larger tables are located, can feel somewhat cramped when there are large groups of people dining. Fortunately for those looking for an intimate dining experience (unfortunate for the business) these cramped experiences are quite rare. The very few criticisms about Puccini's pale into insignificance when you consider what this place offers. The quality of the tapas makes similar, well-established restaurants - La Tasca, i'm looking in your direction - taste bland and mass produced in comparison. The dishes on offer are well portioned, balanced in flavour and are reasonably priced, unless of course you're one of those people who have a habit of ordering far more than they can realistically handle *ahem*. If tapas isn't you're thing then firstly you need to ask yourself what you're even doing here, and secondly answer your first question by considering the vast alternatives on offer; Pizzas, pasta dishes, meat choices, salads and vegetarian options and traditional Lebanese dishes are all on offer. The desert section may be relatively limited but what they offer always gives you that wonderful feeling of guilt people feel when they know they shouldn't have gone for the Belgian waffles but feel SO much better for having done so. The service is polite, attentive and never over-eager to return to your table following practically every bite. If you're looking for a reasonably priced evening with a loved one or a group of friends, over a beer or a bottle of Siglo Rioja, sharing some tapas or tucking into a steak in a restaurant where your custom is always visibly appreciated, you'd do well to give this place a visit. Oh, and try the Zataar bread. Amazing stuff. read more

Sat incongruously between a vacant property and an abandoned garage halfway down Albany Road, Puccini's pleasant interior is in stark contrast with its unsightly neighbours. It may go some way toward explaining why more often than not Puccini isn't exactly bustling (even sometimes on prime weekend evenings). That's through no fault of the food, taking decent flair to Mediterranean specialities of tapas and pizza at reasonable prices. An ill-advised whitebait order - you try eating whitebait without feeling like all their little eyes are watching you! - ended with the waitress making a special trip back to the table to ask what was wrong with the dish. But though the tone felt a little accusatory, you have to give kudos to any restaurant keen to up their game via immediate customer feedback. The restaurant is so quiet on occasion though that the atmosphere is lacking to the point of awkwardness, which could prove a bit of a vicious cycle in the long term. read more

went there last night, had the tapas dishes, really nice, good service. will go again

Went here using a groupon voucher - will be returning. Food was freshly made using good quality ingredients. House wine was good too. Very, very nice. read more

i have been here 3 times with my partner-and due to go again next week. The food is amazing, and varied. i particularly enjoyed the dates wrapped in bacon as a starter, and the hake with parma ham for main course. the dessert choice a little disappointing, but nevertheless waffles and ice cream was delicious. very friendly staff. read more