Cardiff is blessed with some amazing places to eat, and each has its own special character. With huge varieties of food available across the whole of the capital, in pockets like Whitchurch Road and Cowbridge Road East there are bigger concentrations of awesome local eateries.

City Road in particular has one of the richest selections and some awesome spots to grab Middle Eastern food of all kinds, as well as Italian and Thai restaurants, Halal fast food options and several dessert spots to satisfy the sweet tooth. To help you make your mind up when wandering the 1km-long road for dinner, we've listed some of the best it has to offer (according to Google reviewers) along with their signature dishes, price points and hygiene ratings.

We've included the top 38 restaurants on City Road, as rated by Google reviewers. If we've missed any out, please let us know so we can add your restaurant in. For the latest restaurant reviews, sign up to our food and drink newsletter here.

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Spice Village (an Indian-Bangladeshi restaurant offering authentic cuisine and a richly varied menu), The Ladz (a peri chicken burger chain) and Nafees (a hugely popular Asian confectionary brand) came out on top with Google ratings, but there are some amazing locally-run places further down the list.

A shout-out, too, to some of the restaurants managing a rating of four stars or above after receiving more than 1,000 reviews - it's no mean feat to continue to please customers at such a scale. Saray and Shaam Nights both managed this, with respective 4.5 and 4.3 ratings - as did a slightly different contender, the Ernest Willows Wetherspoon pub with 4.0.

For a similar reason, our list only contains restaurants with more than 50 reviews to ensure a decent number of people have had their say on the spots we cite as the top-rated. Smokewood (5.0-rated, 29 reviews), Marina Seafood Mediterranean Restaurant (5.0, 13 reviews), Deli Fuego Cake (5.0, one review), Chingri (5.0, three reviews), Sultans Shisha Lounge (4.3, 23 reviews) Seoul Chikin (4.0, one review), Khan's (3.9, 41 reviews) and Burger and Co (3.8, 22 reviews) should all get a mention despite missing out on these grounds.

All hygiene ratings were taken from the Food Standards Agency website and are correct at the time of writing, but some inspections with lower ratings were several months ago and are subject to change. The FSA uses a rating system of 5 (very good), 4 (good), 3 (generally satisfactory), 2 (some improvement necessary), 1 (major improvement necessary), and 0 (urgent improvement required).

Here's the list, starting with the best-rated:

Spice Village Indian Restaurant and Takeaway

The front of Spice Village with green signage and print reading SPICE VILLAGE / FINE INDIAN DINING
Spice Village is the street's top-rated restaurant on Google

Cuisine: Indian and Bangladeshi restaurant offering "authentic, delicious Indian Cuisine."

Signature dish: Tandoori mix naga - barbequed chicken, lamb and king prawn in a rich chilli pickle sauce

Google reviews: 4.9* (173 reviews)

Food hygiene rating: 5

Price point: Main courses generally range from £8.95 to £13.95

The Ladz Cardiff

Circular sign reads THE LADZ / FLAME GRILLED & PERI PERI with red and orange circles around it, on black frontage. Same logo and Welsh flag visible within restaurant.
The Ladz is part of a UK-wide chain

Cuisine: Peri peri chicken and other burgers - part of a small chain with a handful of English, Welsh and Scottish branches

Signature dish: Peri chicken burger and wings platter

Google reviews: 4.9* (140 reviews)

Food hygiene rating: 5

Price point: Main courses start from £5.99, or £8.99 with a side and drink

Nafees Bakers & Sweets

Red shopfront of Nafees with grey fencing and green plants around, as sign reads Nafees BAKERS & SWEETS
Nafees is a well-known name in the Asian confectionery world

Cuisine: The only Welsh location of a UK-wide Asian confectionary brand serving baked goods, biscuits and savoury snacks

Signature dish: Mithai, a widely-varying genre of sugar sweeet from the Indian subcontinent including gulab jamun and barfi.

Google reviews: 4.8* (229 reviews)

Food hygiene rating: 5

Price point: Biscuits at £11/kg and decorated celebration cakes from £33.99

Amo's Cafe

White and black signage reads AMO'S CAFE PERSIAN FOOD / PERSIAN CUISINE
Amo's Cafe is a unique spot serving Persian cuisine with a focus on breakfast

Cuisine: Middle Eastern cafe with breakfast, stews, wraps and grilled meat

Signature dish: Chello Morgh - a Persian chicken stew and tomato puree served with rice

Google reviews: 4.8* (96 reviews)

Food hygiene rating: 4

Price point: Wraps from £3.90, grilled meat from £13.80 and a middle eastern breakfast for £8.05

Lyalena Lounge

Close-up of the entrance to Lyalena, with black and red signs reading LYALENA LOUNGE, WELCOME, and containing a food and drink menu
Lyalena is the highest-rated shisha lounge on the list

Cuisine: Shisha lounge with affordable Halal food including Arabic-inspired skewers and burgers

Signature dish: Various shisha & rills including lamb kofte and chiccken shish

Google reviews: 4.8* (220 reviews)

Food hygiene rating: 5

Price point: Grills from £4.95 to £40, burgers and wraps from £4.95-£6.95

Casablanca

Casablanca at 159 City Road
Casablanca at 159 City Road

Cuisine: Moroccan, Lebanese and Mediterranean breakfasts and meats - including kebabs and veggie options, tagines and baklava

Signature dish: Lamb tagine and hummus starter

Google reviews: 4.8* (196 reviews)

Food hygiene rating: 5

Price point: Tagine for £13-17 and other main dishes similarly priced

Paradise Garden

Wooden and metal stools visible in a shop interior with plants hanging from the ceiling and in plant pots, with a wooden bench table running around in an L shape
The inside of Paradise Garden, which took over from the former Eartha cafe

Cuisine: Cocktails and coffee in a cosy cafe and music venue

Google reviews: 4.8 (66 reviews)

Food hygiene rating: Rating awaited

Lebanon Grill

Cuisine: Lebanese food including shawarma, kofta and mezze

Signature dish: Lamb kofta with onion, peppers and seasoning

Google review: 4.7* (93 reviews)

Food hygiene rating: 3

Price point: Most main courses between £10.50 and £14.90 with some cheaper options and sharing platters at a higher price

Giardini di Sorrento

Blue-green frontage of Giardini di Sorrento, with restaurant name printed above and menu pinned to wooden rail
Giardini di Sorrento has become a firm favourite for fans of Italian food

Cuisine: Italian food inspired by flavours of the Sorrento Peninsula

Signature dish: Aragosta con Pasta - fresh lobster cooked with brandy and cherry tomatoes, served with pasta

Google reviews: 4.7* (867 reviews)

Food hygiene rating: 5

Price point: Pizzas from £13.50 to £16, other main courses from £16.50 and steak, lobster and fish of the day at varying/market prices

Sweet & Sugar

Slightly faded grey and blue sign reading SWEET SUGAR Pastry & Bakery with images of celebration cakes on window next to entrance
Sweet & Sugar offer celebration cakes for all occasions

Cuisine: Lavishly-decorated cakes, customisable for celebrations from birthdays right up to five-tier wedding cakes

Signature dish: Bespoke cakes with a range of ingredients

Google review: 4.7* (119 reviews)

Food hygiene rating: 5

Price point: Round cakes from £20, cupcakes from £2.50ea

Pasha Shawarma

Cuisine: Shawarma and kebabs

Signature dish: Lamb shawarma with naan, rice or chips & salad)

Google review: 4.6* (65 reviews)

Food hygiene rating: 5

Price point: Main dishes £7.50-£9.99 (as of 2022, may be outdated)

Chilli Basil

Bright red and green lettering on white sign reads CHILLI BASIL, white on red reads Thai Food / Freshly Stir-Fried Thai Food, and in windows there are pictures of the dishes offered including stir-fries and spring rolls. Bikes are parked outside
Chilli Basil specialises in stir-frys but offers a lot more

Cuisine: Freshly stir-fried Thai food including curries, noodles and soups

Signature dish: Chilli Basil stir fried mixed vegetables with fresh garlic, chilli, green beans, mamboo shoots and basil leaves - with chicken, beef, tofu or prawn

Google reviews: 4.6* (247 reviews)

Food hygiene rating: 5

Price point: Most mains between £8.99 and £10.49

SOUVLIKE

Restaurant front decorated in the blue and white stripes of the Greek flag, with signage in Greek-style font reading SOUVLIKE AUTHENTIC GREEK FOOD
If the signage didn't give it away, SOUVLIKE offers greek food

Cuisine: Greek and other Mediterranean food

Signature dish: Pork gyros and feta filo pastry with honey and sesame

Google reviews: 4.5* (283 reviews)

Food hygiene rating: Rating awaited

Price point: Several main dishes £8.50

Havana Shisha Lounge

Cuisine: Shisha lounge with live sport on TV

Signature dish: Various shisha & mocktails, desserts, shakes, smoothies and hot drinks

Google reviews: 4.5* (203 reviews)

Food hygiene rating: 5

Damas Sweets

Wide shopfront with images of desserts and actual desserts on shelves in window. Sign in orange reads DAMAS, with smaller sign reading SWEETS & COFFEE
Damas' sweets and coffee have proved popular with reviewers

Cuisine: Arabian coffee shop serving Arabic sweets and breakfasts

Signature dish: Pistachio and cashew baklawa

Google reviews: 4.5* (102 reviews)

Food hygiene rating: 2

Price point: Most sweets sold per KG at prices generally between £9 and £20

KAYA Lounge

Sign reads KAYA with smaller lettering with the names of other popular foods and drinks (Paninis, coffee, mocktails etc) on either side
Kaya is a shisha lounge but you can also pick up a full cooked breakfast here

Cuisine: Shisha lounge with brunch and bar

Signature dish: Various shisha & breakfasts including a full English and full vegetarian breakfast, eggs benedict, and club sandwiches

Google reviews: 4.5* (259 reviews)

Food hygiene rating: 5

Price point: Food from £7.50 to £10.30

AJ’s Coffee House

Cuisine: Cafe food including breakfast, burgers, salads and potatoes - with live music on a Friday night

Signature dish: Homemade chilli con carne

Google reviews: 4.5* (194 reviews)

Food hygiene rating: 5

Price point: Panini for £4.95, chilli for £8.95 and a full breakfast at £7.50

Saray Restaurant

Saray Restaurant frontage on wooden-style sign with PATISSERIE & BAKERY, 02920494943 and TRADITIONAL TURKISH CUISINE & JUICE BAR, with similar messaging on awning below and pictures of food
Saray is one of the road's best-loved grill houses

Cuisine: Turkish food including shish, kofte, doner and ribs

Signature dish: Adana Kebab - spicy minced lamb kofte grilled on skewers

Google reviews: 4.5* (1,952 reviews)

Food hygiene rating: 4

Price point: Main courses from £11 to £17.90

chaiiwala ️Cardiff

Plain white letters read chaiiwala with interior of shop visible, illuminated by exposed lightbulbs in ceiling
Chaiiwala has become a popular chain across the UK

Cuisine: Indian Chai cafe serving desi breakfast, lunch and snacks - part of a UK-wide chain

Signature dish: Karachi bun kebab with minced lamb, spicy egg and onions - with iced Karak Chaii to drink

Google reviews: 4.5* (886 reviews)

Food hygiene rating: 4

Price point: Many takeaway buns, rolls and wraps below £4.50, with most drinks £2-3

Al-Sham Sweets

Lime green sign on black background reads Al-Sham SWEETS - DESSERTS - ICE CREAM and smaller sign below reads PISTACHIO SWEETS. Images of desserts are on wall and interior is visible through window
Al-Sham is your place for Syrian sweets

Cuisine: Syrian sweets and ice cream

Signature dish: Pistachio basbusa and chocolate cake

Google reviews: 4.5* (152 reviews)

Food hygiene rating: 4

Price point: Most Middle Eastern desserts priced at £6.99 or £7.99

Afrikana Cardiff

Red and yellow sign reads AFRIKANA on otherwise grey shopfront
Afrikana is a chain of African-inspired food

Cuisine: African-inspired chain restaurant with 15 venues across the UK

Signature dish: Bunny chow - South African street food, mutton and potato curry in a hollow toasted loaf

Google reviews: 4.5* (706 reviews)

Food hygiene rating:

Price point: Most mains from £9.95 to £14.95, specials from £14.95

Capital Fish Bar

Cuisine: Classic fish and chips, with burgers, pies and pasties

Signature dish: Large fish and chips

Google reviews: 4.4* (125 reviews)

Food hygiene rating: 3

Price point: Large fish and chips for £6, with various sides including chip butties, steak and kidney pies and fish cakes for less than £2

Steakout Cardiff

Plain grey sign with STEAKOUT written in lightbulbs, with phrase MEAT HOUSE below in white lettering and silhouettes of steaks on frosted sign below
Steakout has branches across the UK

Cuisine: Casual-dining steak restaurant with other branches in London, Coventry, Luton and Slough

Signature dish: Ribeye steak

Google reviews: 4.4* (552 reviews)

Food hygiene rating: 4

Price point: 200g steaks from £17.95 to £27.45

Karak Chaii Cardiff

Sign reads Karak Chaii and below reads HELLO CARDIFF with images of food
Karak Chaii is another great place to grab chaii and snacks on City Road

Cuisine: Chaii, Indian lemonades and dessert drinks, as well as breakfast, roti and street food - a chain with other venues across the UK

Signature dish: Desi breakfast with Karak Chaii and choice of channa, daal or beans with parathas, toast or rotis

Google reviews: 4.4* (253 reviews)

Food hygiene rating: 5

Tenkaichi Sushi and Noodle Bar

brown sign with grey and red letters reads tenkaichi SUSHI AND NOODLE BAR with cartoon photo of sushi chef with a hat made of a sushi roll
Tenkaichi is the highest-rated sushi spot on City Road

Cuisine: Japanese food with variety of sushi including signature maki rolls

Signature dish: Tempura maki

Google reviews: 4.4* (618 reviews)

Food hygiene rating: 4

Price point: Maki rolls at around £8-10, with larger options including 24-piece sushi platter at £28.60

Laziz Shawarma Restaurant

Yellow and white on red signage reads Shawarma Laziz Restaurant, Fresh food daily everyday
Laziz is a shawarma specialist

Cuisine: Shawarma including lamb and chicken, with freshly-made salad and bread

Signature dish: Lamb shawarma

Google reviews: 4.3* (193 reviews)

Food hygiene rating: 2

Shaam Nights

Wide frontage with horizontal grey and brown stripes, images of food and brown awnings reads Restaurant & Take Away Shaam Nights
Shaam Nights serves up authentic Syrian cuisine

Cuisine: Authentic Syrian cuisine

Signature dish: Mix grill with skewers of mix shish, minced lamb and mixed chicken for £15.50

Google reviews: 4.3* (1,331 reviews)

Food hygiene rating: 4

Price point: Grilled main courses from around £11 to £16.50 with bigger sharing platters available

Castello Grill House

Black and white signage on a shop on street corner reads Castello MEDITERRANEAN CUISINE & GRILL HOUSE with menus and images of food on grey tiled wall
Castello offers traditional lamb mandi among other dishes

Cuisine: Shawarma, grilled chicken and lamb, steaks and other kebabs and dishes

Signature dish: Lamb mandi - slow-cooked fresh lamb with Mediterranean spices, herbs and mandi rice, served with rice, salad and Castello bread

Google reviews: 4.3* (148 reviews)

Food hygiene rating: Rating awaited

Price point: Main dishes and grills from £9.99 to £18.50, with steaks and seafood also available for a little more

Manaqesh Palace

Flame-effect text reads MANAQESH PALACE with GRILL HOUSE , JUICE BAR & CAFE written below. Glass windows at street level show restaurant with warm lighting inside, partly blocked by van in foreground
Manaqesh Palace has been revitalised after previously closing

Cuisine: Back after some time away, Syrian food from the owners of Al-Sham Sweets

Signature dish: Falafel wrap

Google reviews: 4.2* (150 reviews), although many will be from the previous iteration of the restaurant

Food hygiene rating: 3

Saray Express

Blue signage reads Saray Express TURKISH GRILL HOUSE with glass windows below
Saray Express serves all your classic grilled meats, with a healthy handful of vegan options

Cuisine: Turkish grill house with huge variety of kofte, shish and doner meats and vegan options including bab ghanouj and tabbouleh

Signature dish: Lamb shish wrap with hummus

Google reviews: 4.2* (415 reviews)

Food hygiene rating: 5

Price point: Mains generally from £10 to £13.50, mixed grills from £14.50

SLAMBURGER® Cardiff

Signage reads SLAMBURGER, with the B stylised to look like a burger and highlighted with a red background
SlamBurger has locations across the UK serving halal burgers

Cuisine: Halal fast food chain with chicken and beef burgers, doner wraps and a selection of sandwiches

Signature dish: Classic smash burger on brioche bun with two beef patties

Google reviews: 4.2* (212 reviews)

Food hygiene rating: 5

Price point: Most burgers around £5, most longer sandwiches £8.29

Jini Pizza

Cuisine: Pizza, kebabs, burgers and more

Signature dish: Meat feast pizza

Google reviews: 4.2* (162 reviews)

Food hygiene rating: 3

Price point: Deal for 12" pizza with three toppings, 1x fries and two drinks for £14.99

Fireaway

Red and white flame logo next to text reading FIREAWAY / DESIGNER PIZZA IN 180 SECONDS. Awning is down on shopfront
Fireaway's pizzas are served in two Welsh locations and dozens more across the UK

Cuisine: Oven-fired pizza chain with Welsh venues in Cardiff and Ystrad Mynach, and dozens of others UK-wide

Signature dish: Fireaway Special pizza with tomato, mozzarella, meatballs, mixed peppers and parmesan

Google reviews: 4.2* (177 reviews)

Food hygiene rating: 5

Price point: All pizzas on menu £11.95 with option to build your own from £13.95

Hardramowt

Cuisine: Authentic Yemeni food with traditional dishes

Signature dish: Lamb mandi

Google reviews: 4.2* (382 reviews)

Food hygiene rating: 4

Ostro Peri Peri

Cuisine: Peri peri chicken, either by the whole, half or quarter, or in wings, thighs, strips, burgers et cetera

Signature dish: Whole chicken, peri peri flame grilled

Google reviews: 4.2* (224 reviews)

Food hygiene rating: 3

Price point: £11.99 for a whole chicken

Ponnuswamy Restaurant

Cuisine: Unfussy South Indian dining with dosai, parotta, biryani and a selection of curries

Signature dish: Too many to choose - any kind of biryani or vegetable curry you fancy

Google reviews: 4.2* (609 reviews)

Food hygiene rating: 4

Price point: Mains generally under £10, with vegetable curries all £6.75 or cheaper

Moo Moo Thai Tapas

Blue signage reads MOO MOO THAI TAPAS RESTAURANT & TAKEAWAY. The awning is down
Moo Moo Thai Tapas has an amazingly varied menu

Cuisine: Thai small plates as well as bigger Chef's Specials dishes

Signature dish: Wde range of starters from pbor pbia jay (crispy spring rolls) and tod mun pblah (Thai fish cake with curry paste and kaffir lime), and chef's specialist including sea bass, beef jerky, and roasted duck

Google reviews: 4.1* (193 reviews)

Food hygiene rating: 3

Price point: Most starters £6.50 or £7, Chef's Specials £15.45-£17.45

Erbil Restaurant

Cuisine: Grills including kofta and shish kebab, with other traditional dishes

Signature dish: Lamb quzi (Iraqi national dish comprised of slowly cooked lamb, nuts and raisins with rice)

Google reviews: 4.1* (192 reviews)

Food hygiene rating: 5

Price point: Main courses £8-9