The Ivy Asia Cardiff

One of the best dinners we had in Cardiff - recommend booking any special occasions here. We celebrated our anniversary with a dinner and some drinks. Syed went and beyond to make our experience special. Although it was very busy at the restaurant (Christmas weekends), the food arrived quick and hot. It was our first time here, and we found it better than the Ivy next door. Food items we loved from the Festive Samurai Menu - Gyozas (starter), Lamb massaman (mains), and both dessert options of Donuts and Panna Cotta.

Simply stunning! We chose the set menu which is great. We ordered prawns, skewers, beef and chicken. This was accompanied by rice and greens Staff were really friendly and the food tasted superb. We loved the venue too, very different and worth a visit

Set menu for around lunch time was priced very well. The atmosphere was top notch, the indoor decor is impressive, there is a lot to admire and appreciate. Similarly the set up for the cutlery on the table was very nice, and the little details (such as the naming detail on the chopsticks) were a lovely touch. Wait staff were very attentive and I appreciated their hospitality, I felt like no matter what I asked for, I would be accommodated, even if I didn’t actually rest that theory. Personally the feeling was enough for me to be happy. The food itself was fine, for most it would probably be considered very good but I have definitely tasted more flavourful food from Asian-food focused establishments. I may have been spoilt by my previous experience in more expensive, higher end restaurants though. Really, if you like Asian food, it definitely has enough flavour. I’d say food is middle of the pack, which for the price, was absolutely adequate. The pork in particular had a lot of flavour, and I appreciated that the spicy elements of the food lived up to their names as they were indeed, rather spicy. I did have an issue with the shared greens, with the greens being over cooked and stringy, I would have appreciated a crunch. Cocktails a tad expensive and personally with less taste than I would expect from a cocktail over £8. I would go here again, I would like to try the main menu “experiences”, but I’m personally unsure if I would for the price yet.

I came here to celebrate my birthday and the place was beautiful, the decor and atmosphere really stood out. The service was attentive, and the presentation of the food was impressive. However, as someone who is Asian, I found that the flavours weren’t very authentic; it felt more like a Pan-Asian or Western-style take on Asian cuisine. Still, it was a lovely experience overall, and a great spot for a special occasion.

Visited the Ivy Asia back in September. Whilst the service and atmosphere was exactly what I have come to know from the Ivy, I did however find the food to be a bit lackluster for the price point. Often lacking in seasoning and not the quality Ive come to expect from the Ivy. The location and atmosphere however is amazing and the restaurant itself is lovely however I found the food to be lacking somewhat.