Ffresh Bar Restaurant - Cardiff

We visited last Thursday lunch time for a meal before the matinee show. Me and my husband had never eaten here before, it was recommended to us by my husband's sister who was also with us on Thursday. I had booked on-line the previous meeting,(which was very easy to do) we had to wait a couple of minutes to be seated, and then again for our waiter to take our drinks order. However they were very busy. The menu is a little limited. We all ordered the Breast of Chicken, which when served was cooked to perfection, it was accompanied by a Potato Cake, Green Beans and Veal Jus. It was well presented and delicious. For desert I ordered Cheesecake and my sister-in-law had Mango Cake, both served with ice cream, again delicious. The service of food was excellent. The restaurant is situated in the foyer of the Wales Millennium Centre so it's really convenient to eat here before a show. We will definitely visit again.

Had a lovely meal here the other night. Food was flavoursome and presented well. Waited a while for drinks but nothing really to complain about. Hadn’t been here before but would come again.

Now onto the negative experiences. The initial welcome from staff upon entering the room was unwelcoming and almost hostile. The back area had filthy flooring with dirt and rubbish scattered around, despite us being among the first to arrive. Some furniture was in poor condition, with a broken sofa leg and wobbly stools. The sofa issue was eventually addressed after numerous requests. The ladies' toilets became partially blocked during the evening, causing inconvenience for guests who had to find alternative facilities. Despite several complaints, it took a while for staff to address the issue. The bar service was disappointing, with three visibly unhappy bar staff attempting to serve a large number of guests. There were instances where guests, including myself, had to wait up to 30 minutes to be served. The inconsistency in pricing at the bar was also concerning, with prices fluctuating throughout the night. It was observed that bar staff frequently left to collect clean glasses or more alcohol, causing further delays in service. There was also a peculiar setup at the till end, where bar staff would prioritize serving customers closest to the till after receiving payment. Overall, the experience at Ffresh was mixed with highlights like good food and entertainment, but marred by issues such as poor welcoming, cleanliness, furniture condition, bathroom maintenance, and bar service.

The calamari was delicious, but the fishcake looked overcooked and the battered brie was disappointing. The brie was breaded instead of battered and overcooked, with a strong taste of old oil. The apricot compote seemed like a commercial jam. We wondered if the dishes were prepared on site or bought in pre-prepared. We also found it odd that the tables were set with side plates but no bread was offered. The main courses were average at best. The "giant pig in blanket" was fine, the roast turkey was a bit dry, and the nut roast was a disappointing lump of dry chestnut mixture with overly sweet cranberry sauce. We all chose cheesecake for dessert, which was okay but seemed like it may have been bought in rather than freshly made. Overall, we were very disappointed with the food, especially after expecting a contemporary menu with high-quality Welsh ingredients. We will not be returning to this restaurant before future theatre visits.

We visited for a pre theatre meal early evening. We have been to Ffresh several times before and enjoyed the food and service. On this occasion, we found that all diners were closeted in the small bar area making it rather noisy and cramped. We found that the menu is no longer fixed price but a limited selection of starters and mains. The quality of the food was disappointing. My salmon fishcake was stodgy and lacking in flavour. Two of the main courses have the same accompaniment: green beans (fine) and potato cake (again, lacked flavour, and had the feel that it had been sitting around for quite a while. My chicken was a generous portion but given that it was breast, it was not particularly tender. My partner's fish (pollock) was again rather flavourless in a parsley sauce. Given the price of these mains (in region of £14), this is overpriced. There are many restaurants in the immediate vicinity that will provide a more relaxed dining experience and better food. I felt for the serving staff. They seemed very busy and did their best, but we were waiting quite a long time for our main course. We won't be visiting again it's a shame because we really enjoyed Ffresh as it was before.