Coffi House, Rendezvous

Before Starbucks was invented, a visit to Wellfield Road had to end with a trip to the Coffi Shop. It was always a little bit more up-​market than the café a block away and did veggie stuff and salads, so I used to come in here quite a lot. It was full of old hippies and «ladies who lunched» so it was always a slightly strange mix but the food was good, and still is.
There’s lots on the menu, and specials too. So now you can have panninis alongside the traditional jackets and quiches. The coffee is good and the cakes are great. I used to have toasted tea cakes or a slice of apple pie. Most of the desserts look homemade which is a plus from my point of view. There’s also a garden with tables and chairs so you can have your food outdoors. It gets very busy in there on Saturdays so go off peak.

Wellfield Road is a pleasant area to stroll around window shoppping and stopping for coffee or some lunch.
You won’t find flagship high street stores here like Top Shop or Next, but instead you’ll find small boutique-​style shops and independent cafes and hair salons, each with individual character.
While nearby Albany Road is also lined with shops, as are neighbouring Crwys and City Roads, it’s Wellfield that holds the most charm. There’s not a huge selection of places to shop at, and you might not end up buying a thing, but you could easily pass a lazy hour or two here nosing around alternative shops such as Halcyon Daze and stopping off at the delectable Tea & Cake Shop or trendy Juno Lounge.
If you have a bit more time to spare, Roath Park is only a short stroll away or there’s the Oriel Gallery exhibitions to browse.

There’s something not quite right about Wellfield Road’s aspirations as a middle class boutique haven, not least as at the Albany Road end you’ll encounter undeniably working class businesses like Rainbow Bargains and Wellfield Fruit And Veg stall. But alongside bastions of bland living like Subway, Tesco and Starbucks, plus a couple of high street bank branches, this tiny stretch between Roath Park and the bustling Albany Road is a microcosm of good living. Quirk-​filled bar The Juno Lounge, the cute/​self-​explanatory Tea And Cake and eclectic eatery The Coffi House are among the culinary highlights. And it’s probably possible to spend an entire lazy weekend without leaving the street: toy shops, hairdressers, a bookshop, travel agents, Indian restaurant Himalaya, dry cleaners, kooky clothes stores, all manner of gift shops and more besides make Wellfield Road its own community within a community. Lord only knows what the patrons of the local bookies make of it all.

Wellfield Road in Roath is in many respects the Poncanna Street on the opposing side of town. It is not quite as up market as Pontcanna, but it’s not far off in some respects. It has the Boothby Green Deli, which can happily match any of the deli’s across the way, and it also has a few independent boutiques that can also definitely compete. Where it differs quite significantly is that it has a more bohemian feel. If Poncanna is at the established, more mature end of the chilled out spectrum, that is reasonably conservative in its tastes, then Wellfield is propping up the younger more cosmopolitan and funky end of the scale.
What I really love about Wellfield Road is that it is pretty much self-​sufficient. People who live in Roath really don’t need to venture into town that often. Until recently it wasn’t possible to buy fresh meat, as there’s no family butchers, but Boothby Green has remedied that in a big way by offering exotic meats as well as the more conventional cuts. So, these days it’s possible to do a weekly shop on Wellfield Road alone. There’s the great fruit and veg stall at the Albany Road end of the street, which sells really well priced fresh produce, (that helps soften the blow after paying over the odds for the meat, worth it though it is).
The same applies to clothing and gifts. Wellfield Road has loads of great value independent clothing shops for both men and women where you can buy everything from designer gear to vintage, retro and pre-​loved clothing. There’s at least three menswear shops, and even more women’s clothing outlets… there’s even a dress agency in the Wellfield Court Arcade, just around the corner from the retro shop.
Health and wellbeing are also well catered for with a couple of opticians, chemists and health spa’s. The arts are fairly well represented also. The Oriel, just around the corner on Penylan Road is a fantastic little indie gallery that is well worth visiting.
And finally, there are some great little places to eat out, or grab a coffee.