The Cinnamon Tree

Had dinner here last night and we absolutely loved it. Unlike other reviewers, our service was great, and one of the servers even chatted with us for several minutes. The others were friendly as well. We enjoyed everything we had: Murgh Masala, butternut squash tikka, plain naan, but the chicken tikka biryani was the best we’ve ever had (and we have had plenty!). Good atmosphere as well. If we were staying in Cardiff longer we would definitely return.

The Cinnamon Tree serves excellent Indian fare with a more homemade feeling that a run of the mill curry house. I can highly recommend the Saag Paneer which was in a dry preparation. The spinach was fresh, and the cheese was pan fried. We also had a delightful spicy veg dish of butternut squash. The breads we tried were Naan and Chapati, both first rate. We also ordered a lentils dish which was more average. The Chicken Tikka Masala was a bit too sweet, so I hesitate to recommend it. Overall, I think you should definitely come eat here if you are hankering for a curry.

Eines der besten indischen Restaurants, das ich auf der Insel besucht habe.
Hervorragende (britisch) indische Küche, freundliches Personal, nicht zu kitschig-​indisches Ambiente.
Perfekt für einen kulinarischen Abend. Die sehr ruhige Lage in einer Seitenstraße der Cathedral Road entschädigt für die Suche.
Zwar ist der Preis für das gute Essen angemessen, aber zu hoch, um jeden Tag dort Essen zu gehen.
(Besuch dort: Juni 2012)

Having been to the sister Cinnamon Tree in Treforest before, I was happy to see that the Cardiff one is just as good.
Yes it’s a little expensive but the food is really very good, and the dishes are given a bit of care and attention rather than just being your bog-​standard meat-in-spicy-sauce-and-that’s-it that you find too often with cheaper Indian places.
The service was very quick and friendly and they were very accommodating to a pram and a young child too, keeping us a little way away from the other diners which suited everybody.
Definitely worth a visit for a slightly posh treat.

nice curry, only had a takaway with the family but definatly one to try, give it a shot,

good but I am sorry to say overpriced. shame as their food is tasty

Loved this place, so polite and friendly, good food, definatley go again !

I agree with previous reviewer, I went 4 a dish I particularly like, was looking forward to it, only to have it served completely diferrently. Bit disappointing

Please note my rare five star rating; The Cinnamon Tree is the curry lover’s heaven.
I am SO lucky to be living just doors away, my waistline maybe not so much as I will be returning often! I know a good curry when I taste one, and I have never, ever tasted a Korma so fragrant, fresh and flavour rich. I know it’s a girly choice but I know what I like– and after sampling a Cinnamon Tree Korma, I don’t think I’ll be able to order it again from any other Indian restaurant, it just won’t be the same!
I strolled in with few friends around 9pm on a busy Saturday night, I was waiting no longer than two minutes to be seated, despite the volume of customers, and had attentive, polite, professional and smartly dressed waiters serve us with a smile. The atmosphere was buzzing, but the seating arrangements meant that it never felt over crowded or too loud. The choice of food was vast, and very impressive! It nearly tempted me away from my regular Korma choice, but I decided to play it safe in the end! Presentation of food was top-​notch; they take great pride in their service and food preparation. It’s definitely an up– market Indian restaurant, which is proven by the smartly dressed customers and waiters and overall service and quality of the food.
I have one tip though, if you go for the naughty-​but-​nice garlic Nan bread, although delicious, it comes with a quick, and a hec of a lot of garlic cloves, so make sure you are not coming into close proximity with any other human the next day… And one more thing, try not to accidentally eat the cinnamon bark on the plate, it’s not a good idea, as I found out.
We ordered a starter, main, soft and alcoholic drinks; the bill rounded up to a reasonable £15 per head, not bad at all!
An all round triumph for good food, service, atmosphere, price, and a very full tummy!

I’ve had about 10 take aways from here and eaten in three times (not on the same night) — only once did I have a problem with my curry (it was slightly cold) the rest of the times it was very nice indeed.
The service is efficient the staff friendly and the atmosphere is warm.
It’s always quite busy — testament to the how nice the food is.
I’m not claiming it to be the best curry I’ve ever had but its certainly tasty and worth the money.

The Cinnamon Tree in Pontcanna is, as the area would indicate, a more up market Indian Restaurant than you get in less affluent areas of town. Business is brisk, regardless of the recession, partly due to the fact that they can trade on their reputation, (this is a long established, award winning, Cardiff based restaurant chain, with two more outlets, one in Treforest and the other in Bridgend), and because they haven’t placed all their eggs in one basket in terms of what they offer. Although serving the higher end of the market they still supply a take-​away service, as well as catering to the corporate and domestic sectors in-​house, offering specialist services for celebratory functions such as corporate events and birthdays and anniversaries.
Whilst these factors are all important, providing the cherry on the cake in terms of revenue, their core business, securing the bread and butter money, is entirely reliant on the quality of their traditional Indian cuisine. The food is great and keeps people coming back time after time. Dishes include specialties from all areas within India, so there’s something for everyone’s taste. I prefer the milder curry’s, which are often more difficult to make well than the hotter alternatives. Without extreme amounts of chilli and black pepper to numb the taste buds, the more subtle flavours of the spices can be tasted. In my experience, the Cinnamon Tree really know what they are doing, and clearly buy in good quality ingredients. This is a well cared for business in every respect, (although the exterior could do with a lick of paint… but don’t let this put you off… I’d rather they concentrate all of their creativity in the kitchen than elsewhere, ensuring their excellent standards are maintained).

Only been here a couple of times but I’ve enjoyed the experience both times. Good food and a nice place — recommended.

Aye, really enjoyed The Cinnamon Tree, it is a little pricey but I do feel it’s worth it for the quality of food and great service you will receive.
I normally judge a curry by it’s spicyness and this one certainly hits the whoa button.
The décor inside is really lovely as well and does surprise you as you walk through the door.
All in all it’s a very nice Indian restaurant that needs to be visited to be believed.

As previously mentioned the food here, can be rather on the pricey side of things. I’m therefore somewhat surprised by the incredibly shabby exterior of this restaurant, from the outside you’d clearly think it was run down and would really question eating here.
The food though, is extremely good, and from my experience is very traditionally Indian. The staff are also incredibly accommodating, and will happily deal with anyone. I once came here for a friend’s birthday, and as the upstairs is very small we luckily had it to ourselves. This meant that we could be slightly rowdy (I was a student), with no fear of disturbing other patrons.
So don’t judge a book by it’s cover and visit the Cinnamon Tree.

For many years I lived just along the street from The Cinnamon Tree, and for many years my walk home was made magical by the aromas pouring out of this place. In Roald Dahl’s ‘Charlie and the Chocolate Factory’, Charlie stands outside and just smells all the chocolaty goodness. This is exactly what you have to do outside The Cinnamon Tree.
Although slightly pricey, the food is prepared and presented to a high standard and is invariably delicious. I usually stick to a safe Korma, but the expressions on friend’s faces tell me other dishes are pretty good too. This restaurant has a good reputation for its service, which, through my experience, is very well deserved.
This is an excellent place to have a get-​together; it’s just out of the centre of Cardiff, so feels a lot more intimate. It should, however, be noted that Monday-​Saturday The Cinnamon Tree is closed from 2pm-​6pm between their lunch and dinner service. Take-​away is also available, and must be tried!

Really good quality indian food. The service is excellent. If you want something slightly different from menu the are always happy to help. Plenty of parking. Not too pricey.

Every time i’ve eaten here the food has been incredible; tasty and full of flavour. Yes it is a bit on the pricey side, but I think it’s worth it. I live on the other side of the city and it’s worth the journey across town. Décor is pretty typical, staff are friendly (if a bit quiet — they don’t seem the type to banter with the punters), beer is good and menu is great. If you like Indian food, it’s well worth a look.

The Cinnamon tree is a very popular expensive Indian. The food is pretty much amazing and with an ice cold cobra nothing could be better. What makes the cinnamon tree so unique is that if offers the widest Indian Cuisine available, yes they have the regular dishes available but why not try something new, something exotic because the flaming ostrich will really widen your taste buds! There is also a bar upstairs where you can enjoy a few beers before or after your meal. This is one of the best, if not the best Indians in Cardiff!