The Falafel Bar

Initially when I was shown The Falafel Bar/​Café, I thought I had hit the jackpot. A lover of falafel, this was a great find. Great location, authentic Israeli cooking and a welcoming host (if you ever get the opportunity, it’s worth having a chat with Ronny).
However, after discovering other falafel vendors (see my other reviews) it quickly — and sadly — became apparent that while The Falafel Bar/​Café might have the best tasting falafel in Cardiff, you can certainly get more for your money and not have to miss out too badly on the quality elsewhere.
This place is simple, and I enjoy that. There are 4 options on the menu — falafel, sabich, pittanini, schnitzel. The quality of the falafel is undisputed, and for me it is the best in Cardiff. The sabich, definitely worth trying — I’m not a fan of aubergine, but this might have won me over. Each filled pitta comes with a run of the salad bar, which does have good choice. On top of that, the place itself is vibrant and gives off, dare I say it, a hipster kind of atmosphere. Understated and yet nicely decked out, with a sizeable back bit.
For me, the pitfall is the price you pay. Granted, I would rather spend £4 on food as good as this instead of buying a budget sandwich from Tesco/​Co-​op/​Sainsburys, but the fact of the matter is £4 is a lot for a pitta with 2 or 3 falafel. £5 is even more for said pitta, a drink and some kind of biscuit/​baklava. If they dropped their prices to compete with the likes of Fornos, I think I would switch back to The Falafel Bar other than the odd visit for nostalgia’s sake.
Definitely worth visiting, but in my opinion there are better value places if you want to consume chickpeas on the regular.

Located just a couple of minutes’ walk away from the Humanities department, the thought of swinging by here for lunch got me through many Cultural Criticism lectures.
The best aspect of this eatery is you can be as fussy as you want. You can stuff your own wraps with as much salad as your little heart desires and go wild with their selection of sources.
Perhaps needless to say, this place is a little vegetarian lifesaver which makes a more than refreshing change from the criminally simple alternatives served at nearby restaurants in the day.
The owner here is incredibly friendly and helped me through the difficult time of student elections by displaying a poster, in exchange for the promise I’d be back for more falafel.
Please, no one tell the manager here, but I think this was the most unfair deal I’ve ever set in my life.
URBAN CHALLENGE: Got room after your pitta? Try the baklava, a nutty and deliciously sweet pastry

Two years ago, I made a New Year’s resolution to try and do at least one brand new thing every day, no matter what. Whether that was playing a song I’d never heard before, or running naked down a street (that was a good party), or doing something as simple as drinking a drink I never would’ve tried before, I’d do it. And there’d be no stocking up; no going three days without anything fresh before knocking four new things out on the fourth day. One day = one new thing.
This lasted for about five months before I gave up. I tried lots of new things and had lots of new experiences; not all of them experiences I care to repeat, but at least I’ve had them.
The Falafel Bar was one of those days. The menu was a little awkward to understand, but you could muddle through easily enough. The food itself betrayed me, though. If something comes out in ball shape, with a bread-​crumb-​esque coating, my mind instantly thinks «chicken nugget», and so my expectations are already unfairly high.
The food wasn’t to my taste, is what I’m saying. However, that’s not a slight against the restaurant. If falafel is your thing, I have no doubt you’ll enjoy your time here.

We went into the Falafel Bar today for a little spot of late lunch because we wanted to get out of the house — we were so excited by how sunny it was that we had to stop ourselves from running crazy in the streets, screaming ‘THE SUN, THE SUN! ALL HAIL THE ALMIGHTY SUN!’
When we went in we were greeted by a very friendly man who explained how the whole menu worked. Which was good because it was a little unclear, to be honest.
He brought out a tub full of uncooked falafel and he cooked it in front of us. It was done in a matter of minutes — and then he handed over our falafel in pitta breads and we helped ourselves to salads, sauces, extras and chutneys.
It was absolutely delicious and we sat outside (though there is plentiful seating inside and out the back) to make the most of the sun.
I will be heading back soon — although at £3.90 a go minimum, it won’t unfortunately be that often.