The Plan

In einer der diversen Arkaden in Cardiff ist plötzlich FairTraid und Organic Thema. WOW — was für eine Überraschung.
Das habe ich so nicht noch mal in Wales gefunden.
Wir waren leider etwas zu spät dran. Am Samstag wird um 17:00 Uhr geschlossen.
Aber der Tee, die Skones und mein Cappuccino waren super!
Das Ambiente, mitt in den Arkaden als eigenständiger kleiner Laden mit einem OG wirklich schön. Meine kleine geheime Empfehlung für einen Stadtbummel in Cardiff…
Bier und Pubs gibt es sonst im Wales noch genug…

What I love about this place is the huge selection of gluten free options (my friend is a coeliac) and lesser-​sized but still good selection of vegan options, which caters to my needs. The food is consistently good and it’s healthy, fresh and inventive. It makes a change from regular café food or pub grub you sometimes get around these parts. It’s a lovely spot. The cons are that the service never quite feels welcoming or friendly. They are certainly polite but that’s where it ends. Great if you just want some alone time with a great cup of coffee or a light lunch with a couple of friends. More vegan cakes needed!

My first visit to The Plan was not ground breaking but still good as far as I can remember. Decent Welsh rarebit and good drinks. However during my most recent visit they definitely dropped a star in my book.
There was short wait for a table which I didn’t mind at all, as it was a busy half-​term weekday and the customer flow was handled well. However once it came to making the order it went downhill. I’m not sure if our waiter was new but I was asked to repeat my order (which I also don’t mind, it can be hard to catch the first time) of a brie and cranberry baguette — and it still came out as a sandwich.
When I asked what cheeses were available, I was told «brie, cheddar… errr». My companion just settled for the cheddar so as to end the waiter’s struggle.
I didn’t try their coffee this time but ordered a pot of tea. My sandwich with the little side salad and handful of ready salted crisps was alright, nothing special. Even taking into account that it was busy, our food took quite some time to arrive being as none of it was hot. My companion noted that our pot of tea had been been prepared and sat on the counter for nearly 15minutes before it was finally served. I know there’s brewing time, but 15 mins?!
You don’t get the best bang-​for-​your-​buck here, but it’s not terrible. Around the venue there are signs for «Top 50 Coffee Shops» in Britain, but this does not apply to their food! (The title was awarded by The Independent newspaper with the focus only on their high quality coffee.)
On the other hand, the atmosphere in The Plan is relaxed and pleasant, even when every seat is filled. The top floor is my favourite, a little quieter and with the view from the windows overlooking the beautiful Morgan arcade in which the café is situated.
Overall: I don’t think I’ll be returning for any more sandwiches. Perhaps for their eggs Benedict, soups or other breakfasts. If I visit again it will be to try their famed coffee and to sit back with a great view of the arcade from the top floor.
Tip: They have their own toilets downstairs, the way is hidden underneath the stairs to go to the top floor!

In my constant battle against the mundane and settling for 2^nd best, I checked out where was good for breakfast on Unilocal and found this gem that was 20 minutes walk from my hotel.
Housed in a smal boutique shopping mall, the Plan is tucked away but definitely somewhere that’s worth making the effort to visit.
Even though the menu was pretty varied with bacon high on the agenda after last nights beery indulgences, I had a sudden urge to be good and went for their bowl of organic porridge with honey, blueberries and strawberries. The plan was always to have a bacon barm to follow but alas the portion was so big that there was no way I could have squeezed anything more in.
The flat white was perfectly made so as you can taste the coffee and it all came in at under £7 together which I’m quite happy to pay when getting such quality food and drink.
They also have all of the daily newspapers making it a great place to take a load off in the morning.

This café is located in the Royal Arcade and gives you a great view of the busy shoppers while comfortable enjoying your tea. It has a good menu with jacked potatoes as well as baguettes, sandwiches and some very nice vegan options. It also has some very nice tea assortments. When confronted with a grumpy customer (moi) as they had run out of jacked potatoes the staff was very helpful and quite cute in trying to save my afternoon. To be fair it was near closing time and I was very happy with my replacement dish.

This is the only Coffee shop I found in Wale which serves a coffee even closely approaching the coffee we enjoy here in Australia (Mate), the only thing holding up the fifth star here for me is the fact they charge you for an additional egg at breakfast and the barrista told me he couldn’t do a «Large Flat White».
The flat white…
A debate for the ages it seems.
NZ Flat White (2 shots in a regular sized cup, silken milken) Vs AU Flat White (1 shot in a regular sized cup silken milken easily ramped up to a large flat white by adding the second shot) Or am I completely wrong?
Frankly my DEAR I don’t give a damn!
One thing is for sure you’ll be that desperate for a Coffee you need to make a beeline to Plan its got a great interior and whilst the debate rages on the best «Flat White» in Cardiff.
edit: down to 2 star, slow service, and barely a whisp of taste in the coffee must of gone from two shots to one shot in the flattie, which in british coffee consumption makes for a warm cup of milk.
The hunt for a go to coffee shop will have to resume anew. Put it down to the market where we aussies are after the kind of caffeine intensity you get from mainlining speed I think the brits are more into milk.

A great place to meet up with friends and enjoy amazing coffee made with love.

The Plan defiantly had a great plan when they thought of the interior to this café, I mean the place has sooo much character.
I love the 18^th century lanterns on the top floor, the candle steel chandelier hanging from the top floor. I like the wooden staircase/​floors.
I like the cute blue and white squared table cloth on the round/​square tables. The ground floor looked different to the top with dark brown wooden tables and chairs. I was crazy with my picture taking on this one but it i! five stars for interior.
I ordered a caffe latte, loved it, it was smooth and rich in flavour and looked great.
I ordered a egg mayonnaise white baguette (originally wanted brown but was they were out of stock) with coslaw and salad.
The meal was fresh and tasty, only that the baguette was hard. I tried my friends brown baguette and that was lovely and soft.
I cant remember what I paid, but it was under £10.
Because its in the Arcade you can go and look at all the other unique shops.
Well the next time I’m in Cardiff i will definitely make a stopoff here.

Imagine, if you will, your own personal wonderland. A haunted, ancient corridor of stripped down shopfronts that loom in above you and close in around you. The only thing drawing you further into this dilapidated world is the sweet whisper of cooking smells that gently brush against you, drawing you in and ever onwards. They call to you; a rich symphony of a thousand separate scents that twist and dance around one another, occasionally pulling apart leaving just the one to call out to you before sweeping in again, collapsing into one another to bring that beautiful bouquet up to your nose and leave you breathless and wanting more.
That’s The Plan.
They’ve managed to create some kind of funnel effect so that no matter where you are in the arcade, you are smelling The Plan. If you’re walking around fifteen shops away and the wind changes, you’ll feel your nose prick up, independent of any conscious action on your part and you’ll feel the sudden urge to head towards the source.
And the menu lives up to what your nose promises. There’s too much good stuff to offer any single recommendation. My only suggestion is to go there, sit down and let your nose make the choice for you. You probably won’t need a menu. Just stick your nose in the air, wait for the particular scent to hit you and then say «THAT! I want that.» They’ll know what you mean.

Even though this place always seems to be jam packed, I’ll always happily wait for a seat in this café/​restaurant. With huge bow windows (Cardiff must have had an amazing glazier specialising in curved windows) the café looks out onto the main arcade and the small number of tables outside.
The reason we go here is the unselfconscious healthiness of the menu — and how tasty it all is! Herbal teas, fruit presses and really good mains seem to be the order of the day. And regardless of my usual preferences I seem to tend towards the vegetarian. I can wholeheartedly recommend the chickpea curry.
My favourite bit though, is the tiny little passage way to the toilets. Gives The Plan extra charm. Next time you’re out shopping, there are far worse places to pop for lunch or a cuppa!

When I used to work as a barista, I was constantly subject to rules and skills that would change quicker than I could master them.
Sometime we had to use a thermometer, sometimes it was best to gauge the temperature with our hands. At one point, it was decided that we should put chocolate sprinkles on the espresso before the hot milk. On other days this came after. Once or twice a month we had shifts where all chocolate was banned and don’t even get me started on the treatment of cinnamon.
But there was one thing that never changed. Throughout the year or so I spent working with a coffee-​machine I was constantly instructed to take time out and visit The Plan.
‘He makes the best coffee in Cardiff’, my boss would whisper of the barista here, cautious that one of his own customers would hear the comparison. ‘If you want to know how to make a good cappuccino, go to him’.
And The Plan has certainly lived up to the promise. For the dedicated coffee-​maker, the skills here are no less than inspiring.
If hot milk isn’t your thing, though, this café innovatively makes a statement of offering a choice of filter coffees, brought to you in your own cafetiere.
URBAN CHALLENGE: Reinvent the Rorschach test in your latte art

This is the best café in Cardiff, honest.
In a city filled with Costa, Café Nero and Starbucks, it might be simpler and easier to walk three feet to the nearest chain, but you’ll experience nothing new, taste nothing new and still have your wallet comprehensively rinsed.
The Plan is delightfully centered in Morgan Arcade, it looks and feels original and serves some of the best tea, coffee and lunch you would ever want to find. Its rustic style is immediately an attraction, and the large glass windows mean that, just for once, we’re not all condemed to drinking coffee in darkness (a tactic many café’s seem to have adopted). It has a tea and coffee menu, meaning that those amongst us who want to try something a little bit different are buzzing from Columbian rather than Kenco.
The food is excellent and the simple menu, which largely remains unchanged, offers a mouthwatering selection of baguettes, light lunches and salads.
It’s hard to put your finger on what it is that puts The Plan a cut above the rest, but for me it’s the best place to sit and eat lunch in Cardiff. However, it’s not particularly cheap and if you turn up between 12 and 2 on Saturday you’ll struggle to find a seat, probably because a lot of other people have realised just how good it is.

Are you looking for other café’s in Cardiff that don’t offer coffees in giant mugs and offer sickly syrups to go with them? Do you just want a quiet place where you can have a peaceful time sipping that normal lovely coffee whilst indulging in a delicious scone? Well it seems I have the answer for you! You must try the café ‘The Plan’ located in Morgan Arcade.
With friendly staff, waiter service and a delicious choice of food ‘The Plan’ certainly does not disappoint. When I was there I only had a soft drink with a scone whilst my girlfriend had a pot of tea with a scone. I was pleasantly pleased with the whole experienced as the staff were helpful and didn’t mind engaging in conversation. The place itself may seem small but there is an upstairs to it, which is useful, as it can get extremely busy in there like it was when I visited Saturday. I had heard so many good things about this café I thought it couldn’t possibly live up to my expectations! I am happy to say I was wrong. They also offer meals at lunchtime, a take away service and even have wi-​fi
If you want to relax and have a nice coffee with a cake then this is a superb café to visit. It’s one of my favourites and I will definitely be going back!

The barista rocked. His «flat white,» or what we’ve come to know as simply a «good latte» back home – okay either slightly less milk or slightly more espresso may be the norm, but it’s remarkably like our «third wave» coffee houses in the states. (See: Blue Bottle, Four Barrel…) Anyway, the FW and machiatto made were both lovely in taste and look.
I’ve yet to have food there, but the menu promises quality food made from locally sourced ingredients. I’m excited to go back and check it out.

As other reviewers have already said, this café’s inclusion in the Guardian and Independent’s «Top 50 independent cafés» league table has created high expectations that are always going to be hard to live up to.
However, it’s a good start when you learn they’re sourcing a lot of their core ingredients (such as milk, cream and eggs) locally — all from within Wales. It’s equally welcome that they are independent rather than part of a chain, and that you can enjoy a glass of beer or wine with your food here, as they have a licence. And to help the café’s popularity even further, it’s in a great spot in Morgan Arcade, with windows facing down the main stretch of the arcade and also out to either side where the arcade splits around it. This makes it a perfect people-​watching café, particularly on wintry days when you want to be indoors, somewhere cosy, but you still want to enjoy a good view.
Cafes aren’t only about the ambience, however, but the snacks I’ve had from here have always been fine — perhaps not award-​winning, but not bad either. Perhaps The Plan’s success with the media has raised some people’s expectations too high, or perhaps if I went back and tried the savoury dishes I too would be disappointed — but for coffee and cake in nice surroundings it’s a winner.

Yes — the food and drink is good in fact good enough to be in The Guardian’s top 50 cafes BUT this is not the reason I come here…
…the real reason is people watching. There is no better place. just grab a bite to eat or a drink (both will be good) and let it wash over you. Imagine a glass encased island that splits a human river of traffic in two — that the location of The Plan.
I have spent hours staring, wondering and smiling at people going by.
This little light airy café has the perfect combination of everything you’d want.

The Plan proudly advertises that it is one of the top 50 cafes in Britain. This sets a very high level of expectation that I think it struggles to meet.
Food is a bit more expensive than you would expect in a café but it is apparently made from all Welsh organic ingredients. The shame is that they don’t make good use of them. The beef chilli was bland with nowhere near enough salt in it. The rice also had an almost dish soap taste, possibly due to also being under seasoned. At £8 a plate I was very disappointed.
The atmosphere in the café wasn’t bad with a sense of constant polite bustle that suited the place. I may go back to try their coffee and maybe a baguette but I’m certainly reluctant to try their hot food again.

Like Anna I was drawn in by the sign proclaiming that in «Top 50 independent cafes featured by Guardian & Independent». Also noticed that one of staff was 4^th in UK final of Barista competition 2010 –can’t be bad!
The plan is clearly popular with all ages. They serve coffee to drink in or takeaway. Breakfast is served until 10am, which is too early in my opinion (and I’m not even a student anymore).
Their organic eggs, milk, cream and yogurt are all sourced from Wales, which is very important in my opinion.
They serve a range of sandwiches, salads, baked pots, baguettes, and soup. I also noticed that they had a tempting selection of cakes and pastries available (I resisted). Instead I was rather good and had a salad Nicoise (not the best I’ve had) and a cranberry juice.
In addition to the cakes and pastries, they also serve desserts throughout the day, pancakes being their speciality.
The Plan is also licensed to serve beer, larger, and wine, and I must not that the prices were very reasonable.
It’s not the best café in Cardiff by any means, but it’s well worth a visit!

I was drawn into The Plan by a sign outside saying its one of The Independent and Guardian’s top 50 café’s, but it doesn’t take much to get me into an Independent coffee shop anyway.
What I like is that everything is ethically sourced and they have a good variety of specialist teas and do lovely jacket potatoes. It always looks busy but there is more space upstairs. They do a really good range of vegan and veggie food too.
I’ve always had good service but I try to avoid peak lunch hours anyway. They don’t have any sofa type areas so nowhere really get cosy with a book. Don’t forget to try the cake though.

Have always walked past this place and seen that it was quite busy so didn’t go in. However last week whilst with a friend we saw it was quiet so popped in for a coffee.
The café has a lovely atmosphere, as is right in the middle of the arcade, so lots of light and great for people watching. I wouldn’t recommend it for readers as there isn’t anywhere really cosy to sit and you can get too distracted to write, I find, so better for socialising than working.
Great staff and lots to offer in ways of food, especially some delicious cakes.

A pleasant café in Morgan’s Arcade off St Marys Street, and particularly great for vegetarians and vegans. Most of the wooden tables downstairs are a bit squashed together so we always make a point of trying to get a table upstairs, which is spaced out better, it’s quieter and the tables have cloths too. There is a lot of choice and the staff are friendly and helpful.