Pies, Pirates and a Speakeasy: A Self-Guided Cardiff Food Tour

Cardiff's food scene blends centuries-old Welsh traditions with waves of immigrant influence. On this food tour, you'll taste your way through the city's classic dishes, from cockles to Welsh cakes. You'll also hear how Italian, Portuguese, and Jewish communities shaped Cardiff's culinary identity.

The tour starts outside Cardiff Castle on Castle Street. You'll wander through the Victorian glass-roofed Castle Arcade, past traditional lovespoon carvings and a bakery filling the air with aromas of spices and sugar, before reaching the cheese specialists at Ty Caws. From there, you'll head into Cardiff Market, built in 1891, to sample local delicacies.

You'll stroll through the elegant Royal Arcade and pass through Chippie Alley, Cardiff's century-old home of fish and chip shops. You'll hear tales of Welsh pirates, rebel princes, and the origins of Welsh Rarebit and cawl along the way. The tour ends at a mystery location, hidden in plain sight in the heart of the city. Here you will be able to indulge in some Welsh-themed cocktails.

On this 90-minute tour, you'll have a chance to:

• Hear how Polish immigrant Ignatz Salaman built a family delicatessen after fleeing the Nazis in 1939
• Stand outside the Royal Hotel, where Captain Scott held his farewell dinner before his fatal 1910 South Pole expedition
• Discover why coffins once floated down St Mary Street during the catastrophic flood of 1607
• Learn about coracle and lave net fishing, ancient methods practiced along the Rivers Towy, Teifi and Taf and the Severn Estuary
• Taste Tiny Rebel's award-winning beers, born from a homebrew experiment in a Newport garage
• Try Welsh Rarebit and cawl, a lamb and leek soup, at the Daffodil restaurant
• Hear the story of rebel prince Owain Glyndwr, who burned English buildings across Wales

Come hungry and ready to explore Cardiff one bite at a time, from centuries-old delicacies to modern culinary gems hidden throughout the city.