The Classroom - Y Dosbarth

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#40 of 944 Restaurants in Cardiff££ - £££, European, British, Vegetarian friendly

+44 29 2025 0377+ Add website

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Tripadvisor gives a Travellers’ Choice award to accommodations, attractions and restaurants that consistently earn great reviews from travellers and are ranked within the top 10% of properties on Tripadvisor.

Ratings and reviews

4.5

499 reviews

#40 of 944 Restaurants in Cardiff

RATINGS

Food

Service

Value

Atmosphere

Food and ambience

Local cuisine, European, British, Welsh, Vegetarian friendly, Vegan options

“The soup was fantastic along with the lamb rice and the bread/butter.”

“My choice of starter was a French onion soup with a small gruyere cheese roll...”

Special Occasion Dining, Romantic, View, Groups, Business meetings

“Evening meal with a view over Cardiff”

Location and contact

Dumballs Rd, Cardiff CF10 5BF Wales

+44 29 2025 0377

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Can a vegetarian person get a good meal at this restaurant?

Yes

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Details

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PRICE RANGE

£10.00 – £60.00

CUISINES

European, British, Welsh

Special Diets

Vegetarian friendly, Vegan options, Gluten free options

Meals

Lunch, Dinner

FEATURES

Reservations, Seating, Parking Available, Wheelchair Accessible, Serves Alcohol, Full Bar, Free Wifi, Accepts Credit Cards, Table Service

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4.5

499 reviews

Excellent

380

Very good

Average

Poor

Terrible

JnLcardiff

Cardiff58 contributions

Reasonably priced

Feb 2020 • couples

Enjoyed our first meal here. As trainees the prices are cheaper than some higher class restaurants - but this definitely didn’t impact on the quality of food. Really tasty and presented beautifully. The waiter service was great although I must say, the Restaurant Manager did come across a little abrupt when he tended to us on the odd occasion. Maybe we caught him on a bad day, who knows. This won’t stop us from returning again soon though. Enjoyed it.

Written 19 February 2020

This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Binny B

Swindon61 contributions

Top of the class

Feb 2020 • couples

We were staying in Cardiff for a few days & wanted to try something a little different for dinner. The resturant is smart with great views over the city. We forgot we were in a college as did we forget that the majority of people that looked after us were students. Everyone was extremely friendly & professional. Ewen. Richard & a lovely guy with an accent sorry we didn't catch his name were fantastic. The seasonal a la carte menu is compact however we still had difficulty choosing. The homemade bread rolls were yummy. The pigs cheek & raviolo starter were amazing, beautifully presented & each element on the plate playing it's part. There's an extensive wine list we were a little disappointed there wasn't a more reasonable house red. What we did have was lovely & we loved the top of the class cocktail. The main dishes were equally impressive....The chicken with pancetta & red gurnard were both cooked beautifully...a special mention goes to the Madeira jus, the fish & pickled carrots. We finished with cheese plate & coffee & almond trifle.. The peanut brittle shortbread & peanut butter ice cream that accompanied the trifle were stunning ...Im so glad I found room for it. We really did feel we were in a top class resturant & enjoyed the experience immensely. We live a fair way away but would love to visit again in the future. Gold star!

Written 26 February 2020

Cymro1980

Aberdare52 contributions

Excellent food and service.

Mar 2020 • business

The vision of top professionals training future culinary talent is certainly realised in the high quality of food and service provided by students. It was difficult to chose from the menu as they all sounded so good. The food was presented well and the mix of flavours worked really well. The view from the restaurant adds to the ambiance. Definitely worth a visit and can’t wait to go back.

Written 4 March 2020

Louise

26 contributions

Valentine's Meal

Feb 2020 • none

Booked in for Valentine's meal and we were not disappointed. It was my first time visiting and I was very impressed with the service as soon as we arrived. We managed to bag a window table, which had great views of the city. I'd like to book for lunch to see it in the day. Only one comment regarding seating was our table was quite large and we were sat on sofa-like seats. It didn't create an intimate atmosphere as we felt quite awkward. On to the food - amazing! I was overly impressed with my choice of dishes. The menu varies week to week so difficult to make specific recommendations. I would definitely recommend this place and look forward to visiting again.

Written 27 February 2020

Lyn Dudley

South Wales60 contributions

Interesting building and restaurant

May 2022 • none

We went for the fixed price lunch - £17 two courses and £22 for three. There was one other table of diners with about 8 ladies so fairly quiet for a Friday. It is what it is- a place for students to learn cooking and service was slow. It's on the fifth floor and we tried to guess the landmarks as we looked out over a building site towards distant hills. The dishes were very pretty but I found the Wood pigeon starter a little stringy. The chorizo stuffed guinea fowl was tasty and I could have eaten more. I'm guessing the waitress was a 'mature' student, she was pleasant and polite. All in all it was okay.

Written 15 May 2022

Clarksa2

Bristol75 contributions

Amazing food - Well worth the visit!

May 2022 • family

Amazing food in a surprisingly quirky location. The food here is exceptional… spent an evening here to celebrate my son’s birthday… and what a meal we had. The house cocktails… delicious. The food magnificent and the views of Cardiff breathtaking. Situated in the college it feels a little weird when you arrive, but when you get to the 5th floor you forget you are in a place of learning. The prices on a standard night are not the cheapest…. But when you see and taste the quality you are not disappointed. I can’t wait to visit again… and I am desperate to try the Student Take Over lunch when prices are heavily discounted.

Written 8 May 2022

Kathryn J

6 contributions

Fantastic meal

Jul 2022 • none

We visited on Friday for a rare date night while we had a babysitter. This was our second visit so the location and entrance weren't a surprise but once you are inside it doesn't have the feeling of a classroom at all. The staff were attentive and helpful, pointing out which menu items were suitable or could be adapted to be vegan friendly. We started with a cocktail then moved on to a bottle of wine. The wine list is very extensive! The food was prompt and everything was delicious. We will definitely be back soon!

Written 1 August 2022

Desmond C

Cardiff365 contributions

Beaujolais Nouveau Evening.

Nov 2023 • couples

This was a special £37 per person dinner to celebrated the release of the Beaujolais vintage which is always held on the 3rd Thursday of November. The price included a 3 course meal plus half a bottle of Beaujolais. We started with a Kir Cassis (Champagne with blackcurrant and a cherry at the bottom of the glass). No complaints. My choice of starter was a French onion soup with a small gruyere cheese roll which must have been the finest French onion soup that I have ever tasted whilst Madame opted for the tartare salmon so clean plates there. Our choice for the main course was the beef Bourguignon with garlic pomme puree. It was very good but not the very best, but again, clean plates. Our joint choice of dessert was the fondant au chocolat, glace a la pistache, sauce au chocolat. Now this was the only disappointment of the meal as it was dry after being baked for too long. Not the end of the world you might think. Overall it was very good. It is a training college where the youngsters have to learn their trade so i am always reluctant to condemn an aspiring professional so come on, give them a chance!

Written 18 November 2023

dr debs

Lincoln150 contributions

Absolutely Surprising but Absolutely Amazing!

Mar 2022 • couples

This was an absolutely fabulous restaurant which is hidden away in a college. It’s the first time this year we have been able to celebrate our anniversary. Initially on arrival you think………… Where the **** are we? Once you realise you have to go into the college. You are still left wondering if you are in the right place. Until you walk into the restaurant. The restaurant itself was warm and welcoming. Like any great restaurant it felt professional and accommodating. Let’s move onto the food. It was absolutely exceptional. I’m a fussy eater but the chef, who I managed to photograph accommodated my needs brilliantly. The choice of wines was phenomenal and overall the price was more of a surprise, in a good way. Definitely 100% recommend this restaurant.

Written 26 March 2022

Mogster2014

Abertillery283 contributions

Excellent

Mar 2022 • none

Not sure what to say.....it was fabulous. Lovely setting, high up in the college. There are panoramic views, admittedly there's a bit of building going on around, but still, great views. Lovely atmosphere, very relaxed. Small menu but that means that what they offer is absolutely spot on. So much flavour and the price was amazing for the quality of the food. I had parsnip and coconut soup to start with parsnip bhajis and it was phenomenal. A vegetable crumble as a main, also really lovely and full of mustard seeds to give it a bit of zing, then pecan and maple parfait to finish. All really lovely. I would highly recommend a visit, I'd be surprised if anyone was disappointed.

Written 5 March 2022

Harding1000

Barry286 contributions

The food was ok

Dec 2021 • business

The table layouts looked lovely. Greeted on arrival. I thought the food as ok. My main was fish and beans. But tasted just like fish and baked beans. I love fish and baked beans at home, but it didn’t taste any different. The presentation was lovely. There was a bit of confusion with the seating. And so one of the group didn’t feel left out we pulled a chair over to the table. The waiter came over and was very rude in his manner and told us we couldn’t do that. He could have said it in a less aggressive way. So the one person didn’t feel awkward a group of us moved to another table. I’ve never heard anyone in service be so rude before. The experience tainted our view. The other parts of the service were good.

Written 2 December 2021

Tim W

Leamington Spa85 contributions

Great food, excellent service, first class.

Sept 2022 • none

Our party of 8 people enjoyed dinner at The Classroom this week and we all agreed that it was the best meal of our stay in Cardiff on every measure. The menu was interesting, the service was excellent, and the presentation and quality of the dishes were first class. While it was not inexpensive, the pricing represented good value for money. We were surprised that only one other table was occupied though Cardiff was generally very quiet during the week. Our only problem was finding the restaurant in the first place as we saw no street level signage for it at the entrance to the CAVC City Centre Campus in Dumballs Road. This restaurant should be much closer to the top of Tripavisor's ranking.

Written 23 September 2022

Andrew G

13 contributions

Dining in unique surroundings

Dec 2023 • couples

A classy spot and definitely an “out of the ordinary” place to dine, so Classroom attracted us as first time visitors to Cardiff. A very welcoming night porter in the college entrance. We were surprised by the small number of groups dining in the restaurant on the 5th floor on a Saturday night, so there was limited “buzz” in the room. Lovely cocktails. The Christmas menu offered sufficient choice. Cajun style prawn with charred fennel was an excellent starter. As main courses the roast beef was successful, a dish that many restaurants let themselves down with. The celeriac leek and sweet potato wellington less so with good flavours but rather mushy feel internally, with a pastry case that was firm and quite compact rather than light, crisp and flaky. The wild sea bass with brown shrimp chowder was delicious, sea bass perfectly cooked with a lovely crisp skin - but being served on top of the chowder it sank down into it as it was cut, and would be better served alongside or physically separated by vegetable. The ubiquitous Christmas vegetable selection suited the roast beef but perhaps not the other main dishes so well. A robust Montepulciano was enjoyed by all. Chocolate (white) orange torte and hazelnut frangelico ice cream worked very well - winter (thawed frozen) berry pavlova needed a bit more in the presentation line apart from the fruit on a meringue appearance. Overall, an enjoyable experience in unique surroundings, and we would like to return in the summer, perhaps at lunch, to enjoy the view, and hopefully see more people in there.

Written 6 December 2023

Peter D

1 contribution

Highly recommended

Jan 2024 • friends

We had lunch with friends on a Saturday and enjoyed the far reaching views across the city from our table next to the window. The excellent 3-course menu was literally half the price of a 2-course meal we had at a Michael Caines restaurant a few weeks ago where we also got charged £2 for water! In contrast The Classroom served complementary water and a choice of bread. Excellent service and highly recommended. Thank you.

Written 20 January 2024

Anna

1 contribution

Uncomfortable visit

Mar 2022 • none

I visited The Classroom on Saturday for lunch with some friends. I had been really looking forward to the visit, as I had heard such great things about it! We had a terrible experience on Saturday. The food itself was ok, but the service was terrible - we ordered the satay chicken which took ages to arrive! We could see into the kitchen as it is an 'open kitchen' and I noticed one of the chefs seemed to be all over the place, and then I saw him fall over. I then overheard someone saying that he was drunk!!! This is totally unacceptable, particularly in the kitchen which is a dangerous place to work! I certainly will not be returning.

Written 14 March 2022

The_ClassroomWales

Dear Anna, Thank you for your review and firstly let me apologies for the experience you received here at The Classroom. However we take every review seriously and some aspects of your points concern us greatly! For us to investigate the incident fully can you please contact myself directly here at The Classroom on 02920250377 so you can explain your visit to me fully and also I can offer you and your guests a return visit fully complimentary on us. Looking forward to hearing from you Thomas Food and Beverage Manager

Written 17 March 2022

This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

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