Markets and arcades

Discover the rich ingredients that make up the delights of Welsh cuisine while wandering through Cardiff’s iconic markets and arcades.

Theme
Food & Drink
Location
City Centre, Cardiff
Duration
3 hours 30 minutes
Designer
Barry Pickard

Experience

The starting point for your tour will be Cardiff’s central railway station, which will have delivered you into the heart of the city. A short walk will take you to Wyndham Arcade, which will be the first of seven iconic Victorian arcades on this journey. Each arcade, having been built in the 1800s and early 1900s, has its own delights to entice the visitor, with delicatessens and eateries, as well as an eclectic range of clothes stores, jewellers, barbers and the like. The tour will also take in the impressive Cardiff Market, where you will find a wealth of products under its Victorian glass roof. Your journey will then terminate at the Dominions Arcade, where you can delight in a meal at Marco Pierre White’s famous steak house and reflect on your Cardiff food odyssey.

Route

Wyndham Arcade

Wyndham Arcade is a bustling street of activity, housing a variety of eateries as well as several independent eclectic shops and beauticians.

Waterloo Tea (Wyndham Arcade)

Waterloo Tea is committed to an ongoing exploration of the world’s finest teas, selling the best leaf teas to take away or enjoy within the tearoom.

Wally’s Delicatessen (Royal Arcade)

Long-established, quirky deli for charcuterie and cheese plus Mediterranean and east European foods.

Royal Arcade

Dating back to 1858, Royal Arcade is the city’s oldest arcade and now a hub of shopping and culture.

Morgan Arcade

Built in 1896, the Morgan Arcade contains luxury boutiques, stores and eateries.

The Plan (Morgan Arcade)

The Plan Café is a Gourmet Cafe for artisan coffee and food in Cardiff. A unique, unhurried, independent Cafe Bar in the heart of the city.

Cardiff Market

Cardiff Market is an impressive Victorian structure which offers a unique shopping experience in the heart of the city.

High Street Arcade

Once home to a sea of apothecaries and fortune tellers the High Street Arcade now has a far more contemporary feel with its stores and epicurean delights.

New York Deli Cardiff

Serving the biggest and best New York inspired sandwiches since 1990.

Bitelicious (Duke Street Arcade)

Bitelicious cook and bake tasty food and sweets, all made with passion and love.

Duke Street Arcade

Designed in an iconic Gothic style of the time, the Duke Street Arcade is particularly striking and home to a selection of excellent shops.

Nata & Co

Nata & Co is a Portuguese bakery, home of the famous pastel de nata.

Fabulous Welshcakes (Castle Arcade)

Fabulous Welshcakes beautifully packaged, handmade cakes are the perfect gift or treat any time.

Castle Arcade

Constructed between 1882 and 1889, the Castle Arcade is home to an eclectic mix of independent stores.

Madame Fromage

A daily portfolio of over 150 different cheese varieties sourced from Artisan and award winning farmhouse producers and a comprehensive delicatessen and patisserie range, has resulted in a winning combination.

Gin and Juice

Gin & Juice is a relaxing place to meet by day, and a comfortable place to drink by night, whether you are having brunch, or a freshly squeezed fruit juice or one of over 400 types of gin.

Dominions Arcade

Dominions Arcade exudes luxurious architecture intertwined with contemporary fittings, hosting 5 unique stores.

Marco Pierre White Steakhouse Bar & Grill Cardiff

Choice steaks and British fare served in a refined, modern environment, bringing affordable glamour to its diners.

Practicalities

  • Arrive hungry and make sure to bring a bag for all the treats that you will end up buying

About

This route was designed by Barry Pickard in collaboration with Uptaste.

Barry Pickard

Specialising in European and North American destinations, as well as a number of other countries around the world, I have designed self-guided tours for city based visits; multi-stop road trips; family, group and couples vacations; as well as themed excursions. Experienced in designing walking tours, driving tours and robotaxi experiences. A history graduate, with a great eye for detail, my passion for travel and research has found its apogee in designing fun, interesting and thoughtful trips

https://www.tailormadeitineraries.com/

Uptaste

What is Uptaste? We’re something like a travel agency business (although we don’t sell flights or hotels). Instead, we specialise in finding the right place to eat, wherever and whenever you are, using location intelligence combined with expert and community curation. Uptaste destinations will rarely be restaurants; they’ll be shops, they’ll be street traders, they’ll be local markets, or some other easy-to-miss but hard-to-forget place.

https://www.uptaste.com