Food Reviews: The Ivy

I finally got to visit The Ivy in Cardiff, and it was so worth the wait! My friend and I booked in to go as a treat before I went home for Christmas, and it's a good job we did when we could! The Thursday we went was the day before pubs and restaurants had to shut again in Wales, so luckily we got in just in time. The restaurant was decorated for Christmas, with Christmas trees made completely of baubles and beautiful wreaths. It's a beautiful restaurant at the best of times, so with the added magic of Christmas it looked even more spectacular!

I love any excuse to dress up and feel fancy and this was the perfect place to do this. The atmosphere was lovely, and the staff were so polite and accommodating. We were sat next to eachother on a small table rather that opposite to ensure we were two metres away from everyone else, which did feel a bit strange, but we got used to it. It meant we both got a good view of the rest of the restaurant, so we could really appreciate the décor.

To drink, I went for the Moviestar Martini: the non-alcoholic version of the Pornstar Martini. I had to stop myself from drinking it too quickly so I could really enjoy it. It was just as tasty as a Pornstar Martini, and cheaper too so it was a win-win in my eyes.

For main, I ordered the sweet potato and chestnut curry and I couldn't fault it. Often, I find vegetable curries can be quite boring, but every mouthful of this was divine. I don't know what they had done to the cauliflower, but that was especially heavenly. The chestnuts were very creamy and worked well with the sweet potato, as they added some crunch too. The curry was served with sticky jasmine rice, and it was the perfect accompaniment to the curry.

I wanted to order vegan for dessert too, but I was a little disappointed that the only vegan options were fresh fruit or sorbet. So, as it was a treat, I chose the tiramisu. This was gorgeously rich and creamy and every layer brought something different. Even the cocoa powder on top was smooth and dark rather than bitter, which it often can be, and I loved the leaf pattern on top.

The Ivy is definitely the type of restaurant I'll be saving for special occasions, because it is quite pricey. However, when something does call for a proper celebration, I know I can count on the Ivy to deliver for a memorable night.

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