3 Souls in a Bowl, The Source, Hastings: review
On August 20, 2026 by The Plate Licked CleanSomehow, it seems a very Hastings thing to answer the question, ‘What shall we do with that disused subterranean Victorian swimming bath complex on the seafront?’ with ‘Why, turn it into the world’s biggest underground skatepark, of course! And while you’re at it, why don’t we have a clutch of places to eat and drink
Farrouj Syrian restaurant, City Road, Cardiff
On July 5, 2026 by The Plate Licked Clean
BAYTE, St Leonards: review
On April 16, 2026 by The Plate Licked CleanSomeone very precious to me has an annual ritual she holds dear. On her late father’s birthday, she books a table at a restaurant he would have enjoyed, opens a bottle of his favourite wine, and celebrates a life done too soon. It’s not mournful or maudlin. It’s a time for memories which comfort and
Tonkotsu Ramen Bar, Cardiff City centre: review
On March 28, 2026 by The Plate Licked CleanIt’s Thursday afternoon and a World Cup qualifier: in a few hours Welsh hearts will be broken in the cruellest fashion, but surely that’s to be expected if you have to play both Bosnia and Herzegovina, goes the old gag. Hardly seems fair, does it, little old Wales taking on two at once, but it
Booh, Old Town Hastings: restaurant review
On January 11, 2026 by The Plate Licked CleanOx cheek pie. Duck liver parfait. Locally-caught plaice, roasted whole and served with cider butter sauce. Oysters, three ways. Cullen skink. Scallops. Ribeye and bone marrow. Chips cooked in beef dripping. Goose. Fish pie. Yes, Booh, you have my attention. I’m on the train out of Charing Cross, and already smitten with Booh’s menu, when
Lyalena Lounge, City Road, Cardiff: review
On December 14, 2025 by The Plate Licked CleanYour starter for ten. ‘All the men want it…I don’t know why! All the men love it. Women, they don’t seem so keen. But men? They always want it…’ We’ll find out soon enough what my server, the lovely Haja, was talking about. And no, it’s not that. Among City Road’s vape shops, barbers, peri
This blog is a very simple thing.
I won’t try to sell you any hand lotion, exercise programmes, coffee syrups or Patagonian nose flutes. You won’t find tips on dating, ‘wellness’ or yoga mats.
I write because I love it (and food, as indicated by my increasing girth). Greed happens to be my Deadly Sin of choice, but at least it is never shy of providing me with subject matter.
A simple thing, then: all you get is me wittering on semi-coherently about places I’ve eaten at; hence a ‘restaurant blog’ rather than a ‘food blog’, although there are a few recipes scattered throughout.
From mezze to Michelin ‘fine dining’ and all points in between.