The Millennium Stadium, known as the Principality Stadium since 2016 when the naming rights were sold to the Principality Building Society, is an iconic venue in Wales, hosting various concerts, shows, and sporting events.
No matter the reason you’re visiting the impressive, near 75’000 capacity stadium, you will, of course, need something to eat prior to or after the game or concert you’re attending. Because a show spent on a rumbling stomach isn’t very fun, now is it?
Although there are plenty of food trucks on site and bars withn the stadium terraces, these can be expensive and may not provide the best culinary experience, to put it rather mildly.
Thankfully, the Millennium Stadium is well positioned, with its main gate on Cardiff’s Westgate Street meaning it’s virtually in the city centre. As a result, there are plenty of lunch and dinner options to choose from, with many chain restaurants and well-liked independent options just a rugby ball’s throw away.
All that said, you’re not going to be the only person visiting the Principality Stadium looking for a place to eat. On match-day, many popular haunts will be tough to snag a table in, turning your hunt for a place to eat into a challenging task.
To help you with that, here are a few lesser-known places around the Millennium Stadium that you can try that offer fantastic food and experiences.
Bar 44
Bar 44 is so close to the Millenium Stadium that you can see it from their large bay windows overlooking Westgate street (where Cardiff’s worst car park stands, incidentally). As a former canal warehouse, the venue has a curved brick roof and dim lighting, creating an underground, bunker-like vibe, making it feel detached from all the hubbub at the stadium.
Bed in, then, for the restaurant’s wide range of authentic Spanish tapas, with a menu split into four; snacks and bread, cured bits, classic tapas and a regularly changing seasonal section, the latter of which is where much of the culinary intrigue lies. We’re still dreaming of the orange and maple glazed baby cuttlefish, quite frankly.
From the classics, and a staple of tapas bars everywhere, the patatas bravas here outclasses others in Cardiff, utilising a sherry aioli that takes the dish to the next level. There’s also a fruity chorizo option that has been poached in pear cider, or you can try gambas, a plate of grilled wild prawns with a hefty chilli kick.
Alongside their more traditional tapas offerings, on Sundays the restaurant serves up Sunday roast platters with a Spanish twist, designed for two to share. You can chose between slow-roasted Duroc pork belly or a 35-day dry aged picanha of Hereford beef served with horseradish aioli. Both come with a selection of mouth-wateringly good sides including chorizo Yorkshire pudding (which could, perhaps more accurately, be called toad in the hole), jamon fat roast potatoes and manchego cauliflower cheese.
Do make sure you save room for the restaurant’s famous olive oil ice cream. Trust us, it works!
Address: 15-23 Westgate St, Cardiff CF10 1DD
Website: grupo44.co.uk
The Real Italian Pizza Co
If you want to get a tad further away from the stadium but still want to experience a lively town centre atmosphere, The Real Italian Pizza Co is a great option. Serving wood-fired pizza, this restaurant is family-run, offering a simple yet delectable menu that gives you the taste of Italy from the heart of Cardiff.
Originally from Bath, the independent restaurant came to Cardiff after winning the Bath Good Food Awards in 2014, and has built on that success with its hand-stretched, thin-crust pizza.
Read: The best restaurants in Bath
Get their classic Patatina for a hearty pizza topped with oven-baked potatoes infused with a delicate mix of rosemary and garlic oil, or go bold with their Viva Ce. This meaty affair combines parmesan shavings and cured beef with creamy mozzarella.
The interior is simple yet homely, with its most prominent feature being the large oven that commands attention and space, and provides wafts of wonder to entice hungry customers inside.
Address: 23, 22 Trinity St, Cardiff CF10 1BH
Website: realitalianpizza.co.uk
Asador 44
Part of the same family of restaurants as Bar 44, Asador 44 is another great option if you’re looking for tasty Spanish cuisine close to the Millennium Stadium. Focused more on the grill (which ‘asador’ translates as) side of things, this restaurant is ideal if you’re looking for Basque-reared steak or unique and exciting seafood grill options. Or both, of course…
Housed in a historic red brick building in the centre of Cardiff, the venue has a warm feel to it, elevated by the clay-coloured slate interior. It is a more upmarket option, sure, but it’s worth the higher price tag, with their dishes often looking too imposing to actually take down!
Their Fabada Asturiana, a confit duck leg dish served with chorizo, morcilla and white beans, is a rich dish brimming with complicated flavour combinations, and their 300g rump steak is another appealing option. Just make sure you don’t slip into a food coma just as the concert begins!
Read: Ingenious grilling techniques from around the world
Address: Address: 14-15 Quay St., Cardiff CF10 1EA
Website: Asagrupo44.co.uk
The Potted Pig
Located in a former bank vault just a short walk from the stadium, The Potted Pig is an elegant restaurant offering gutsy, generous dishes built around a love of British produce, and a passion for flavour above all else.
Although there’s always something new on the regularly changing menu at The Potted Pig, you can expect dishes like pork belly with properly crisp shards of crackling, served with a mustard mash which is all the right levels of piquant. Even heartier is beef brisket, fondant potatoes and a seriously rich bourguignon sauce that’s been seasoned keenly, to say the least.
The cheeseboard here is a thing of beauty, showing off a selection of Welsh cheeses from artisan dairy farms. The Snowdonia Black Bomber – a lively-tasting cheddar with crystals in all the right places – is particularly good. Yep, this is definitely one of the best places to eat near Cardiff’s Millennium Stadium.
Address: 27 High St, Cardiff CF10 1PU
Website: thepottedpig.com
Zerodegrees Microbrewery
If you’re looking for a lively spot for a warm-up drink or a post-match de-brief, Zerodegrees Microbrewery, another on Westgate Street, could be just the ticket. Instantly identifiable by its bold, neon blue signage, this open-layout restaurant and bar use large skylights to create an open, breezy-feeling space.
Although focused on providing excellent craft beers and IPA, the food at Zerodegrees isn’t half bad, with an Italian menu focused on pizza, pasta, risotto and the like. For the former, the kitchen uses specialist flour imported directly from Naples to make their dough and spend more than 24 hours to prove it, creating a fluffy and light pizza that’s topped with a wide array of carefully curated toppings to elevate their pizzas to new heights.
For something different, try their caramelised pear & gorgonzola pizza that blends savoury and sweet perfectly. Using an open-plan kitchen at the centre of the venue, you can watch as the chefs work on your dish, adding to the exciting and welcoming atmosphere of the venue. Lunch and a show before another show? Sounds like an exciting day out to us.
While there, be sure to try some of their wonderful beers, with the house special Our Mango beer a clean, golden ale with a sweet aroma. Cheers!
Address: 27 Westgate St, Cardiff CF10 1DD
Website: zerodegrees.co.uk
La Pantera
Although it’s a small taco joint on a side street off Westgate Street, La Pantera is mighty in other ways. Offering unapologetically ‘unauthentic tacos’, the food here is fun, making it great for those wanting a party atmosphere.
Decorated with Mexican iconography and a pink TV showing old Lucha Libre in the corner, La Pantera has a colourful vibe that’s a great place to get merry before or after the main event, with the restaurant seemingly running on mezcal fumes alone.
The taco menu is everchanging at La Pantera, with their chefs offering interesting options that in the past have included Big Mac tacos, mussel tacos, and tacos filled with crab cakes. Yep, we did say this one wasn’t exactly authentic!
For more traditional tacos, you can also grab tasty fish curry options, seared duck breast options, and classic spicy minced beef tacos, all of which are fantastic.
And on that note, we’re late for the game… We best get going!
Address: 5 Quay St., Cardiff CF10 1DZ
Website: lapantera.co.uk