Uni Reunion at Urban Taphouse – Cardiff

I don't know what it is with me and my uni friends – I seem to go months and months without seeing any of them, despite how close some of them live to me. Is this what being an adult is?! I hope not. Beth and I finally decided to set a date, however, and on Saturday we met up in Cardiff for a day of shopping, eating and catching up.

Beth was my first friend at uni - we were flatmates in first year and we have so many memories from the last four years. I really miss living with her. We used to have duvet days in the living room with our other flatmate Becky watching Disney films and rubbish chick flicks, as well as cheese and wine nights and days out shopping and lots and lots of nights out. Just writing about this is making me miss our uni times together.

We reminisced on some of these times when we stopped at Urban Taphouse for lunch, as well as exchanging stories about our 'grown up' lives now. It was strangely quiet for a Saturday, but the atmosphere was chilled and pleasant nonetheless. Known for its beers, I imagine Urban Taphouse fills up nicely on a Friday and Saturday night, but we were there for the burgers.

I loved the interior of this place. So many gorgeous photographs hung high up on the walls, and tables with Scrabble letters spelling out table numbers, it was really relaxed and tastefully set up without being pretentious.

Beth ordered The Jerk and I went for The Fish - both served in the most amazingly soft, toasted brioche buns with fries and coleslaw. We had to order the pizza fries too. Just look at them. Absolute perfection.

You get a lot for your money at Urban Taphouse so if you've got a big appetite, this is the place to go. Everything tasted amazing but we were too full to finish it all – our eyes were bigger than our stomachs on this occasion. We spent the afternoon walking off our food babies and looking for bum bags which we couldn't find anywhere :(
 

Have you been to Urban Taphouse? It's situated just opposite the Millennium Stadium in Cardiff, a couple of minutes' walk from the city centre, and totally worth visiting for something a bit more interesting than your average pub burger. You can find out more about Urban Taphouse here – and if you do decide to go, tweet/instagram me a picture of your burger @hello_flower

The Kings Arms – Abergavenny

I had a three day week this week, and it was a dream. On Monday I spent the morning shopping with friends, evening having a barbecue and, in between, trying somewhere new for lunch – The Kings Arms in Abergavenny.

The pub is just opposite the Post Office right in the centre of Abergavenny, so it's perfect if you're having a wander round town and decide you want something good to eat for lunch. There are plenty of cafes in Abergavenny, but sometimes something a little more upmarket is needed, and The Kings Arms certainly delivers on that front. 

Flowers on the table tell me the place I'm eating at cares about their image as well as your experience with them, and that mutual feeling of having a good time is a must for me when I go out to eat.

The menu was varied and unique. There were lots of things I fancied, for example, the beetroot and goat's cheese salad, but I was drawn to the asparagus, soft boiled duck egg and toasted soldiers.

It's not often this happens, but this dish was perfect in every single way. I loved all of it, and I knew straight away I would be coming back to the Kings Arms for food again. It was the best asparagus, the best egg and the best soldiers I had ever had. Everything was seasoned to perfection, and the dressing was oily and slightly citrusy, which just made the dish for me.

Sarah ordered the air dried Welsh beef, rocket, parmesan, capers and lemon. It reminded me of posh beef jerky and the flavours worked brilliantly together.

Everything was beautifully presented, and the setting was relaxed and homely. The staff were friendly and attentive – I can't recommend this place enough if you're ever in the area. It was on par – if not better – than the food served at The Angel Hotel just a few minutes' walk down the road, and if you know Abergavenny, you'll know that sort of comparison is unheard of. So, well done to the Kings Arms – they have knocked The Angel off the top spot of where I most like to go to eat in Abergavenny!

Have you been to the Kings Arms for food before? Where's your favourite local pub/restaurant to eat? I'm already looking forward to my next visit here – that egg was AMAZING.