The Italian Way

Located at the top of Cowbridge Road East, amongst a rag tag bunch of shops and restaurants lies this fabulous little Italian restaurant.
The Italian Way is a gloriously chintzy establishment with cork placemats with badly drawn pictures on, lampshades with dangly bits and squashy seats covered in a pinky peach velour.
This restaurant will always hold a special place in my heart for it is here that I tried calzone for the first time. I’m slightly annoyed that I hadn’t tried it before nor even thought of doing it myself, I mean I love pizza but by folding it in half and whacking more cheese on top, you’ve improved the un– improvable in two simple steps.
The Italian Way operate a bring your own bottle policy which is a real help if you’re trying to keep the costs down not that the menu is in any way pricey. Overall it’s a great place to come for a cosy, friendly and inexpensive evening with friends or family.

Small and easy to miss, the Italian way is a lovely little restaurant once you’ve discovered it. Surrounded by slightly past their peak shops, and right next door to a larger italian restaurant, it can be very easily overlooked, but I urge you to pay it some attention!
When I was ynger and growing up in Cardiff, this was the place where friends and I used to g quite often to celebrate birthdays and any even that provided enough excuse to go out. Most of us weren’t yet 18 at this point, but this was never a problem for this friendly café (of course, we didn’t drink, but we were loud and raucous enough anyway).
This is a cosy, and intimate place, small and ideal for an intimate or family meal if you don’t want to break the bank. Lovely without being overly pretentious. A good eat.

The Italian Way is a cosy looking restaurant that goes into plants in a big way. A recent convert to gardening, I now share this passion, so I guess I’m naturally predisposed to liking this place. And I do, but not as much as I enjoy other Italians in Cardiff. I’m completely bowled over by the ultra impressive new Italian Restaurant on North Street, The North Star, and I also like La Lupa a little ways down the road (especially with their lunchtime deals). La Lupa is similar in many ways, it’s cosy and authentic, but perhaps the décor is better at The Italian Way… I love that cluttered memorabilia look that somehow adds up to a great story or two, especially if the people you are eating with run short on conversation, allowing you time to let your eyes dance around the place for a while.
Ah! It’s difficult. I think I’m overly enamoured with The North Star, and so have a present difficulty in wanting to eat Italian anywhere else. But I’m sure it’ll wear off… eventually!
This is a lovely restaurant with great homemade food, and really friendly staff. If you want an intimate Italian dining experience this is definitely worth serious consideration. Plus, you can keep the cost down by bringing your own wine… a real bonus. Make sure you book at the weekends though, they get busy!

This lovely, cosy little restaurant was the first Italian I ever ate at in Cardiff, and it was hard to force myself to try any others afterwards because I loved it so much.
The décor is ‘traditional’, full of Italian memorabilia, and the atmosphere is one of a lively bistro. With a bring-​your-​own (BYO) policy, you can keep your bill very reasonable, but still expect excellent home made food that tastes like it’s been made with love! Apart from delicious pizzas (including my favourite: the folded Calzone) and pasta dishes, they also have some specials such as veal or steak. With starters around a fiver, and mains around a tenner, a meal here doesn’t need to be expensive.
On some nights (Monday, I think), they have a musician in the restaurant playing the keyboard — a bit tacky, perhaps, but it actually makes you feel a bit like you’re on holiday!
You nearly always need to book ahead to eat there on Fridays or Saturdays, because the place has a loyal following — and when you do get a table you can pretty much guarantee the place to be buzzing. My favourite seat is the one for two in the window; away from the bigger groups, you get a bit of privacy but can still lap up the atmosphere.

Probably the best pizzas in Cardiff, with a friendly happy buzz and always buzy on the tail end of the week — Thursday through Saturday.
With a good selection of pasta dishes, starters and a range of home made desserts the Italian Way offers honets well cooked food at reasonable prices and is suitable for every occassion, and is a definite family friendly place.
There’s a regular special — usually veal, steak or a fish dish, a good selection of wines but, and this is important — you can BRING YOUR OWN wine to the restaurant, so dust off that red you’ve been waiting to glug and hit the Italian Way!
Centrally located close to good car parks and bus routes in Cowbridge Road East by the junction with Kings Road, service is alwats friendly and the welcome warm. Enjoy.

The Italian Way in Canton is a fabulous cosy little restaurant serving favourite Italian fayre. I went here last night with a group of friends and the calzone was delicious. Small cosy restaurant with a lovely atmoshere. Good choice on the menu with the usual pizzas and pastas. I would highly recommend the calzone, a folded pizza with a choice of filling. Licensed restaurant with a bring your own policy, which is great to keep bill down. We weren’t charged corkage either. I will definitely be going here again, great for a fab, reasonable meal with friends. Ideally located in the busy Canton area but not far from town either.

A lovely italian with a bring your own bottle policy and no corkage! Student favourite, with a lively atmosphere — better suited to nights out with friends than a romantic meal a deux. Chicken Alfronzo is a winner!