fbpx

My name is Rhys, a first time dad blogging about my adventures and experiences of being a parent. [email protected]

First impression of the newly reopened The Heathcock in Llandaff

The Heathcock in Llandaff has reopened under new owners Tom and Sarah Watt-Jones.

The pub, which opened on Sunday, October 21 is the sister restaurant to the popular and award-winning Hare & Hounds in Aberthin, near Cowbridge.

The Hare & Hounds recently received the Bib Gourmand award in the 2018 Michelin Guide, so no pressure on the new restaurant. 

The Heathcock pub closed earlier this year and has been shut for a number of months. The new owners have reopened the pub, almost a month to the date of receiving the keys.

Having visited The Heathcock on numerous occasions under the previous owners, we were keen to go along this week to see what all the fuss is about. This is what we found…

What immediately hit us was the farmhouse-style decor; simple, rustic and just what we like.

Choose from a daily menu of delicious dishes…

We could have easily eaten anything from this menu, but be warned, don’t wait too long to decide, or you risk other diners beating you to it. We found that they had a limited number of certain dishes, which may be annoying to some, but personally we felt this made the place feel a little bit more special.

Let me tell you about the sourdough, ohhh the sourdough… it was delicious!

[aoa id=”1″][/aoa]

This is what we had for mains….

Roast Torgelly Farm Lamb, Roasting Juices, Dauphinoise potato & Mint

…. and…

Confit Pork Belly, Crackling, Mustard Sauce and Duck Fat Potatoes

They were the best kind of roasties too and tasted as good as they looked.

When The Heathcock originally closed, I didn’t really know what the future would hold for this pub. It’s located at 58-60 Bridge Street, which is off of the main high street in Llandaff. This means that unless you’ve heard of it and are looking for it, there is a danger that you’ll miss it.

Concerns had also previously been raised about the limited parking in the area, and although The Heathcock does not offer any on-site parking, there is free parking and pay & display parking located nearby at The Cathedral Green in Llandaff.

With other perfectly lovely places to eat nearby such as Porro, Seren Diemwnt and The Maltsters, it’s easy to see why the original The Heathcock didn’t survive.

That said, upon visiting the refurbished pub, and I use the word pub loosely, as it should really be known for its restaurant, I personally feel that if anyone is going to make a success out of this place, it will certainly be the new owners.

  • Restaurant opening times:
    Tuesday to Thursday – 12-2:30pm for lunch and 6-9pm for dinner
    Friday to Saturday – 12-2:30pm for lunch and 6-9:30pm for dinner
    Sunday – 12-4pm for lunch