Cardiff restaurant announces closure as Michelin-rated replacement named

An independent Cardiff restaurant which was recognised by the Michelin Guide is closing down after reaching an "impasse". Nook in Canton will shut its doors on June 30, after nearly five years of trading, its owners, couple Deb and Phill Lewis, have announced.

It will be replaced by Hiraeth, another Michelin-rated independent restaurant, which will open later this summer after the venue is refurbished. It's bittersweet news for Cardiff's hospitality scene, which has seen a slew of restaurants, cafes and bars close this year - most recently Waterloo Tea on Wellfield Road - citing insurmountable expenses and reduced footfall.

Among the closures was Deb and Phill's other restaurant - Kindle, a sustainable, wood-fired restaurant based in an old warden's house in Sophia Gardens. That shut in January, with the couple - who also own Dusty's Pizza in Llanishen - citing the "current [hospitality] industry struggles". Join our WhatsApp news community here for the latest breaking news

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Then, shortly after, the pair revealed that one night in March they didn't have a single customer in Nook and warned they "won't be around much longer if something doesn't give". Sadly, their sombre prediction has been realised.

In a post on social media on Wednesday, they announced the news with "mixed emotion". They said their ten-year experience in hospitality and self-employment since quitting their 9-5 jobs had been "undulating" with "highs and the all too real lows".

But now they have found themselves "at an impasse" with Nook. "Our current chef is moving on to pastures new and we have decided to take the opportunity to go out on a high," the pair wrote. For the latest Cardiff news, sign up to our newsletter here

They added their announcement was "not a eulogy" but "more a reincarnation" as they would be handing over the keys to chefs Lewis Dwyer and Andy Aston, the owners of Hiraeth. "It was Andy that first took a punt on us allowing us to do a Dusty’s pop up 10 years ago at The Kings Arms in Pentyrch... it feels fitting that we can go some way to return the favour 10 years on," their statement continued.

They added: "There is nothing left for us to say now other than thank you so so much for the past 5 years. We hope to see you over the next couple of weeks and obviously in one of our other ventures beyond this."

The couple also confirmed that although the bricks-and-mortar venue on Cowbridge Road, just opposite Victoria Park, will be closing, Nook will return as its popular pop-up Nook By The River, next to the River Taff at Llandaff Rowing Club, in 2025.

Hiraeth was originally founded in the village of Llysworney, just outside of Cowbridge, in November 2022. It quickly gained acclaim, securing a spot in the prestigious Michelin Guide just eight months after opening, as well as two AA Rosettes.

The restaurant will be moving from its current home in Court Colman Manor, Bridgend, and its last trading day there will be July 27. Andy said: "We have really enjoyed our short but lovely time at Court Colman Manor, but we now know in our hearts that Hiraeth is better suited to its own premises. We are itching to become a part of the buzzing hospitality scene in the Welsh capital and should have more news to share on our opening plans very soon."

The owners of Nook were approached for comment.