The Cardiff Townhouse review: I visited Wales’ first Coppa Club and it left me scratching my head

Wales’ first Coppa Club - The Cardiff Townhouse - has landed. Located on The Hayes in the former David Morgan department store, it’s in a prime spot to become a hit in Cardiff. Billed as an all-day destination akin to a members' club, they nailed the PR campaign to make this sound like a bougie, place-to-be venue around the clock. But, I visited the restaurant/bar/co-work/event space as it opened its doors this week, and it left me scratching my head.

I had no problem getting a table as a walk-in customer on Thursday afternoon. At around 1pm, there were a few people tapping away on their laptops in the small ‘work space’ at the front of the restaurant, but the sprawling bar and lounge area on the ground floor with its fireplace, velvet sofas and bright orange interiors was nearly empty.

Thankfully, I was led upstairs to the brasserie, where it was busier and the lunch crowd was still in session. I was given a window seat looking out to the hustle and bustle of the Morgan Quarter - an ideal people watching spot if that’s your cup of tea.

READ MORE: The 50 best restaurants in Wales in 2024

READ MORE: I ate at George North's biker café and it might just be the coolest roadside pit stop in Wales

It was more than a few minutes before a server stopped by to take my order, but I could see the staff were busy - and a tear-soaked toddler had recently spilled her drink across a table in front of me, adding to their opening week chaos.

The menu was large and accommodating for all diets. The same offerings for lunch and dinner, there was a selection of light nibbles, some small plates, steak, chicken and fish dishes, as well as a pizza and pasta section.

I started with a Coppa Cooler, a sweet strawberry and watermelon flavoured fizzy drink served in a tall glass on ice. It wouldn’t have been my first choice, but I counted six of them on tables around the room and assumed it must be a winner. It was sugary and sweet and went down easy on a warm day, but at £4 a pop, I’d have rather upgraded to a cocktail.

I also ordered a small portion of the parmesan croquettes (£5.50) and the buttermilk fried chicken with sriracha mayo (£8.50). They arrived together and quickly, with the chicken coming in on top. It was a substantial portion for a small plate and easy for sharing. The sriracha paired with pickled red cabbage gave the old-school southern dish a nice twist. The croquettes, on the other hand, left more to be desired. Small, beige and without a sauce to dip in, they reminded me of an oven-ready snack I’d buy in a big bag from Costco. You win some, you lose some.

When the server came back to collect my plates, I’d already decided on a pasta dish as my next victim. Like many of the menu options, they were offered in a small size as well as the regular - ideal for people like me who like a smorgasbord. I was tempted by the slow-cooked beef shin ragu, but my server steered me toward the spinach and ricotta ravioli (small £10, regular £17). It was also surprisingly quick to arrive - a good sign that their kitchen has got it together, despite it being early days.

The ravioli was a thing of beauty. Drizzled in lemon and herb butter with courgettes, peas, and shavings of pecorino, I wished I’d went for the bigger size. The italian-inspired dishes, it seems, they've got right.

Not quite uncomfortably full yet, I asked the server to see the dessert menu and ordered the classic sticky toffee pudding. A wonderfully soft and spongy cake drizzled with warm toffee syrup and topped with a scoop of vanilla ice cream, I couldn’t fault it. But at £8.50 for the slice, it was steep for a dessert. To get all the latest food reviews sent straight to your email, sign up for the WalesOnline Food and Drink newsletter.

Full to the brim, I waited for the bill and tried to make sense of the place. Online it calls itself a ‘stylish all day venue’ to visit ‘for work and play’. From a work perspective, there are few places in Cardiff that are happy for you to perch for hours while staring at a screen - at least without paying a fee. In fact, some small businesses outrightly ask you not to. With a dedicated area for this and no restrictions on time, it’s a win for remote workers in the city.

But from a ‘play’ perspective, I’m still scratching my head. Is this a restaurant, or a bar? Is the food meant to be the main event? And if so, why doesn't the menu have any sort of direction? A wide range of options from a variety of cuisines is more what I'd expect from a Wetherspoons than an upscale restaurant - though the prices were certainly indicative of the latter.

As for the bar and lounge aspect, it does have a long list of drinks and two bars, one of which is positioned under the former department store's beautiful historic skylight. But, with its first weekend only just upon us, it's yet to be seen whether the 'play' element of this venue will hit the mark once the sun has set. In the meantime, I can't help but feel like this hyped up city centre newcomer is having a bit of an identity crisis.