Restaurants / Bars
Acclaimed Cardiff restaurant and bar to open in Clifton Village
The brothers behind Bristol’s Bar 44 promise a “busy, bustling tapas bar which will hopefully become a real hub of the community”.
Bar 44, which is set to open on Regent Street in Clifton Village in July, is already an established bar and restaurant with three locations across south Wales in Cowbridge, Penarth and Cardiff.
Brothers Tom and Owen Morgan founded Bar 44 in 2002 and also own the Asador 44 restaurant in Cardiff.
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Their aim is to bring their favourite tapas dishes and Spanish drinks to the UK, from Galician beef to San Lucar prawns and Carmona olives to aged Manzanilla sherry.
A selection of the tapas at Bar 44
Along with their sister Natalie, the siblings have been looking for a suitable site in Bristol, and snapped up the chance to take over what was most recently the short-lived Wildwood next door to The Clifton pub.
Tom said: “We all spent our formative years here in Bristol and have always wanted to bring our version of modern Spanish hospitality to the city.
“I’m so excited about the space we have inherited. After a complete redesign, we will open in July and I can already picture a busy, bustling tapas bar which will hopefully become a real hub of the community.”
Owen, a leading UK authority on sherry who was recently named Imbibe Magazine’s restaurant personality of the year 2018, added: “I cannot wait to launch our extensive sherry wine list in Bristol, traditionally the home of sherry outside Spain.
“Bristol is the perfect place to continue driving the renaissance of this much-misunderstood drink to new and old customers alike.
“We want to make sure our bar and restaurant is accessible to all, a family friendly place, offering the highest quality ingredients that showcase our passion for Spanish food and culture.”
Bar 44 co-founders Tom and Owen Morgan
Bellita co-owner Sam Sohn-Rethel, previously head chef at Bell’s Diner, is a big fan of Asador 44, the Cardiff restaurant from the Bar 44 team.
In his recommendations for EatDrink24/7, the annual food and drink guide from Bristol24/7 whose 2018 edition is out soon, he said that “if this restaurant was in London I think it would be regarded as one of the best restaurants in Britain”.
Sam added: “Owners Owen and Ben insist on sourcing only the very best ingredients and cooking them simply, mainly over charcoal. The detail that goes into dressing even the most simplest of salads is what makes this restaurant stand out from the rest.”
Another Cardiff favourite that could be arriving in Bristol soon is Science Cream, a liquid nitrogen ice cream parlour in the city’s Castle Arcade, whose owner Carly Karran is currently hunting for a second site across the Severn Bridge.
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