The story
Housed in a warm, historic red brick building in the heart of Cardiff, just a stone’s throw from the Principality Stadium, Asador 44 is a Spanish grill and wine house that takes its cues from the traditional asadores of Spain. Here, the open kitchen is the stage, and the charcoal fire is the star.
The menu focuses on the freshest fish and seafood, dry-aged steaks, suckling pig, whole legs of lamb, and delicious vegetables, all cooked directly over charcoal. This is cooking that respects the ingredient and the flame, resulting in food that is deeply flavoured and simply presented. The set menu available during the week is described as exceptional value.
The wine list is extensive and almost entirely Spanish, a thoughtful selection that complements the bold, smoky flavours of the grill. The atmosphere is lively and welcoming, a place for a proper meal shared with good company.
Asador 44 has earned a Michelin Recommended award, a recognition that speaks to the consistency and quality of its cooking. For those seeking an authentic taste of Spanish grill culture in Cardiff, this is a destination.
Recognition
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It might be in the centre of Cardiff, but this glowy, atmospheric love letter to Spain is a world away from the streets outside. While its nearby sibling Bar 44 is all about tapas, the focus here is on the grill, fed by the hefty array of meats that can be seen dry-aging in a fridge set into one wall. The setting is suave but relaxed, with exposed brickwork offset by dark blue and coffee walls, and intimate spaces created by banquettes and cookbook-crammed shelves. There's an industrious buzz to the whole operation, helped along by a polished front of house team. The menu highlights classic Spanish delicacies, but also makes a feature of ex-dairy beef, which provides a full, rich flavour and sustainability credentials. Alongside straight-talking grill options, there are thoughtfully crafted starters such as Duroc pork belly with miso mayo and cockle vinaigrette or plump, pearly scallops with crunchy jamón and warm, smoky XO sauce. Mains might bring a fall-apart, melting wodge of ox cheek set on beef rice plus a vivacious flourish of salsa verde. From the great-value set lunch, we relished a buttery piece of hake, cooked just-so and adorned with capers and shrimps, accompanied by a bowl of rustic skin-on fries. Desserts range from ice creams and sorbets to grilled banana with goat's curd dulce de leche topped with baby meringues and crunchy, sesame sugar shards. Asador also does a splendid Spanish take on Sunday lunch: go for the ‘incredible’ slow-cooked shoulder of Welsh lamb with duck-fat roasties or dive into the mighty family-sized paella with authentic fire-cooked rice. The wine offering lives up to the promise of a visible walk-in cellar, with a broad Spanish mix spanning big names, small family producers and lesser-known grapes.
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