The story
Touring Club sits on Stanwell Road in Penarth, a short walk from the Cardiff Bay waterfront. It is an elemental yet intimate space, built around an open kitchen and a wood burner. The founders—Dylan Griffith, Rowan Hobbs, Grant Maunder, and Bryn Williams—drew inspiration from the legendary Touring Club Hotel in Trelew, Patagonia. The result is a bar that feels both rooted and wandering: a simple spirited bar offering a curated range of beers, wines, and food.
The menu is Modern British in spirit, with Welsh accents and a clear eye for value. Breakfast runs from Wednesday to Sunday, with dishes like miso mushrooms on toasted sourdough, shakshuka with a chilli fried egg, and smoked salmon with cream cheese and a soft-boiled egg. Lunch and dinner bring a short, confident list. Snacks include broad beans, chipolatas with chilli honey, and tomato and basil arancini. Fish plates feature roast cod with butterbeans and salsa verde, or crab on toast with chilli, coriander, and lime. Larger plates range from Welsh rarebit with smoked streaky bacon to charred leeks with herb sauce gribiche, and Welsh lamb cutlets with celeriac remoulade. A 6 oz smash burger with TC sauce offers a more casual option.
Puddings are kept simple: buttermilk and vanilla pannacotta with rhubarb, or a cheese plate with pear chutney and bara brith. The wine list is well-chosen, covering France, Spain, Italy, Argentina, and beyond, with plenty by the glass.
In 2026, Touring Club received a Michelin Bib Gourmand, an award that celebrates good-quality, good-value cooking. It fits the restaurant’s ethos: accomplished food in a relaxed, unpretentious setting. The open kitchen brings the cooking into the room, and the wood burner adds warmth on cooler days. Walk-ins are welcome, though bookings are taken for limited availability.
Touring Club is a place that knows what it is: a neighbourhood bar with a proper kitchen, serving Modern British food that is straightforward, well-executed, and worth the trip from Cardiff.
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