Tides Grill
- Publication: Gay Times
- Date: October 2006
- Author: John Barrowman
- Page: 103
- Language: English
Since shooting Dr Who and my new series, Torchwood, for BBC Wales, I've bought an apartment in Cardiff, and my new local is the glamorous St David's Hotel & Spa. St David's is the newest, slickest hotel in town, and its restaurant overlooks Cardiff Bay. Following a visit to the set, my partner, Scott, my agent and his partner and I went along. It was a cold, wet evening, which made our prime position overlooking the water all the more cosy.
We walked into the massive foyer (look up: it's designed to look like a ship's hold) with our eyes peeled: Madonna was playing Cardiff that night, so we'd half-hoped to see her there - any major stars in town stay here, and the Tides is a destination eateriey. Dave the doorman told me she wasn't in yet - but who needed Madonna? We had a great-looking modern restaurant, a choice location and a smart menu as consolation.
The intuitive staff - in stylish black with discreet, chic Rocco Forte gold badges on ties or pockets - brought us just the right cocktails in fantastic sloping glasses. We talked so much we didn't realise the evening was slipping away, so when our waiter considerately returned for the fifth time, we ordered, and had a few more well-shaken vodka tonics and Cosmopolitans.
Crispy duck salads and prawn combinations were our starters. They were excellent, and we argued loudly over who had the better one. I was enjoying myself - great décor, fabulous food, the best company. I ordered sirloin for mains (I like my meat), medium-rare, and it came with a side of herbed butter, which melted all over it. My agent ordered the fillet (clearly also a meat man) - blue - and it was so fresh it was practically mooing.
Desserts are always my favourite, and these looked spectacular as ever. We shared: Scott and I had pineapple crème brûlée, which was a little bit runny for my taste, but looked sumptuous, and my agent and partner had a brilliant chocolate selection, which was also a feast for the eye. Petit fours came with tea and the bill, and by this time the joint was full of satisfied diners, with a similarly chic crowd in the nearby casual bar area.
St David's has quickly cornered the market here, and being a stone's throw from my apartment, it'll stay a hot favourite for smart evenings out and times when I'm too tired to cook, and want a little pampering - okay, a lot of pampering. I like nice things. And my glamorous local is definitely one of them. Starters from £7.50, mains from £15.75. The Tides Grill, St David's Hotel & Spa, Havannah St, Cardiff www.thestdavidshotel.com.
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- APA 6th ed.: Barrowman, John (October 2006). Tides Grill. Gay Times p. 103.
- MLA 7th ed.: Barrowman, John. "Tides Grill." Gay Times [add city] October 2006, 103. Print.
- Chicago 15th ed.: Barrowman, John. "Tides Grill." Gay Times, edition, sec., October 2006
- Turabian: Barrowman, John. "Tides Grill." Gay Times, October 2006, section, 103 edition.
- Wikipedia (this article): <ref>{{cite news| title=Tides Grill | url=http://cuttingsarchive.org/index.php/Tides_Grill | work=Gay Times | pages=103 | date=October 2006 | via=Doctor Who Cuttings Archive | accessdate=30 March 2025 }}</ref>
- Wikipedia (this page): <ref>{{cite web | title=Tides Grill | url=http://cuttingsarchive.org/index.php/Tides_Grill | work=Doctor Who Cuttings Archive | accessdate=30 March 2025}}</ref>
