With the vast choice of restaurants in and around Penarth, it's hard to know which to choose from - which sometimes means that if you find a good meal somewhere, you stick to the same restaurant.
We have found ourselves slipping into this very habit, as the Villa Napoli, also known as The Glendale, is an excellent Italian restaurant which incorporates elements of fine dining with a relaxed and inviting atmosphere. However, as there are six of us, including my boyfriend and I, we find ourselves going to The Glendale no less than six times of year to celebrate our various Birthdays, not to mention other special events which may crop up during the course of the year.
We decided that it was time for a change, and booked a table in advance for La Marina, in The Old Custom House, which was sure to make sure we left wondering where our month's wages had gone.
Greeted by some very polite members of staff, we passed through El Puerto, the restaurant downstairs, and made our way up to La Marina, which promises 'a breathtaking view overlooking Cardiff Bay that is most stunning when lit up at night.'
It wasn't lying either. We found ourselves drawn towards the classic sash window view of the glistening City, making you realize how much the beauty of Cardiff often gets forgotten.
The menu was divine. I am not the biggest fish lover, so the hake, salmon and cod didn't appeal to me. However the mussels and king prawns did - as I find that I can eat them without constantly being put off by the overwhelming fishy smell.
My family are chicken lovers, and often don't really venture away from it. Luckily, there was a breast of chicken on the menu, which looked and smelt gorgeous.
My mussels came in a large bowl, and were by far the most beautiful mussels I have ever had the pleasure to eat. The staff stood near, providing me with a fresh finger-bowl after every use, and changed the bowl where I put the shells as soon as it got ever so slightly full. Being an ex-waitress, I am quite fussy about the professionalism of the staff in most restaurants, but I didn't even give it a thought here, the staff were welcoming and polite and were extremely hard-working!
The dessert menu was extremely glamorous, boasting of it's triple chocolate torte, strawberries and cream and blackcurrant cheesecake - all of which tempted me, even though I usually don't enjoy dessert what so ever.
I decided to be brave and go for the triple chocolate torte, risking overfilling myself but not wanting to be the only one not eating!
The cake was fantastic, not only convincing me that I do like chocolate cake, but tempting me to have dessert more often!
All in all, we all enjoyed an fantastic meal at La Marina, which was confirmed by the friendly and impressive staff, the gorgeous setting and view, and of course the beautiful food which was fit for a King!
It is safe to say that my family and I will not hesitate about returning to La Marina, we may even visit it more than 6 times a year!
