It's only-mid January and all these restaurants and places to eat in Cardiff have already closed

It is a difficult time for the hospitality industry

The year 2024 has got off to a bad start for the hospitality trade in Wales' capital, as a number of renowned restaurants announced they were closing in the first weeks of January. They have all cited financial pressures, including rising energy costs, and challenging issues facing the industry.

It follows on from a series of high profile closures in 2023, including Good Food Guide favourites Rocket & Rye, in Cowbridge, and Michelin-rated SY23 in Aberystwyth. For the latest restaurant reviews, sign up to our food and drink newsletter here.

One of the first to announce they were closing in 2014 was The Conway, which was Cardiff's first entry into the Michelin Pub Guide, and Kindle, which had transformed the old Bute Park warden's offices. You can read our analysis of the desperate situation facing Wales' hospitality scene here.

At the other end of the scale, there were some new openings in the capital last year, too, with Rhiwbina's Mesen offering fire-cooked small plates, Poca in Canton, Bodega in Lakeside and Six By Nico and Giggling Squid in the city centre. 2024 is sure to see more new restaurants welcomed to the scene, including Picton & Co down the Bay, though we may yet see more struggling to continue.

There have been calls for the Welsh Government to rethink plans to cut rates relief from 75% to 40%. The Welsh Government said it was giving £134m in rates support next year on top of permanent schemes worth £250m. UK Hospitality said a typical Welsh pub or restaurant could now pay an average £6,800 more than similar businesses in England.

The Conway, Cardiff

The acclaimed Cardiff gastropub was the first to announce right at the start of January that they had taken the difficult decision to close. Writing on Facebook the team said: "We are extremely sad to have to announce the closure of The Conway. The much-publicised financial difficulties which have plagued the hospitality industry have finally become too unwieldly to manage. Despite our very best efforts to mitigate them, the challenge is now too great to enable us to continue trading."

The post continued: "We would like to thank our hardworking, dedicated staff, many of whom have been with us several years. And of course all of our customers, but in particular our loyal regulars for their unwavering support over the years. You have all helped us put The Conway into the heart of the local Pontcanna community over the last 15 years."

The Conway, which was Cardiff’s first entry in the Michelin Pub Guide, earned a glowing review in 2014 when our critic praised the "relaxed and quirky" pub that could make you feel as if "you’ve somehow found your way into a stranger’s living room, and one who definitely knows who to decorate". The small pub offered modern Welsh and European food on a daily blackboard menu as well as a selection of real ales.

Kindle

There were high hopes when the sustainable, wood-fired restaurant opened in the former Bute park warden's bungalow in 2021 after raising an initial £43,000 with a Kicktstarter campaign. But making the announcement they were closing in the middle of January, Deb and Phill Lewis said that because of a "number of factors" being faced by the industry as a whole, they cannot "maintain any longer".

In the statement they talked about working "tirelessly" to create a beautiful restaurant, adding: "We are extremely proud of our achievement in transforming the old abandoned building, serving thousands of people during its time, being recognised across the country for good food and for all our team members' tireless contribution and effort along Kindle’s journey.

"We want to thank every member of the team for helping make Kindle such a memorable and special place and all our guests, suppliers and friends for their support over the last few years. This decision is in no way a reflection of the outstanding food produced by the kitchen team or sensational service by the front of house team, but a reflection of the current industry struggles and a worrying pattern as we see multiple business closures up and down the country."

Brass Beetle

The popular Cardiff restaurant, which served pizzas and cocktails, is set to close its doors at the end of January. The venue had been running since 2017 but said that due to the "challenging" issues facing the hospitality industry, it would be shutting its doors for good on Saturday, January 27. For the latest Cardiff news, sign up to our newsletter here

In a heartfelt post issued on their Instagram page, the staff behind the Brass Beetle explained that their decision to close was not "taken lightly". They went on to thank the customers that have visited the restaurant since it opened nearly seven years ago. At the end of their post, they highlighted the importance of supporting local independent businesses. In the statement, they wrote: "We have an announcement to make; we have come to the almost impossible decision to close down the Brass Beetle at the end of the month. This is not a decision we have taken lightly but is due to the challenging issues facing the hospitality industry."

The Smoke House

The Pontcanna barbecue restaurant also announced it will be closing at the end of the month after more than a decade of trading. Once again the "financial climate" has been blamed. In a post to its social media pages on Thursday, January 18, the restaurant said: "As we approach the 11th anniversary since we opened in the beautiful Pontcanna we’ve made the difficult decision to turn off the smokers. The hard work and dedication that goes into keeping the doors open should result in some reward but in the current financial climate that simply isn’t the case."

Alex Gooch

Not a restaurant like those above, but still an acclaimed food business, the group of bakeries shut down two branches after facing "crippling" energy costs. Around 20 staff have lost their jobs due to the closures on Llandaff Road in Canton and Park Road in Radyr. Mr Gooch, who will continue trading at his shops on Cardiff's Whitchurch Road and Monmouth, told WalesOnline the main trigger for the closures was an "astronomically high" rise in energy prices. He said that at the start of 2022 he was paying around 13p per unit of energy at the sites he was then running, but over the following two years his rates rose to more than 70p per unit.