Hangovers and food, a relationship that everyone understands. However, for breakfast, Cardiff is truly one of a kind.
Let me set the scene: it’s been your first, second, or 102nd night out in vibrant Cardiff, and you made the most of it. Whether it was down Womanby Street to Clwb Ifor Bach, or at the cult favourite “Live Lounge”, the following morning comes with a jarring crash. Emerging from your bed, hotel room, or whoever’s house you stumbled into; you feel that, without exaggerating, the end of days is nigh.
However, Cardiff has another trick up its sleeve, the hangover cure. Up the homely streets of Cathays lie a multitude of diverse, comforting breakfast spots that can help you to conquer life’s greatest adversity.
Among the culinary hot spots are Café 37 and Stag Café, local icons in their own right, standing at opposing ends of the comfort food spectrum. Café 37 is instantly recognisable for its Peaky Blinders inspired mural, fronting the restaurant, however to the acquainted it’s even more recognisable for its reasonably priced Full English’s, milkshakes and a constant stream of coffee. Entering the café with a hangover just feels right; the smell of sausages and bacon, the comfy sofas in the corner and the friendly staff who understand that hangovers mean that sometimes you couldn’t think of anything worse than talking to a stranger. This eatery is a personal favourite, a place of contemplation for when the headaches kick in, treading the perfect line between traditional greasy fry-ups and delicious home-cooked food. The portions are large but not messy, the sausages and bacon are hot (a shockingly rare factor for mid-priced fry ups), vegetarians are welcomed with their own delicious English breakfasts, and the fresh-fruit smoothies could be drunk by the gallon. Café 37 truly is a much-needed comfort on a terrible morning.
Café 37 represents putting on a hoody, tracksuit bottoms, and slipping on a cap to just sit: no fuss, no hassle, just a person with their food, drink and the shame of last night. Stag Café, on the other hand, is a different experience. More of a boutique spot, with ‘shabby chic’ qualities, Stag presents you with relaxed sophistication. The café boasts outdoor seating both at the front for the avid people watchers out there, and at the back in their secluded garden terrace. Inside you’re greeted with warm lights and a homely feel, with a counter full of cake sitting front and centre. Stag Café’s breakfast caters to the modern cuisine; photogenic, vegan-friendly and full of millennial favourites mixed in with traditional classics. Their full English has a distinct home-made vibe to it, their smashed avocado is every vegan’s dream and their fruit covered American pancakes have “Instagram story” written all over it. However, the icing on the cake is literally the cake itself; chocolate, carrot, zucchini, Victoria sponge, the list goes on. Calorific but light, frequently with a vegan option available and perfectly paired with a coffee, Stag Café’s food makes one forget that they’re hungover at all. Ultimately Stag’s remarkable breakfasts allow any hungover soul to desperately leave their headaches and queasiness at the door.
So next time a night out in Cardiff is on the cards, don’t fear; go all out knowing that the next morning Cathays holds the hangover cure and you can find it at Café 37 or Stag café.