Restaurant in Cardiff, United Kingdom
Michelin-recognised Indian at mid-range prices.
Purple Poppadom holds Michelin Plate recognition for 2024 and 2025, making it Cardiff's strongest case for Indian cooking as a serious dining category. At ££ per head, the tiffin sea bass and subtly layered spicing justify a return visit. Booking is easy, the room is calm and well-designed, and the value relative to comparable recognition elsewhere in the UK is hard to argue with.
If you're deciding whether to return to Purple Poppadom, the answer is yes — and this time, look beyond the familiar. Cardiff's Michelin Plate-recognised Indian restaurant on Cowbridge Road East has held that recognition through both 2024 and 2025, which in a city not overrun with South Asian fine dining is a meaningful signal. At ££ per head, it sits in a price range that makes a repeat visit low-risk and a first visit easy to justify. The cooking rewards attention: dishes are built on subtle spicing and well-sourced produce rather than heat or novelty, and the progression from one course to the next reflects a kitchen that thinks about balance rather than spectacle.
The entrance is easy to miss. Look for the glass door set between shop fronts on Cowbridge Road East, then head upstairs. The room itself is bright and composed: abstract murals, exposed brick, blonde wood chairs, and the signature flashes of purple that give the restaurant its name. The atmosphere sits on the calmer side of lively — this is not a venue that trades on buzz or noise. Conversation is comfortable, service is warm and attentive, and the room feels considered rather than generic. For a second visit, that reliability is part of the draw. Booking is direct; this is not a venue requiring three-week lead times or a fortunate cancellation slot.
If you've been once and defaulted to the menu's more recognisable dishes , a lamb rogan josh, something grilled, a bread course , come back with a different focus. The chef's signature tiffin sea bass is the dish most worth seeking out: it's the clearest expression of what the kitchen is doing differently from a standard Indian restaurant. The cooking approach here is one where spice is a layering tool rather than a blunt instrument, with each course building flavour without overloading the palate. That architecture rewards a longer, more deliberate meal rather than a quick in-and-out. If a tasting or set menu format is available, it's the better way to experience the kitchen's full range , the progression matters here in a way it doesn't at most Indian restaurants in this price tier.
For comparison, Opheem in Birmingham operates in a similar space , Michelin-recognised modern Indian cooking at accessible prices , but pushes further into avant-garde territory. Purple Poppadom is less experimental and more grounded, which depending on your preference is either a reason to choose it or a reason to look elsewhere. Trèsind Studio in Dubai represents a more theatrical iteration of the same category. Purple Poppadom is not trying to compete on those terms, and it doesn't need to.
The ££ pricing is one of the strongest arguments for booking. Michelin Plate recognition at this price range in a Welsh city is genuinely unusual. You are not paying a Cardiff premium for name recognition; you're paying a reasonable amount for cooking that has been externally validated and holds up across visits. If the question is whether the food justifies the bill, the answer from a 4.4 rating across 576 Google reviews and two consecutive Michelin Plate years is a consistent yes.
Purple Poppadom works well for a pair looking for a proper dinner rather than a quick meal, for anyone who wants a more considered Indian restaurant experience without the formality or price of a Michelin-starred room, and for repeat visitors to Cardiff who have covered the obvious options. Solo dining is comfortable here given the relaxed atmosphere and attentive service. For larger groups, check ahead on capacity and configuration , the upper-floor room has a defined size, and the venue's character is better suited to intimate dining than large party bookings.
If you're weighing Cardiff's wider dining scene, see our full Cardiff restaurants guide for context, and our Cardiff bars guide if you're planning an evening around dinner. For accommodation nearby, our Cardiff hotels guide covers the practical options.
Cardiff's restaurant scene has strengthened considerably, and Purple Poppadom is one of the venues that gave it credibility before the current wave of openings. Venues like Gorse and Heaneys have raised the bar for modern European cooking in the city, while Asador 44 and ember at No. 5 cover the casual-to-mid-market range with credibility. Purple Poppadom holds a different position: it is the strongest argument for Indian cooking as a serious dining category in the city, and consecutive Michelin Plate years confirm that position is not just self-styled. Against nationally recognised Indian restaurants like Opheem, it is more approachable and less destination-driven. Against the wider canon of UK fine dining , L'Enclume, The Waterside Inn, Moor Hall , it operates in a completely different register, but for Cardiff dining it punches well above what the price range and postcode might suggest.
| Venue | Cuisine | Price | Awards | Booking Difficulty | Value |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Purple Poppadom | Indian | ££ | Enter via the glass door between the shop fronts and head up to this bright, sleek Indian restaurant where flashes of purple ensure it lives up to its name. Abstract murals, exposed brick walls and blonde wood chairs complete the look. The interesting menu showcases recognisable dishes like lamb rogan josh, but it’s worth keeping an eye out for the chef's signature tiffin sea bass too. Throughout, the subtle spicing and quality produce ensure layer after layer of wonderful flavour comes through in each bite. Warm, welcoming service is the chutney on the poppadom, so to speak.; Michelin Plate (2025); Michelin Plate (2024) | Easy | — |
| Gorse | Modern British | ££££ | Michelin 1 Star | Unknown | — |
| Heaneys | Modern Cuisine | £££ | Unknown | — | |
| ember at No. 5 | Modern British | ££ | Unknown | — | |
| Heathcock | British Contemporary | ££ | Unknown | — | |
| Asador 44 | Spanish | £££ | Unknown | — |
How Purple Poppadom stacks up against the competition.
Start with the recognisable dishes if it's your first visit, but the chef's signature tiffin sea bass is the one to prioritise — it's what separates Purple Poppadom from a standard Indian menu. The kitchen's strength is in subtle, layered spicing, so dishes that showcase that approach reward attention more than the straightforward grills. If you're returning, use it as an opportunity to move further into the less familiar parts of the menu.
The room is bright and sleek with abstract murals, exposed brick, and blonde wood chairs — considered but not formal. A step above casual is appropriate; think a shirt or a neat outfit rather than anything you'd wear to a black-tie dinner. The ££ price point and relaxed-but-attentive service style confirm this isn't a dress-up occasion, but it's not a jeans-and-trainers kind of dinner either.
For a different cuisine at a similar considered-dining level, Heaneys on Pontcanna Street offers modern Welsh cooking with comparable intent and price range. Asador 44 in the city centre is the pick if you want meat-focused cooking with Basque influence. Heathcock in Llandaff suits a more pub-dining format. None of them replicate the Michelin Plate Indian format that Purple Poppadom holds — it's the only venue of that type in Cardiff at this price.
It works for solo dining — the upstairs room and table service format don't require a group to justify the visit. The ££ pricing means a solo meal stays manageable. That said, the menu rewards ordering across multiple dishes, so a pair will extract more value from the experience than one person eating alone. If solo is your only option, go for it, but a table of two is the better format here.
Yes. Michelin Plate recognition at ££ in Cardiff is a genuinely good deal — you're getting a level of kitchen consistency and produce quality that typically costs more in London or Edinburgh. The value case is one of the clearest arguments for booking. If you're comparing spend, Purple Poppadom gives you more culinary rigour per pound than most of its Cardiff peers at a similar price point.
The venue data does not confirm a tasting menu format, so we won't speculate on its structure or pricing. What the Michelin Plate record does confirm is that the kitchen delivers consistent quality across the menu, particularly through subtle spicing and quality produce. Check directly with the restaurant for current format options before assuming a set-menu route is available.
Yes, with the right expectations. The room is sleek and the service is warm, which makes it a solid choice for a birthday dinner or a considered date night. It's not a high-ceremony, white-tablecloth occasion venue, but the Michelin Plate recognition means the food justifies the occasion. For a group celebration, confirm group size and booking availability in advance — the upstairs format means capacity is finite.
Keep this venue in your Pearl passport, rate it after you visit, and track it alongside every other place you collect.
