[1]Chapter
Market Road, Canton, Cardiff, CF5 1QE
Distance from the Cardiff Ground: 15 minutes on foot.
Average price of a meal and a drink: £10
The Cardiff neighbourhood of Canton is a mixed bag – more ambulances head down its main drag on a Friday night than the city centre, it has some pleasingly local shops (butchers and the like) and yet has hallmarks of the gentrification process one has seen develop in other cities. A consequence of this is the number of beard stroking hipsters with plaid shirts [2] seen strolling the streets and this tribe’s Mecca is Chapter [3], an all purpose arts centre situated under a mile from the new Cardiff City new stadium.
I opted for lunch in Chapter’s busy café – a canteen style affair encouragingly replete with a full range of the Welsh capital’s citizenry. Alongside the Jean-Luc Godard fans one could find families, Bluebirds’ fans and students being treated to lunch by their parents. The result was an unpretentious atmosphere, though unblighted by a lack of food quality: my mushroom ravioli with garlic bread was superb. Other options included juicy steaks and mammoth burgers, as well as healthier choices. Most importantly, they also serve beer. Lingering after a game might allow one to see a revival of 1949 British film, Queen of Spades [4].
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