15 Delicious lunch options in Cardiff Market for a fiver or less
From gyros and bao buns to the humble jacket potato loaded with cheese and beans, Cardiff Market has got you covered when it comes to great lunch choices by independent traders, as Chloe Atkinson discovers...
WHEN it comes to lunch in Cardiff city centre, it’s safe to say nowhere will have a better range of options to suit your timescale and budget than Cardiff Market.
From gyros and bao buns to the humble jacket potato loaded with cheese and beans, the city’s long-running institution has got you covered when it comes to great dishes by independent traders.
While some stall owners have been there for years, gaining a loyal following who have stuck by their favourites, a number of new options have sprung up over the last few years who have made a big impact – look no further than the queues that you’ll find snaking around the market as soon as noon hits.
And while the pressures hitting the hospitality industry, as well as the cost of living crisis, has meant tough times for traders and customers, it’s still possible to get value for money and a satisfying lunch that won’t cost you the earth – no matter if you fancy a healthy option to go or a more indulgent Friday pay day treat.
We’ve rounded up some of the best options you can get for around a fiver, or just over, for the next time you find yourself passing by.
While we haven’t been able to include every offering in the market, there’s enough here to get your taste buds going before making your own discoveries.
FRANCO STREET FOOD
Franco may be a newer addition to the market but it’s certainly made an impact, even featuring recently on BBC’s The One Show.
Franco’s offers authentic street food from Puglia, a southern region forming the heel of Italy’s ‘boot’, and to keep it authentic they import Apulian local flour, described as “high-quality ancient bio, and organic low in gluten flour from Altamura, the bread capital of Italy”.
It can be found at the main entrance to the market on The Hayes and is visible as soon as you walk past the fresh fruit and veg section.
Popular menu items include its generously sized panzerotto, a dough filled with locally sourced ingredients, closed “in the shape of a smile” which is then deep fried.
Franco’s offers them in a range of different flavours for the small price of £4.95 which will more than fill you up for lunch. Options range from San Nicola (tomato sauce and mozzarella), pepperoni, ham and mushroom, piccante, meat feast, and rudy valentino.
Sides include rosemary baked potato wedges for £2.95 and fries for £2.75 while deserts include Pasticciotto Leccese, a traditional Italian pastry, priced at £3.95 with black cherry, chocolate and crema pasticcera flavours to choose from.
MARKET DELI
Another good place for some bargains is Market Deli. Market Deli produces good on the go pies and pastries for low prices. They also have a range of cold baguettes which are priced between £3.50 and £5.25. Popular
flavours include tandoori chicken and Kashmiri chicken.
Market Deli also offers their own meal deal option which is made up of a sandwich, a packet of crisps, and a drink all for the price of £5.25.
But perhaps the best thing to know about Market Deli is that they also sell a variety of different takeaways.
From Chinese boxes to Spanish rice (get a medium portion for £4.50) and believe it or not a full Yorkshire pudding dinner with meat, potatoes, and gravy for £4.60 – what a find!
BAO SELECTA
Bao Selecta is great option for those keen to try something more exotic while sticking to budget, with its offering of steamed bao buns and a variety of Taiwanese street food. Bao buns are steamed buns made up of dough or lotus paper and can be filled with sweet or savoury fillings like meat or syrups.
Menu options for £5 or under include the vegan spicy ‘beef’ and crispy ‘beef’ bao buns with ginger sauce, both priced at a reasonable £4.90 for one bao. You can also get a portion of kimchi slaw made with homemade kimchi, white cabbage, spring onions and vegan mayo.
A small portion will set you back £2.50, with a large portion £5.
YA SOUVLAKI
For something a bit more Mediterranean, a trip to Ya souvlaki is a must. A souvlaki comes from the Greek term for small pieces of meat that are put on skewers and grilled.
The colourful stall donned with the white and blue Greek flag is hard to miss and provides a range of different pita wraps priced from £4.95 - £5.95 you can even have a fried Calamari wrap for a cheerful £5.95!
The stall is owned by Athenian born Antonis Alexandris, an acclaimed chef.
For lunch under a fiver, go for the athenian pitta wrap (£4.95) – with feta, red onions, tomatoes, green peppers, cucumbers, olives and oregano. Meanwhile a classic greek salad or yeeros fries also cost £4.95.
FFWRNES PIZZA
Fancy a woodfire pizza on your quick screenbreak from the office? Ffwrnes may break the ‘for a fiver or under rule’ but only by a pound so we’ll include them in our list anyway.
The pizzeria is located on the upper level of the market on the right-hand side and offers a mixture of Welsh and Italian cuisine.
Go for the traditional Marinara pizza (tomato sauce, oregano basic and extra virgin olive oil) for £6 as your most budget-friendly option, or the Marinara with olives for an extra 50p.
THE BEARDED TACO
The Bearded Taco is the love child of Sian and Jake, hailing from Cardiff and California with a few other countries in between.
While they may be known for their tacos with fillings including slowbraised pork shoulder, Vietnamese BBQ pork, Moroccan chicken and stone fruit tagine and Mexican spiced grilled steak, which are sadly above a £5 budget, their quesadillas may be the answer.
Choose between their queso quesadilla with melted cheese and a side of roasted tomato salsa (£4), jalapeno queso with melted cheese, black olives and jalapenos with salsa
(£4.50) and their queso supreme with melted cheese, tomato salsa, creamy guac, pickled onions and coriander with sour cream (£5). Yum.
PIEROGI PLACE
Pierogi Place is located on the upper level of Cardiff Market and is the middlemost stall. Owned by Barbara Jeschke, it boasts traditional eastern European cuisine and serves Polish pierogis which are a style of dumpling.
Sadly, none of the menu items served are £5 or under however, like Ffwrnes Pizza they are only a few coins over budget, so we’ll include them anyway.
For £6.80 you can a small portion of four cottage cheese and potato pierogis served with onion and/or fried bacon and sour cream on the side.
A small portion of red lentil, fresh paprika and herbs pierogi with fried onion and a vegan garlic dip, or a small portion of spinach, feta and cheese pierogi with onion and sour cream on the side will also cost £6.80. Meanwhile Polish style coleslaw costs £3.95.
SHAN’S
Another place worth visiting for bargain hunters is Shan’s, which you can find it at the market entrance at St Mary’s Street.
Shan’s offers comfort food like jacket potatoes, burgers, and cheesy chips and the prices are extremely good – you can get a cooked butter jacket potato from Shan’s for as little as £2.50 and a double cheeseburger for £4.50.
For £5.50 you can go more extravagant with your jacket potato toppings, including coronation chicken, chilli, bolognese and chicken and bacon, while a good old jacket with cheese and beans will set you back £4.50. Meanwhile, bolognese and pasta costs £5, as does chilli con carne and rice.
SAGE DELI
Who says healthy food has to be expensive? Sage Deli is the go-to place for a healthy bite on a budget. The stall boasts tonnes of different salad options from pasta and potato salads to lentils, slaws and pulses with a protein main.
A regular salad box filled with your choosings costs a total of £5.95 whereas a large salad is priced at £6.95.
The stall also offers pulled pork with coleslaw and BBQ sauce, or pulled pork with stuffing and apple sauce, either as a wrap priced at £5 or as a roll for £4.50.
THE MASALA HUT
While it might not have the social media presence of some of its savvy street food cousins in the market, the Masala Hut is not to be missed out on.
For just £5 you can choose between an Indonesian chicken rendang, Malaysian chicken ayam curry, Indian beef madras or a vegan curry, together with your choice of either jasmine rice, roti or chips. You can’t get better than that.
THE BULLTERRIER CAFE
Another location for the frugal foodie is The Bullterrier Cafe. The Bullterrier Cafe owned by Sam Maher is located on the left-hand side of the upper area of the market hidden in the corner.
It offers you a range of more classic British cuisine with family favourites such as corned beef pie and toasties. Its price range is very budget friendly with dishes starting at £4.50 and also offers a range of hot and cold sandwiches all priced for a cheeky £5 or under.
At the Bullterrier, just over a fiver will get you corned beef and chips (£5.50), two eggs and chips (£5), or a whole host of small set meals including one sausage, one egg and chips (£5), three fish fingers and chips (£4.50) or four chicken nuggets and chips for the same price.
Meanwhile chicken, beef, turkey, pork and tuna and cheese cold sandwiches all come in at £5, as well a sausage and egg or bacon and egg sarnie for the same amount.
TUKKA TUK
A trip to the market isn’t complete without visiting Tukka Tuk Indian Street Food.
The street food joint is owned by chef Anand George and entrepreneur Rupali Wagh, and while its famous Kerala Fried Chicken is not under a fiver, savvy individuals looking to stick to their budget can opt for their excellent Bombay fries with thousand island sauce for £4.50.
For those who want to spent that little extra, you can also buy two chicken rolls, or vegetable cutlets off their menu for £6.
And finally, to go for an option which you can make as simple or as elaborate as you like, Tukka Tuk’s ‘build your own bowl’ option allows you to select a carb of your choice from either rice, chips or half and half (£3.70) and a sauce of coconut mung bowl dal or beef rib curry (coming in at £3 or £4 depending on your option).
If it’s a pay day treat, you can also add on a bonus cauliflower kempu, Kerala Fried Chicken or chilli prawns (from £2.30) or a chicken roll or veggie cutlet (£2). Tukka Tuk is located on the upper level of the market in the right-hand corner.
NOGLU-GLUTEN FREE
Another great stall is Noglu-gluten free, which as you can probably tell by the title offers a menu that is entirely gluten free. Noglu offers some amazing-looking baked goods from a different range of cultures like Welsh cakes, focaccia bread, and even homemade churros – lush.
The focaccia comes in options including cheddar, pesto, and sundried tomato and cheddar and oregano, both of which can be enjoyed warm and come in at a total cost of £3.50
THE CELTIC CORNER
Like the Bullterrier, The Celtic Corner is a long-standing institution where you can sit down and enjoy some traditional cafe grub at a great price with none of the fuss.
Plus they have their own seating area to sit and enjoy the hustle and bustle around you which isn’t something to take for granted.
Go for faggots and peas with mash or chips (£5) for maximum value for money. Otherwise toasted sandwiches including bacon and egg go for either £3 or £3.50 depending on toppings, while a bacon, egg and sausage baguette will set you back £4.
THE BREAD STALL
Don’t have time for an elaborate lunch? Don’t worry, sometimes it’s the classics that serve you best.
As well as offering arguably the best sausage rolls in the market, the Bread Stall can also send you on your way with two Clark’s corned beef pasties for £3.75 or two jumbo Cornish pasties for £4.20 – plus an enormous slab of bread pudding for £1.30 or a Chelsea bun for the same price.
Bargain!