Waterloo Gardens Teahouse

It’s not difficult to see why this delightful tea house, a 20-minute walk from the centre in the suburb of Roath, has won so many awards. Occupying a former butcher’s shop, it’s a charming space, simply decorated with chunky wooden chairs and tables, and shelves stacked with colourful teapots and stainless steel canisters. These hold in excess of 50 loose leaf teas harvested from all over the world – white, black, green and many other specialist variations – and just about any brew you choose will be flavoursome and delicious. The cakes, too, are sensational. Try, perhaps, chocolate and beetroot or parsnip and orange, or just settle for a slice of thickly buttered Bara Brith, traditional Welsh fruit cake; dairy and gluten-free varieties are also available. There are monthly exhibitions by local artists on the walls. If you fancy a cuppa, there’s simply nowhere else like it in Cardiff.