Le Monde
From Cardiffpedia
Le Monde is a classy art-deco themed fish restaurant at the bottom end of St Mary Street. It follows the 'choose your food at the counter before it's cooked' format that's so popular in Cardiff at the moment, but it does it far better than any of the other similar joints (like the nearby 'Brasserie', 'Champers' next door, 'La Fosse' in The Hayes, and the 'La Marina' by the Barrage in Penarth). The menu is unfussy - you choose from grilled, baked or fried fish, steaks, lamb shanks, duck breast, all served with a choice of sauces, potato-dishes and some simple vegetables. The vegetarian menu is limited, but you can always ask the waiter if you have a request, or let the chef come up with a mouth-watering offering of his own.
The secret to this place's success is that they only serve the best cuts, and rarely to you leave unsatisfied. The choice of starters is very good (try the mouthwatering 'bajun fishcakes', the simple 'fruit de mer', or the excellent king prawns), the wine list ranges from good (and reasonably priced) house offerings to £1000+ european reds, you watch the disciplined chefs cook your meal in an open-plan kitchen, and the service is awlays efficient and frendly.
The prices can be quite steep in the evenings (although Le Monde is not overpriced, in my opinion), but the best thing about this place is the amazingly good value lunchtime meal deal. Where else in town can you get a top notch two-course meal for under £7? Highly reccommended.
