Cafe Sereno

My second Disappointing visit to this highly overrated establishment. Judging by the other reviews on this website there must be some other really well motivated chef that works in this place because whenever i go in there i always encounter some young bald yob who cant stand the fact you have come to eat at his café. The first thing i must talk about, and i know the other reviews on this site have mentioned this but i feel it is worth mentioning again. The Décor or lack of is disgusting. Naff plastic table cloths, Damp Patches on the walls, the tables and chairs look like they belong in the cafeteria of a maximum security prison for child molesters and fugitive middle eastern dictators. The café also has an unusual but pungent stench about it. Imagine back stage at a cypress hill concert with a feces orgie taking place in a bucket of rotten fish and your close. Did i mention the damp earlier?
Anyways…
The first time i went in this flop house was with friends. My friends were hungry and willing to overlook the foul stench for some good hearty italian food. We waited for 10 minuits before some drunken bald wastrel came to tell us that they couldn’t cook any more food as there was a group of about 7 people on one table. The place wasn’t even half full. He clearly could not be bothered and to add insult to injury by this time it was too late to make reservations any where else.
Second Visit…
I decided to give this place another go as it has got some half decent reviews on here and was hoping after 6 months they would have sorted out the décor. (And the weird smell).
Unfortunately not.
I came back here with my girlfriend a big mistake as it was it even worse condition this time. The place was almost completely empty apart from some weird old lady sat on a table all to herself talking to herself. The bald stoned chimp in a chef’s uniform was still there but this time was so high he didn’t even bother acknowledging us. We had to go past the bar and practically stand in the kitchen and make loud grunting noises but he just stood there with his skull candy headphones on staring into a pot of pasta sauce. After about 10 awkward minuits we left.
If your looking for illicit herbs then maybe this is the place but if you want a decent meal forget it!

I’m a big fan of this little place, although I didn’t discover it until recently. Once I had, I raved about it for a couple of days to family and friends, most of whom looked at me funny as they already were well aware of its presence.
Oh well.
Now I know, and am very glad that I do.
The food is Italian and absolutely delicious, and although the décor might not be quite up to high class restaurant style, it’s a lovely, homely place, whre you fel exceptionally comfortable to keep going back to. A favourite in the making.

Ian Coates set up Café Sereno about five years ago on Albany Road. It took a while to establish itself, and find its niche, but business is regular these days, showing steady growth year in, year out. There’s not been any particular concerted marketing effort to achieve the success that Café Sereno has been blessed with. Ian attributes the popularity of the place to a combination of other factors. He believes that keeping things cheap and cheerful, maintaining high levels of service, and generally keeping his customers happy is a winning strategy, leaving his contented customers to the rest… all new business comes to him via word of mouth.
As the name would suggest, this is an Italian themed bistro that serves reasonable food at excellent prices. There’s a few oddities on the menu, particularly in the drinks department, but this simply shows that Ian has listened to his client base and has established what their preferences are. He reckons that Cornish Rattler Cider is one of his biggest draws… nope it’s not got a lot to do with Italy, or with Wales for that matter… but at £3.25 a bottle the students love it, and it keeps them coming back good and regular.
Clearly, this is a young persons hang out… cheap food, cheap booze and a friendly laid back atmosphere will definitely keep them coming back in their numbers. If you are looking for a lively night out, surrounded by a generally young crowd, this is definitely the place to come.
The food is homemade too! Mmm mmmm… And there’s a beer garden as well!

The thing that I really like about Cathays is that there are so many odd little places all jammed in together. As a result, they all have to fight doubly hard to continue to succeed. This means that you get the most wonderful mish-​mash of things. Bookshops, bars, cafes — all under one roof. I love that. Café Sereno is an excellent place to go, that represents the fun and friendliness of life in Cathays. The prices are fantastic and the drinks are excellent. I also found the service to be almost impeccable. Since visiting it has become one of those things that I talk about with people like this:
Them: Been anywhere good recently?
Me: Yeah, actually, Café Sereno.
Them: Oh, how’d you find that place?
Me: Well, I go wandering around for places to review for my job.
Them: Can I work there?
I cannot recommend this place highly enough.

This is a real find. Great breakfast menu by day and really chilled out in the evening. Amazing pizzas, cool ambience, you must eat here!

Lovely place — if you don’t fancy the (fantastic) breakfasts, then the menu has some real treats — try the meatballs or the lasagne for a real home-​cooked feast! Becks and Stella on tap, the pizzas are amazing, and there’s a really nice feel to the place. I can’t fault it!

Probably the best breakfast in Cardiff! Very reasonably priced. Lovely café by day with friendly staff and excellent food. At night it has a relaxed and pleasent atmosphere, great place to go for a pizza and a beer. Fully licenced with a beautiful beer garden, definately a great place to go and enjoy the sunshine. Also child friendly which is great for me and my son. I can not praise the place enough!