Cardiff welcomes new bar and bistro

A new neighbourhood bar and bistro will officially open in Canton-Pontcanna, Cardiff, on 21 April.

Led by chef Jake Lewis, Sonder will seamlessly transition from casual daytime dining to long, relaxed evenings hosting dinner and drinks.

Lewis, formerly executive chef at Pasture restaurants in Bristol, Cardiff and Birmingham, brings his passion for approachable yet exciting cuisine to his first solo venture. 

The Sonder experience

Located on Llandaff Road, Sonder’s April Bistro menu (served noon onwards, Wednesday to Monday) will feature dishes such as pizza fritta with carbonara sauce, wild mushroom French toast, a Toma-pork chop with caramel rhubarb (for two), aubergine ‘parm’ with smoked mozzarella and tomato jam and a Flat Iron Steak Frites served with his signature Café de Canton butter, smoked and whipped with Welsh leeks, dried Pembrokeshire laver seaweed and Penderyn Whisky.

The April brunch menu (served on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays) will include breakfast sandwiches served in sesame pancake buns, and large plates like shakshuka with cumin and tomato sauce, avocado and flatbread or Bourbon-glazed pork chops with potato rosti and eggs.

Alex Mills has joined the team, bringing a wealth of experience from his eight years at Cardiff's multi-award-winning Lab 22 and his recent role as head of bars at the Celtic Manor Resort.

His cocktail menu will include eight signature serves (six with non-alcoholic alternatives), including a Bloody Mary made with black garlic vodka and a house-made roasted tomato juice, a Mimosa with freshly squeezed orange juice and an oleo made with the skins and a Picante with tequila, hot honey, cucumber and lime. The wine list will include six reds and six whites, along with Champagne available by the glass.

Lewis says of the upcoming launch: "For me, being ‘sonder’ means you value the individual journey everyone around you has been on, and that concept is everything this restaurant stands for. It’s about recognising and valuing each person’s journey—our guests, of course, but also the team.

"I want Sonder to be a space where individuality is celebrated, whether that’s creating something special behind the bar, a server connecting with a guest, or one of the chefs sharing a dish inspired by their travels."

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