For the real 65+ Babyboomers!

ASK Italian, 24/32 Wyndham Arcade, Mill Lane, Cardiff CF10 1FJ I haven’t been to an ASK restaurant for a while, so I thought I would try lunch while staying in Cardiff for the week. Décor is consistent, of course, and the menu is available in all their outlets so I wasn’t sure if there was anything new to try. I was actually pleasantly surprised with the Melanz Parmigiana special, like a dish-baked lasagna with creamy, cheesy and tomato sauce but between slices of aubergine rather than pasta. It looked good served straight from the oven in a cast-iron dish, hot bubbling sauce smelling delicious, alongside a small salad bowl, both standing on a wooden board. Although the salad was very basic, with no dressing, it was all perfect with a glass of crisp, white Trebbiano wine. No pasta or bread, so there was clearly still a little bit of room left for a dessert. How to choose which one from such an interesting, though limited, menu…the young waiter was very helpful and agreed t...

Cwm-yr-Eglwys, Pembrokeshire, West Wales The TV programme Countryfile regularly features places in Wales so we were pleased to see Cwm-yr-Eglwys along the Pembrokeshire Coastal Path. Thankfully, it wasn’t cold enough for icicles on the bench like in the programme, but we were still thankful for our waterproofs tucked away in the boot of the car. A beautiful blue sky and bright sunshine so a perfect day to see the stunning end wall of the tiny church, all that’s left after the storm in 1886 that washed away half of the graveyard and the bulk of the church. It is officially designated as an area where there are no formal sea defences so that it is left to stand whatever the sea throws at it. You can only admire the small community that lives in the village, checking whatever damage appears along the existing sea wall and fixing it as best they can. As the lady on the TV said, they always take a small bucket with a bit of cement in it when they go for a walk! The car p...

. Farmers Arms, 14-16 Goat Street, St David’s, Haverford West, SA62 6RF St David’s is in a lovely part of Pembrokeshire and popular for all sorts of water sports, the spectacular Cathedral, and quaint little shops, bars and restaurants. Obviously visiting mid-week rather than weekends means it is a bit quieter and easier to park, especially outside the main holiday season. I also think that the new visitor centre with café, gallery and big car park may have reduced numbers of visitors finding local restaurants for lunch. Goat Street leads down to St David’s Cathedral, and a little way down on the right is the Farmers Arms, a traditional pub serving good quality pub food. The food was cooked well, served quite quickly, and portions are certainly ample for most appetites. Two pork loins are served in a whole-pepper creamy sauce resting on herby mashed potato and topped with crispy onion rings – very well presented. The chicken slices were sandwiched with thick-c...

Chez Freddy, 22 Cours Saleya, 06300, Nice Still in the main street in Nice, we decided to try a different restaurant for our meal, looking out for one where we could sit outside but sheltered from the evening breeze. Found Chez Freddy’s – perfect – especially as the Maitre de offered us a free glass of Prosecco as an enticement! However, whoever sat at the end of the table was in a draught, so we had lots of changing places a bit like in a farce! They offered to light one of the patio heaters but then this wasn’t welcomed by nearby tables who were eating seafood sat on a tray of ice (the food not the customers..). Eventually avoided an international incident, the heater was moved, and we finally got down to the meal. The set menu sounded perfect at €27.90 each and we were not disappointed. Starters were substantial as were the main course dishes – including snails, tomato and mozzarella, and a superb John Dory fish that was melt-in-the-mouth delicious. The recommend...

Le Bistro Dalpozzo, 10 Rue Dalpozzo, 06000, Nice As we were a group of 5, we pre-booked our table here for the first evening of our stay. After confusing the waiter in the restaurant next door by insisting we had a table booked – which we clearly didn’t! – we found ourselves in a comfortable restaurant with a brilliant waiter. He was helpful, attentive, and very patient as everyone wanted to try different items on the menu. In the end it was worth it for a superb meal.   The 3-course set menu had a good range of dishes to choose from, including the soup and duck, so was excellent value at €19. Other courses were quite expensive from the A La Carte menu, as you would expect, choices including snails or scallops as starter and sea bass or lamb as the main. Desserts included the traditional crème brulee and tarte tatin, so everyone was very happy with their choice. They made a great fuss of us, especially as one of the party was celebrating her birthday. The w...

Pain & Cie, 3 Rue Louis Gassin, 06300, Nice There are so many bars, cafes and restaurants along Rue Louis Gassin and the daily market that it is difficult to choose, but whichever one you go for, you will not be disappointed. As it was drizzling with a cool breeze, we opted for just inside the door of Pain & Cie – a perfect location on a corner to watch the world go by in a cosy, friendly atmosphere. A good choice to start our short break in Nice. Plat du Jour was the recommendation, steak and fries and a glass of wine for €14, definitely a good choice for lunch. A good-sized succulent steak, perfectly cooked, with grilled tomato, fries and fresh bread. As with all the other restaurants we found in this part of France, the house wine is very acceptable whether red or white, and the set menu is excellent value. We kept an eye on other meals brought out from the kitchen and they were all well-presented, very appetizing, and altogether good value. We even had two extr...