A new Parisian-style cafe owned by the family behind the Coffee Barker franchise - which includes Gin and Juice, Rum and Fizz and Barker Teahouse - is finally opening its doors after months of renovation and preparation. Maison De Boeuf, which announced it would be bringing its food to Castle Arcade in May 2022 under a different name (Maison Entrecôte), will open its doors on Friday, May 12, in the former location of Madame Fromage.
Specialising in steak-frites, it will be dousing the Welsh capital in French romance with a prix-fixe set menu built around a main course which consists of PGI Welsh beef steak, frites (fries) and a secret Barker sauce.
No French menu is complete without the addition of cheese (in this instance twice-baked smoked cheese souffle), French onion soup and escargot - aka snails - as well as French wine and cocktails.
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Headed up by husband and wife team, Stephen and Charlotte Barker and their sons Kurtis and Kane, Maison De Boeuf promises to transport you across the channel with its chic, romantic interiors and candlelit tables.
Speaking about this brand new venture for the Barker hospitality dynasty, Charlotte said: "Every time we visit Paris, we fall in love with its chic, simple bistros, the effortless style and great food and wine. There’s nothing like it in Cardiff, and we wanted to bring that cosy, romantic Parisian atmosphere to our home city. Somewhere you can come for a romantic dinner, a relaxed business meeting, or a simple pre-theatre dinner. We can’t wait to welcome people to this magical little place."
Her co-founder and husband added: "In Maison de Boeuf, we’re creating something unique for Cardiff. It’s a new kind of dining venue where the quality is excellent - we specialise in only one thing - and the price is fixed, so you know you’re always getting great value. We’ve refined the menu to just a couple of brilliant French classics, curated an accessible wine list and created cocktails that, all together, bring a little taste of Paris to our corner of the Welsh capital.
“We’re creating a new destination at the heart of the historic Castle Arcade Quarter, which we’re confident will help to attract more visitors and tourists to the area and give locals a great reason to come back and rediscover what the city centre has to offer."
Ahead of the opening, Maison de Boeuf will be holding soft-opening days in which diners booked onto these sessions - which will celebrate as well as help staff to prepare for the grand opening - will get 50% off their bill.
Upon its official opening Maison de Beouf will be open for lunch from 12 noon and for dinner from 5.30pm on Wednesdays, Thursdays, Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays. The cocktail bar will open until 1am on weekends. For more information, see the restaurants' website.
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