Summer Palace

The Chim family, originally from Hong Kong, has run Summer Palace from 2-4 High Street in Llandaff since 1988, cooking Cantonese, Peking and Szechuan dishes from a kitchen built into a building far older than the restaurant. The property is Grade II listed, probably designed by the architect John Prichard and built around 1863 as a house and butcher's shop for a Mr Seaborn, and its polychromatic stonework long predates the neon signage of most Chinese restaurants on Cardiff high streets. Seating is limited enough that tables need booking ahead, and takeaway orders are best placed in advance too, especially at weekends. The kitchen will cook dishes not printed on the menu if asked, rather than sticking strictly to the printed card. It has operated on the same corner of Llandaff, opposite the cathedral green, without changing hands since 1988.