An easy choice to kickstart our series of reviews of Newport experiences is The Cat Rock Cafe, which is the shortest of strolls from Peg-y-Don.
You will find The Cat Rock Cafe at the other end of the golf club terrace, as pictured early morning a couple of weeks ago:
Although it looks as though The Cat Rock Cafe is part of the golf club, it is run independently and very much open to anyone who wants to enjoy the spectacular setting and excellent food. It is open from 9am and kitchen / opening times vary a little across the year but it is typically open for drinks until 5pm (8pm in the summer months), although the kitchen can shut earlier (3pm). In the summer, you will also find the Cat Shack, which was new for 2023 and offers mouth watering burgers and more in the evening when the main kitchen is shut.
There is a website, but we are not going to link to it as it seems to have been infected with some form of malware. Their facebook page is a much safer bet, which you can find at https://www.facebook.com/catrockpembs/.
A bit of a spoiler for the rest of this review, but we love The Cat Rock Cafe and it really is a safe bet for the ‘must visit’ list. We spent a lot of time here whilst renovating Peg-y-Don and it was so good to stop off on the way back from a morning beach walk to enjoy a great coffee:
The coffee is great and you will always find a very warm welcome at The Cat Rock. Personally, we like to sit outside if the weather permits, as the views are so good, but the interior is really nice. It was redecorated in recent years but enjoys a really bright outlook over the bay thanks to the glass doors, so you can enjoy the view even if you want to keep warm.
The friendly welcome is not just for you – dogs are welcomed at The Cat Rock Cafe and you will normally find a healthy selection of furry friends enjoying themselves. You don’t need to worry if you don’t like dogs though as the cafe is split into two zones – one dog-friendly and the other reserved as dog-free. It works really well and there is plenty of space. If you are in Newport in the busy season and want to eat inside with four pawed friends, we would definitely recommend booking a table as the dog zone can get busy.
There is a wide range of food on offer, but there is nothing like kick starting the day with the mighty ‘Full Welsh’ breakfast (around £10):
Excellent ingredients cooked to perfection = a happy (and definitely full) customer! There is plenty of choice for breakfast though, so you can opt for lighter options if you are not in binge mode.
Then lunch menu is not huge but more than enough to satisfy most tastes and appetites. The sandwiches are very good (around £12) but key favourites are the dirty fries (around £16), which are incredible (the classic beef brisket are our recommendation):
….and also the burgers (around £15), which are superb:
There daily specials, which are always good and often tailored to the weather. Classics such as the Dirty Cow Burger are difficult to resist but a nice traditional cawl is just the thing if the weather is not playing ball…
In addition to the daily menu, The Cat Rock Cafe serves a great Sunday lunch (around £16). We would definitely recommend booking if you are planning to enjoy the roast as it gets busy, even out of season.
Of course, you don’t need to eat to enjoy The Cat Rock Cafe. There is a well stocked bar (beers and cider on tap) and nothing beats watching the sun go down whilst enjoying a tipple of your choice:
As you can probably tell, we are huge fans and it is a very safe recommendation. Yes, prices have headed north over the recent years but that is a depressing fact of life in modern times and we always enjoy our time at our local.
The staff are super friendly and you will always receive a warm welcome. If it wasn’t for the Cat Rock Cafe, we probably would not have ended up buying Peg-y-Don as it was the hours spent enjoying the view at The Cat Rock which whetted our appetite for being on the other side of the river.
The views really are world class and it is impossible not to unwind whilst lapping it all up. If you are in Newport, make sure that you pop into The Cat Rock Cafe. You will not be disappointed.