Cardigan · West Wales
Progressive tapas rooted in Welsh land and sea. Gourmet street food made with growers, fishers, and makers we trust — served with wines that have something to say.
Our menu moves with the Welsh seasons. What's on the plate tonight depends entirely on what's growing, swimming, or foraging nearby.
Carefully selected natural, biodynamic, and low-sulphite wines from small producers who let the land do the talking. Real stuff.
Over 80% of our produce comes from within 50 miles. Welsh beef, seaweed from the bay, honey from Preseli — we know where it all comes from.
Our Story
Boys and Girls started with a simple idea: great ingredients, cooked with care, shared with people who want more than a meal.
We opened in Cardigan because we fell in love with what West Wales produces. The coastline, the farmers, the hill grazers, the orchardists quietly working Pembrokeshire's valleys — this is one of Britain's great undiscovered larders.
Our tapas format isn't a gimmick — it's how we want you to eat. Order a few plates. Try something unexpected. Have another glass of something alive and interesting. Linger. The whole point is to stay a while.
We run a lean, honest kitchen. No unnecessary waste, no airfreight, no corporate suppliers. Just a small team working hard to make the most of what this part of the world has to offer.
"Cardigan gave us the best ingredients we've ever worked with. All we had to do was listen."
How We Cook
Four ideas that shape what ends up on your plate.
The menu changes constantly — sometimes week to week. We cook what's at its best right now, not what sells year-round. This is our cardinal rule.
We source from Welsh producers whenever possible. Every ingredient has a name attached — a farm, a fisherman, a forager. Traceability isn't a marketing term for us, it's just how we shop.
Vegetable trimmings become stocks. Stale bread becomes crumb. Fish carcasses become bisque. We approach waste as a design problem, not a disposal one.
We support local food culture beyond our four walls — collaborating with Cardigan's growers, participating in food festivals, and working to bring good food to more people in West Wales.
The Cellar
We've built a list around producers we believe in: winemakers who work with nature, brewers with a point of view, distillers who grow their own.
Wine
Alive, interesting, sometimes orange. Always for a reason.
Domaine Fontedicto ‘Carignan’
Languedoc, France · Biodynamic red, earthy plum
Gut Oggau ‘Winifred’
Burgenland, Austria · Orange, textured, honeyed
Oxney Estate Bacchus
East Sussex · Elderflower, crisp, organic English white
Envinate ‘Lousas’
Ribeiro, Spain · Granitic red, mineral, wild cherry
La Stoppa ‘Ageno’
Emilia-Romagna · Skin-contact white, apricot, spice
Beer & Cider
Welsh breweries and beyond. Draught and bottle.
Mantle Brewery ‘Cwtch’
Cardigan · Welsh Red, malt-forward, 4.6% · Draught
Violet Cottage Brewing ‘Coastal’
Pembrokeshire · Session IPA, citrus, 4.0% · Draught
Gwynt y Ddraig ‘Black Dragon’
Pontypridd · Medium-dry Welsh cider, Bottle 500ml
Kernel Brewery ‘Table Beer’
London · Low-abv pale, light, refreshing, Bottle
Bragdy Nant ‘Ogof’
Conwy, North Wales · Dark mild, chocolate, 3.8%
Spirits & No-Low
Chosen for character, not brand recognition. Plus thoughtful no and low options.
Da Mhile Seaweed Gin
Cardigan Bay · Organic, hand-foraged seaweed, 42%
Penderyn Madeira Single Malt
Brecon Beacons, Wales · Whisky, light and honey-sweet
Seedlip Spice 94 & ginger
Non-alcoholic · Served with Welsh ginger beer and lime
Jukes Cordialities No.6
NA wine alternative · Red berry, cedar, black pepper
Wild Elderflower & Teifi Water
House cordial, foraged elder, still Teifi spring water
We don't stock anything just because it sells. Every bottle on our list was chosen because we tasted it, liked it, and thought it had something to say alongside our food. Low-intervention means fewer additives, more character, and wine that actually reflects where it came from.
Our team genuinely loves this stuff. Ask them anything.
Approach
Natural & Low-Intervention
Origin Focus
Small Domaines, Family Estates
Biodynamic
60% of Wine List
No/Low ABV
Full Range Available
Our Ethos
It's how we run our kitchen, choose our suppliers, manage our waste, and show up in Cardigan every day.
01
We know the names of the farmers who grow our food. Not just the farm names — the actual people. We visit. We eat with them. We understand their practices. If a supplier doesn't share our values on land management and animal welfare, we find someone who does.
02
We track our kitchen waste weekly. Trimmings become stocks, spent citrus becomes cleaning products, vegetable peelings go to a local smallholding for composting. We partner with Olio and Too Good To Go for surplus at the end of service. We're not perfect, but we improve every month.
03
Boys and Girls runs on 100% renewable electricity. Our kitchen equipment was selected for efficiency. We offset remaining carbon emissions through a verified Welsh woodland project in the Cambrian Mountains. Delivery consolidation means fewer food miles from the last mile.
82%
Welsh-sourced produce
50mi
Average supplier radius
0
Single-use plastic in kitchen
100%
Renewable energy
The People Behind the Food
We work with growers, fishers, and makers who share our values. These are the people who make everything possible.
Cheesemaker
Caws Cenarth
Ceredigion · 8 miles
Three generations of Welsh cheesemaking. Carwyn and Susanna Adams produce Perl Wen, Perl Felyn, and Golden Cenarth from their farm in the Teifi Valley. Organic milk from their own herd, care in every wheel.
Fishmonger & Day Boats
New Quay Fish
Ceredigion · 12 miles
Line-caught mackerel, bass, and sea trout landed daily at New Quay harbour. We take what the boats bring in — no guaranteed species, just the freshest fish available. Which is exactly how it should be.
Heritage Beef
Tegryn Farm
Pembrokeshire · 22 miles
Welsh Black cattle raised slowly on the Preseli foothills. Tegryn have farmed this land for four generations. Grass-fed, low-stress, naturally hung. The beef speaks for itself.
Bakery
Bara Menyn
Cardigan · 0.4 miles
Our bread neighbours. Bara Menyn bake long-fermented sourdough using heritage Welsh grains. Their loaves arrive warm every morning. The seaweed butter and sourdough plate wouldn't exist without them.
Market Garden
Pen-y-Foel Farm
St Dogmaels · 6 miles
Sal and Tom grow vegetables the slow way: no-dig beds, open-pollinated heritage varieties, and a commitment to soil health that makes their produce taste unlike anything from a wholesaler. Purple sprouting broccoli you won't forget.
Distillery
Da Mhile Distillery
Ceredigion · 14 miles
Wales's first certified organic distillery. Their Seaweed Gin uses hand-foraged Cardigan Bay kelp and is one of the most genuinely local spirits in the UK. We're proud to pour it.
We put distances on our menu because we believe you should know where your food comes from. These aren't marketing claims — they're the actual distances our most-used ingredients travel to reach your plate.
Food doesn't need to be complicated to be exceptional. It needs honest ingredients, genuine care, and a kitchen that knows when to get out of the way.
Boys and Girls Kitchen Team · Cardigan
What's On
Special evenings, guest collaborations, and regular weekly rituals. There is always a reason to come back.
Producer Dinner
An evening celebrating three generations of Welsh cheesemaking. Susanna Adams joins us to guide a five-course dinner where every plate features her cheese — alongside wines matched by our team.
Wine Evening
Six wines, six small plates. Our sommelier takes you through the world of natural wine — what it means, why it matters, and why it tastes better. An informal, educational, delicious evening.
Collaboration
We hand our kitchen to Cardiff's acclaimed Smoke & Salt for one night only. Adam Owned and Aaron Cattell take over for a bespoke eight-course menu. One of the most exciting events we've hosted.
Every Wednesday
Natural Wine Wednesday
A different low-intervention wine by the glass each week, chosen by our team and served with a paired small plate. £12 for wine & food.
First Sunday of the Month
Slow Sunday Lunch
A longer, more relaxed version of what we do. Three courses, longer tables, Welsh folk music from a local musician. Bookings essential.
Monthly
Supplier Spotlight
Once a month, we dedicate an evening to one of our producers. They come in, talk about what they do, and we build a menu around their work. The most honest evening we offer.
Private Events
Boys and Girls is available for exclusive hire for private dinners, celebrations, corporate gatherings, and chef’s table experiences. We work with you to build a menu that reflects the season and the occasion.
The Space & the Food
We are a Welsh restaurant in every sense. We support the Welsh language, champion Welsh culture, and believe Cardigan — Aberteifi — is one of the finest food towns in Britain. We're proud to be part of it.
As Seen In
One of the most exciting small restaurants in Wales. The kind of place that reminds you what hospitality is actually for.
Wales Online · Best New Restaurants 2024
The wine list alone is worth the journey from Cardiff. But then the food arrives, and you realise the whole thing is exceptional.
Olive Magazine · Hidden Gems, Winter 2024
Cardigan has quietly become one of the UK's most interesting food destinations. Boys and Girls is the main reason to go.
The Guardian · Weekend Magazine
We take bookings for dinner Tuesday to Saturday and Sunday lunch. Walk-ins welcome at the bar when space allows.
For groups of eight or more, or for private dining enquiries, please contact us directly and we'll build something around you.
We ask for a credit card to hold reservations for parties of four or more. No charge is made unless there is a no-show or cancellation within 24 hours. We appreciate your understanding.
Monthly news: what's on the menu, what's growing, what's coming. No noise.
Plan Your Visit
Address
High Street
Cardigan (Aberteifi)
Ceredigion, SA43 1JG
West Wales
Opening Hours
| Tuesday – Wednesday | 17:30 – 22:00 |
| Thursday | 17:30 – 22:30 |
| Friday – Saturday | 17:00 – 23:00 |
| Sunday | 12:00 – 16:00 |
| Monday | Closed |
Contact
Getting Here
Cardigan is served by T5 bus from Aberystwyth and regular services from Carmarthen. Free parking at Finch Square car park, a two-minute walk. We're fully wheelchair accessible. Please call ahead if you have any access requirements and we'll make sure everything is ready.
Allergen information: Our menu contains dishes with the 14 major allergens. Please inform your server of any allergies, intolerances, or dietary requirements before ordering. A full allergen list is available on request. Dishes are prepared in a kitchen that handles nuts, gluten, dairy, shellfish, and other common allergens. We cannot guarantee a completely allergen-free environment.