Santa Maria

The restaurant was quiet , maybe because it was a Thursday evening. Our meals were nice, I enjoyed my second course - pasta dish. The first course was meant to be fried sea food - but there were mainly anchovies with the food being slightly too salty.

Well, where do we start!
From the moment we stepped through the door to the time we left, we felt we were one of the family!!
Reasonable priced wine, had a lovely pinot rose.
Starters outstanding, we went for one of the sharer platters.
I couldn't decide on a main so waiter recommended a chef special ravioli with gorgon zola cheese sauce. Husband had gnocchi with Italian sausage. Food was just beautiful.
We shared a Nutella pizza for dessert. Everything cooked fresh in front of our eyes. We had a lovely evening and will definetly be returning. Thank you!

Small cosy restaurant food freshly prepared to suit you, very attentive server only criticism limited menu if you don't do pizza . Very reasonable pricing even without Groupon

Amazing food and First Class service..
Meetballs and Italian sausage for starters followed by spicy pizza and Italian sausage pasta, proffita rolls and nuttella brownie for desert. Everything is made fresh and flavours of the food immense. Highley recommend Santa Maria to anyone that loves quality food at a very reasonable price. It certainly is a hidden gem in Cardiff and gets 5 Stars from me.. I'll look forward to dining here again soon.

Lovely food - just a bit cold sat in the restaurant

I took my husband here for his birthday dinner and we had an excellent time. Food is great and service is even better! There was a huge Christmas party next to us with at least 20 people, but staff were still super attentive and friendly, we didn’t have to wait long at all for food.
We will definitely be returning!

Amazing food. And fantastic service.

Really delightful experience. Been past the restaurant all the time so to sit down and enjoy the food was lovely. Had a meat platter starter with some wine which was really delicious and nicely plated. Tried a pizza and pasta between the two of us and both were delicious. The pizza was lovely and fresh and the cheese was soo good! Definitely recommend. Finished it off with a rich Nutella brownie which was so yummy!
So good for the price, 3 courses and drinks for just over £20. First table is soo good for trying out all the restaurants you never would. Worth every penny for 50% off food.

Top marks for Santa Maria, authentic fresh Italian food served in a cosy restaurant environment. This is my third visit to the restaurant and I’d 100% be back again.

Freshly cooked, hot, tasty food served with a smile. Excellent value.

Excellent food, well presented. Nice atmosphere and friendly staff.

From start to finish this restaurant was a*.
Extensive menu. Relaxed atmosphere. Wine reasonably priced. Food outstanding and all very fresh. Highly recommended!
Tirimasu was amazing!

Santa Maria was amazing! The food tasted like real authentic Italian food - it reminded me of Italian nan’s cooking! Reccomend the meatball starter and the pomodoro pasta

Lovely food in a nice setting. Seafood starter was light and tasty. Pizza was huge and delicious

Beautiful food in tranquil surroundings amid the hustle of St Mary's Street. My pizza was crisp and spicy and the lasagna was spot on. Our waiter, Fred was knowledgable and attentive. Plus the accordion playing owner was a treat. Using first table made it especially good value. I'd definitely return!

Been here a few time with and without 1st table. Lovely food. Quick and very tasty. Staff are willing to make changes to menu and are very helpful Quiet on this visit, but that suited us

We were seated quickly in a beautiful looking restaurant. The waiter was attentive and knowledgeable about the food and wines. The fish, risotto, pasta and chicken were perfectly cooked. The chef is clearly very skilled. However the dishes lacked the presentation and flare you'd expect from such an establishment trying to stand out in the crowded market. The tastes were perfect, but accompanying sauces/garnishes/salads would elevated them to what you'd expect at their price point.

We had superb arrancinj and pizza, we’d never eaten here before but would definitely do so again

It was a packed night and when we arrived we were relieved they had a table for us. Some people did end up leaving without their food because the restaurant staff were rushed off their feet. The food was good though – the pizzas looked decent and they were generous with the toppings. We also had a couple of starters, which were tasty. There was a long wait on everything and we found out from the (utterly amazing) barman that they are always understaffed, so that explained it! (Plus a very busy Saturday night in Cardiff). Overall Santa Maria is worth a visit if you go mid-week, when it's quieter.

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Great service and great food. Will definitely go again

The food was delicious, it was freshly cooked and hot, just as we like it. We will definitely be back to try some other dishes. The staff were friendly and welcoming. The weather was bad and the restaurant was very quiet which was a great pity. I expect match days are busier as the restaurant is in a good position.

Great atmosphere and friendly welcoming staff. Authentic Italian dining out!

Great food great service really enjoyed

Lovely food, friendly staff, would definitely recommend.

Great atmosphere, tasty food and lovely service - wanted to try all the plates leaving the kitchen as they looked so good.We will return!