Tough times for hospitality continued in 2025 as some Cardiff favourites called time
Cardiff has lost some long-standing favourites during 2025, including city centre burger independent The Grazing Shed, pies-piled-high place Pieminister and Mill Lane’s Pitch Bar.
With January and February typically tough for hospitality businesses it’s time to get out and support your locals as much as possible. Cardiff favourites, Bar 44 have dropped their new year sale prices back to 2002 – more on that here – and here’s a delicious list of new places that launched in Cardiff in 2025 to get out and try.
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1. The Grazing Shed
The Grazing Shed was part of the city centre dining scene for 11 years, and over that time gained plenty of loyal customers thanks to the popularity of its menu, which includes a range of chicken and beef burgers, fries, sides and sodas.
A statement at the time read: “It’s with a heavy heart that we must announce the closure of our Barrack Lane site. This decision has been incredibly difficult and one that we’ve not taken lightly.
“Barrack Lane will be closing its doors for the last time on January 26, 2025.We want to express our heartfelt gratitude to each and every one of you that has visited Barrack Lane over the last 11 years.
“We would also like to say a huge thank you to our team who have been the backbone of our business, and we are super proud of what we have achieved together.
“While Barrack Lane will be closing its doors, we will continue to serve our burgers at festivals and events. This isn’t goodbye, but a farewell to our site in the city. Diolch o galon.”
2. Twenty Six
Popular independent café, bar and street food venue TwentySix in Cardiff announced its closure at Canton’s The Boneyard site after two years of trade.
TwentySix was owned by Helen Gorman, the entrepreneur behind pop-up café TOAST and Bad Boy Brownies. She shared on Instagram at the time: “It’s been a pleasure to have supported and championed other indies at The Bone Yard a true independent business community.
“This independent hospitality business is a tough old gig and whilst personally I’m ready for a different way and pace of life, I’ve loved being part of it and wish whoever takes on this amazing spot the best of luck in the world.”
3 Pitch Bar & Eatery
Owners of Pitch Bar & Eatery on Mill Lane confirmed the venue shut on January 1 due to a combination of factors that caused “a difficult environment to operate in.”
Independent eatery Pitch opened in the Welsh capital in 2015 serving a range of cocktails and Wales-inspired meals using local produce. Confirming Pitch’s closure on February 6, the owners said: “Pitch Cardiff has blown the final whistle.
“As one of Cardiff’s longer-standing venues for innovative food and cocktails, it has been a pleasure to be part of Cardiff’s food and drink scene.
“Like many others in the industry, rising National Insurance and other business costs, combined with being unable to secure a new lease, have made it a difficult environment to operate in. We’d like to thank all of our customers and friends we’ve met along the way.”
4. Jackson’s
The oyster and seafood bar, Jackson’s, opened in February 2023 but by early 2025 had closed its doors. The full story of the man behind the business, and sister restaurant, Cora, Lee Skeet can be read here.
5. Steak of the Art
Steak of the Art, which was located on Churchill Way in Cardiff city centre, combined a steak restaurant with an art gallery. It entered insolvency back in April 2025.
6. La Pantera
La Pantera, a Mexican cantina and mezcal bar, gained a cult following for its twist on Mexican classics. But after more than five years its lease on the Quay Street premises ended and the taco sellers decided to move on.
7. The New Moon
The New Moon in Womanby Street, formerly The Moon, announced its closure in October. The announcement comes just eight months after the live music venue and bar reopened with the help of a grant from Cardiff Council’s grassroots venues fund.
8. Pieminister
The popular pie restaurant in Cardiff city centre has closed after its owner went into administration. Pieminister on Cardiff’s St Mary Street has shut after being open on the high street for over a decade.
9. Sticky Fingers
Based on Richmond Road, Sticky Fingers was a bar and street food venue which hosts a rotating selection of some of Wales’ best street food vendors. It first opened in the Brewery Quarter in the city centre before moving to its current spot in Roath.
It closed its doors on December 21 citing “the absolute crushing pressure of what’s needed in the hospitality industry now means we can’t fight our good fight any more.”
10. The North Star
The much-loved independent community pub has announced it is to close its doors for good after New Year’s Eve 2025. Despite extensive efforts to continue trading, owners said rising costs and cost-of-living pressures had forced the closure of the pub, in a move described as “unavoidable.”
Owner Tom Edwards said: “This is without question the hardest decision we’ve ever had to make, and it’s not what we wanted.
“We’ve explored every possible option to keep North Star going, but in the current climate we feel this is the only responsible choice left to us.”
