Pillars

Please tap in just «PILLARS» (under restaurants) for my full review.

We’ve been going to Pillars ever since I can remember, It’s a MUST every time that were shopping! I usually have the Lasagne, Chips & Peas. Its amazing.
All the other food is of good quality too, I have had the chicken a few times and the steak and kidney pie, chips and peas. The Queues can be a little long sometimes, but lots of people queuing? Doesnt that speak for itself?
There are loads of tables and chairs in this restaurant but getting one in a good spot can SOMETIMES prove difficult.
Most of the staff are always smiling, Management are excellent and always very professional!
I cant fault Pillars! 5*

Oh my god! Does anyone remember this place when it was full of smoke, pushchairs and the clanking sound of plates being cleared?
I do, as I child I hated this place with a passion, not only had I been dragged around the city centre I was then forced down into this canteen dungeon hell.
Of course since the smoking ban you don’t get the clouds of grey smog any more but you do get push chairs, clanking plates and a hell of a lot of people.
Its incredibly reasonable for children to dine here.
It’s still also like an old school canteen, you go to the counter order your food then search around for an empty seat to eat the reasonably priced, OK food. I say OK because to sum it up that’s what it is. Nothing outstanding but it’ll certainly fill a gap.
The décor isn’t marvellous but Pillars offers a strange security, I’m not sure whether that’s because i spent so many Saturdays here with my mother.

If you are looking for a restaurant at lunchtime that offers a quick service with some top quality food then I suggest you try Pillars. ‘Pillars’ is an underground restaurant that has a wide variety choice of food. They rang from salads to sandwiches to hot meals. The whole atmosphere of the restaurant is delightful and makes you leave with the idea of returning again.
I have been to ‘Pillars’ many times because when I walk in there I know that I will get excellent quality food for a very reasonable price. When you first enter you can see all those glorious looking foods that look so exotic they scare me. So I stick to what I know and go for the hot meals. They are very basic like the bog standard Fish and Chips or Curry and chips. You are overwhelmed by the smells they give off that you will want to try everything they offer. The desserts look so edible that you want to just buy them all and take them home whilst watching a sad film. It costs around £7 per person but depending on what you buy they do have offers of 2 meals for £5 and offer a children’s menu.
This underground restaurant is a little gem in Cardiff and is constantly busy so make sure you get there early enough to get a table. Once you try their foods you will definitely want to go back there again.

This is an old-​style lunchtime ‘restaurant’ down some stairs just off Queen Street (near Dominions Arcade), and despite being a rather bizarre and tired-​looking place it’s often very busy — usually with lots of older people, weary shoppers, and families taking advantage of the cheap children’s meals.
You have to order your food at the hot or cold counter, then go on to pay at the till, then take a seat. The food is fairly standard — nothing exceptionally interesting, but plenty of choice of both hot and cold options such as salads, lasagne, fish and chips, jacket potatoes, soup and so on.
Portions are filling and the prices are very reasonable. Make sure you know what you want before you reach the staff waiting to dish up behind the counter, though — otherwise they get impatient and make you feel like a bit of a nuisance.

I used to come here quite a lot when I was first a teenager going out into town. The food is well-​priced and hearty enough for lunch and dinner. Also, this place, although a little tired, never fails to feel comfortable and safe.
recently there has been a lot of construction work going on on the buildings above and around Pillars, and there have been giant signs outside saying ‘Pillars is still open as usual!’ and, If I’m honest, this was my first reminded of the place for years. The entrance is usually quite easy to wander past, although the local of Cardiff keep it popular as ever.
For old time’s sake I popped in for a quick coffee, and it was exactly the same as I remember it. The same brooding décor, the same arched basement ceilings, the same buffet service, the same starched white tablecloths, the same dusty plants lining the edges. And the same sense of timelessness and lasting.
And probably the same prices too. This is an interesting place to experience, but there are other, nicer, less foreboding places in Cardiff nearby.

Spent all your money shopping? In a rush? Hungry? Then you’ll be visiting PIllars then.
It’s a weird set-​up inside, it’s actually located underground and is always very busy. It’s almost in the style of a buffet system and can get a bit confusing. Not wanting anything for the cold buffet area, I wanted to to go to the hot food area. However I had to wait in the queue behind people who wanted cold food until they reached the hot aisle. I am an impatient man, but that doesn’t seem very logical to me and don’t want to get accused of pushing in.
My choice generally is a potato of the baked variety with beans. It’s not amazing food, but is very cheap and does the job on feeding yourself.

As others have said, sevice from the counters is rushed. I’ve been several times and have learnt to decide what I want before going to the counter as once there you’re pressured to make an instant decision then questions thrown at you about side orders etc.
The food’s OK, could do with being a bit warmer. The place is generally clean (although toilets aren’t great) and they do good value children’s meals.
It makes a change from pub lunches but don’t expect gourmet food.

best Chicken Curry off the Bone with Chips that gets served on a plate in Cardiff. Fact.
who cares if all the staff working there must be under the age of 15. as long as they serve lovely chicken curry then it gets my vote

The food itself is pretty good, and very filling. There’s a wide selection of hot and cold meals on offer.
The queuing could start riots though. There’s cold counter as you enter, and further along is the hot counter. If you head straight to the hot counter you may get a few funny looks (and more so if you bypass this and go straight to the drinks)! But don’t be deterred as once you are served the portions are very generous.
It may be cruel, but please order something less popular like jacket potatoes as then you are given a numbered receipt when you pay. Within a few minutes you’ll hear one of the waitresses walking from the top end of the restaurant calling your number endlessly until she can match the receipt numbers up (I’ve never seen a man working there!). And if you’re sat at the bottom end it’s a pretty long walk as Pillars occupies the vault space under at least 3 or 4 shops. So when she eventually finds you — give her a big smile and make her day.
I had originally given Pillars 3* but have now changed it as I have a big smile on my face thinking about the ordering system.

What could define this place? Cheap, Very good Location, Crowded, Buffet looking, Unfriendly Staff and Shop-​a-​olics everywhere!
Don’t be put off by that first phrase but that was how I felt when I had my lunch there. The place itself is quite nice and tidy, lunches can be a bit hectic, since it is really on the middle of the high street. That is the main reason why it is so frequented. You almost can’t notice it, it is a big entrance but without proper highlights, it just feels cheap. You go down the stairs and you face yourself with a run down menu of Jacket Potatos, Fish and Chips, Lasagne, Veggie Lasagne, etc. all in a buffet style. The food itself looks good and tastes good the bad part of it is that no one notices you, as they are busy they just serve you poorly. But it still is a bargain! The next challenge is to find a table. After that the experience becomes better, you saved some quid, you got your belly full and you want to get out of there.

Amust if your visiting the city and lots to choose from!

Billiges Restaurant in der Hauptfußgängerzone. Selbstbedienung. Es ist ähnlich wie die Lido-​Restaurants in Riga, aber nicht ganz so gut wie dort. Man wird hier aber zu einem günstigen Preis satt. Die Atmosphäre ist. na ja, was anderes
;-)). Vielleicht hier essen, dann ein gemütliches Pub aufsuchen. Kann Pillars aber durchaus mal empfehlen.