Cardiff restaurant run by students has been named best in UK

The restaurant has gorgeous views over the city and dishes start at £5

17:06, 22 Sep 2026Updated 17:55, 22 Sep 2026

Beautiful views at the AA College Restaurant of 2026(Image: CAVC)

A Welsh restaurant with sky-high views over Cardiff and where the team is made up of students serving dishes that start at £5 has been named AA College Restaurant of the Year 2026.

Y Dosbarth/The Classroom is found behind Cardiff Central Railway Station at Cardiff and Vale College and was awarded the accolade at a glitzy ceremony this week.

Paired with a floor to ceiling glass dining room on the top floor of Cardiff and Vale College’s landmark £45m city centre campus, giving panoramic views across the capital from Cardiff Bay to the city centre, The Classroom’s kitchen prides itself on making everything from scratch, with Welsh ingredients where possible.

The students produce the dishes for lunch services and special events all year round, other than the summer break when The Classroom is staffed by professionals. For the latest restaurant news and reviews, sign up to our food and drink newsletter here

Menus start from £5 and you can choose from small plate dishes, such as honey-glazed pork belly bites or chicken kiev, or you can sample a set lunch of two courses for £21 with sea bream and chicken supreme among the kind of plates you can expect for that service.

A lunch example from The Classroom

Back in 2017 critic Jay Rayner widely praised The Classroom itself, but irritated the rest of Cardiff by saying the city has limited “eating opportunities” at the time. He’s since returned and found a favourite pub at The Heathcock.

The Classroom isn’t the only Welsh success story at this year’s AA Awards. The Celtic Collection – which includes Parkgate Hotel in Cardiff and Celtic Manor – won AA Group of the Year for the UK. Abergavenny’s The Walnut Tree and Abersoch’s Porth Tocyn won Wales’ Best Restaurant and Hotel respectively.

Lofft in Cardiff won three AA Rosettes after being open just a few months, while Conwy’s The Jackdaw won the AA Wine Award.

All of 2026’s restaurant award winners and new Rosette holders feature in the AA Restaurant Guide 2027, a definitive guide showcasing the finest cuisine the UK has to offer.