First review of small plates and wine bar Sibling that…

First review of small plates and wine bar Sibling that has opened in a former Cardiff brothel

When you buy first rate produce there's really very little you need to do with it other than let the ingredients speak for themselves.

It's certainly a mantra which rings true at Sibling, a brother and sister run coffee shop and wine bar, which recently opened in a former Roath brothel.

Having visited for an excellent coffee and cookie on their opening day, a return for their first evening of small plates and natural wine was inevitable.

You'll need to get there early if you want to bag a seat (Ed Gilbert)

Open on Friday and Saturday evenings from 6pm till 10pm, Sibling’s stylish yet compact space is a lovely space to spend an evening grazing and drinking. I’d recommend getting there early as it's walk-ins only and all the tables were snapped up pretty sharpish after our 6pm arrival.

Sibling has a very good range of natural wines by the glass or bottle and we enjoyed a berry-rich and very drinkable lightly chilled Cuvee Crush (£22) from the Loire Valley.

Sibling has a lovely range of natural wines by the glass (Ed Gilbert)

Small plates were all simple yet packed with flavour. With only a small counter space to construct each dish, out of necessity, all of the dishes are cold. Dishes were brought out as and when they were ready and it made for a well-paced dinner.

Slices of bronze crusted Tŷ Melin sourdough (£2.50) were thickly slathered with golden cultured butter.

Bronze crusted Tŷ Melin sourdough with golden cultured butter (Ed Gilbert)

Olive oil rich salted crisps were draped with plump vinegary anchovies (£4.50). The combination was like a luxury take on salt and vinegar crisps.

The combination was like a luxury take on salt and vinegar crisps (Ed Gilbert)

A celeriac remoulade (£4.50) saw tangles of the earthy root vegetable coated in a creamy and delicately mustardy dressing with the acidic punch of cornichons.

Tangles of earthy root vegetable coated in a creamy and lightly mustardy dressing (Ed Gilbert)

Slightly too fridge cold crimson fleshed duroc ham (£7.50) was laced with rich fat. As it warmed up and the fat started to melt, it became a much more delicious prospect.

Nutty duroc ham was served slightly too fridge-cold (Ed Gilbert)

Peppery slices of crisp radish (£3.50) were scattered over slices of toasted sourdough that were thickly spread with creamy butter. A lovely flavour combination, it wasn’t quite as virtuous as it appeared on the surface.

Radishes on toast wasn't quite as virtuous as it appeared on the surface (Ed Gilbert)

An excellent cheese selection (£7) included creamy and funky brie-like Baron Bigod, light and salty Yorkshire Blue, a fresh and creamy semi-hard Manchego and enjoyably whiffy Alpine cheddar.

An excellent cheese selection (Ed Gilbert)

Smoked paprika rich chorizo and more delicately flavoured salchichón (£5) were a lovely pair of snacking sausages.

Chorizo and salchichón were a pair of delicious snacking sausages (Ed Gilbert)

For dessert, a slice of chocolate and fig tart was an absolute cracker; I regret sharing a slice. A thin and crisp chocolate pastry case was filled with a slightly gooey brownie-esque interior. Topped with fragrant fig slices and accompanied by a good dollop of mascarpone, they balanced the tart’s richness nicely.

I regret sharing a slice of chocolate and fig tart (Ed Gilbert)

We had a great fun evening at Sibling. With a warm welcome from sibling duo Georgie and Will, a cool vibe, interesting wines by the glass and delicious small plates, it’s a lovely addition to Roath’s food and drink scene.