Where to eat before a gig or a match — three minutes from Cardiff Castle, eight from the Principality.
Concert nights, rugby Saturdays, the lot. We open at twelve, when everywhere else is still shut — so the long afternoon before your event is ours. Take a proper Indian meal, then walk to the music with time to spare.
Cardiff Castle · 3 min · Principality Stadium · 8 min · Blackweir Fields, Bute Park · a riverside walk · Kitchen open from 12, every day
£19.95 a head, either way. The included drink is a house pint, a 175ml glass of house wine, or a soft drink — trade up to a larger wine, a cocktail or a Maharaja Old Fashioned any time. "Any kari" covers our regular karis; the signature Duck Chettinad is a £3 upgrade. The Bistro plates aren't part of the deal. Served through the afternoon on event days, from noon on the big stadium nights. Veg, vegan and meat options every day. Groups welcome at the same price — just tell us how many.
Book the Pre-Show →Most Indian places in Cardiff open at five. We open at twelve.
Which is the whole point on an event day. Castle doors open at five; the stadium fills from lunchtime — so the time to eat is the long afternoon before, exactly when everyone else is still locked up and the kitchens are cold. Ours has been running since lunch. Walk in at half three, take your time over a thali, and stroll to the gate with twenty minutes to spare.
No queue for a chain. No rushed plate of something forgettable on the way. A proper Indian meal in Cardiff city centre, minutes from the music — or the match.
An almost unbroken run of concerts from mid-June to August, nearly all of them minutes from our door. If your night's on this list, book the Pre-Show and eat with us first. Tap any night to book.
Acts and dates as listed by the venues — always check your ticket for doors and start times. Match days too: the Pre-Show runs for rugby internationals, football and big nights at the Principality all year round. We're open from twelve on every one of them.
Reserve a pre-show table — through the afternoon on event days, from noon on stadium and match days. Tell us your doors or kick-off time and we'll pace the kitchen to it.
A thali and a drink, or two courses and a drink — £19.95. Quick when you need it, unhurried if you've left yourself the afternoon.
Settle up and stroll. The Castle's three minutes; the Principality eight. Come back after for the late menu if the night's still young.
A short late menu, built for after a gig.
India's best food was always late food — Mumbai's midnight grills, Kolkata's kathi-roll wallahs, the Irani cafés that never quite closed. So when 11,000 people spill out of the Castle, the lights are still on at 15 High Street and the tawa's still hot.
Fast, handheld, drinks-led. Something to soak up the night before the walk home — with a cold beer, a last cocktail, or a karak chai to wind down.
Chai St Indian Bistro is a three-minute walk from Cardiff Castle and open from twelve every day — while most Indian restaurants in Cardiff don't open until five. Castle doors open at 5pm, so the afternoon before is the time to eat. The Pre-Show is a thali and a drink, or two courses and a drink, for £19.95.
We're eight minutes from the Principality Stadium and open from noon, so we're set up for fans arriving early on concert and match days. Book a pre-show or pre-match table and we'll have you fed before kick-off or doors.
15 High Street is a few minutes' walk from the Principality Stadium. On match days the Pre-Show runs from noon — a thali and a drink, or two courses and a drink, for £19.95 — so you can eat properly and walk down to the ground in good time.
Two formats, both £19.95 a head. Either any of our thalis — Vegetarian, Chicken or Lamb — the full spread, plus a drink; or two courses, a starter and any kari with naan or rice and a drink. The drink is a house pint, a 175ml glass of house wine, or a soft. The signature Duck Chettinad is a £3 upgrade.
That's the whole idea. Tell us your doors or kick-off time when you book and we pace the kitchen to it. The thali comes fast and you're minutes from the venue.
On selected gig nights our After the Encore late menu runs once the show's out — kathi rolls, vada pav, chilli paneer and more, with a cold beer or a cocktail. A late plate and a drink is £13.95. Check the night you're coming.
Walk-ins are genuinely welcome, but on event days we'd book — especially the stadium nights like Metallica on 28 June and Take That on 16 June, and on rugby internationals, when the city is busy from lunchtime.
Yes — the Pre-Show works for groups at the same £19.95 a head. Email hello@chaistreet.com or call 029 2039 9399 and we'll set it up.
Tell us your gig or your match and your timing. We'll have you fed and on your way with time to spare.
Open the booking widget →Or call 029 2039 9399 · No deposit · Walk-ins welcome on the bar