A group dinner in Cardiff city centre has three usual failure modes: the room is loud, the food comes in waves, and the bill takes forty minutes. We have built the evening to avoid all three.
The room
One room at 15 High Street, modelled on a colonial bungalow verandah: almond-pink walls, peacock teal banquettes, brass fittings, ceiling fans, a long marble bar. Tables of eight to twelve sit together in the main room without a separate booking process. Groups of twelve to twenty-five take a run of the banquettes or the long table. Whole-room hire seats up to sixty, or more standing with the bar, and comes with the room, the bar, the kitchen and the sound system. On Thursdays the jazz is already booked for you.
How the food works for a group
For eight to twelve, order from the full menu as usual; thalis land together and are the easiest way to feed a table without the kitchen staggering plates. For twelve or more we ask for a pre-order from a set menu, which means every plate arrives at once and the bill is one number.
- The Maharaja Thali, for two, £48: two starters, three curries, dal, rice, breads, raita, pickle, sweet, on one large brass thali. Works in pairs down a long table.
- The Long Table, £29.50 a head: three courses for six or more, starters shared down the middle, a choice of mains, a sweet. Available year round, not only at Christmas.
- The Festive Thali, £24.50 a head, 24 November to 24 December.
- A bespoke menu, priced to the brief: regional (a Kerala night, a Punjab night), vegetarian throughout, or built around a family's own dishes.
Vegetarian, vegan and allergen needs are handled on the pre-order; the allergen guide covers every dish.
Drinks
The full bar runs for groups: cocktails, Welsh and Indian beers, wine, the chai list. For whole-room hire we can set a drinks tab with a limit, a fixed package per head, or a welcome cocktail on arrival (the Maharaja Old Fashioned and the Bombay Bloody Mary are the two most groups choose). Corkage is by arrangement.
Occasions it suits
- Office parties and team dinners, especially on a Thursday with the jazz.
- Birthdays and anniversaries: a cake is welcome; tell us and we will bring it out with the chai.
- Post-graduation and family celebrations; we are eight minutes from the station for relatives travelling in.
- Match-day groups for the Six Nations and the autumn internationals: book early, the city fills.
- Product launches, book launches and talks for up to sixty with the room's own sound system.
Deposits, timings, the practical bit
Ordinary tables need no deposit. For twelve or more we take a small per-head deposit against the pre-order, refundable against the bill. Whole-room hire is quoted on a minimum spend rather than a room fee, which depends on the day and the season; weekday evenings and Sunday afternoons are the most flexible. Groups can arrive from twelve any day; the kitchen runs until 11pm on Fridays and Saturdays.
How to enquire
Email highstreet@chaistreet.com with the date, the number of people and the occasion, or call 029 2039 9399 between twelve and six. We reply the same day with availability, a menu suggestion and a price. For eight to twelve you can simply book online and add a note.