(3/10) 
If I hadn't paid for dinner in this place it wouldn't be quite so bad. Armless Dragon claims to offer 'contemporary welsh dining' - so contemporary it doesn't even need capital letters. And where better to go for an exciting, innovative St David's Day dinner?
Should have spotted something was up having seen the insane menu. 'Land', 'Sea' and 'Earth' are the starter options. For which read 'meat', 'seafood' and 'vegetarian' (but that would hardly be 'contemporary'). So in swings my 'earth' combination of laver bread, Glamorgan sausage and some kind of mushroom object. All tastes of nothing at all. As does the 'spicy carrot soup'. Reckon they could call it tomato and no one would notice the difference.
Main courses must be better surely. Forget about trying to get some more information about them though - the staff haven't got a clue. A piece of brill turns up, tastes of nothing whatsoever, and its 'contemporary' bed of vegetable substance looks exactly the same as everybody else's, even though they are having lamb and beef. There's some word of the chef not using salt. All right mate, no need to take it out on everyone else. So on to dessert - chocolate tart. Tastes like blancmange on shortbread. This stuff was old-fashioned in the 80s. Quite fancy a coffee to wake myself up from this stupor. No chance, coffee machine's not on, either have instant or wait 45 minutes.
The real highlight of the 'contemporary' dining experience though is the bill. Some guy has to stand there with an abacus writing it all out on a bit of paper, and if you want a second copy he has to start all over again. Forget about paying by credit card at your table too. Technology like that will hit this restaurant sometime in the 4th millennium, so for now you have to take a little trip to the weird bar in the corner. Do take a trip upstairs to the toilets while you're there though. You might think you've suddenly stepped into someone's dodgy B&B.
And don't bother going here if you want to talk to anyone either. As soon as there are more than 5 people in the restaurant the noise is deafening. Gordon Ramsay - perfect place for your next series.....
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all of this is rubbish it is an amazing restaurant
Interesting comment - would you care to amplify on your experiences? We've had a heck of a lot of opinions to the contrary!
I went to the armless dragon and i was simply staggered by the audacity of the place to even call itself a restaurant.
Of course you will get the comment that its fab (cus thats probably the chef trying to defend his job!!)
I went there on more than one occasion, had the meat and boy oh boy how small it was. Two tiny peices of meat on very common mash with a miniscule bit of veg. The fish on the other hand was a bit bigger, obviously my mistake. So next time I orders the fish and get a cheap bit of smoked whatever on yes you guessed it on the same drab mash and miniscuale veg.
Both were served in what can only be descibed as a fruit bowl which made it all the more uneasy to eat and quite embarrassing.
To add insult to injusry the desert was also tiny oh and dont forget the VERY uncomfortable chairs.
All in all if you like tiny bland food that in no way constitutes what we call 'a meal' then go here.
To be very honest I can 'cook' better than this and believe me I am no cook.
pretentious pretentious pretentious pretentious and very bad and I mean bad value for money.
PS pretentious
by the end of each tiny portion I just became more and more annoyed until I was angry. If you like this sort of pretend rubbish then please feel free to waste your money.. just maybe have a meal beforehand eh
OMG, Went there for a work Christmas lunch and boy oh boy did we regret it! Poor service, poor food and after paying for the experience, poor customers!
Will never ever be going back there again.
I have never laughed so much in a restaurant in my life, it would have been truly hysterical if it weren't for the fact that we were paying for the insult of eating there.
The food was tasteless aside from the tang of cinder and the piece de resistance was a over-hearing another guest asking for her lamb to be taken back to the kitchen three times because it was wrong only for the chef (yes there is one) to eventually stalk into the restaurant to proclaim "the reason why your lamb is wrong is because it is duck." Priceless. I would never eat there again.
Funny review, I've been many times and heard many other opinions...this is the only negative one ive ever heard? i suggest most people ignore the above comments, and judge this place for yourself. And as for the price...£25 per head for a three course meal is cheaper than most places of a similar/lesser standard
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