Bodega and Ballers Pizza to open at Cardiff’s Lakeside

Two family-owned restaurants Bodega and Ballers Pizza are set to open their doors at Lakeside, Cardiff on 1 December.

Situated side by side, both businesses are owned and operated by Sophie Pascoe and Benito Martinez; the couple who also operates The Priory hotel and restaurant in Caerleon.

Bodega, seen within the family as the little sister restaurant to The Priory in Caerleon, will specialise in small plates cooked using smoke and fire.

The menu is a homage to Spanish heritage, and the chef’s table, which will sit at the centre of the space, will allow guests “a front-row seat for the theatrics of cooking with fire”.

The menu leans into Martinez’s Mediterranean heritage; split into snacks, small plates and sharer plates. Dishes include the Colchester oyster with pickle and Cava granita, sobrasada croquetas with date puree, the Welsh dry aged sharer sirloin with burnt onion butter and the firebrick chicken (cooked in the brick oven) with miso, harissa and romesco.

Meanwhile, the drinks menu includes a thoughtfully curated selection of wines available by-the-glass (thought to be the largest by-the-glass collection in Cardiff).

Adjacent to Bodega, Ballers will serve hand-stretched Neapolitan-style pizzas with Spanish influences and ingredients.

Ballers Lakeside will build on the success of the Heath outpost (currently outdoor only), which is known for its fusion recipes like the El Espanol (the Spaniard), made using San Marzano tomatoes, Fior Di Latte Mozzarella, Manchego Cheese, Chorizo, Salchichon, and Lomo (cured pork tenderloin).

Both Pascoe and Martinez are Cardiff natives, and already have deep roots within the local hospitality scene.

Martinez is the son of Galician-born Benigno Martinez, who opened Le Monde in Cardiff in the mid-1980’s (a venue which is still going to this day and is now independently managed by Martinez’s brother).

Meanwhile, Pascoe is the owner of Studio Severn, an interior design agency specialising in bars, restaurants and hotels; in the last 18 months Sophie has helped venues like Uisce by Tommy Heaney (Pontcanna), The Hive Townhouse (Aberaeron), and Silures (Roath) with redesigning their spaces, whilst continuing to deliver projects across the UK and internationally.

With these new openings, Pascoe has been able to put her own stamp on two brand-new spaces, designing them from scratch within the purpose-built units at Amber Vista’s new development.

She said: “These were two very distinctly different spaces to design! Whilst with Bodega the intention was to create an intimate, atmospheric ambience with design nods to big sister restaurant The Priory; for Ballers it was all about building an identity which represents our cheeky, yet sophisticated pizza brand.

“It has been quite the challenge to bring these to life side by side whilst also juggling client commitments and deadlines, but here we are – almost ready to open and it’s all been worth it.”