Cardiff restaurant run by students has been named best in UK
The restaurant has gorgeous views over the city and dishes start at £5.
A Welsh restaurant with sky-high views over Cardiff and where the team is made up of students serving dishes that start at £5 has been named AA College Restaurant of the Year 2026.
Y Dosbarth/The Classroom is found behind Cardiff Central Railway Station at Cardiff and Vale College and was awarded the accolade at a glitzy ceremony this week.
Paired with a floor to ceiling glass dining room on the top floor of Cardiff and Vale College’s landmark £45m city centre campus, giving panoramic views across the capital from Cardiff Bay to the city centre, The Classroom's kitchen prides itself on making everything from scratch, with Welsh ingredients where possible.
Menus start £5 and you can choose from small plate dishes, such as honey-glazed pork belly bites or chicken kiev, or you can sample a set lunch - two course for £21 - sea bream or chicken supreme are the kind of plates you can expect for that service.
Back in 2017 critic Jay Rayner widely praised The Classroom itself, but irritated the rest of Cardiff by saying the city has limited “eating opportunities” at the time. He's since returned and found a favourite pub at The Heathcock.
The Classroom isn't the only Welsh success story at this year's AA Awards, The Celtic Collection - which includes Parkgate Hotel in Cardiff and Celtic Manor - won AA Group of the Year for the UK. While Abergavenny's The Walnut Tree and Abersoch's Porth Tocyn won Wales' Best Restaurant and Hotel, respectively.
Lofft in Cardiff won three AA Rosettes after being open just a few months, while Conwy's The Jackdaw won the AA Wine Award.
All of 2026’s restaurant award winners and new Rosette holders feature in the AA Restaurant Guide 2027, a definitive guide showcasing the finest cuisine the UK has to offer.