Fire & Flank @ Kongs Cardiff

You head down to Kongs in the city centre and walk into something that feels properly alive — all exposed brick, open flames, and that smell of charred meat that makes your stomach growl before you've even sat down. Fire & Flank takes the whole wood-fired thing seriously, not as some Instagram angle but as a way of actually cooking. The menu's built around what works over fire, and they're not messing about with gimmicks. It's the kind of place where you can tell the kitchen cares about the craft, whether you're ordering a perfectly done steak or something a bit more adventurous. The vibe is buzzy without being trying too hard — locals mixing with people who've heard something's worth going for.