Giggling Squid - Cardiff Bay

You're at Mermaid Quay on a decent evening, waterfront glittering, and you've landed somewhere that feels distinctly less corporate than the surrounding chain restaurants. Giggling Squid does that clever thing of being approachable without being dumbed-down: the pad thai actually has proper char, the curries taste like someone's mum cooked them, and the room buzzes with people who clearly know what they're doing. It's smart Thai without the pretension—bright, friendly, and genuinely unpretentious. The vibe is buzzy but manageable, the sort of place where locals actually book a table rather than just tourists stumbling in off the water.