Wales


<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-insider-foodie-finds-nbsp">INSIDER FOODIE FINDS&nbsp;</h2>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="600" height="400" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/wales/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2026/04/Thomas-Brasserie.jpg" alt="Thomas Brasserie" class="wp-image-6122" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/wales/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2026/04/Thomas-Brasserie.jpg 600w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/wales/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2026/04/Thomas-Brasserie-300x200.jpg 300w" sizes="(max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Image credit @mustardmittt on Instagram</figcaption></figure>



<p>We love that&nbsp;some of&nbsp;Wales’&nbsp;top&nbsp;restaurants are pivoting to more affordable menus this spring, meaning you get to eat seriously gourmet grub for a fraction of what&nbsp;you’d&nbsp;expect to pay.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.thomas-pontcanna.co.uk/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Thomas the Brasserie</a>&nbsp;in&nbsp;Pontcanna&nbsp;offers their daily special for just&nbsp;£20&nbsp;– expect Thomas classics like&nbsp;his legendary&nbsp;beef wellington,&nbsp;or&nbsp;a whole&nbsp;roasted chicken with house salad, fries &amp; truffle hollandaise to share.&nbsp;Even better? On selected dates, those same dishes drop to just&nbsp;£10 at lunch (run,&nbsp;don’t&nbsp;walk&nbsp;&#8211;&nbsp;check Instagram for the latest).&nbsp;&nbsp;</p>



<p>Just down the road,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.embercardiff.co.uk/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Ember at No 5</a>&nbsp;is rewarding the early birds. Slide in within the first 30 minutes of lunch or dinner service&nbsp;(12 &#8211; 12.30 pm or 5.30 &#8211; 6pm, Wed &#8211; Fri) and&nbsp;you’ll&nbsp;unlock their&nbsp;‘First 30’&nbsp;deal &#8211;&nbsp;any bowl of&nbsp;their ridiculously good homemade&nbsp;pasta&nbsp;plus a&nbsp;drink for&nbsp;a mere&nbsp;£15.&nbsp;</p>



<p>In the mood for something a bit more casual?? Take the train&nbsp;to&nbsp;<a href="https://www.platform-streetfood.co.uk/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Platform Street Food</a>&nbsp;in&nbsp;Cardiff Bay&nbsp;–&nbsp;the&nbsp;brand&nbsp;new&nbsp;street food hangout landing right&nbsp;by&nbsp;the station&nbsp;(scheduled to open at the <strong>start of Apr</strong>).&nbsp;It’s&nbsp;all about easy,&nbsp;indie,&nbsp;mix-and-match&nbsp;eating&nbsp; –&nbsp;smashed burgers from cult&nbsp;fave&nbsp;Sharkbite, pizza, gelato, coffee by day and cocktails when the sun goes down.&nbsp;It’s giving spontaneous dinner, low spend&nbsp;(you’ll easily get your fill for under&nbsp;£50), high&nbsp;buzz&nbsp;vibes – and if you sign up to Platform Pass on their website you can claim a freebie dish and start collecting&nbsp;rewards, offers, and event perks&nbsp;from the get-go.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p>



<p>Want to brag about spotting the next Michelin-star&nbsp;chef&nbsp;before&nbsp;they’ve&nbsp;even finished their finals? Get yourself to&nbsp;<a href="https://www.theclassroom.wales/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">The Classroom</a>. Perched at the top of Cardiff and Vale College, this&nbsp;isn&#8217;t&nbsp;your average student canteen&nbsp;&#8211;&nbsp;it’s&nbsp;a glass-fronted&nbsp;training restaurant where the next generation of chefs hone their skills in a real dining setting. And&nbsp;it’s&nbsp;just become the first Welsh restaurant&nbsp;to be inducted into the prestigious&nbsp;<a href="https://royalacademyofculinaryarts.org.uk/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Royal Academy of Culinary Arts</a>&nbsp;(huge applause). For the ultimate win,&nbsp;aim for their Student Takeover Lunch Days, where&nbsp;you can nab a sophisticated three-course meal for under&nbsp;£25.&nbsp;</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-flower-farm-fix-nbsp">FLOWER FARM FIX&nbsp;</h2>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1000" height="1000" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/wales/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2026/04/Petalica-Flower-Farm.jpg" alt="Petallica Flower Farm" class="wp-image-6180" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/wales/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2026/04/Petalica-Flower-Farm.jpg 1000w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/wales/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2026/04/Petalica-Flower-Farm-300x300.jpg 300w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/wales/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2026/04/Petalica-Flower-Farm-150x150.jpg 150w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/wales/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2026/04/Petalica-Flower-Farm-768x768.jpg 768w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/wales/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2026/04/Petalica-Flower-Farm-500x500.jpg 500w" sizes="(max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px" /></figure>



<p>Right now, Welsh flower farms are bursting with spring flowers &#8211; plenty of daffs (of course), plus vibrant&nbsp;tulips&nbsp;and&nbsp;pretty perfect-in-pink&nbsp;ranunculus rosettes. So ditch the supermarket wilts and get your hands on some&nbsp;‘just-picked’&nbsp;joy. For a total steal, head to&nbsp;<a href="http://www.petallica.org/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Petallica Flower Farm’s</a>&nbsp;Honesty Hut in&nbsp;Dunvant, Swansea. It&#8217;s&nbsp;freshly stocked every Friday until October with gorgeous bunches from&nbsp;just&nbsp;£12&nbsp;to&nbsp;£20. Just scan the QR code to pay and go&nbsp;&#8211;&nbsp;no cash, no fuss, just instant mood-boosting blooms. Prefer a doorstep delivery? North Wales&#8217; <a href="https://www.freshinbloom.co.uk/fresh-flowers" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Fresh in Bloom</a> offers a &#8216;month in flowers&#8217; subscription for local delivery (within 25km of Abergele). Two bouquets for just £45 a month (or £40.50 per month for a three month subscription). It&#8217;s the ultimate £50 club treat that keeps on giving.  </p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-stage-door-steals-nbsp">STAGE DOOR STEALS&nbsp;</h2>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1500" height="1000" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/wales/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2026/01/The-Flying-Dutchman.png" alt="The Flying Dutchman" class="wp-image-3804" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/wales/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2026/01/The-Flying-Dutchman.png 1500w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/wales/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2026/01/The-Flying-Dutchman-300x200.png 300w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/wales/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2026/01/The-Flying-Dutchman-1024x683.png 1024w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/wales/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2026/01/The-Flying-Dutchman-768x512.png 768w" sizes="(max-width: 1500px) 100vw, 1500px" /></figure>



<p>Fancy a night at the opera without forking out a fortune?&nbsp;While top-tier seats go for&nbsp;£75+, you can&nbsp;bag a ticket in the gods&nbsp;for just&nbsp;£22 at the Wales Millennium Centre.&nbsp;&nbsp;Look out for Welsh National Opera’s&nbsp;<em><a href="https://www.wmc.org.uk/en/whats-on/2026/welsh-national-opera-blaze-of-glory" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Blaze of Glory</a>&nbsp;</em>(<strong>Tues 14 &amp; Fri 17 Apr</strong>) –&nbsp;a&nbsp;proper&nbsp;feel-good celebration of Welsh male voice choirs and community spirit, or bring the drama with Wagner’s&nbsp;<em><a href="https://www.wmc.org.uk/en/whats-on/2026/welsh-national-opera-the-flying-dutchman" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">The Flying Dutchman</a>.</em> Good to know? Book both operas and you get an extra 10% off.&nbsp;</p>



<p>Over in north Wales, Theatr Clwyd’s&nbsp;<a href="https://www.theatrclwyd.com/visit/booking-info/best-value-tickets" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Open Dress Rehearsals</a>&nbsp;are&nbsp;the ultimate insider&nbsp;hack.&nbsp;You&nbsp;get to&nbsp;see&nbsp;their productions the day before they open for just £5!&nbsp;They’re&nbsp;seriously good shows, by the way, and&nbsp;often tour nationally and head to the west end. Tickets go in a flash &#8211; so&nbsp;it’s&nbsp;fastest&nbsp;finger first.&nbsp;</p>



<p>And in Cardiff, the Sherman Theatre Cardiff is&nbsp;being taken over by the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.shermantheatre.co.uk/event/national-theatre-connections/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">National Theatre Connections festival</a>&nbsp;(<strong>Fri 24 &#8211; Sun 26 Apr</strong>),&nbsp;showcasing&nbsp;some of&nbsp;the best youth theatre in the country.&nbsp;Tickets are just&nbsp;£6 per show,&nbsp;or&nbsp;£12 for a festival pass, meaning you can binge-watch as much as you like over three days.&nbsp;</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-arts-amp-culture">ARTS &amp; CULTURE</h2>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1500" height="1000" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/wales/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2026/04/Amgueddfa-Cymru-–-Museum-Wales-1.jpg" alt=" Amgueddfa Cymru – Museum Wales " class="wp-image-6171" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/wales/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2026/04/Amgueddfa-Cymru-–-Museum-Wales-1.jpg 1500w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/wales/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2026/04/Amgueddfa-Cymru-–-Museum-Wales-1-300x200.jpg 300w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/wales/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2026/04/Amgueddfa-Cymru-–-Museum-Wales-1-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/wales/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2026/04/Amgueddfa-Cymru-–-Museum-Wales-1-768x512.jpg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 1500px) 100vw, 1500px" /></figure>



<p>Did you know that for&nbsp;£48, annual membership to the<a href="https://museum.wales/supportus/becomeamember/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">&nbsp;Amgueddfa Cymru – Museum Wales</a>&nbsp;family gets you free entry to paid-for exhibitions, exclusive offers and shop and cafe discounts at seven Welsh museums? Start with a visit to the&nbsp;major exhibition dedicated to legendary Welsh artist&nbsp;<a href="https://museum.wales/cardiff/whatson/12640/Gwen-John-Strange-Beauties/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Gwen John</a>&nbsp;(running until <strong>Sun 28 Jun</strong>)&nbsp;at National Museum Cardiff. Soft palettes, soulful portraits and a fascinating glimpse into her fiercely independent, bohemian life (including her Paris years with Rodin)&nbsp;will wow you for hours. (Tickets cost&nbsp;£10 to £16). Bonus: follow it up with a Gwen John-themed Afternoon Tea in the museum&#8217;s cafe&nbsp;for&nbsp;£23&nbsp;&#8211;&nbsp; a&nbsp;mix of&nbsp;Welsh and French ingredients&nbsp;like&nbsp;croissants with Welsh cheese and ham, tarte tatin and quiche.&nbsp;&nbsp;Catch the Museum of the Moon installation while&nbsp;you&#8217;re&nbsp;there (<strong>until 12 Apr</strong>).&nbsp;Artist Luke&nbsp;Jerram’s world-famous touring sculpture has taken over the museum’s grand hall&nbsp;with&nbsp;a surround-sound musical score&nbsp;that’s&nbsp;oh-so-atmospheric. And those pics on your feed? Scroll-stopping.&nbsp;</p>



<p>For a culture hit that seriously punches above its price tag, head to&nbsp;<a href="https://www.oriel.org.uk/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Plas Glyn-y-Weddw</a>. Pwllheli. This gothic Victorian mansion&nbsp;&#8211;&nbsp;arguably one&nbsp;of the most beautiful galleries in Wales&nbsp;&#8211;&nbsp;hosts intimate concerts in a setting overlooking the&nbsp;Llŷn&nbsp;Peninsula.&nbsp;On<strong> Sun 26 Apr&nbsp;</strong>they’re&nbsp;hosting&nbsp;‘Trumpet through the Ages’&nbsp;with internationally renowned musicians&nbsp;Gwyn Owen and Iwan Llewelyn Jones – for just £12 a ticket.&nbsp;Make a day of it: wander the ever-changing exhibitions, grab coffee in the award-winning&nbsp;café, then take a stroll through the surrounding woodland or down to the beach for those sweeping sea views.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-book-ahead">BOOK AHEAD</h2>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1500" height="1000" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/wales/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2026/04/Focus-in-Wrexham.jpg" alt="Focus in Wrexham" class="wp-image-6173" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/wales/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2026/04/Focus-in-Wrexham.jpg 1500w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/wales/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2026/04/Focus-in-Wrexham-300x200.jpg 300w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/wales/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2026/04/Focus-in-Wrexham-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/wales/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2026/04/Focus-in-Wrexham-768x512.jpg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 1500px) 100vw, 1500px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">FOCUS Facebook</figcaption></figure>



<p>We all know that the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.hayfestival.com/hay-on-wye/home" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Hay Festival</a>&nbsp;circuit (<strong>Thurs 21 &#8211; Sun 31 May</strong>) can feel like a relentless cultural marathon (and a pricey one if you over-book&nbsp;on tickets&nbsp; –guilty!). The pro-move for 2026? Do it&nbsp;‘lite’&nbsp;and snag just one or two golden tickets that encapsulate the vibe&nbsp;&#8211;&nbsp;like the Manic Street Preachers in conversation (£21) or an opening&nbsp;three-person talk&nbsp;session hosted by Poet Laureate Simon Armitage (£13).&nbsp;You’ll&nbsp;still get&nbsp;all the intellectual bragging rights without the frantic dashing between marquees. Since the main site is free to enter, you can spend the rest of your&nbsp;day at Hay&nbsp;(and your&nbsp;£50 club budget) drifting through the bookshops, grabbing a local gin at the festival bar,&nbsp;catching a pop-up performance and people-watching the literary elite. </p>



<p>Wrexham is&nbsp;fast becoming&nbsp;one of&nbsp;the buzziest cities&nbsp;in the UK&nbsp;(hello, finalist in for UK City of Culture 2029), and&nbsp;<a href="https://focuswales.com/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">FOCUS Wales</a>&nbsp;(<strong>Thurs 7 &#8211; Sat 9 May</strong>)&nbsp;is its crowning jewel. This&nbsp;multi-venue music festival&nbsp;takes over the city, letting you venue-hop your way through 250+ artists, film&nbsp;screenings&nbsp;and industry talks. The smart move is a day pass (£40–£45), which gets you into loads of&nbsp;events and&nbsp;gigs&nbsp;&#8211;&nbsp;just follow your ears and dip in and out.&nbsp;Pro tip:&nbsp;don’t&nbsp;skip the&nbsp;smaller venues like churches and indie bars for those&nbsp;‘I saw them first’&nbsp;moments, then wrap up with a bigger evening set – like&nbsp;Idlewild, Shame,&nbsp;Fat&nbsp;Dog and&nbsp;Gwenno.&nbsp;</p>



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<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-in-the-mood-for-more">IN THE MOOD FOR MORE?</h2>



<ul>
<li><a href="https://wales.muddystilettos.co.uk/things-to-do/amazing-april-the-very-best-things-to-do-in-wales-this-month/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Amazing April! The very best things to do in Wales this month</a></li>



<li><a href="https://wales.muddystilettos.co.uk/life/people/muddy-meets-kimberley-nixon/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Muddy meets: Kimberley Nixon</a></li>



<li><a href="https://wales.muddystilettos.co.uk/things-to-do/walks-near-me/the-best-bluebell-walks-in-wales/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Bloomin’ gorgeous! The best bluebell walks in Wales</a></li>
</ul>


The £50 Club: Brilliant things to do in Wales that won’t break the bank

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