Roos Restaurant Opens in Former Sophia Gardens Bungalow, Cardiff 2026

Key Points

• New Opening in Cardiff: Business partners Daron Paish and Josh Peniket have officially opened their new bar and restaurant, Roos, located in the former park warden’s bungalow in Sophia Gardens.
• Site Transformation: The venue underwent extensive structural renovation, drainage remediation, and landscaping after sitting vacant for nearly two years following the closure of its previous occupant, Kindle.
• Venue Layout: Roos features indoor dining for approximately 50 covers—including a dedicated park-facing room—alongside a front terrace, beer garden, and outdoor bar.
• Pembrokeshire Pedigree: Co-founders Paish and Peniket bring established hospitality experience from West Wales, operating The Golden Lion in Newport and The Boar’s Head in Templeton.
• All-Day Hospitality: The establishment offers breakfast, brunch, lunch, dinner, coffees, and cocktails, serving park visitors, remote workers, commuters, and event crowds.
• Historical Naming: The restaurant is named in honour of Alexander Roos, the 19th-century Italian-born architect who designed Sophia Gardens and key Bute estate landmarks across South Wales.

Cardiff (Cardiff Daily) July 30, 2026 — Business partners and experienced restaurateurs Daron Paish and Josh Peniket have revealed the completed transformation of the former warden’s bungalow in Sophia Gardens into their long-awaited bar and restaurant, Roos. Following months of extensive structural repairs, drainage work, and interior remodelling, the hospitality duo shared a tour of the site’s refurbished indoor dining areas, bar, terrace, and parkland garden. Located near Cardiff Castle and the Principality Stadium, the venue officially opens to the public on Saturday, 6 June 2026, offering all-day dining and drinking options rooted in Welsh produce and coastal hospitality.

Who Are The Founders Behind Cardiff’s Newest Dining Spot?

The business partnership behind Roos combines decades of experience within the Welsh hospitality sector. As reported by Kathryn Williams, What’s On Editor at WalesOnline, co-owner Daron Paish is the long-time operator of The Golden Lion in Newport, Pembrokeshire—a traditional pub with accommodation and a dining focus on local meats and seafood. Co-owner Josh Peniket, who originally began his hospitality career working alongside Paish at The Golden Lion, currently runs The Boar’s Head in Templeton near Narberth, known for its grilled meats and traditional pub fare.

As reported by Kathryn Williams of WalesOnline, Daron Paish stated that:

“Josh saw this in Cardiff one day when he was driving past and he said why don’t we bring a bit of Pembrokeshire up to Cardiff? Josh runs a very successful pub in Templeton, The Boar’s Head. So we came up and had a look at it and went from there.”

What Overhaul Was Required To Transform The Former Warden’s Bungalow?

The physical conversion of the former warden’s bungalow represented a substantial undertaking for the Pembrokeshire duo. The historic parkland structure had fallen into disrepair and required significant technical and aesthetic intervention prior to fit-out.

As reported by Kathryn Williams of WalesOnline, Daron Paish explained the scale of the restoration project:

“It’s been a bit of a long journey. We had to have it open to mind when we first saw it, it was very overgrown. It’s been a bigger project than we actually anticipated.”

Before the interior fit-out could proceed, the engineering and construction teams addressed underlying drainage complications and carried out essential structural shoring up across the main building. Following these structural works, the building was configured into two main indoor dining spaces accommodating approximately 50 covers.

A dedicated rear section features large window apertures facing directly into the greenery of Sophia Gardens, while the exterior area was cleared and surfaced to create an outdoor bar, front terrace, and beer garden.

What Features and Menu Options Does Roos Offer To Visitors?

Roos has been designed to function as an all-day social hub and dining destination. The venue provides distinct morning, afternoon, and evening service models.

As reported by Kathryn Williams of WalesOnline, the food offerings span several dining tiers:

• Breakfast & Brunch: Lighter options including avocado on toast, smoothies, and traditional cooked breakfasts.
• Lunch: A selection of seasonal salads, fresh sandwiches, and light bites tailored for park visitors and local workers.
• Dinner: A broader evening menu incorporating small plates and sharing platters—such as charred sweet leeks and fresh Welsh mussels—alongside main dishes including burgers, pasta, and sharing chateaubriand.
• Beverages: Full coffee service alongside a dedicated cocktail and draught menu served both inside and from the outdoor garden bar.

As reported by Kathryn Williams of WalesOnline, Daron Paish stated that:

“We want to create a place for everybody. Whether it’s a drink and something to eat with friends, a cocktail, to book a special occasion here. Or even a meeting place, where you can come and open your laptop, look out of the park, come for lunch, come for breakfast, come for an evening meal, and chill, meet your friends. You’ve got the hustle and bustle of Cardiff one side and the green, lovely space of the park the other side.”

As recorded in coverage by Kathryn Williams for WalesOnline, Josh Peniket added:

“We’re lucky we’re in the industry to know what people want at the moment. And here we’ve got the best of both worlds. Hopefully we’ll be busy for the food side of things, we want to appeal to the people walking past who might just pop in for a drink or a cocktail on the way into town, or to places like Canton and Pontcanna, but also then we’ll have the castle events, stadium events – it’s going to be a buzzing place.”

What Is The Background Of The Particular Development?

The site now housing Roos holds historic significance within Cardiff’s urban development. The bungalow was originally constructed as the official residence for the park warden overseeing Sophia Gardens, a public park laid out in 1854.

The park itself was designed by Alexander Roos, an Italian-born architect and urban designer brought to Wales by the Bute estate. Roos was responsible for shaping significant portions of Victorian Cardiff, including prestigious streetscapes in Windsor Place and Mount Stuart Square, as well as West Lodge in Bute Park.

The naming of the new restaurant pays direct tribute to his architectural contribution to the city’s green spaces.

In recent commercial history, the site gained prominent attention as the home of Kindle, an environmentally sustainable, wood-fired restaurant.

Following Kindle’s closure, the building remained vacant for nearly two years. During this period, the surrounding grounds became overgrown, and the building suffered structural and drainage deterioration until Paish and Peniket acquired the lease and initiated the renovation project.

What Is The Prediction For How This Development Will Affect Local Residents and Visitors?

The launch of Roos in Sophia Gardens is positioned to impact several distinct groups across Cardiff’s central and western districts:

For residents living in adjacent neighbourhoods such as Pontcanna, Canton, and central Cardiff, the opening restores a key hospitality site that had been inactive for almost two years.

By providing early morning breakfast options through to late evening dining, the venue acts as a flexible neighbourhood gathering place. Park users, dog walkers, and remote workers gain a year-round indoor and outdoor space directly adjacent to central footpaths linking Bute Park and Pontcanna Fields.

Situated within walking distance of both Cardiff Castle and the Principality Stadium, Roos occupies a strategic location for event-day transit.

During major sports fixtures, international concerts, and city festivals, the venue’s large outdoor beer garden and terrace will absorb significant footfall moving between the city centre and surrounding transit hubs like Cardiff Central station.

The expansion of established Pembrokeshire operators into the Welsh capital reflects ongoing commercial confidence in Cardiff’s independent food scene.

By combining regional Welsh produce with a prominent parkland site, Roos introduces a competitive model that bridges regional pub hospitality with urban park dining, potentially encouraging further investment in repurposed civic and heritage buildings across South Wales.