Ba Orient

I came here for dinner with my partner since we wanted to check out all the Christmas décor in Mermaid Quay and I must say that I’m extremely impressed! To preface this review, I’d like to note that I grew up with some really delicious authentic Chinese cuisine coming from California. Since moving to Wales, finding the stuff I remember in contrast to sweet and sour chicken balls (never heard of them in my life until I moved here) is a bit of a pain.
Ba Orient to the rescue!
~ Atmosphere:
The atmosphere at Ba Orient is simply amazing; the décor is very beautiful with the dim lighting and comfy seating. Whether you’re just here for a few drinks and a chat or the dim sum like my partner and I were, guaranteed that you’ll love being here.
~ Customer Service:
Very good. We were immediately greeted upon walking in and flagging anyone down wasn’t a huge chore. The food came at a reasonable time and everyone was super professional and friendly.
~ Food:
The great part! If you’re coming here just for the drinks, you’re missing out. If you’re unfamiliar with dim sum, the name directly translates to «touch the heart», meaning dim sum is food that touches your heart. Here are some of my favourites:
— Beef Cherng Fun —
Rice noodle wrapped beef. It’s my go-​to dish that is one of my absolute favourites. The beef here was of very good quality and the coriander that went with it just gave the perfect amount of extra flavour.
— Siu Long Bao (or Xiao Long Bao) —
These are Shanghai soup dumplings and I always introduce them to my friends. They’re my favourite food of all time for good reason — I have yet to meet ANYONE who dislikes Siu Long Bao (unless they just plain don’t eat pork). The ones here have great flavour, but unfortunately the wraps broke far too easily. Still though, they were delicious although I’ve had better XLB elsewhere. However, I would still order them again as the flavour was great!
— Beef Ho Fun —
I never understood why rice noodles weren’t more popular in Westernised Chinese restaurant. Beef Ho Fun is one of my favourite noodle dishes; amazing flavour and the beef was cooked perfectly.
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In terms of food, there was plenty else that we ordered and enjoyed. Those ones I listed were just the ones I really recommend to anyone new to true authentic Chinese food. I adore this place and I’d be very happy to come here again. Cardiff definitely needs more of the Chinese food I love and adore, let’s all boycott the sweet and sour!

Stopped here for a few cocktails. The atmosphere was nice, quiet and relaxing, and the bar staff were friendly and made some lovely cocktails. Great for a few drinks after a meal nearby.
They also serve food.

Chinese is the last place I’d expect to find myself in for dinner when I’m in Cardiff. Come on, I’m from the San Francisco Bay Area where stellar Chinese and dim sum places are as common as ants at a picnic. So, I won’t pay big sterling on something which I could have locally. But Ba Orient is such a pearl with spectacular views of Cardiff Bay along Mermaid Quay that it’s hard not to check it out. After much cajoling from my Welsh mates, I finally gave in. Excellent choice as I had a very sumptuous pineapple fried rice with grilled jumbo king prawns and taro croquettes stuffed with duck meat on the side. We also had a few cocktails and those were divine. The ambiance is elegant and generally good, although it could get boisterous on the weekends with hen/​stag dos occurring. The hanging decorative balls I like the best as they match the drop pearl earrings I wore that night. It’s hard to stop raving about Ba Orient. I will definitely be telling any future visitors to Cardiff to pay this place a visit!

If the Chinese mafia were going to design an establishment to entertain they would pick this place for inspiration. From the outside you don’t know what to make of it, but step through the doors and you have a similar style to a dark cocktail bar as you’d expect no expense has been spared decorating, with deep dark regal colours and gold. You will leave with a thin wallet. The cocktail list is long and it can leave you with a head ache from all the choice.
For those of you who have never had dim sum, it a basket full of steamed food (expect to have flash backs of martial arts flicks). This is an experience more than anything else its like the first time I ate anti-​pasta, the experience you will remember.

Cocktails and Dim Sum are a great combination especially when its done properly as they are here in Ba Orient.
This place has a dark sophisticated interior with great low level square tables ideal for groups of friends. When you’re having a drink and a bite to eat here it feels like you’re properly out.
If you want to book a table in a private room you can or if you just want a couple of cocktails at the bar you’re equally as welcome.
Its not cheap so expect to spend a bit if you want to try a few off their cocktail menu but having said that this is not the kind of place you would call a regular so its best frequented just for special occasions.

Foodies and dipsomaniacs rejoice!
You can spend all night here — starting with the dim sum menu for dinner (try everything prawn-​related) and finishing with impromptu dancing in the early hours of the morning.
Don’t let the extensive cocktail list distress you — if you’re like me and throw your hands heavenward in mock frustration whenever offered too much choice, then just politely tell the seasoned cocktail mixologists what you like and they’ll make you a drink to suit your fancy (or just try the tasty Thai Mary — like a Bloody Mary, but spicier).
It ain’t cheap, though, but I think you get what you pay for. The food is exceptional, and I always like the fancy feel of dining at the sleek tables with plush, low cushions.
They offer a private dining area, which is perfect for birthday parties or other special occasions. I’ve been to a few here, and it beats any other restaurant in the city for atmosphere, cuisine and drinks selection.

Ba Orient is a slick, sophisticated, contemporary Chinese restaurant and Dim Sum bar in the Mermaid Quay area of Cardiff Bay.
The modern, Oriental, purple and gold décor is beautiful, with low tables and low lighting, and you get the feeling this place is really trying to do something different to other Chinese restaurants.
They offer a lunch menu, a dim sum menu (including a massive choice of steamed, baked, crispy fried, and sweet dim sum options); grilled dishes; rice and noodle dishes; and various specials. They serve some unusual cocktails, too, which completes the feeling of luxury you get as soon as you walk in through the door. Luckily the food lives up to expectations here as well, and it’s a great place for a group meal with the bar area open until the early hours on a Saturday night.

This is a wonderful bar full of little surprises and luxuries. You walk through the doors and instantly feel as though you’ve stepped into a place far, far away.

Purple being my favourite colour, you really can’t go wrong with splashing it all over the place in your bar in my eyes. Delightfully rich in velvety goodness it really is as upmarket as they come round here.
We came in here recently for a couple of cocktails and I nearly came out penniless, it’s not cheap, but not as expensive as the décor would let you think in all fairness.
What you do get when you spend your though is a great service, and as mentioned below you really do get that here. It isn’t helpful for helps sake, it is doing something to make a customer happy and come away feeling special. For that i rally can’t fault this place.

Great cocktails, there’s no denying it. Yes, they are £6.95 but I’m not sure there’s many venues in Cardiff selling them cheaper (unless its 241 or by the pitcher).
The dim sum is fine as an accompaniment to the cocktails but I wouldn’t come here just for it. Having said that, having dim sum gives you an excuse to give your cocktail order to the waitress, as the bar queues are quite bad. I don’t remember thinking that the service was particularly wonderful or slow. It’s a pretty «cool» place but probably does the best cocktails on Mermaid Quay (correct me if I’m wrong!)

If Carrie Bradshaw came to Cardiff I could definitely imagine finding her and Mr. Big eating here. I guarantee that from the moment you enter this place, you’ll be impressed.
The interior design has to be the best of any bar in Cardiff, low tables oriental, purple velvet upholstered chairs, and a gold wall with water running down it (unfortunately they do sometimes turn this feature off).
I love trying out new dishes on the menu, and the spring rolls just fall down my throat, I’m often very greedy and end up ordering two portions they’re so good. The cocktail menu is a mixture of oriental and classics and all are of a very high standard.
The staff go out of their way to be helpful, in fact I had a lovely bartender recently who actually made my Bellini’s with fresh peaches which they had left over (instead of the usual juice out the bottle).
Another great thing about BA Orient is that they have a separate bar and eating area, both of which are a decent size. They also have a semi private eating area, which must be booked in advance (ideal for birthdays or work dos).
Finally for those of you who are Doctor Who fans, BA Orient featured in one of its quite recent episodes, and was of course doubling as the venue for a very fabulous, out of this world party!

If you’ve seen too many slick Asian action films (like I have) you’ll find this place feels like it’s straight out of a film, delicious purple walls and pretty little spotlights everywhere. The cocktails are out of this world and go hand in hand with a rich menu of dim sum, seafood and rice dishes. Great for having something light to eat before filling up on booze. The bar is open until 2am on a Saturday so it’s a great venue for relaxing with friends in the early evening or partying in style well into the wee hours.

A mixed bag, with some real positives and sadly quite a few negatives.
The cocktail menu is massive (+), has some really interesting stuff on it (+), and is absolutely extortionate (-) at £6.95 per drink! The cocktails are good, but they’re not THAT good. Seriously.
The dim sum menu is pretty interesting, and while it looks like a big menu at first you soon realise there’s not actually that much on it. Also, the prices per item are something of a rip-​off.
We didn’t get exactly what we ordered.
We went on a very quiet night but service was still a little on the slow side. Friendly, but slow.
The seating seems odd at first but you quickly get used to it, and it’s fine though not really super-​comfortable.
Worth trying once, but not somewhere we’ll be regulars at for sure. For a start, we can’t afford it…

They do a good selection of beers and the wine is drinkable. The staff there are very rude and will just push you out of the way. Service at the bar can be excrutiatingly slow as well.

A really memorable venue, situated in Cardiff Bay, overlooking the water. Funky interior, excellent food and the coktails are divine. Tables are set out alonsgide low slung benches, and plump pillows and chinese lanterns.
The champagne cocktails are pricey at £8 plus, but have the alcoholic content that you only need the one!

This is one of the places that the bright and the beautiful hang-​out around Cardiff. The bar itself is fine, however…
We went for someone’s birthday — at about £25 per head we had a really poor selection of food (especially for the vegarians!), some wasnt properly hot and the service was just terrible. We were also told that there was a 25 minute wait at the bar just to get drinks!
There are plenty of decent places for drinks and nibbles in Cardiff — at about half the price as well!
We felt really bad for the girl whose birthday it was!

Great food and lovely place to have cocktails. The thing that lets this place down is the service which during the five times I have been has been appaling. They have forgotton orders, brought the wrong food and sometimes we have waited an age to get a starter.

Ba Orient serves high quality food and drinks Their cocktails are superb (if a little on the pricey side) and some of the dishes are wonderful. The décor is fantastic; oppulent and oriental with a water-​feature wall and private rooms with low slung tables and couches — ideal for parties. The staff all know their stuff and I have had many a wonderful evening here. My best friend’s 30^th birthday was at Ba Orient and they made a big fuss of us and kept dish after dish of mouthwatering food coming. We were spoiled with the quality of the food and service. The champagne top-​ups were regular and delivered with flair by the staff, who bantered with all party-​goers.
I can particularly recommend the dim sum. If you are confused by the menu (it is vast) i suggest ordering a mix of fried and steamed dim sum. You can’t really go wrong with this. The rice and noodle dishes are all delicious too (yes, i have sampled them all!).
The only down side I can think of is that it’s not quite as good now as when it first opened. I went in the early days with a party of 12 people from all over europe (work-​related perk!) and it was utterly fabulous. Really special. The quality of the food was unbelievable. I went again with a party of around 15 people recently and the quality of the food wasn’t anywhere near as good. In between these two times i’ve been and eaten some delicious meals but it seems that when they cater for large groups, the special, outstanding quality of their food dips, which is a shame.

If your young, fabulous and work in the bay I’m sure one of your colleagues have taken you out for an expensive lunch at Ba Orient. The portions of food are perfect and delicious being in the dim sum dumpling style. The interior is sleek modern and professional and the wine list will have you captivated for hours. Anyone who is anyone in Cardiff Bay must be seen here at least once to ensure their social status remains firm. This place is also perfect for a quick cocktail after a meal in the bay, the lighting is delicate and makes everything seem very easy and cool. I have just read some of the other reviews, and am quite shocked to see some people have labelled this place as «tacky». I assure you it is far from it and holds a very high reputation amongst the locals. The staff and bar tenders were also very friendly and pleasant the last time I went, but it was pretty quiet being a week night.

I really liked my lunch at this restaurant! It is a very stylish Chinese restaurant and, in my opinion, one of the best I have been. I loved the Dim Sum bar! My meal was made of several different kinds of Dumplings and Dim Sum.
They have plenty Vegetarian choices as well and a very fast service. The location is also a bonus, right next to the marina at Cardiff Bay overlooking the much delicious Cadwalader Icecream parlour, which was my desert!
I highly recomend this restaurant as a light lunch/​dinner option, if you are exploring the Bay it is a very good option! And the price isn’t that expensive, I paid for two around £20 and we were more than happy with it.