Although I have lived only 30 minutes from Newport Market my whole life, I had never been. In fact I hadn't even realised it was there until it reopened three years ago this month after a multi-million pound refurbishment courtesy of Loft Co, the developers behind Barry's popular Goodsheds.
Since welcoming thousands of people on the day it reopened the market, which now includes dozens of work spaces, a food court and newly refurbished market stalls, has gone from strength to strength with its food court regularly packed out on weekends and featuring some big name outlets such as Seven Lucky Gods, Burger Boyz and Meat and Greek. For the latest restaurant news and reviews, sign up to our food and drink newsletter here.
Everyone I know that has been to Newport Market has given it great reviews so I have wanted to try it myself for a while. Finally I headed to the market on a midweek evening this month to try out some of the food options available. On the weekend it is common to queue for a table as the market is so popular but with it being a Thursday evening, there were plenty of tables available for us to sit at.
The food court includes 12 food and drink vendors giving you a wide variety of options to chose from. You can order Greek, Thai, Mexican, Italian and so many more. The first thing I noticed when visiting was the layout - with the seating in the centre surrounded by the vendors it made it easier to see what was on offer.
Before even going to Newport Market I knew I was going to get a burger from Burger Boyz after hearing such good reviews and seeing their menu on their social media. Burger Boyz was founded in Port Talbot and have venues across south Wales including a new location opening soon in Cardiff.
I was impressed with the menu as it had many unique topping combinations that I hadn't seen before. Choosing The El Chapo burger that came with beef patty, Mexican cheese, pepperoni, jalapenos and burger relish, I paid £10.
Whilst I do think that £10 is expensive for just a burger alone, it was one of the best burgers I have ever tried. The beef was succulent and fresh whilst the flavours of all the other toppings were delicious and I have been craving another one ever since.
With so many options available, it can be quite overwhelming when it comes to deciding what to get. So instead of deciding on one thing I bought multiple dishes to get a full range of what's on offer.
In the spirit of trying new foods, I ordered the salmon sashimi from Seven Lucky Gods, a Japanese fusion restaurant from Bristol. Unfortunately, I did not like the sashimi as I found the texture hard to eat with it essentially just being raw salmon.
However, I also ordered the Korean barbeque chicken which more than made up for the salmon. Whilst it was quite chewy and maybe not great if you're on a first date, it was delicious and packed with flavour. For £10, the portion was large and easily shareable.
Something I always look out for when visiting street food vendors is loaded fries. Multiple restaurants had their own variation of loaded fries by I chose some from Bab Haus Mex, who specialise in Mexican street food.
The loaded fries came with seasoned potato skin fries topped with pickled jalapenos, coriander and cheese sauce. They were the perfect side, full of flavour and well seasoned, and I would recommend you check Bab Haus Mex when visiting the market.
I know what you're thinking - 'surely she was full by this point?' - but there is always room for dessert. I was glad to see a dessert vendor as often venues that house multiple vendors can often forget a dessert option. Luckily, Newport Market has The Cheesecake Guy whose desserts come in a jar making it easy to take away and save for later.
The Merthyr-made business serves popular cheesecakes with classic flavours and new interesting creations. I tried the salted caramel cheesecake jar, which at first I was unsure about the container and whether it would prove difficult in trying to eat each layer, but I was proven wrong.
The cream cheese was light and melted in the mouth whilst the biscuit layer was crumbly, making it a delicious after dinner dessert. I would visit Newport Market to get a dessert from The Cheesecake Guy alone. I thouroghly enjoyed my time at the food court at Newport Market and I am excited to go back during the day to see what the rest of the market offers.
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