Chef Lee Skeet to open first permanent restaurant in Cardiff

The former head chef at Hedone is to open his first permanent restaurant in Cardiff in 2022.

Lee Skeet, who led the kitchen at the Michelin-starred restaurant from 2013-14, will open Cora above Cafe Milkwood in the Welsh capital on 17 January.

It will seat 12 guests in an ‘intimate’ dining room and serve a £75 set tasting menu based on the seasonal produce available each day, with the option of a paired wine flight. Dishes will focus on seafood, as well as meats and wild game.

According to Skeet’s website: “The aim is to create a relaxed and ambitious restaurant where you can enjoy the best quality produce available in the capital, in a laid back and inviting atmosphere, all set to a hip hop soundtrack.”

The chef told Wales Online the restaurant was named after his four-year-old daughter, Cora, and that he hoped to eventually win Cardiff its first Michelin star.

“I don’t want to cook to just pay my bills, I want to cook to be the best cook that I can be,” Skeet said.

Skeet’s career includes time as sous chef at Gordon Ramsay at Claridge’s, chef de partie at Marcus Wareing Restaurants and sous chef at Restaurant Tom Aikens in London.

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