Home by James Sommerin is a relaxed fine dining restaurant in Cardiff run by head chef James Sommerin, his wife Lou and their daughters Georgia, Angharad and Elin. The interior, like the menu, is kept secret. Diners enter by ringing a bell, and the windows are covered by curtains so you can't see inside. Once you are seated, you will notice an envelope on the table - this contains the 'surprise menu'. It's up to you whether you open it and find out what's to come or wait and let it be a true surprise.
At his previous opening, James Sommerin offered a similar tasting menu (six or nine courses as opposed to Home's four or eight). There, Sommerin turned out colourful creations like pea ravioli basted with sage cream and serrano ham, sea bass with langoustines, ginger and artichokes or a sirloin, aged for over a month. However, many have said this latest opening is the best yet, with more special dishes than before. Sommerin's daughter, Georgia, started cooking with him when she was just 13, and at 20 she became the youngest ever competitor on the Great British Menu. This familial duo has been cooking up a storm. Sommerin says she is his right hand, and that they don't even have to talk to know what each other is thinking.
Some dishes people have enjoyed at Home so far include halibut with caviar, homemade crab crumpets, beetroot laced with feta and mint, bouillabaisse with white fish and salmon, a single ravioli packed with corn-fed chicken mince, herbs and bacon surrounded by sweet peas and leeks, a mukrat lime pannacotta and some excellent local cheese to finish.
The restaurant serves an eight-course menu only for dinner, or a four or eight-course menu for lunch on Fridays and Saturdays.