Good Food, Good Company and a Place I Keep Coming Back To
Some places are worth returning to, especially when you know you can expect good food, a welcoming atmosphere and friendly service. HQ Urban Kitchen Swansea is certainly one of those places for me.
This latest visit was another chance to catch up with my friend Caroline while enjoying lunch at this welcoming café in the heart of Swansea. I previously shared my first HQ Urban Kitchen Swansea review on Satisfy Your Taste, when I discovered the venue and shared my first impressions.
Read my original HQ Urban Kitchen Swansea review from April 2025
Since that first visit, I have returned several times, and I felt it was time to share another food review. After all, when you keep going back to somewhere, that says something about the place.
Located at 37 Orchard Street, HQ Urban Kitchen is part café, creative hub and community space. The café offers breakfast, brunch, lunch, drinks and sweet treats, with vegan and gluten-free choices available.
Christina’s Choice – Salsa Verde Chicken Pasta
For my lunch, I chose the Salsa Verde Chicken Pasta – £13.95.
This dish featured handmade pasta with chicken, leeks, sugar snap peas, petit pois and salsa verde, finished with ricotta and charred lemon. It is also available gluten-free, which is a welcome option.
I liked this dish because it felt like a creative alternative to some of the more familiar pasta dishes you often find on menus. The combination of ingredients gave it plenty of interest, while the handmade pasta made it feel like a carefully considered dish rather than just another bowl of pasta.
For me, though, I felt it could have benefited from something with a sharper zing to contrast with the other flavours. Perhaps a little mustard or another punchier element might have added that extra lift. That could simply come down to personal taste, as everyone enjoys different flavour combinations.
Regardless, I really enjoyed my choice. It was a satisfying lunch and another reminder of why I enjoy returning to HQ Urban Kitchen.
Christina’s rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐ 4 out of 5
Caroline’s Choice – Penclawdd Laverbread and Cockles
Caroline chose the Penclawdd Laverbread and Cockles – £11.95.
This Welsh-inspired dish brought together locally sourced laverbread and cockles on sourdough toast, with a lemon and leek butter sauce and a poached egg on top.
Caroline absolutely loved her choice. The combination of traditional Welsh ingredients with the sourdough, butter sauce and poached egg created a dish that was both familiar and nicely presented.
It was certainly a dish that caught my attention too, particularly because of its use of locally sourced Welsh ingredients.
Caroline’s rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 5 out of 5
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Address:
HQ Urban Kitchen
Llys Glas, 37 Orchard Street
Swansea, SA1 5AJ