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A restaurant at Cardiff Prison where the dishes are cooked and served by criminals has been ranked the best place to eat in Cardiff.

The Clink Restaurant at HMP Cardiff is number one on TripAdvisor out of 946 restaurants in Cardiff.

More than 350 satisfied customers left glowing reviews on the hugely popular site.

The restaurant, which opened to the public in September 2012, has also been credited with helping slash rates of re-offending, as the latest figures show that it has reduced the re-offending rate of released prisoners who worked there to 12.5%.

The national average is 47%.

Take a look inside The Clink:

Around 30 prisoners work a 40-hour week either in the kitchen or restaurant, training towards nationally recognised City and Guilds NVQs before returning to the prison at the end of each working day.

The team of trainers at the restaurant work closely with the prisoners to create seasonal dishes made using fresh ingredients that are sourced locally where possible.

Among its typical menu options are “venison and wild boar ragout with game sausage, chargrilled polenta and seasonal vegetables” and a “celebration of rhubarb”.

Some other brilliant restaurants to try out in Wales:

Jason Lawrence, general manager at The Clink, said: “The whole team is delighted to have made it to the top spot on TripAdvisor, and to be ranked so highly against almost 1,000 restaurants in the city is a huge achievement for us.

“The recognition we have received from so many of our diners for the atmosphere we’ve created, the effort we put into sourcing our ingredients, the high standard of front of house service offered by the waiters and the skill our menus is incredible.

What our reviewer thought of the experience:

“For many businesses in the hospitality industry, TripAdvisor is a crucial tool when it comes to driving trade with more and more people looking to peer recommendations, especially when looking for somewhere to dine out. A big thank you to everyone who has left such kind comments on our page, we’ll continue to impress our customers and hope we can stay at pole position for the foreseeable future.”

Here is what some of the diners thought was so good about the restaurant and shared on TripAdvisor.

Craig Owen said: "I've eaten here three or four times now since I was introduced by a friend... the food is outstanding, really delicious, service is great, but most amazing is the incredible difference this place is making to the prospects of the people working there. I've been very moved by their personal stories, and read this morning that it's dropped reoffending rates."

Mike, from Newport, said: "From the moment we stepped over the door the service was 5 star and welcoming. The food was top quality and the presentation was amazing and all in lovely surroundings. The table service and the friendly and informative staff made this an experience that seems rare these days. The standard set by everyone at this venue would be hard to match in any other restaurant we have been to in recent times, so 10 out of 10. Came away feeling very content and thoroughly satisfied...Go there, you won't be disappointed......Can't wait to go back!"

To book a table at the restaurant which is open Monday to Friday for breakfast, lunch and afternoon tea call 029 2092 3130, or visit www.theclinkcharity.org.