Entertainment in Cardiff (Caerdydd)
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Chapter Arts Centre
Probably the city's most interesting arts venue, the Chapter has a varied programme of contemporary drama, as well as art exhibitions, workshops, alternative theatre and dance performances; it's also an appealing, arty place to hang out and there's a good café-bar with Cardiff's biggest range of beers.
reviewed
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B
Yard
Occupying the site of an 18th-century brewery, Yard sports an industrial-chic décor of stainless steel, polished copper pipes and zinc ducting, with a trad-looking bar in front and clubby sofas in back. Outdoor tables, good food and a child-friendly policy pulls in families at lunchtime, while cocktails and DJs attract a young party crowd at night.
reviewed
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Café Jazz
It's not exactly your traditional smoky jazz basement, but this appealing hotel café-bar is the city's main jazz venue, with live jazz kicking off at 21:00 Monday to Thursday, and blues from 22:00 Friday (on Saturday nights it's a piano bar). Monday-night jam sessions give new talent a chance to sit in with the house band.
reviewed
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D
Golden Cross
One of the oldest pubs in the city and a long-standing gay venue, this Victorian bar retains it's handsome stained glass, polished wood and ceramic tiles. A daytime atmosphere of relaxed local drinking den escalates into full-on party mode in the evenings, with a crowded programme of drag, cabaret, quiz and karaoke nights.
reviewed
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Clwb Ifor Bach
Also known as 'the Welsh club' (or just Y Clwb in Welsh), this is Cardiff's longest-standing and most eclectic nightspot, with three dance floors promoting a range of club nights, from the hard rock, metal and goth of Tuesday's Planet Rock to Saturday night's Clwb Cariad, dedicated to classic Welsh-language rock and pop.
reviewed
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E
Club X
Cardiff's biggest gay club has two dance floors, with a great chill-out bar and covered beer garden upstairs. Wednesday night is student night, with cheap drinks, but Saturday is the big one, with chart hits out front and dirty house in the back room. It's also open on the last Sunday of the month (23:30 to 04:00).
reviewed
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F
Eli Jenkins
Named after the vicar in Dylan Thomas' Under Milk Wood, this is a trad-style pub set in a Victorian terrace, with wood-panelling, bookcases and a big screen for the rugby. It's a popular spot for an after-show drink for performers at the Wales Millennium Centre across the square.
reviewed
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Chilli's
Formerly the University of Wales student union, Chilli's is a stylish chill-out bar and terrace with two dance floors, popular with students on weeknights, but pulling in a mixed crowd at weekends when they have Lamerica (www.lamericapromotions.com), a brilliant soulful/funky house night.
reviewed
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Toucan Club
This funky little space, all bold colours and swirly mosaics, is the centre of Cardiff's independent club scene, promoting funk, world music and cutting-edge hip hop, as well as exploring new beats and staging live dance acts, acoustic acts and performance poets. Well worth a look.
reviewed
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Salt
A huge, modern, nautical-themed bar (ocean-liner décor, blue-and-white drapes, bits of driftwood, pictures of the Welsh coast) with plenty of sofas and armchairs for lounging around and, best of all, a first-floor open-air terrace with a view of the yachts out in the bay.
reviewed
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Cardiff University Students' Union
The students' union hosts regular live gigs by big-name bands, from Newport rappers Goldie Lookin Chain and chart-toppers the Magic Numbers to ageing heavy-metal rockers Motörhead. The box office is on the second floor of the union building and is open noon till midnight.
reviewed
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Wharf
A huge glass-and-brick building with a Victorian-industrial look, the Wharf is a big family-friendly pub with a children's area and picnic tables overlooking the water. There's regular entertainment, with live music Monday and Saturday, and stand-up comedy on Thursday.
reviewed
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L
Cottage
A long, narrow pub with a traditional atmosphere - wooden floor, brass drip trays, polished mahogany bar - the Cottage attracts a mix of characters, from weary shoppers to local office workers, and offers guest real ales as an alternative to the ubiquitous Brains.
reviewed
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M
Bute Dock Hotel
Originally a Victorian coaching inn, the Bute Dock is a proper local pub, a welcome antidote to the trendy bars of Mermaid Quay. Open-mic sessions on Friday nights keep the pub-singer tradition alive, with amateurs belting out renditions of Tom Jones classic hits.
reviewed
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Point
Set in a beautifully converted Victorian church, the Point has hosted gigs by a wide range of bands, including the Stereophonics, Super Furry Animals and the Darkness. It's now one of the city's best live-rock and metal venues, with gigs several nights a week.
reviewed
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O
Café Bar Europa
Café Bar Europa is super small, but in a good, cosy way, with exposed brickwork, album covers, and books scattered around. At night it metamorphoses into a bar, where there are poetry readings, DJs, comedy, and acoustic live jazz, blues, folk and rock.
reviewed
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Bar Cuba
A colourful Cuban-themed bar, where you can lounge on the big sofas and sip a San Miguel or Cuba libre (happy hour from 19:00 Friday) before heading to the dance floor to show off your red-hot Latin moves (if they're not so hot, there are salsa classes.)
reviewed
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Q
City Arms
A friendly, unpretentious, old-fashioned pub with a classics-crammed jukebox, the City Arms is predictably packed out on rugby weekends (the Millennium Stadium is right across the road), but offers a pleasant place for a quiet pint on weekday afternoons.
reviewed
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R
Cantaloop
Set in a lovely old red-brick building, Cantaloop is a terminally hip designer lounge bar, with lots of polished wood and leather sofas, an extensive cocktail menu and a Havana cigar bar. There's also a nice outdoor terrace for summer-evening drinks.
reviewed
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S
Bar Icon
A newcomer on the scene, Icon is an ultra-stylish cocktail bar decked out in designer shades of olive green and chocolate brown, that pulls in a mixed crowd of gay and straight, male and female, young and old, with comfy sofas and laid-back tunes.
reviewed
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Moloko
An industrially decorated vodka bar with good cocktails and Russian lettering on the walls - so you don't forget the theme after too many shots. Moloko is a relaxing place with a good mixed crowd, and the music ranges from Motown to hip-hop.
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Wish Club
Wish is the place where all those hen nights are headed - cool dance floor, glamorous dress code, massive sound system, and a string of top-name touring DJs (think Goldie, Axwell, Tidy Boys, Seb Fontaine, X-press2, Layo and Bushwacker).
reviewed
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Goat Major
Solidly traditional, with armchairs, a fireplace, and lip-smacking Brains Dark real ale on tap, the Goat Major (ask the bar staff about the name) is an oasis of old-fashioned calm amid the noise and bustle of trendy city-centre bars.
reviewed
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New Theatre
This restored Edwardian playhouse - Anna Pavlova and Sarah Bernhardt are among those who have trod the boards here - hosts various touring productions, including big West End and Broadway shows, as well as musicals and pantomime.
reviewed
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X
Creation
Creation is a huge restaurant, bar and nightclub, all inside a Victorian dark-red brick building. Lunches are good, and the nightclub is cheesy but fun, with DJs talking over the music, and an age range from 18 to at least 65.
reviewed
