Things to do in Cardiff (Caerdydd)
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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.
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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.
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Cardiff Arms Park
Just north of the Millennium Stadium, this is the home ground of the Cardiff Rugby Football Club, founded in 1876. Rugby union is this city's favourite sport, and the Cardiff Blues are Wales' richest, most star-studded club, having fed over 200 players into the national team.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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Scallops
No surprise that pride of place on the menu here goes to fresh seafood - from seared scallops with pea and mint purée to full-on lobster thermidor. The brightly decorated dining room is complemented by an attractive al fresco terrace with a view of the bay.
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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.
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Armless Dragon Restaurant
One of Cardiff's first foodie restaurants and still one of the best, the Dragon pretty much created what is now called 'modern Welsh cuisine' - that is, taking the finest Welsh produce and traditional Welsh recipes and giving them a contemporary gourmet twist.
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Madame Fromage
One of Cardiff's finest delicatessens, with a wide range of charcuterie and French and Welsh cheeses. The Madame also has a cafe with tables spilling into the arcade, where you can read French newspapers and eat a mixture of Breton dishes and Welsh caffi food: rarebit, lamb cawl and bara brith.
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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.
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Brava
With local art on the walls and an informal vibe, this cool cafe is our favourite brunch spot on the strength of its eggs Benedict, silky white coffee and attentive service. Tables spill out onto the pavement in summer and in the evening it morphs into a licensed bistro. Brava indeed.
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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.)
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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.
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Ninian Park
A mile west of the centre is the home of Cardiff City Football Club. Fans still hark back to 1927 when the Bluebirds took the English FA Cup out of England for the first (and only) time - Welsh football's equivalent of Owain Glyndŵr's rebellion.
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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.
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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.
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New York Deli
This tiny wood-panelled café serves up giant, US-style sandwiches - one between two is enough for most mortals - stacked bagels and big mugs of coffee. There's a good breakfast menu too, but get in early as there are only a couple of tables.
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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).
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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.
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Ask
We don't normally bother recommending chain restaurants, but this Italian pizza and pasta joint really stands out as a good-value, family-friendly place with really tasty food, where the kids are made just as welcome as the adults.
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High St Arcade
Divergent points of the music spectrum come together in this arcade: traditional music specialist Telynau Vining Harps (sheet music and instruments) and dance-music gurus Catapult 100% Vinyl (DJ equipment and records). Pussy Galore stocks funky women's fashion and sparkly accessories, while Hobo's is great for secondhand 1960s and '70s clothing.
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New Theatre
This restored Edwardian playhouse hosts touring productions, musicals and pantomime.
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Buff's Restaurant
Hidden away from the crowds on the waterfront, this is a snug wine bar and restaurant that's popular with local business people, serving straightforward but well-prepared dishes such as crab cakes, fillet steak and roast lamb.
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