Despite a few issues, Clwb consistently maintains its status as possibly the best nightspot in…read moreCardiff. Where other clubs rise and fall, Clwb remains, playing the role of the alternative Oceana to the slightly less rude boy crowd. The reason for this seems to be because whilst other clubs have a niche that slowly dwindles over time, Clwb has enough room and enough nights to cover all the bases. Every week they cater to the drum and bass crowd, to the indie boys and girls, to the hipsters, to the RnB fans and even to those among us who dig a little (or a lot of) soul. On top of this, you have the regular gigs from international, national and local bands that bring in the crowds as well as sets from world-famous DJs such as Grooverider and you have a club that everybody loves for one reason or another. Unfortunately, the problem a lot of people have with Clwb is the pretentiousness that goes with it. Whilst the staff and the club itself remain relatively grounded, it seems the status as one of the top clubs has definitely gone to a lot of the regular's heads. This snobbish atmosphere and poseur attitude puts a bad taste in a lot of people's mouths, but if you can get passed the douchebags wearing sun glasses and leather jackets in a night club, it is one of the best nights in Cardiff.

Also known as the Welsh club to all the English speakers out there. Clwb Ifor Bach is easily my…read morefavourite club in Cardiff. Coming from London originally and spending all my time in Camden, it's hard to find anything else in the country that comes close to there for alternative clubs. Infact, I've been very disappointed with a lot of the alternative clubs here that all feel inclined to adhere to the 15 year old NME readers. Clwb isn't like this. Consisting of 3 floors, all of which are different themes depending on what night you go. Generally the bottom floor has anything from the 60's to present all night and have even heard the likes of Devo etc in there. That pleases me! The middle floor can be closed at weekends, but if you go on a wednesday it's the funk room. I've walked in before to see the whole dance floor playing limbo in there and have funked it up royally in there many a time. Upstairs on a wednesday plays NME hit list...Though the odd good choon does escape from the speakers. On a saturday it becomes the drum and bass room. For that you have to specify your going to that room, otherwise you will pay twice to go in downstairs and then upstairs. Confused? So am I. Drinks are dirt cheap in here and I can't remember a time I've paid more than £1.50 for a bottle of fosters and shots are of a similar price if your looking to drown your woes in the satan's liquids. There also a load of gigs happening here all the time and suggest you go to the website to see who's playing. The list is very diverse as I've seen people like Rueben to Will Haven here personally. All in all I am very fond of this place and celebrated my graduation here as I would not go anywhere else if I want a great night out.

Solus is Cardiff University's nightclub. It's a slightly awkward one to review because there are…read moredifferent styles of music and different crowds of people on various nights. Monday: Fun Factory - probably one of the lowest turnouts every week to this night (though that's not to say that it's empty, by any stretch of the imagination). The music here is - slightly - alternative. If bands play, it's often on a Monday night, before Fun Factory itself kicks in. The smaller crowd means that the bars are easily accessible and I always have a great night. Wednesday: The Lash is the new night here, after SInBin died a quite painful death towards the end of last year. It is always RAMMED with sports teams so make sure you're prepared for that. Also, the mix of alcohol and drunk men means you have to be quite on your guard if you're female and... no, just female. The music is mainstream. Friday: Boombox is somehow a let down. I don't know whether it's just because you expect a big night but it somehow is never quite as much fun as... Saturday: Come Play - THE biggest night at the union. Definitely don't go if you aren't feeling up for it because you will be pushed and shoved and probably have a drink spilled on you. Nonetheless, I always have a good time and would recommend it. If you decide to go, though, get tickets in advance because it always sells out. Prices - are roughly around £3.50 for a cardiff student and £4 for a non-student, though fun factory is free.

'Solus' (Welsh for 'nightclub') is the Students' Union in-house nightclub, hugely popular on just…read moreabout every night of the week. Each nights has its own theme and musical slant, from Monday's 'Fun Factory' alternative night to the more mainstream and very drunken Wednesdays known as 'The Lash', which attract lots of pint-swilling rugby players and other university sports clubs and teams. At the weekends, Boom Box takes over on Fridays with indie, dance music and pop while Saturday nights focus on chart music with 'Comeplay'. It's a big club with a capacity of up to 2,200 - and on some nights they even link up the (usually separate) Taf bar and the Solus nightclub to create a superclub with a capacity of 4,000, making it the biggest club in the city! While at some universities the Students' Union loses out in popularity to more sophisticated clubs in town, Cardiff's Solus club has huge appeal for its students. It's a big club with well-marketed nights throughout the week; it's fantastic for socialising and meeting fellow students; and the bars serve up reasonably priced drinks.

Great nights can be had in abundance at this place. Whatever your orientation, you'll feel welcomed…read moreand comfortable here. It's very relaxed and friendly, without lowering itself to sleazy standards. I know lots of gay clubs where straight girls have a ball in, but straight guys wouldn't be seen dead in. But this one is different, many of my male friends have been on night here and only left when the bouncers kicked them out at dawn. But maybe that's just my friends... The most memorable thing about Pulse has to be the shows they put on. If you go on a busy night (Wednesday, Friday, Saturday, and many in between) then you'll almost certainly be graced with the luxury of one of these shows. Imagine drag queens, nudity and audience participation, and you'll be pretty much there on the mark. Go to Pulse and YMCA your night away!

I escorted a gay friend of mine to Pulse once, and both of us ended up spending the entire night…read moresat outside in the smoking area. This was not because the music was awful (it wasn't great but it's a club so I didn't expect it to be), and it wasn't because I felt uncomfortable being in a gay bar. Well, actually I did feel uncomfortable, but that was because of the ridiculous amount of straight men that seemed to be everywhere trying to get lucky. Whether they had gone to Pulse out of a desperate need to watch girls kissing girls, or whether they were there hunting down the straight girls who had tagged along with their gay friends or who'd let their guard down because they thought they'd be left alone in a club full of gay men, I don't know, but either way it was not cool. For some reason it was worse than being chatted up by a guy in another club. I felt targeted and they were a much lower class of bloke than the usual prats that chase girls around clubs. But aside from that, this isn't a bad club. In fact, when I've been there with more people since that awful first time, I've had a lot of fun. It's a bit hard to navigate your way around, especially when you've been drinking, but it's nice to have a separate seated area away from the dance floor where you can catch your breath and chat to your mates with out having to go outside. A pretty good night so long as you're not a straight girl going there under the false assumption that it's a night away from the attentions of desperate lads.

Sometimes, a girl just wants to get all decked out and go out dancing. The urge doesn't strike…read moreoften enough these days, but when it does, Crystal is often our last stop on an evening of bar-hopping debauchery. Open every Friday and Saturday night from 10 pm until 4 am, Crystal prides itself as a boutique nightclub catering to a more discerning clientele, who are "searching for a discreet and private haven in which to enjoy the simple pleasures of good music, sublime drinks and great company". Its intimate, crypt-like layout is sumptuously decorated, thanks to a remodelling overhaul following the close of (the first) Sodabar. The DJs spin a mix of classic funk, house and disco (yay!), coercing even the shyest of wallflowers to get up and dance their drink off (if not, you can always unwind in the one of the several strategically-placed couches and seats peppered about). Crystal is available to rent for private parties or functions (even on a Friday night!), and offer a yearly membership where you can enjoy priority queuing and reduced admission rates.

Club is great. Mangeress - not so great! On more than one occasion I have heard her being rude…read moretalking down to both staff and customers, and have heard locally a lot of bad comments re her attitude to guests. Suggest senior management have a word before she puts everyone off!!

Mill Lane, or the 'Cafe Quarter' as Cardiff seems to slowly be rebranding the area, is full of bars…read moreand restaurants (very few cafes, actually). This is the kind of place that will become packed any day after work when the sun is shining. Each place has tables and chairs on the pavement in a very European-feeling setting with trees and waiters and glasses of rose wine dotted about. Mocka Lounge is one of these places, and, very much in its favour, is one of the few places that remains a happening and well visited place during the entire day and not just coming alive in the evening like many of the others. This is a great place for a sophisticated drink and bite to eat at lunch time and late afternoon, and then stay sitting and watch the nightlife awaken around you as the sun goes down. One of the most attractive and friendly places along Mill Lane, this place is certainly worth checking out. Lovely.

I was all geared up to hate this place. I don't enjoy Mill Lane, the pretentiousness and the prices…read morerub me up the wrong way. Walking in to Snow Patrol on the stereo wasn't a great start to this visit either. But upon sitting down I found myself warming to the place. The service was excellent, prompt and professional, the black and red décor very much to my liking and the bottle of house red (which comes in at £14 a bottle) was light and fruity and highly quaffable. So much so that I found myself able to ignore The Black Eyed Peas that has dripping out of the speakers . We ordered the steak (8oz Sirloin = £14) from the surprisingly small menu. During the time it was being prepared I flicked through the drinks list. And then it became clear. Food for Mocka is a lunchtime slash early evening fixation (the kitchen closes at 8.30pm) with the main focus of the business on cocktails. Indeed rather than focus of how say much a double spirit and mixer is, such as the drinks lists in Wetherspoon's do, Mocka do things by the bottle. With a bottle of Grey Goose setting you back £90 and a list entitled "Cognac & Cigars", they're clearly going for a classy clientele or those on a total paycheck blowout. The steaks arrived and were divine. They were seasoned perfectly, the chips were super thick, the mushroom was buttery and meaty, while the peppercorn sauce was creamy with a delicious kick to it. My girlfriend reckoned it was the best steak she'd had in Cardiff. We opted to share a chocolate fondue for dessert. And while the chocolate was slightly sour, it strangely worked with the array of fruit, waffle and brownies we had to dunk with. A quick cocktail (from £5.80) was ordered to finish off what had been a fabulous evening. Highly recommended, if you've just been paid.

Code Nightclub opened on 31st October 2009, threatening to take Cardiff by storm with DJ's like…read moreEric Prydz, Tinie Tempah, Eddie Halliwell amongst others. But less than a year down the line, the promise of the best UK and global DJ's has been subjected to a bit of revision. These days the club opens its doors every Friday and Saturday night, offering set nights with as many inducements as possible to get people to come in. Friday sees Liquid's 'deal or no deal' night open up the weekend, which essentially boils down to two options. You either pay three quid to get in and buy drinks for £1.00 all night, or you don't pay to get in and pay two quid for drinks... perhaps it should be called, 'one deal or another'? Students get an even better option... only expected to pay £1.00 for drinks, they still get in free before 11.00pm, or for a quid if they arrive later. Love Life Saturdays presented by Fresh City trades on the tunes rather than discounts at the bar. There's RNB, DANCEHALL, HIP HOP, OLD SKOOL GARAGE and some UK FUNKY with DJ Raheem of KISS 101, DJ Troopa, DJ Spice, Monique B, and Da Realest.

I went here once and absolutely hated it. Its a big place and has 3 floors to take advantage off…read more Unlike Oceana it has lots of cheap drinks options and costs less to get in, but it doesn't have the cheesy pop vibe. I pretty much hate all the music they play so its not really my number one choice but its good that Cardiff has this kind of option for all the hardcore dance heads out there. Its a bit off the main stretch so when I went it was much quieter than I was expecting, but I guess for all the big nights they host its would be great.

Run of the mill club. Would be better in the centre.read more

bit out of the city but a great venue, busy great music, as with all nightclubs there is a fee to…read moreenter the club

This will be a very quick review to reflect the amount of time I actually spent in here. I really…read moredidn't get far enough into the bar to see much. Decor looked shiny and modern, pretty cool. However, It is an RnB club, I'm not a fan of RnB and it wasn't my type of crowd. I left, the end.

Complaining about the lack of inviting bars down St Mary Street is a little like turning up for a…read morefootball match and moaning there isn't any opera on. It's not really what St Mary Street does. On a purely horses-for-courses basis, Platinum is more than passable: it's exactly what you expect for the area and not much more. The cocktails are strong and cheap, the music is chart R&B (t)ripe for mindless dancing and you'll likely step over cavorting couples while you do so. It's open until 3am at weekends, with a typically grim late-night atmosphere, although at least more widescreen TVs than Dixons allow for sporting distractions, including tiny beer pump-mounted screens at the bar. And unlike distinctly dodgy predecessors La Tropica and Ice, you can get wrecked without - just about - worrying whether your mode of transport home will be a taxi or an ambulance.

Sp Flares is 70's music, Reflex is 80's and Retro is 90's, generally speaking anyway. Being as I…read morewas brought up partially in the 90's I have many fond memories of shell suits and Now 26. Firstly this is a great building, it was once home to very favorite night spot back when I was 18-20, then it became some poncy bar an now its back to being a fun venue. Set over three floor there is plenty of space. The middle floor is a cocktail bar, a snip at 2 for £6. Naturally you get a fair few hen and stag parties at the weekend but generally I have had a good few night out in Retro.

If you loved the 90s and you want to re-live it, Retro is the club to go to. You can show off your…read moremoves at Cardiff's 'home of the 90s vibe' until 3am every Friday and Saturday night, where they pump out all the favourites from that decade to a very appreciative dancefloor. As is the case with most themed nightclubs in this vein, it's pretty popular with groups of girls out on a hen night, and even a few stag dos as well - so you can expect to see a few rowdy groups dressed up in pink cowboy hats and other daft themed costumes. The rest who seem to descend on the place just seem to be your average Saturday night party crowd out for a good time and plenty to drink. Some are dressed casually, others are dressed up to the nines, but most are in their 20s, and are here to dance and drink the night away to some cheesy 90s music.