What can I say? Fuel is an essential visit for anyone coming to Cardiff who loves rock or metal…read moremusic. It can be found tucked away in Cardiff's alternative quarter, Womanby Street which is just in between High Street and Westgate Street. The staff here are all super friendly and they always seem to have great deals on, I got a free shot just for checking in on social media! The walls are adorned with music memorabilia and pictures of famous people who have visited the bar before. If you turn up on the right night you might end up being served by Bruce Dickinson or Blaze Bayley, no joke! This place is open every day of the week and has gigs on almost all the time as well as other events such as Fuel Your Fire, which is a monthly photography and creative event where people meet up, network and have photoshoots. There isn't another dedicated rock bar like Fuel in Cardiff, and you never know who you're going to bump into there. This year they won the best bar award and I know they have big plans for the future so whenever I'm in town I always try to pop in and see what's going on.

Ignore the review approved by the staff, they are in no way friendly. They've been rude to me…read moreeverytime I've been there (only when it's the only place open). When I'd finally had enough and got up the courage to be even slightly rude back they banned me for life. In fact 'friendly' is an antonym for this place, I love rock, alternative and metal but was made to feel like a second class outcast for not dressing 'goth' or hardcore enough. The music is truly awful and only suitable for the massively pretentious, made worse by the staff. It's rumoured that if you look vaguely normal they play a series of even worse, 'harder' music to encourage you to leave. I couldn't acquiesce quick enough.

I went to Newport to visit a friend fom uni. We went out with a group of his friends and they all…read moretold me Meze was the place to go in Newport (and who knows better than the locals?!) Being a student, I asked the barman what the cheapest drinks weresnakebite! £2.00! Bargain! Before I'd even got half way though my first pint one of the people I wasout with leaned into me and shouted in my ear if you want to have a good night you'd better down the rest of that I did down the rest of my drink, had a few shots and got quite drunkand yes! I had a good night! Meze isnt very big but its big enough. Theres a few decent seating areas, at least 2 bars, 2 dance floors and probably one of the best smoking areas Ive been in. Not bad at all! I'd deffinately head back here if I found myself in Newport again :)

A place for music. Had a lot of Indie acts and rock acts. A cool underground feel. Lots of students…read morego there, and it has a little food hatch that does kebabs. A small venue which has two rooms with a bar between them and then a fair sized dance floor which gets quite busy with lots of people dancing! Gets very busy on weekends and there is door charge for entrance. The venue is next to Newport market. Good for live music during the week, to view unsigned bands and start ups. I cool place to go for the Newport music scene for the alternative crowd.

Mischief's is a pretty cool venue just a little outside the centre of Cardiff bay that hosts plenty…read moreof live music and entertainment to boot. If you're sick of the generic overpopulated bars on the waterfront then this provides a worthy alternative. The crowd are different, more mature and relaxed. Luckily you won't find too many of the 'blue shirt and school shoes' crowd. (The sort of men who migrate from the valleys in a cloud of lynx body spray and rock hard hair gel looking for a orange wench to pull) Instead you'll find the more mature lady grooving 'family wedding style' to whatever live act is performing that weekend. Good for: The Rugby/Dancing when you're drunk. Bad for: Fans of more hardcore musical genres.

Smaller and quieter than its Cardiff Bay counterparts, Mischief's a quirky little corner cafe and…read morebar that draws a more mature clientele and offers an ideal spot to sit outside and catch the afternoon sun with a cold pint. Part of Mischief's charm stems from its location on the periphery of the glossy and overflowing Mermaid Quay bars and restaurants. I've only been here during the day, so I'm not privy to the hi-jinks that occur here once the sun goes down, but it seems to me Mischief's is the neighbourhood bar and cafe for the locals, not the tourists. It's like Cheers, but with the classic, irreverent British sensibilities. The staff here strike the ideal balance of friendly and cheeky, which is something I've come to appreciate and take note of wherever I go. I'm curious to see what night brings out in Mischief's - I bet it's quite naught indeed.

Cardiff is sorely missing more mid size venues like the Globe. As a treasure in the centre of the…read morestudent area, the Globe has been a life saver for up and coming groups, alternative nights and those who appreciate live music. Inside is a quirky interior - apparently used to be a Chinese cinema - and the proscenium arch frames the new stage perfectly. With a projector for some modern VJ type backdrops, incense burning, lush fabrics and, psychedelic murals this place is bohemian without being pretentious. The bands are generally good quality and a good mix, although there are a few too many tribute bands, and mixes local bands with big name acts. The door prices fluctuate, but the bar is reasonable and the staff are friendly. It is unfortunate that the shape of the building means feedback can be a problem, and when busy it is really, really hot - big coat to walk there and then just a vest underneath! - but it is well worth keeping an eye on the listings. You never know, your favourite band might be on this month!

The Globe is up and running again after having its previous license removed after getting sound…read morecomplaints. It has plenty of new soundproofing so hopefully that'll keep neighbors happy. Anyway its good news for the Cardiff music scene, the more places the better I say. They haven't wasted time either, there's plenty of events filling up their calender. Its a great venue, with a great atmosphere. Haven't been seen it reopened but its set it what must be an old theatre so it has an upstairs area to view from if you don't fancy the pit and its just a really cool place.

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.

Known as The Angel many years ago, a dive on the outskirts of the town centre known for its locals,…read morepool table and free jukebox. It was completely made over and reopened as P.S Not Just An Afterthought, not a particularly catchy name. They often have live music here by with no quality filter over who plays and no consideration over what music goes together well. They mainly just like the fact that these bands bring their friends who spend money at the bar. When there isn't live music, the pub is nice enough as a starting point. The music isn't too loud, there's plenty of seating and the beer's okay. Getting a game on the pool table is quite an achievement though as so many people seem to spend the majority of their time playing pool here.

The P S is located on the outskirts of the town centre away from all the clubs…read more There is often live music here which packs the place out making it very hot, cramped and uncomfortable. Like a previous review stated, when there isn't live music on the place is quite nice with plenty of seating inside and out.

On a Friday night this bar has karaoke. I LOVE karaoke! It's not that I ever get up there,…read moreespecially not on my own (though there are private booths in Tiger Tiger where you can do karaoke, and that's my favourite place in the world for a night out. Show tunes are my thing!) but it's always a good night out. Particularly if you've got some confident friends. There are pool tables which are in pretty good condition and are only 50p a game, though it does get busy so I would say go earlier if you're looking for a quiet game. It's a great place to go on any day of the week, though. It tends to get a bit busier from about 8/9 onwards so if you're looking for a relaxing drink I'd say get there early or go to a pub.

I love this place. No pretense, no faffing about, no cocktails. Just beer, somewhere to sit, people…read moreand... well what more do you need? Music? This is one of my favourite places to go for music in Cardiff, especially on a Thursday night. They have a regular 'jam session' and you'll be amazed at the variety. I've seen trumpets, saxes, avant garde fiddle improv and all sorts. You get a lot of the best musicians in Cardiff - and further afield - come together to play some music. But its not cliquey - not by a long shot. One evening whilst sitting supping on a pint, from a pint glass that was pint glass shaped, at a pub table, I heard the jam session give way for a regular who had been learning the piano. She played the Entertainer. Ok, she wasn't brilliant and it was a bit halting, but I've never heard such applause! Everyone in the bar supported her, fully, and there was no judgment. It was like being in a dream, a cultural oasis, a picture of how society should be. Oh, and did I mention the covers bands? I knew it was the pub for me when I heard a band covering the Velvet Underground. Brilliant! (But just be warned before you head to the ladies - and maybe take your own loo roll)

I went to Buffalo Bar on the spur of the moment, with four of my housemates. We were all sitting…read morearound, struggling with the idea that a long evening of bad television stretched before us but unsure what to do instead. Suddenly, one of them said 'Well, we could go to Buffalo. It's free before 11!" And on that great recommendation did we embark. Actually, it was a really good night. The downstairs bar was compeltely rammed with people having a drink after work and I felt quite out of place. However, that's not to say that there was any hostile atmosphere against the small number of students there (as can sometimes be the case). Going upstairs, we found that there was a DJ playing - a mix of the best of old-school and more modern indie music. The drinks were a little dear for my poor old purse but I wasn't drinking alcohol so I wasn't hit too hard by it! All night we danced, making friends with people all along the way, as we swapped dance moves. Brilliant!

If you're after nice but pricey cocktails and a lively but ever-so-slightly pretentious bar,…read moreBuffalo is amongst Cardiff's best - although it does get overcrowded and the bar sometimes seems a bit understaffed. With refreshing Pimms served up on some days in the summer, and mulled wine in the winter, they often offer something special to fit the season or the weather. The décor is stylish but comfortable, with a retro/vintage feel and hanging chandeliers, and you can see why it attracts an arty kind of a crowd. As this bar is in a former house, there's a great 'secret' beer garden out the back for when it's sunny or warm - and there's an upstairs where bands play. They serve lunch (though I haven't tried the food there myself), but it's also always open late.