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.

What I like most about Bogiez is that it feels very inclusive for all. Everyone is accepted there…read morenot matter of age, race, creed or taste in music. Anyone can go. The music is primarily metal, with a good helping of old school rock to boot. It doesn't have quite the same atmosphere because it's no longer in a church! - but the crowd help to make up for that. Let's hope it can move to the Coal Exchange when it re-opens. Drink prices are okay, they seem a little higher now that they have moved from The Point to The Venue. But the central location does mean that you can head there after going to other places in town first. And chippy lane is just around the corner

longstanding established rock and metal club based in the heart of Cardiff. The venues have changed…read moreover the years but the friendliness and love of music is still going strong. The club has its own website and a lot of the regulars meet up socially outside of the club. The Dj's cater for eclectic tastes and the drinks are cheap. I love the fancy dress nights and the New Years parties are infamous!

I want to write poems about this place…read more Live Lounge is the last chance saloon for the rest of Cardiff. Open until 4am, it is the stopping off place for the most hardcore patrons of every other bar in Cardiff, so chances are by about half 3, you're going to know at least three different groups of people in there. The cocktails are delicious, and made with consummate skill. One bartender in particular knows the ins-and-outs of his bar, and it shows. Every member of the barstaff in fact are cheerful, energetic and entertaining. Drinks are preposterously cheap, which is always a nice bonus (£5 for a bottle of wine quickly sends any female friends down the slippery slope of happy alcoholism). With live music performed by a selection of the top local Cardiff bands every lunchtime and evening, the club certainly earns its name. And, whilst it is always packed, and can sometimes get a little hairy in there, it is always fun and rarely an annoyance to end up there at the end of the night.

Right, here is the break down of the rating I've given Live Lounge:…read more 1* - It is open until 5 in the morning every day of the week. Now, I feel like this is how late most clubs should stay open but most of the places here shut at 2 or 3. As a result, there is always a surge towards Live Lounge when the clubs let out. 2* - And, to be honest, 3*s as well, for the prices of the drinks which are quite ridiculously cheap. They are also really good and the cocktails are delicious. The bar can get pretty busy so I wouldn't recommend having the cocktails at night but at lunchtime or in the evening, they're a must. 4* - The music caters to a lot of tastes. A standard night will see people dancing to 90s cheese, club classics, a little bit of indie and some RnB. If you're looking for more specialised music they also have a lot of live bands playing. 5* - The building in general. The dance floor is big, it's located near a cash point (and near fastfood for those who've had too much). It's near the main clubs. It's near the union. It's near the taxi rank.

This relatively new live music venue opened in October 2009 in Millennium Plaza, and has a capacity…read moreof 810 standing / 400 seated. It not only hosts gigs, but also has a string of big club nights coming up. They have a pretty active Facebook page at http://www.facebook.com/musichallcardiff which is really good for being amongst the first to hear about new shows scheduled there (as you don't have to keep remembering to check their website regularly). The stage is quite substantial - nearly 10 metres wide and nearly 5 metres deep. For bands, there are two dressing rooms and a shower, and there's on site catering available (or a kitchen). It's well equipped from a technical spec point of view, with all the details about microphones, monitors, FOH system, lighting and so on included on their website.

Millenium Music Hall is one of the two venues at Millenium Plaza, and is responsible for some…read morepretty epic entertainment. (I'm going to see the Go! Team in Februaray, and can't wait... (not least because by then the winter will be nearly over!) They are also threating to bring some major club nights to Cardiff, so things look to be n the up for Cardiff nightlife! Dates for your diary... 19 Nov 2009 Gary Numan (live on stage) 21 Nov 2009 Silent Disco Cardiff 21 Nov 2009 Bogiez 3 Dec 2009 Reverend and the Makers 5 Dec 2009 Bogiez 9 Dec 2009 Saw Doctors (live on stage) 10 Dec 2009 C-Y-N-T xmas party 16 dec 2009 Goldie Looking Chain 19 Dec 2009 Bogiez 26 Dec 2009 Back in the days 27 Dec 2009 Hippo Club reunion 31 Dec 2009 Bogiez NYE BALL 31 Dec 2009 Silent Disco Cardiff NYE BALL Useful Info: Office: cardiff@retroclubs.co.uk - 02920 340737 Lost Property cardiff@retroclubs.co.uk - 02920 340737 Bookings / Events: Steve Lewis: musichallcardiff@live.co.uk Tickets: www.millenniummusichall.co.uk Jobs: cardiff@retroclubs.co.uk

Cafe Jazz is unique bar-restaurant which offers something that few other Cardiff bars offer: jazz…read moregigs in a fairly unpretentious setting, plus good food and decent wine. You could easily walk past without spotting this place, but look out for the Sandringham Hotel and it's just next to it, with a red sign. The evening gigs include a weekly jam session, and regular jazz gigs organised by the Cardiff Jazz Society and the Preservation Jazz Society. The line up is pretty varied, from ragtime bands and blues bands to acoustic trios and Latin jazz - featuring some incredibly talented musicians - and not all of them 'old blokes' as one reviewer says (I've seen plenty of groups including people in their 20s upwards, so it's a real mix). There's even a small dance floor where some people get up to shake their booty during some of the livelier gigs. Beyond the bar and slightly separated from it is the small restaurant area where you can still hear the band without it being as loud - so you can still enjoy a bit of conversation over supper. The food is very reasonable, too - both in quality and price, and when I last had ate there they had traditional bread pudding with ice cream on their dessert menu!

I have a soft spot for this cafe. It is, admittedly, not the most luxuriously decorated of places…read morein Cardiff centre, but it's quite a fun and comfortable little dive. There's usually something a bit different going on here, and you can find live music and other performances on many night of the week. They have a full bar (and are in fact more of a bar that a cafe - deceptive naming, I know!), and do serve food. The food isn't really the best, considering there are so many fantastic food places nearby, but the atmosphere can more than make up for this on a good night. The staff here are very friendly and there can, on popular nights, be a great air of community spirit in the air. I once applied for a job here, and although I didn't get it, they sent me a very nice letter to say so, rather than just sucking my CV down into a pit of oblivion. Polite and different.

If you're a floppy quiffed, tight jeaned dour arty trendy wannbe - and i don't mean this is a…read morenegative way although as I write this I fail to see how this could be a compliment - then you will love Cardiff Arts Institute. Its air attempts to reek of pretension and the odour of the in crowd - the wall of marigold gloves is a testament to that. Having said that i was welcomed by a smiling bar maid who was more than happy to serve me. Which I found odd, I almost expected her to look me up and down disdainfully before walking away in disgust. I only spent a couple of hours there with a few mates and it was a quiet night so I can't say I experienced it at its best but I wouldn't say this is ever going to be my local or a regular haunt of mine - why? I loathe what its trying to be it doesn't feel natural - maybe I'm being a bit harsh - I just have a natural anathema to all things pretentious - it's only a personal view you may love it there. There are some nice design touches about the place and part of me can imagine it being a nice place to hang out but that part of me is very small indeed.

Don't be put off by thinking you need to be an Art student to get in here. You don't, though arty…read moretypes will defiantly appreciate the decor more than most. Its pretty much just a really good bar and music venue. The interior really must be seen, its far more unique and off the wall than any other bar in Cardiff. There is some amazing stuff going on here from poetry reading to amazing DJ's and artists. There's something for everything so check out their website now!

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.

The Clause is a huge diverse pub in Cathays. Built in 1890 the pub has been recently refurbished in…read more2005. Consisting of three areas, the Oak room a registered listed feature, the public bar for all the students and a pool area. A huge pool area I may add, it's great as you don't have to wait 5 days for the 3 people hogging the machines the entire time. Drink is cheap. Sub £3. The demographic here is as wide of range as I've ever seen in the pub. Locals, oldies, students, oiks, youngen's. You name it, it comes and drinks from the lake here.

The Claude is a massive pub on Albany Road in Roath that is popular with students, locals and…read morevisitors to the area... there's always an interesting mix of people in attendance. I quite like this cavernous pub, and am willing to forgive it it's Sky Sport and plasma screens, (although I do avoid it when there's a match of any description on, as I value my hearing), but the opposite is true for the live music, which usually takes precedence over the sport anyway. This, of course, is likely to get louder than the rugby or footie crowds ever will, but I have learned a really invaluable alternate use for toilet paper, a little bit of which goes a long way to avoiding perforated eardrums... (I'm never organised enough to carry earplugs around). I've witnessed plenty of live music in my time as I used to put on music nights in Bristol, and have been an avid gig-goer all my life. Stuffing something in your ears, that can easily be retrieved later, is advantageous for several reasons. Not only will you preserve your hearing to continue enjoying live music at a later date, but it also improves the quality of the sound by cutting out the interference, and the snare drum trill of badly maintained reverberating speakers etc... this is very useful to know if you go to small venues, where the PA is often not as good as it could be! The sound at The Claude is okay, but can sometimes be a tad noisy if you get to close to the speakers... you've been told... I don't need to labour the toilet roll thing! They reckon they're the best live music venue in South Wales, which is probably not entirely true, but they do put on a good night, and very regularly. They also claim to do great food, have a massive beer garden, internet room and all kinds of other stuff, including open fires in the winter. Again, everything has its foundation on truth, but the Sunday lunch is a carvery, and not my bag at all... if it's yours, you won't be disappointed. It's £5.95 a head!

So glad found this place as met Mark. Although he 55 we 20 nothing wrong with 55 year old man being…read morewith younger girls ..im sure lots of grown men do it? drinks good too..obviously mixing from diffrent households while threw covid risky but we careful where else would you find staff like this

This place is great. The atmosphere and the ambiance is very nice. Paul the manager is polite and…read morevery knowledgeable on drinks. They have a bartender named Author, who is Cardiff Bartender of the year. The guy can make some serious drinks and is a great conversationalist.

10 Feet Tall is a cooky and eccentric vintage looking bar sister to buffalo bar and Mr Smith's that…read moreserves so great meals with wonderful drinks. As if that wasn't enough it hosts live music certain nights and quiz nights. It once hosted a Doctor Who themed quiz night. If that's not enough to please you then I don't know what will! I was luckily enough to go to a staff party in their function room upstairs with a full bar. The whole mood and atmosphere is very relaxed and we all had an excellent time there. They even supplied us with their food. They food looks unique and tastes incredible. Although I was confused to deciding whether what I was eating was a roasted parsnip or a well cooked French fry. To this day I still don't know what it was. This bar is a great place to hang out in groups. It's a friendly place that offers a variety of cocktails and it has a happy hour. The only thing that brings it down slightly is the prices like it's sisters Buffalo and Mr Smith's. So prepare to dig a little deeper in your wallet. 10 Feet Tall is a wonderful bar where you can enjoy a lunch or have great night out with all the events that they host. Just be warned you may spend a little much. I would go after pay day!

I'm a real fan of this place, even if they have no idea what a Cosmopolitan is. They've never got…read moreit right, but the resulting drinks are always drinkable, at least. This bar opened just before I went away to New Zealand and it has been a very pleasant rediscovery on my part. Great nights have been had here, and as I'm not really a fan of just getting too drunk, this is a wonderful place to get tipsy and chat about the Enlightenment. Atmosphere really is the thing that sets this bar apart from others in the surrounding area. And atmosphere is the one thing that keeps bringing me and my cohorts back time and time again. It's classy and funky without seeming snobbish in the slightest. Which is quite an achievement, I think. An excellent place for a night out, or the beginning of a night, if you're that way inclined. Best to get there a little earlier to claim the seats and fill up on tapas.