Wow Bar is a fairly recent addition to the gay scene in Cardiff. On researching the bar, I found…read morethat Wow Bar has been in Cardiff before, but has 'taken a break' for 10 years. A fairly substantial break, I would say! But it's done well for it. Every day there's a 'Cheeky Hour', even better than the humourously named 'Happy Hours' that only last 2hours because it lasts for 3! I have to be honest, we went inside without realising that it was a gay bar. But, we were all (my housemates and myself) glad that we did because the mood in the whole bar is one of outrageous fun. We didn't stay particularly late because we'd only wanted a quiet drink. That went out of the window when the transvestites came in - but it was brilliant! If you go before 11pm it is free entry. After that it begins to turn more into a nightclub. The music is quite Flares-esque - disco, camp, wonderful.

Wow along with it's tagline of 'Wow is stimulation... Wow is exhilaration... Wow is liberation...'…read moreSounds like a crap perfume advert. but enough semantics, I also went in with a group not realising it was a gay bar untill...(I'll save that story for the end of the review) So yea, we went in for Cheeky hour where pretty much all the drinks £1.50, thought it would be a good stop off before we do the running man in a club somewhere. It's pretty brightly coloured inside and was like a tin of sardines in this seemly very popular bar. Main point though, drinks were £1.50 so it could of had wild legged sharks attacking everyone (They'd have water scuba tank to breath) and I wouldn't care. Yes, back to the story, we were leaving and this guy I was talking to earlier who thought he knew me from Uni was asking where I was going next. I replied it was a rock night somewhere and he went ' oh....OH." To which I repeated the sentiment and walked away with the experience of being hit on by another dude. These looks are my gift and curse...

Just spent a month in Cardiff and this was my first stop. Was immediately made welcome and in…read moreshort order it became my local (club). Crazy friendly staff and patrons. I can't wait to get back and see new Cardiff friends! A very mixed crowd in a given night. Young, not as young, trans gay bi leather - the full gamut of the LGBT+ community. As far as Eagle's go, it is a bit posher than the rest of the US/UK Egle variants, but that's hardly an issue - it even adds to the enjoyment!

We visited from Manchester one weekend in April. Nice bar…read more Just the right size for the amount of guys in it (varied ages). Music was good and not too loud. A varied mix depending on the clientele at the time and the bar staff. Mikee, Lisa and Dave were a credit to the bar (Lisa played the better music though LOL) Over all a great bar with friendly staff and punters but don't expect it to be like the other Eagle bars. No play areas.

The cottage used to have quite a bad reputation but has been turned around recently and has changed…read moreall for the better. Likened to the light beachwood of say a harvester, The Cottage has that great local feel to it without ever trying to hard to be anything it's not. They have all the important stuff for man of my simples needs. A dartboard, huge plasma screen for live sporting events, a jukebox and a pool table. Drinks are so cheap here also. If you fancy a quick drink after work you'll will only use two of your shiny pound coins in exchange for golden nectar. The Cottage has also just started to do roast dinners on a sunday for the very reasonable sum of £5.95. I can vouch for it's quality too, the taste far exceeding it's price. The thing with local pubs such as these is that they need local support. The building has been standing for over a hundred years now and needs that continuing support to stand for another 100 years.

One of the very few remaining traditional pubs in the centre of Cardiff. They Predominantly serve…read moreBrowns Beer. Usually quite quiet in the week, but tends to get incredibly busy at the weekend, especially on match days, when the atmosphere really is fantastic. What I particularly like about this place is that the cliental is so varied; on you're average weekend you're quite likely to see teenagers and even 90 year olds, and there are never any tensions. Good place to go after shopping, or if you're looking for a place to meet up for drinks with friends after work. They have a great quiz machine which I've had endless hours of fun with (and even made quite a bit of money on, due to my weird memory for useless trivia).

Just hiding below Park Street are a few little clubs and pubs including The Academy, Basement 45…read moreand the Hatchet. You'll also find an odd looking building, which is home to possibly the most cheesy gay club in town. The drinks aren't too expensive, the music's fun, it's definitely a popular spot for the city's gay crowd. Look out for their themed nights!

Looks like an old pub on the outside but inside is a different story, very fun, vibrant atmosphere,…read moregreat dance floor to the rear and chill seating at the front. Reasonable drink prices, clean toilets and friendly staff. Would definitely go back next time I'm in Bristol.

Although located in the heart of Cardiff's gay scene, Icon is one of the more tame bars catering to…read moreCardiff's vibrant LGB community. Not tame in a bad way (maybe understated is the right word?), but its laid-back atmosphere makes Icon the perfect option for anyone looking to enjoy a few drinks before heading on to more lively bars like Pulse or Wow. Icon was arguably more popular before the likes of the above opened a few years ago, but that works to its advantage, I think - now you can bring a mate here and actually hear what they're saying, as opposed to the rest of Cardiff's gay bars which are pretty packed come the weekend. Plus points: the guys behind the bar are always up for a bit of banter - especially when your hair nearly catches on fire after swigging from a martini glass that's been set alight. Good times.

I popped into Icon the other day and there was only me and the barman there. That was on a Friday…read moreso it didn't look good. In the unseemly rush to spend their Pink Pounds in Pulse and Wow the gay community has well and truly deserted Icon. Which is a real pity as I had some very good nights in this bar. It tended to be more women than men which was refreshing. It also had a proper cocktail bar feel about it and was a great place to celebrate anything. The only downside were the perilous steps into and out of the place which are difficult to negotiate after a couple of Moscow Mules too many. The location was also ideal as it was on Charles Street but right at the end of the street so it felt quite relaxed and private. It was also a stone's throw from Exit which was handy for those ill-advised trips to a club that happen once in a blue moon nowadays. The other important thing was that they had lots of toilets all in working order with locks on. Heaven.

Worcester's well known LGBT venue currently finishing the last stages of a serious makeover,…read moreopening very soon!

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.

The Woods can be found just off of Park Street and is the sister bar to Elbow Street just slightly…read moredown the way. If the Elbow Room was going through puberty, drunk and passed out on the floor, The Woods has grown up, got a job and developed a taste for whisky and fine wines. This late night drinking venue is a victim of its own success and is often packed to the rafters will drunken revellers and city boys. It is a little on the pricey side, but I always find it worth the money considering what the other, unholy options are. Head upstairs if you're looking for a more relaxing atmosphere with your beer.

Set slightly away from Park Street, you'll spot this bar by its distinctive yellow front. This is…read moresomething of a specialist bar with a focus on whisky. This means behind the bar you'll find rows and rows of (pricey) whisky on display to tempt you. The focus on whisky is taken pretty seriously; they don't even serve beer by the pint, you have to buy it by the jug. Apart from the prices there isn't much too complain about here. It opens late, and this is a great place for late night drinking session. The big comfy sofas upstairs should help with this too. It's very popular, which is a blessing and curse as always. I recommend going on a week night, as you've got half a chance of getting one of those sofas then but it certainly won't be quiet. Also, it's worth knowing there's sometimes a queue to get it at the weekend.

Podiums. Poles. Posers. Pop. Everything you expect from a gay night out, it's pretty standard…read morereally. What to say? Well, there is a cloakroom, thank the Heavens, because it's super useful to have somewhere to dump your outerwear when it's minus five degrees outside and you've been lugging your thickest coat around with you all night. So yes...dump the coat and it's time to dance. And dance you will, with the DJ busting out some real floor-fillers from the cheesiest chart hits to red hot recent releases. One good thing is that there are places you can actually TALK when you're not dancing. There are a couple of seated areas, and spaces where the music is just a wee bit quieter, but enough that you can hear people, well, if they shout loud enough. This is nice, I find it really limiting when clubs don't have anywhere where you can do anything other than dance. A girl needs a break, you know? The bar is rather well-stocked and the staff are efficient: never had to queue too long to get served which can be such a relief. I can't remember the exact pricing, but I think it was pretty similar to other places in the area. The toilets unfortunately let the place down a little bit. There are only two toilets in the ladies, which is a bad start anyway, but even worse when one of them is out of order. Cue: queue. They're also pretty miserable...decorated in black from ceiling to the floor with poor lighting so that you can barely see yourself in the mirror. In addition, it's freezing in there. Pretty sure I could see my breath. Oh and there was no toilet roll, boooo. Aside from that though, I did actually have a really fun night. When I go back to Bristol I'd quite like to try somewhere else, but I could easily be persuaded to come back to omg.

If you're in Bristol then you MUST go to omg!!…read more I have had the best nights of my life going to this place! and haven't spent an arm and a leg either!! Drinks are so cheap its unreal! Wednesdays are a good night out as its their student night! Its free entry and £1.50 drinks! Fridays and Saturdays are always busy! their bar is so big you barley ever Queue for drinks. Their sound systems is just amazing! If you love base then Omg is the right place for you! They have unisex toilets that have about 8 cubicles and also a separate men and woman's toilets! So again, You barley have to Queue! Omg also has so many funky booths around the club to sit in with Friends, which is always good. 10/10 club! would deffo recommend you to go!

You could easily miss this place as it sits on a bizzare road split. This means the pub looks like…read morea really thin slice of cake. I've only ever come here during the day and it always seems pretty quiet, I think the food is pretty over priced and it's a bit to far away from the centre to be a good place to meet for a lunch time pint or meal. Not my favourite spot.

An interesting metal pub in that it serves real ale and high quality food!…read moreJust two ales on when I arrived, usually there are more. Enjoyed a Saltaire Winter Ale Tucked into a veal schnitzl with sweet potatoe wedges. Very good feed! I was impressed. Enjoyed the music too, but that's just me :)