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    Clwb Ifor Bach

    4.4 (34 reviews)
    Closed 7:00 pm - 3:00 am (Next day)

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    Rebecca B.

    This Cardiff club, tucked away along a narrow alley opposite the castle, is often referred to by English speakers simply as 'the Welsh Club'. It's always had a loyal following amongst Welsh language speakers, but is also popular amongst Cardiff's many non-Welsh speakers, including plenty of English university students. Its enduring popularity is probably mainly thanks to its combination of popular themed club nights and live gigs that showcase local bands as well as up and coming touring groups. The atmosphere at gigs is generally really supportive and enthusiastic, and with just a small stage the crowd is right up close to the band, creating a great live atmosphere. The club looks something and nothing from the outside, and is far from glitzy once you're on the inside too (in fact it's a bit of a dive), but it still has a cool that lots of other alternative clubs find hard to acquire. If you're into indie, rock or live gigs, at some point you'll end up here - and even if you're into cheesy disco, they'll probably have a club night sometime during the week that will suit your tastes.

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    7 years ago

    Great venue for live music! I've watched many bands and artists playing there. Always had a night to remember :)

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    18 years ago

    Awesome place for live music and avoiding chavs.

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    Clwb Ifor Bach Reviews in Other Languages

    Review Highlights - Clwb Ifor Bach

    Clwb Ifor Bach or Welsh club to the non-welsh yelpers out there is quite frankly the best club in Cardiff for me.

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    The Live Lounge

    The Live Lounge

    3.5(22 reviews)
    0.2 mi
    ££

    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.

    Photos
    The Live Lounge
    The Live Lounge
    The Live Lounge

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    Millennium Music Hall - Photo from official website at http://millenniummusichall.fatsoma.com

    Millennium Music Hall

    5.0(2 reviews)
    0.3 mi

    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

    Photos
    Millennium Music Hall - Photo from official website at http://millenniummusichall.fatsoma.com

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    Photo from official website at http://millenniummusichall.fatsoma.com

    Café Jazz - official website

    Café Jazz

    3.8(16 reviews)
    0.2 mi
    ££

    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.

    Photos
    Café Jazz - A gig at Jazz Cafe. Photo from official website: http://www.cafejazzcardiff.com

    A gig at Jazz Cafe. Photo from official website: http://www.cafejazzcardiff.com

    Café Jazz
    Café Jazz - Cafe Jazz live music

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    Cafe Jazz live music

    Cardiff Arts Institute - Website Picture

    Cardiff Arts Institute

    4.1(16 reviews)
    0.4 mi
    £££

    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!

    Photos
    Cardiff Arts Institute - Website Picture

    Website Picture

    Cardiff Arts Institute - Http://cardiffartsinstitute.org/galleries/

    Http://cardiffartsinstitute.org/galleries/

    Cardiff Arts Institute

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    Buffalo

    Buffalo

    3.6(38 reviews)
    0.4 mi
    £££

    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.

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    Buffalo
    Buffalo
    Buffalo

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    The Globe - Photo by Ian Burgess from the official website: http://www.theglobecardiff.com/

    The Globe

    3.4(14 reviews)
    1.2 mi
    ££

    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.

    Photos
    The Globe
    The Globe - Seating area. Photo by Ian Burgess from the official website: http://www.theglobecardiff.com/

    Seating area. Photo by Ian Burgess from the official website: http://www.theglobecardiff.com/

    The Globe

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    The Claude - Official picture

    The Claude

    3.2(18 reviews)
    1.2 mi
    £

    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!

    Photos
    The Claude - Official picture

    Official picture

    The Claude
    The Claude

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    10 Feet Tall - http://www.thisis10feettall.co.uk/

    10 Feet Tall

    3.9(22 reviews)
    0.1 mi
    £££

    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.

    Photos
    10 Feet Tall
    10 Feet Tall - Kdyby nebylo jasno v adrese :D

    Kdyby nebylo jasno v adrese :D

    10 Feet Tall - Fajn zahrádka :)

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    Fajn zahrádka :)

    Clwb Ifor Bach - danceclubs - Updated May 2026

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