Cool cocktail spot with loungy, trendy vibes. Music is loud, so don't come here for meaningful…read moreconversation. Solid third date kind of a spot (dark & sexy) but also a cool place to hang with friends. Cocktails were good, though we went right after the Oasis gig so they had a reduced menu for the weekend. Still everything we had ranged from solid to great. Service was friendly and helpful.

I wish that I could give this place more than 5 stars. This is absolutely one of my favourite…read moreplaces that I have ever been - and certainly the best cocktails that I have ever had. My husband took me here as part of my birthday treat a few months ago and I will be forever grateful that he did. It is really quite difficult to put in to words just how good the cocktails are. The premise of this place is that they make 'molecular cocktails' - essentially cocktails that they have scientifically concocted so that all of the ingredients complement each other molecularly. For just £50 per person, you are treated to a 7-course cocktail menu. With each delicious cocktail you are brought a unique side dish that has been chosen specifically for that drink. We were given such unusual dishes (including slices of cured meats and filled pasta!) that oddly did enhance the taste of the cocktails. As well as the delicious cocktails, what this place also has going for it is the decor. It is very sleek, elegant and gothic. The service is also incredibly good as well. I would absolutely recommend going to this cocktail bar if you can. You would be stupid not to go here. It is absolutely worth visiting. I cannot wait to return.

The Clive is a firm favourite with many of my friends who live in Canton, and I do have to say that…read moreI like their pub quiz which is challenging but not too overwhelming that I can't answer anything! It also has a Karaoke night which I have very shamefully appeared in!! It also has pool tables and a beer garden which adds to the appeal. Again there is a good mix of people who go there and because its such a spacious place you'll be able to find your own little nock to hide away in. Its really is a great place to meet up with friends and enjoy a beer.

The Clive is another prong in Greene King's attack on the hegemony that Brains have on the drinking…read moreculture in our fair city. And good on them I say, a bit of competition doesn't hurt anybody. So while Greene King's The Claude, The Poet's Corner and The Corporation fight in other corners of the city, it is The Clive's job to grab some market share in The Victoria Park area. And like the aforementioned pubs, they do this through clear pricing, cheap and plentiful grub, Sky Sports and a plethora of pool tables. So much so that they even have a pool table in the beer garden, which seems so illogical that it borders on being a genius idea. The bar is clean and spacious, they have a large beer garden out back, with a partially covered bit and a barbeque pit although I can't ever remember it being in use. The staff are friendly and helpful but the main thing going for it is the cheapness of the beer.

There's a theme to pubs around this area, they all seem to have skittle alleys! Whats more this one…read morealso has darts and cards. I really miss pubs like this were the atmosphere isn't all about getting drunk, but more about getting people together. There is a real community feel to this pub, there is a good mix of people and the big fire places are especially welcome in the winter. You get all your usual Brains drinks here and they do a pretty decenet lunch menu too.

The Victoria Park is another one of those lovely traditional pubs that line Cardiff's main roads,…read morebut what sets this one apart for me, is the addition of darts. I find it's one of those games that grows more fun the more inebriated (and less coordinated) you become. The Victoria Park was originally built in 1897 to serve as a hotel, and even boasted a ladies smoke room at one point (ah, those were the days). Now after its refurbishment about a decade ago, the pub has transformed into more of open-plan layout, complete with fireplaces and skittle alley. Thankfully, The Victoria Park's not one of Cardiff's scary watering holes, evident by the mix of tranquil generations who congregate here for a pint (plus, they welcome children, which is typically a good sign), making it a perfect pit stop after a day of sunbathing in nearby Victoria Park.

Amazing! Lovely dark academia/ alchemy atmosphere. The food is the best I've had in Wales! Not to…read moremention the super cool interactive alchemist /molecular style drinks. Love this vibe and delicious food.

A great stop for some amazingly unique drinks! The atmosphere was fabulous, and the super friendly…read more staff took their time to recommend some great choices! A must stop if you enjoy a good cocktail, or two!

The Butchers Arms is on the corner of the street that leads to Chapter Art Centre. Even though it…read moreis only about 50 meters form Cowbridge Road East, with all of the Sky Sports Pubs and the associated rowdy behaviour, The Butchers Arms couldn't be more different. It's very much a traditional, locals pub that seems to pay no regard to the world that goes on around it. They play their own tune, instead of pandering to the vicissitudes of others.... so it remains nothing like Chapter, and certainly bares no resemblance to all of the others. I love it for this! Even though they remain unaffected, this does not mean that they don't know what they are doing! They serve Brains for one, and have recently won another award... and deservedly so!

The Butchers Arms is one of Canton's best 'traditional' community pubs, a friendly place serving…read moreBrains beer with good landlords and bar staff, and a nice crowd mixing locals with arty people from the nearby Chapter Arts Centre. The landlords seem to be very well-respected by their customers and do a lot to justify their popularity - organising themed evenings, and even (I've heard) going away on trips and holidays with some of their regulars! Even if you're not a regular, you're never made to feel like you've invaded the place when you walk in (unlike some other local pubs), and it's a great pub in which to enjoy a fairly quiet drink - and such establishments aren't in great supply in Canton!. They always have a guest ale on tap, as well as their regular draughts including Brains SA, Dark and Bitter.

Surprise to me that the Conway was a bit out of the city center area However, that is the only…read morenegative given where our hotel was. Everything about this place was fabulous. We loved the service, the atmosphere and light decor to the food! We were first sat in the dining room but a large double family group was too loud for our liking so we requested to eat in the bar - which they accommodated. Starters of Scotch egg and Toasted Brie Cheese was a great to our meal. We both had steaks which were cooked perfectly which we enjoyed immensely. Last but not least we finished with the snickers bar tart which was inspired. So much so I want to try and mimic it at home. All in all, great food and service and we would love to go back.

Found this place near our Airbnb, really good food we had sausage and mash, lamb, as well as fish…read moreand chips. Whilst the kid's burger was a little over grilled, he loved the thin fries. And the staff was super friendly, overall we had a good time and enjoyed our dinner.

This is a great little pub (even if I do always get lost trying to find it!)…read more There is something wonderful about seeing the traditional looking frontage from afar as you meader around the Canton/Pontcanna streets. It looks so inviting and cozy. Now, this is a pub of many charms. Firstly, it is in Pontcanna and has a real Pontcanna feel about it. But not too much, as it is also Canton. A perfect balance if you ask me. There are two bars - a lounge and a bar if you will - and everytime I've been in there has been something riotous going on. But in a good way. It has always had something of a private party about it, with people that seem to know one another and are happy to include you. There is usually music of some description, either live bands or karaoke, and people unselfconsciously enjoying themselves. There is a kind of merge between indoors and outdoors, and the party spills out into the spacious beer garden. There are unavoidable references to Ms Church and her gang, but then even these seem quite unselfconscious. You really get the feeling that if there are any 'celebs' in, then they're in for the same reason as you; a drink, a natter and a bit of a night out!

This is a small local pub in the Canton area. If you go during the day, then you will be welcomed…read moreby the locals that frequent there, and you can have a quiet drink with friends; a wide variety of people are attracted. They have a good selection of food available every day, and the prices are all reasonable. There is a seating area outside, just off the not-too-busy street, pleasantly shaded under trees. There is also a back area which can cater to the playing of French Boules, which can certainly be a very pleasant way to spend an afternoon. Classic pub activities can also be enjoyed, including quiz nights and occasional live music, which pack out the place to give it more a raucous atmosphere. This is an accommodating place, known for its banter and friendliness, rather than their selection of cocktails or food. Go for a comfortable evening out.

This is listed as the Goat Major but is in fact reverted back to The Bluebell. Not many pubs…read moremanaged to keep its original feel as a true pub but the Bluebell has managed to do it. The food was excellent along with the service, the bar staff were engaging and professional which added to the welcoming ambience. Located right across from Cardiff Castle well worth a visit.

One minute walk from the front of Cardiff Castle, this is military related pub is traditional as it…read moregets. It's a proper old man's pub ideal for everyone above the age of 18. Here is a bit of history the name is taken from the Mascot of the Royal 41st regiment of Wales. They carried a live goat on the Russian front line in the Crimean War. The goat survived the War and was introduced to Queen Victoria back in England. Originally simply called the Goat, the pub was renamed the Bluebell in 1813, and finally the Goat Major in 1995. To this day when the Royal Regiment of Wales names a new goat as its mascot they get several column inches dedicated to them in the Welsh press. I've never eaten here - nor would I want to as it strikes me a strictly drinking pub with lots of real ales on the menu and wall to wall dark wood panelling. Wednesday is Welsh night by the way and apparently the pub offers a range of Goat Major memorabilia - I can't say I'd noticed.

This was pretty much my local for almost two decades, and I have only ever recently managed to…read moreventure in. This is because it is not the most welcoming of pubs, and like the Ivor Davies down the road, doesn't really benefit from some of the regulars and locals that frequent. Apart from this, the drinks available and the service are both good. They have a tucked away outside area, and fortunately the patrons seem to now have learnt that smoking in a big back in the doorway on the pavement isn't really okay. The decor of the place is standard, if a little tired, and the sports can be played really loudly. This is the kind of pub that you don't enjoy walking past late at night because of the people and noise spilling out of it.

The King's Castle looks like it's up for sale. I'm hoping that the Institute for the Blind or The…read moreRoyal National Institute for Deaf People, or, if we live a perfect world, they would form a one off alliance so that they could snatch this unholy heap off the market and convert it into a retirement home for the hearing and vision impaired... then peace at last! I'm no fan of The Kings Castle, but I guess that you have already gathered that! It's the noise you see... If it's not the blaring sports screens with the uncompromising tones of over-heated commentators roaring so loud that you can hear it from the street, it's the atrociously bad Karaoke singing that could curdle fresh milk. So what if the drinks are cheap? I'd rather spend my money elsewhere. You'll only find me in here if I'm meeting friends on the hop, and then I only usually stay for one drink. It's not just the noise that I find anti-social either. The locals can be a tad bawdy too! (By the way, I don't think that they're actually selling the place, but it has got a 'to let' sign hanging off the wall... (as Ben Elton would say, "what did they do with the missing letter 'I'?")... I can dream!)