Pubs in Cardiff

Pubs in Canton, Roath, Cathays, Riverside, Pontcanna

City Centre pubs frequented by alternative types

City Arms, Quay Street - can be a quiet drinking spot during the week, good priced drinks and a mainstream indie type disco regularly. Very diverse clientele, from local bands to older rugby fans. Avoid like the plague when there's something on at the Millennium Stadium and Saturdays can be hellish busy. Late licence.

Goat Major, High Street - almost an old mans pub, you will get stared at if you walk in on a quiet night. Another to avoid on match days. Late licence, pub quiz on Sundays.

The Gatekeeper, Westgate St. - a Weatherspoons pub, so cheaper drinks. Used to be the hang out of many an emo/indie/punk/rock kid and Cardiff muso before they made it a bit posher and put the prices up, now they frequent its upstairs mainly before gigs and Friday/Saturday club nights at Clwb over the road.

Dempseys, Castle St. - Sky Sports downstairs, random gigs and indie club nights upstairs.

Callaghans, Cowbridge Road East (town end) - a late licence and Guinness at £1.50 a pint before 11pm during the week, a fine hide out on wet winter nights. Regular gigs of small bands and solo artists, some random events throughout the week such as salsa nights. The music is never so loud that it gets in the way of a good conversation if you sit at the back.

Pen and Wig, Park Grove - frequented by students, graduates, their lecturers and intellectual types from the University and nearby Assembly buildings. Nice atmosphere, busy at weekends though. Many board games available and a pool table outside, pub quiz every Tuesday.

Capsule, Charles Street - owned by uber-cool Cardiff music and media types, this small gallery/restaurant combo is designed for stylish and cool people who like looking at modern art when consuming their pizza.

Floyds Bar, High St. - tiny, stylish bar with good bottled beer.

More 'mainstream' Cardiff City Centre pubs

Owain Glyndwr, John St. - having endured several name changes and renovations over the last few years, the Owain has settled into its present guise as a city-centre bar with loud urban-based music and an anodyne drinking experience. Expensive and sterile, it requires a special effort to enjoy it.

Old Orleans, Church St. - vast range of cocktails, busy later on. A bar that doesn't seem to have any central heating.

Tiger Tiger, Greyfriar St. - 'the Bar, Club and Grill in the heart of the City'. Not cheap, open late, a favourite for leaving do's and other after work drinking activities with colleagues.

No. 33, Windsor Place - a no-smoking bar even before the ban took effect, and expensive for the privilege.

Kings Cross, The Hayes - Cardiff's best-known and most central lesbian-, gay- and bisexual-friendly pub.

Queens Vaults, Westgate Street - Sky Sports and very sport orientated. Avoid on match days unless you really want that sort of thing.

The Yard, Brewery Quarter, St. Mary Street - another common after work booze-up starting place. Not cheap, but the suited and bow-tied clientele are often worth a laugh.

Golden Cross, Mill Lane - had to be included, another of Cardiff's best known gay pubs.

Central Bar, Windsor Place and Prince of Wales, Wood St. - along with The Gatekeeper, these pubs make up Weatherspoons contribution to Cardiff city centre drinking. These two are mainstream, sporty, chav-tastic and can be rough. As always with Weatherspoons, the drinks are cheap and the food is consistent.

The Wharf, The Bay - Sky Sports in a large, open, modern pub. Catch comedians on the verge of hitting the big time at the Thursday comedy nights, and a big room upstairs to be hired. Not really City Centre, but nowhere else to put it.