Food & Drink Recommendations

Cardiff is a really fun and exciting place to live. There's always something going on in this lively little city. Whether you're looking for a late night out, a sit down drink or a cup of coffee- Cardiff has it all.

If you’re looking for drinks/food or a fun place to dance:

• Revolution is an American, British bar that has multiple rooms with different atmospheres. If you prefer to spend the night dancing away, upstairs has a large dance floor and electronic music and downstairs has a small dance floor, next to the bar, where they play many classic throwback songs. There is also heated patio with many seats, music in the background, included with two foosball tables!

• Turtle Bay is a Caribbean, Jamaican restaurant/bar. This bar has a large drinking menu that makes you wish you were beachside. The cocktails taste amazing and are priced relatively well. They play lots of reggae music, which is very fitting for the atmosphere! It’s a great bar to drink and eat and enjoy the company of the people you’re with.

• Las Iguanas is a Mexican, Brazilian restaurant with a 2 for 1 drink deal on any cocktail and great tapas options to share. This bar is a great place to relax while double fisting some long island iced teas. (You can count calories when you’re back home.)

• (Wether)Spoons is a great, cheap place to get drunk with friends and trust me, the drunker you get the more you blend in. There are 3 different Spoons in Cardiff, all of them have different names and look different: Prince of Wales, Gate Keeper, and the Great Western. Laura and I just discovered 7 months into our stay that they offer pitchers for £6 of any drink you want…. I think we would be less broke right now if we discovered this sooner.

• Bingo Lingo is an event held at The Depot near Cardiff Bay. You can order your bingo ticket and entry ticket online and show them the ticket’s on your phone at the door. This is a great night out with many drink deals, great music, fun DJ’s and lots of dancing on tables! It’s a relatively cheap night out and Laura and I had some of our best nights out there!

If you’re looking for delicious meal options:

• Bella Italia is an Italian restaurant that has tasty pizza and pasta dishes but make sure to save room for their gelato desserts! This restaurant is a great option for a casual dinner, with quick service and easy sharing plates. It brings you traditional Italian dishes that are reasonably priced and well done.

• Bill’s is an American, British restaurant that offers great breakfast and lunch options. The restaurant atmosphere is cozy and industrial making you feel like you’re at a local B&B. They offer a great breakfast/brunch option with many Canadian options such pancakes with maple syrup and (streaky) bacon. (Make sure to ask for extra maple syrup).

• Wagamama is a Japanese, Asian restaurant that offers great ramen and teppanyaki dishes. They also offer many vegetarian and vegan friendly options. This is a great restaurant if you’re looking for a healthier lunch/dinner option and enjoy good Asian cuisine.

• The Stable is Italian restaurant that offers amazing stone-oven pizzas and a wide variety of ciders. They have many different kinds of pizza (only place I could find Hawaiian) and it’s a great place to have a relaxed dinner with its cozy atmosphere.

• Ed’s Easy Diner is a retro diner that has a great Canadian breakfast with many different pancake options or a variety of egg dishes and amazing chicken fingers with waffle fries. This restaurant offers the ultimate comfort (hangover) food that will help you recover ASAP.

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• The Chippy is a restaurant on St. Mary Street that offers the best poutine you will ever eat. Yes, I’ve only eaten it on the way home from the bar after a couple (or pitcher) of cocktails but as a born and raised Canadian, trust me when I say their poutine is a must try (multiple times). *Order as chips, fries, and gravy.

If you’re looking for café options:

• Bru is a great place to enjoy a tasty dessert like cookie dough and ice cream sundaes. There is many seating options upstairs and downstairs with a quiet atmosphere so you can work on an assignment or just enjoy your dessert in silence.

• The Little Man is where Laura and I spent majority of our time writing our assignments and enjoying tea/coffee and freshly baked banana bread. This café is a great place to focus and get work done with free Wi-Fi and many people working on their laptops. If you need a study break they offer delicious toasties (fancy name for grilled cheese) and soups. The café is really central, right by the USW Cardiff campus.

Writing this blog post made me really hungry, might head to The Stable for a pizza. Make sure you check these places out!

-Jenna