YOUR FAB 20-PAGE WHAT’S ON GUIDE
An A-Z of all the great things that the Welsh capital has to offer residents and visitors
The Welsh capital is, and always has been, a special place with lots of things to see and do. You might think you know the city, but with amazing restaurants, hidden gems and family attractions, it’s well worth another look. Here are 26 things to enjoy
Ais for arcades
From their gorgeous glass roofs and wooden balconies to the businesses and people who populate them, you’ll find a plethora of interesting, useful and delicious things on offer in the fine arcades in Cardiff.
We’ve got the Morgan, Royal, Duke Street, High Street, Castle and Wyndham Arcades and they are all fab.
Bis for Brains beer
Forget tea. This is the national brew of Wales. There is nothing quite like stepping off a train at Cardiff Central Station and smelling the malt that has floated on the morning breeze for years.
Cis Caroline Street
Otherwise known as Chippy Lane, it’s sold fish and chips as far back as the 19th century and is synonymous with a night out in the Welsh capital.
Chip Alley, or Chippy Lane as it is known today, is generally the last port of call for late night revellers in the city.
Dis for Doctor Who
The much-loved Doctor Who Experience has now gone from the Welsh capital, but it’s still very much the home of the BBC show as it’s filmed in Cardiff at the BBC studios in Porth Teigr, Cardiff Bay.
You can also take a Doctor Who Cardiff City Walking Tour, where you will get to experience where over 30 memorable scenes from more than 20 episodes that have taken place.
Eis for Ely
It’s been labelled Cardiff’s most deprived suburb but it has a strong loyal community, working to make it a better place to live.
Notable people born there include Sir Henry Morgan, Shakin Stevens, boxers Steve Robinson and Nicky Piper, model and actress Danielle Lineker and Wales football coach and Manchester United legend Ryan Giggs.
Fis for football
Cardiff City Stadium isn’t just home to the Championship club, but also to our Welsh team, now managed by Cardiff’s own Ryan Giggs. And who can forget the homecoming the Wales football team – including Whitchurch boy Gareth Bale – had in Cardiff after their triumph at the 2016 Euros. Cardiff cheered on the boys in style. And, don’t forget, Cardiff also hosted the Champions League final at the Principality Stadium against Real Madrid and Juventus with Cristiano Ronaldo’s team Real Madrid lifting the trophy after a 4-1 win.
Gis for Giovannis
It’s the longest family-run Italian restaurant in Cardiff and, from humble beginnings in 1983, has become a true Cardiff institution.
The iconic venue serves great food in a fab atmosphere, which is why the celebrities have come flocking over the years. There is barely an inch of wall that doesn’t have photos of Giovanni’s famous customers in his restaurants (he also has one on Park Place).
His for history
Right in the heart of the city stands the famous and beautiful castle, a building that represents nearly 2,000 years of history.
If you live in Cardiff and haven’t actually taken a look, do it. It’s beautiful.
And, of course, we have Castell Coch and Llandaff Cathedral too.
Iis for Ianto’s Shrine
Ianto Jones was a fictional character in Torchwood and Ianto, played by Gareth David-Lloyd, appeared in every episode of the first three series.
He died on screen in 2009 but, eight years on, the shrine is still going strong – in fact it’s even labelled on Google as a historical landmark!
Fans have left messages on the site in Cardiff Bay used as the entrance through Ianto’s Tourist Information shop to the Torchwood bunker.
Jis for Jacob’s antique market
This is a real Cardiff gem. It’s a fourfloor, red brick building housing more than 50 stalls selling everything from second-hand/ antique furniture to vintage clothes, books, military memorabilia and bric a brac.
Anyone into vintage will have been here.
Kis for the Kairdiff accent
The Cardiff accent is a truly lovely thing – it’s all about the long “a” sound. Think about the word remarkable – now say it as “remaaarkable” – hitting a high C in the middle.
Lis for Llandaff
It’s the birthplace of Roald Dahl, houses the stunning beauty that is Llandaff Cathedral as well as the pretty high street, home to coffee shops, hairdressers, The Bay Leaf, one of the nicest curry houses in Cardiff, and other restaurants including Porro and Seren .
You will also find Insole Court, a magnificent Victorian Gothic mansion that has been transformed into a thriving community base.
Mis for market
Cardiff’s Indoor Market is impressive from the off with its Victoria structure offering shoppers a unique experience.
All under one great glass roof, you’ll find a wealth of products from the most amazing selection of Welsh cakes you’ve ever seen to pots and pans, greeting cards and florists.
In all honesty, it’s also a foodie heaven.
Nis for Novello
Born David Ivor Davies in Cardiff, this composer, singer and actor was one of the most popular British entertainers of the early 20th century.
He wrote the popular wartime song Keep the Home Fires Burning and starred in his own musicals throughout the 1930s and 40s, and starred in Hitchcock’s The Lodger, an early hit for the director.
There is a blue plaque on his birthplace in Cowbridge Road East and there is also a statue to him outside the Wales Millennium C entre.
Ois for outdoors
We are literally spoilt for choice when it comes to enjoying a bit of greenery in Cardiff.
There is the lush Bute Park right in the middle of town, Roath Park , with its gorgeous lake, gardens and conservatory, as well as Hailey Park, Victoria Park, which has a popular splash pad for the kids during the summer, Thompson’s Park, Heath Park and Llandaff Fields.
Pis for pizza
In Cardiff, our love of pizza can rival the passion of a Napoli native. Homemade dough and sauce is the key and Cardiff’s pizza places open a
door to a whole new world of sliced deliciousness.
From Pizza Pronto to Dusty Knuckle, the Dough Thrower to Calabrisella it’s a haven for pizza fans.
Qis for Queen Street
It was the jewel of Cardiff’s shopping scene and though it’s taken a bit of a hit thanks to the redevelopment of the area around St David’s shopping centre it’s still a popular spot.
During its glory days it had Littlewoods, Woolworths, Laura Ashley and Gap and Cardiff would certainly benefit from giving this iconic street a rejuvenation.
As well as the shops, it’s also home to the bronze Aneurin Bevan statue, commemorating the founder of the National Health Service.
Ris for rugby
It’s hard to put into words just how much the rugby means to the people of Cardiff and the rest of Wales.
It’s about passion, pride, and patriotism.
It’s about cheering the boys on in the pub, lining the streets singing, drinking the bars dry.
There is nothing quite like a match-day in Cardiff on a rugby international day. The atmosphere is insane. S is for Spillers When Henry Spiller opened his phonograph shop in 1894, he would have no idea it would live to become the world’s oldest record shop.
Today, Spiller’s Records in Morgan Arcade sells the latest vinyl releases from up-and-coming bands as well as the seminal albums from music’s most influential artists. It sells local gig tickets too.
Tis for Taff Trail
You can follow the Taff Trail along the river for miles, all the way to Castell Coch if you’re up for a really long walk or cycle.
At times, it’ll just be you and the still river.
Uis for unbelievable talent
There are some simple amazingly talented people who were born in Cardiff.
In the world of showbiz, think Dame Shirley Bassey, singer Charlotte Church, Daleks creator Terry Nation, singer Shakin Stevens, and, of course, the world’s greatest author Roald Dahl.
In the world of sport, think Gareth Bale, Ryan Giggs, Sam Warburton, Craig Bellamy and Joe Ledley and many, many others as well as Olympic cyclist Geraint Thomas, who earned the Welsh capital a gold postbox when he triumphed in London 2012.
Vis for vegan
If you believe in ethical eating, Cardiff is right up there with the best when it comes to vegetarian and vegan cafes and restaurants.
The Cosy Club has an extensive choice as well as Crumbs Kitchen and you might want to head to Milgi on City Road, which is a plant based restaurant and bar in City Road or The Vegetarian Food Studio.
More recently, Cafe Atma has opened too.
Wis for Wales Millennium Centre This amazing building is the nation’s home for performing arts and it’s right in the heart of Cardiff Bay.
It provides an extensive programme of world class entertainment and just this year will be showing smash-hit musicals like Shrek, Wicked and Matilda as well as Sunset Boulevard.
It’s also home to the glass-shattering Welsh National Opera productions.
Xis for X-rated
Love Craft. It’s the sex shop in Canton that is still going strong after 21 years. In fact, Super Furry Animals named their seventh studio album after the shop, as their management offices were close by.
Y is for yesterday
If you love this city and want to learn more, the Glamorgan Archives is the place for you. Hidden at the back of Cardiff City stadium, centuries of documents are stored here. You can do everything from look at deeds of your home, to school registers.
Zis for zoology
The zoological collection at the National Museum Wales ranges from tiny insects to the skeleton of a Humpback whale.
Situated in the heart of Cardiff’s elegant civic centre, it houses Wales’ national art, geology and natural history collections as well as major touring and temporary exhibitions. The art collection at National Museum Cardiff is one of Europe’s finest and you take an amazing journey in The Evolution of Wales from the very beginnings of time to the present day.
And, of course, just down the road is St Fagans National Museum of History too, which is one of Europe’s leading open air museums. Both are free to visit too.