Itchy Cardiff Drink Reviews and recommendations

Cardiff Arts Institute

If you're looking for quirky, look no further hipsters. Café and gallery by day, bar by night, Cardiff Arts Institute transforms its quaint, sofa-filled space from a life drawing class to a gig venue for budding Laura Marlings - beanbags and soft lighting included. A man with a wicker basket and bow-tie DJs an electro-swing night on a Friday and you can nurse your hangover with a roast dinner and pub quiz on Sundays from 4pm. Somehow, drinking tea in a place that looks like your mates house is infinitely cooler if there's a Lego wall. And it's all relatively cheap! Sold.

Susie Thorne

Ba Rooba
It would be easy to bypass Ba Rooba without a second glance, and judging by its fairly sparse number of customers it would seem that most people do just that. However, this is a real shame. This modest and relaxed bar provides a much needed alternative to the vast numbers of nearby student bars placing too much emphasis on the 'cheap' and not enough on the 'cheerful.' Its food menu is pretty vast considering its limited dining space, and although I'd definitely tend towards coming here for a quiet drink as opposed to a three course meal, it is nonetheless very nice food at a very reasonable price. Drinks are equally cheap, with a handful of offers aimed at enticing the masses (though, sadly, not quite managing). Still, modest or not Ba Rooba is more than worth checking out- and perfectly situated for a cheeky pint enroute to university.
Emma Brown- Check out Emma's blog here.

Koko Gorillaz
Its an urban jungle out there, and the cool cats at Kokos are prepared for the inevitable eventuality that Cardiffians will seek a retreat from bustling streets, and polished coffee bars. With the newly refurbished Desperados bar, Kokos is about breaking the mould, letting your hair down with friends, and indulging in/sharing what are very nearly 2 pints of cocktails for just 4.95 (who needs dainty glasses with bits of floating fruit?!). Once rejuvenated, why not release your inner party animals and head to the attic for local bands and DJs, or mellow out to acoustic tunes and shisha on the rooftop?
Tangwen Roberts

The Full Moon
The Full Moon Bar’s minimal signage would be easy to miss if it wasn’t directly opposite Cardiff’s ever-popular Clwb Ifor Bach (Welsh Club). You can chill out downstairs from 4pm every day in the understated bar, full of dark corners with the odd live music session on their smaller stage. Priding themselves on showcasing the best independent music, the bands kick off at 7pm, moving to the upstairs bar from 9 o’clock for some of the best up-and-coming sounds in the area. The Full Moon attracts a strong following of music-lovers, making it one of the trendier hangouts for city-dwellers with prices that won’t make your eyes water. Dress code: vintage jumper, edgy haircut, ukulele slung effortlessly over shoulder.

Hannah Embleton-Smith