Your guide to living in Cardiff
Cardiff is a small city with Welsh culture at its heart. Here you'll find a strong focus on local and independent businesses, as well as green spaces and a booming art scene. With the sea, countryside, and a bustling city centre all within short walking or driving distance - Cardiff truly gives the best of both worlds if you’re torn between city and country living.
Where is it?
Cardiff is the capital city of Wales, found on the south coast.
What’s the transport like?
Cardiff is an easily walkable city, so more often than not, it's more convenient to catch a taxi from the centre to the outskirts. There are frequent buses from the city centre and trains that go regularly between Cardiff Central, Queenstreet, and Grangetown. The city also has Next Bike hire and plenty of cycle lanes to make riding around convenient.
Where do the locals go?
Parks:
Bute Park is the city’s most central park, comprising 130 acres of gardens and parkland that once formed the grounds of Cardiff Castle. It’s the perfect place to go for a bike ride, or bring a picnic and some friends for the afternoon. You can explore the grounds of the Castle itself for free, or you can pay for a tour of the remaining building. During winter, book tickets for the annual festive lights trail (perfect for a date night!), and in summer, look out for events like outdoor cinema screenings and concerts. In the West Lodge entrance to the park, you can also visit Pettigrew Tea Rooms for high tea!
The Nant Fawr stream runs alongside Roath Park, up to the 30-acre man-made lake in the park centre. The park is most recognisable from the Scott Memorial Lighthouse on the lake, which is one of Cardiff’s most iconic landmarks. You can hire a pedal boat to explore the lake via water or visit the nearby botanic gardens and conservatory if you prefer to stay on land. Stop by the ice cream emporium for a scoop or two, but be prepared to have your route intercepted by swans and ducks - they’re friendly, we promise.
Events & Activities:
Head to Pontcanna Market at Kings Road Yard on the weekend to explore a local farmers market including food, craft, and vintage stalls. Grab a coffee or beer from their hole-in-the-wall traders, or visit one of their pop-up restaurants for exclusive supper clubs or cocktail evenings. Once a month they host a live jazz night called Yardbird! in the events space which is set up beautifully with fairy lights and candles which makes for a magical evening.
If you’re in the mood to soak up some local art and culture, visit Tramshed. Set inside an old tram depot, this music and arts venue includes a boutique cinema for showing art-house films, and a music hall often used for the annual Radio 6 Music festival, as well as local music. Chapter Arts is another great venue that hosts exhibitions and live performances of experimental and interdisciplinary art. It also has a cafe which serves delicious lunches and coffee.
Why not take a trip down to the Bay for a day out? Formerly a tidal dockland for transporting Welsh coal, the area has been transformed into a freshwater bay with major tourist attractions such as the Millennium Centre and Techniquest, as well as plenty of places to eat and drink. Ride the big wheel for picturesque views over the whole of the city or walk the full length of the bay towards Penarth to visit a proper stone beach and taste some of the best fish and chips. Take a pitstop halfway at Tiger Yard for street food and a drink or two!
The best restaurants:
Cardiff Market (also known as Central Market) has been located inside a Victorian building in the city centre since the 1700s. It’s open 8-5 Monday - Saturday and hosts a range of local businesses selling deli goods, homemade treats and hot food. Bakestones is a market staple and - ask any local - supposedly makes the best Welsh Cakes in Cardiff. For 35p each, watch them griddle the hotcakes in front of you and choose from their selection of traditional flavour cakes as well as off-piste combinations like lemon curd and white chocolate! Explore other local street food options like Ffwrnes for award-winning pizza, Pierogi Cardiff for family-recipe dumplings or Bao Selecta for bao buns or delicious Korean fried chicken and sticky rice.
If you’re feeling fancy, book a table at Pasture. The menu is based around fire-cooking - think roasted and smoked dry-aged steak, and chicken and fish with mouth-watering sides like charred veg and dripping chips. This restaurant definitely isn't a cheap eat, so save a visit for a special occasion and an excuse to dress up, and prepare to splash the cash on a few cocktails too!
Tapas lovers should head down to Bar 44. The restaurant is in a former canal warehouse, split into four separate subterranean rooms with arched brick ceilings and dim lighting. The menu aims to showcase the best Spanish produce and as much locally sourced ingredients as possible. It’s the perfect place for sharing a bottle of red wine with a friend or cosying up with a date - order a couple of plates of triple-cooked patatas bravas, tuna tartare or ham croquettes!
The best pubs:
If you’re looking for a pub to watch the Autumn Internationals, head down to the Pontcanna Inn. Watch the game on the big screen in their large covered beer garden, before walking through the nearby Sophia Gardens to continue your night in the city centre. On a regular week, they’re open for lunch and dinner, and serve brunch on the weekend. Cosy up in the corner and get yourself a pint of craft beer on tap. Other great pub options are; The Robin Hood in Pontcanna, and The Claude in Roath - both have large beer gardens and a welcoming vibe.
Cardiff loves keeping it local when it comes to drinks, so you'll be spoilt for choice of breweries! Tiny Rebel is owned by a brewery based in Newport that started with humble beginnings as just two guys in a garage. They’re now renowned for their unique flavour IPAs and even more unique names such as Clwb Tropicana (tropical IPA), and Electric Boogaloo (passionfruit NEIPA). Other breweries with excellent craft beer options and indoor seating space are Mad Dog Brewery, Pipes, and Crafty Devil.
If your go-to drink is a G&T, Gin and Juice is the place for you. With a 14-page menu of over 400 gins, categorised from ‘beginners choice’ to ‘gin expert’. So even if it’s not your spirit of choice, you’re guaranteed to find a gin you’ll like. The bar is based in the Castle Arcade which is a hot spot for food and music on the weekends. They have a no-reservations policy though, so get there early on busier evenings to secure a table. You can now also check out its sister bar opposite, Rum and Fizz!
The best coffee shops:
If you’re looking for a grab-and-go lunch, Corner Coffee now has two cafes, conveniently around the corner from one another. One specialises in brunches where you can get a brekkie brioche or a full English and a coffee for less than a tenner. The other is renowned for its decadent toasties which rotate fillings seasonally. There’s not much space to sit inside, but their outdoor seating is great for soaking up the sun in summer and people-watching on the high street. We recommend trying their cold brew soft serve in the summer!
Hard Lines is a diner-style cafe based in Pontcanna, slightly out of the city centre. This coffee shop oozes cool and is aesthetically unmistakable with its red and white colour scheme and whimsical illustrations which appear across their tableware and bags of in-house coffee (which are also available to buy!). The menu is vegan and vegetarian, and includes everything from a traditional fry-up, to burritos and toasted banana bread with whipped cinnamon maple butter. In classic diner fashion, there’s always a selection of pies available on the counter daily. If you pop down on a Thursday at 6:30 pm, you can also get involved with their weekly running club!
Cardiff’s famous arcades are a must-visit for shopping, and Coffee Barker is a staple location for respite. The eclectic setting mimics a Parisian grand cafe with exposed brick walls, mismatched armchairs and wooden tables. But if it’s too busy to sit inside, a table in the arcade walkway is a great alternative. You can expect a menu of doorstop sarnies and traybakes, as well as an extensive list of coffees. Their Nutella lattes and hot chocolates are also second-to-none!
Shops:
Over Seas Apparel is an eco-friendly independent Cardiff-based clothing brand that designs and prints everything in-house. Their shop stocks clothing that fits a streetwear-meets-outdoors aesthetic and is almost entirely unisex! They also partner with local businesses and charities for their collections, such as Project Seagrass, Cardiff Dogs Home, Lucky Foot Leather, and The Rescue Hotel. Shop here to find t-shirts, fleeces, hoodies, and their premium range of jeans and jackets. You can find them in the Royal Arcade in the city centre, where they also host a weekly run club and monthly evening events for £10 a ticket - including food, drinks, live music, and a chance to get social.
If you’re looking for a unique clothing piece, check out Hobo’s Vintage. They specialise in 60s, 70s and 80s clothing and accessories with over two floors of stock to explore! From biker jackets to old-school Casio watches, you’re always guaranteed to find a new treasure here.
Corporation Market is based inside a local favourite, The Corporation pub, in Canton which is a 20-minute walk from the city centre. During the daytime they’re a hub for independent traders, and have an excellent cafe which is a great place to work on WFH days. Their ethos is built on sustainability and community, and they take pride in curating an eclectic mix of local goods under one roof. Browse the selection of books and zines at Shelf Life, a not-for-profit radical bookshop, re-home a plant from Pepe Cactus, or get some witchy goods and prints from Frankincense and Purr - and much more! This is the perfect place to pick up a unique gift for someone or a trinket for yourself.
What’s it famous for?
Author Roald Dahl was born in Llandaff, Cardiff, in 1916. You can explore the Roald Dahl memorial at Cardiff Bay, where you can also see notable sights from the filming of Doctor Who and Torchwood. Even if you’re not a sports fan, a must-visit is Cardiff’s Principality Stadium. Built for the Rugby World Cup in 1999, it now hosts concerts from huge names in the music industry as well as sports matches.
Want to know the average room rent for Cardiff, and other UK towns and cities? Check out our latest guide here!
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