Weekend in Cardiff - advice needed

Jvic28

Mark7799 wrote: »

If you're after something meaty (and not a chain) try either Charlestons Steak House or Taurus. Both serve excellent steaks, Charlestons is best attended on a warm evening - with the windows open and it's upstairs location you are well-placed to watch the local "wildlife".

The Taurus has a very good reputation. It's on St Marys Street not far from Mill Lane.

x

Mark7799

Llyllyll wrote: »

Surely you have to try chicken curry off the bone from Dorothy's in Caroline St? Not too sure what it's like now that they've cleaned it up a bit though!

Seriously though, Signor Valentino's down tha bay is very nice.

Dorothy's is not a place to go when sober:o

Wayne3765

Mark7799 wrote: »

Dorothy's is not a place to go when sober:o

You can say that again.

Mips

shazspice wrote: »

Going to Cardiff for the weekend next month and was hoping for some advice off locals

Get on the M4 and find somewhere nice to stay - in the opposite direction.

TJ27

Dippychick wrote: »

Get on the M4 and find somewhere nice to stay - in the opposite direction.

You'll have to go a long way though. Apparently even exotic destinations think Cardiff is where it's at:

http://www.cardiff.gov.uk/content.asp?nav=2874,4202,4203&parent_directory_id=2865&id=7065&Language=

toptensmiler

tinkerbelluk wrote: »

No offence but if you want authentic Chinese forget Pearl of the Orient. The best chinese is the Riverside in Tudor Road. It's about a 5min walk from the stadium. Have a look on trip advisor to see the reviews and they have a website that you can view the menu here: http://www.riversidecantonese.com

If you're down for the weekend go there on either a Sat or Sun lunchtime for the best Dim Sum you can get.

In terms of what else to do have you thought of a visit to St Fagans? It's really nice and there is loads to look at.

Yes I would second St Fagans as well. And would take up a morning or afternoon. The bay can be done in a couple of hours at the most.
I hear what you are saying about The Riverside Cantonese and it's lovely though as money is an issue I would say it's on the expensive side esp compared with Wetherspoons!! There is a new Chinese Buffet type place that has opened up opposite the station which is very reasonable and you can go back for more etc etc. It's a five minute walk from St Mary's St.
Charlestons and Taurus I would avoid like the plague but different strokes.
The pubs in Cardiff are appalling (Brains has alot to answer for) so I would again avoid.

DdraigGoch

Tagging onto this thread, I'm a semi-local [Brecon area] but would really like to get to know Cardiff better. All I ever do is turn up, shop/meet friends for a cheap lunch and then go home again, so I'm proposing to take a Friday/Saturday or Sunday night off and go down and get to know Cardiff. It'll have to be a very MSE trip though!

Any recommendations for FREE or as close to as possible events, food, drinks, accommodation [obviously NOT free on this one, but BOGOF is good ... ]

Thanks
DG

pavlovs_dog

you bringing the car or relying on public transport? do you plan to stay overnight? what have you already seen/done in the 'Diff (so we know that we're recommending new and exciting things for you to try )?

DdraigGoch

No car, will come in by train. Not done ANYthing apart from the Castle and once attending a Barbarians match at the Millenium. I'm far too old for nightlife! It'll probably be a Sunday night so OH can go to work - in Cardiff - and I can poodle around and go home with him on Monday eve. We want to go to St Fagan's on Sunday but have no idea how long that could take, what with buses and how big it is. I don't like sport, he does. We both like theatre, cinema, Dr Who and Torchwood, eating [like that LOTS!] and architecture. Are there tours of the Senedd? Oh, and I've already done the Norwegian church - v nice.

Any help?

We'd be delighted to do a trip a season - so what would you recommend for rainy Summer, going on early Winter?!

pavlovs_dog

ok well if you get a dry day (good luck ) and want something cheap then its nice to take a packed lunch to eat outside city hall before having a mooch around the museum, which is free entry. or if you want t stretch your legs bute park (to the side/rear of the castle) is beautiful and in full bloom at the mo.

in the city centre there should be an exhibition of some description in the old library (the building between howells and st davids hall. the tourist info place is situated on the st davids hall side. free admission. go into the womens wear department of tk maxx or the childrens section of borders on the hays for a good nosey at how the st davids 2 development is progressing.

st fagans - i love to stroll around and really take my time. you could easily spend half a day at least there. try for a morning visit rather than a late afternoon visit if you are dependent on public transport as apparently the buses aren't as frequent from there as they could be. entry is also free.

in the bay there's plenty of cheap and cheerful things to do, especially if you like walking and mooching around/people watching. i went to the dr who exhibition when it was free and thought it was disappointing then. personally i wouldnt pay for it now, especially given the prices they charge.

entry into the senedd building is free, subject to you passing through security i dont think they do guided tours per se, but i know the last time i went there they were more than happy for people to explore the public part of the building, and sit in the gallery if they are in session. there's a coffee shop in there (or there was!) which is a nice and unusual place to get a drink.

entry to the norwegian church is free and there is often an art gallery/exhibition of some description upstairs. the tube thing (cant remember what its called) is free entry. although it is aimed more at children than adults it does tell the history of the area.

if you go into the [STRIKE]armadillo[/STRIKE] WMC there is often a free exhibition of sorts just off of the main foyer to the left. sometimes you might strike lucky and catch a free performance on the tesco stage to the right (towards the gift shop and bar). if you want to see a show but cant stretch to the main theatre, see whats on in the weston studio. ive seen some cracking shows there this year with tickets less than £10 pp.

outside the WMC you have torchwood HQ quite often of a weekend there is a market going on in the oval basin below. if not, i believe the riverside farmers market runs every sunday on the far side of the millennium stadium (i think the road is called either taff or fitzhammon embankment).

hope that helps. will come back with more ideas as i think of them