Fun Things To Do In Cardiff for Couples: A Complete Guide
Cardiff is the capital city of Wales and one of the best cities in the UK to visit for couples to have a great time. So whether you’ve been dating for a while, only just met, or simply looking for things to do, this blog will guide you to fun things to do in Cardiff for couples.
With all the rugby, different bars along Castle Street, and the countryside not too far away, finding things for couples to do in Cardiff City Centre can be overwhelming. However, given Henry has lived in South Wales for coming up to 2 years now, we have tried and tested the best fun things to do in Cardiff for couples, so you don’t have to waste your time trying some of the rubbish stuff; as we did!
On a date night in Cardiff!
If we have missed anything from this blog, feel free to get in touch or check out our blog on romantic places to visit in the UK so you can find other amazing cities to visit and things to do with your partner.
Fun Things to do in Cardiff for Couples in the Day
Cardiff has many attractions to visit, such as the Millennium Stadium, Cardiff Castle, and Cardiff Bay. There are also a lot of parks for people to enjoy. To make things as simple as possible, we have listed 6 fun things to do in Cardiff for couples during the day (in no particular order!).
#1 Visit Cardiff Bay
Only a ten-minute taxi journey from Cardiff Central Station, Cardiff Bay is Europe’s largest waterfront development, offering a range of bars, restaurants and stunning views.
Formerly one of the major docks, this area was famous for exporting Welsh coal to the world. Nowadays, Cardiff Bay is a popular destination known for being a vibrant waterfront surrounding the shores of a stunning freshwater lake and having plenty of places for food and drinks.
We recommend heading down to Cardiff Bay on a sunny day and walking around the barrage that separates the lagoon from the Bristol Channel (below). It can be pretty windy, but if you catch it on a good day, it’s great for day drinking. You also get stunning views of the surrounding area.
Once you’re done, you can head down to Everyman Cinema or Glee Club. We visited Glee Club just before Christmas, and it was great crack to set us up before going to a restaurant.
#2 Visit the Arcades
You can find a lot in Cardiff, including castles and culture. If you take an afternoon exploring the high street, it will only be a few minutes before you come across one of the seven Victorian or Edwardian arcades with over a hundred independent cafes, bars and shops.
We love spending time in arcades, and we absolutely love exploring the shops and atmosphere that Cardiff’s arcades offer. The main arcades you can visit include:
Castle Arcade: Boasting 30 unique stores, Castle Arcade has two floors of stores and bars. Our favourite is Gin & Juice, which is always worth popping in for a drink.
High Street Arcade: Despite only having 11 unique stores, High Street Arcade has some of the most exciting stores that Cardiff offers, including The Arcade Vaults, a gaming venue with class arcade games. What’s more, High Street Arcade also has the best barber in Cardiff, where Henry gets his haircut - Sleep When You’re Dead (SWYD).
Morgan Arcade: Built in 1896, Morgan Arcade is the best preserved of all the arcades that Cardiff offers and has 27 unique stores.
Royal Arcade: The Royal Arcade is the oldest of all Cardiff arcades and offers 27 unique stores. Hidden in this arcade is Uncommon Ground Coffee - which is one of the best coffee shops in Cardiff + it’s independent, family-owned and operated.
#3 Watch the Rugby
Yes, we know it’s an absolute classic thing to do in Wales. But if you can catch a game at either the Millenium/Principality Stadium or the Cardiff Blues’ ground, we would 100% recommend it.
The Principality Stadium has a fantastic atmosphere, and the whole city is buzzing in the lead-up. You can pick up tickets for a 6 nations game at around £50 per person, which isn’t too bad considering you get the whole experience of the city before and after kick-off - which is only enhanced if Wales wins!
#4 Go Shopping
Yes, we know it’s a relatively “basic” thing to do, but Cardiff really does have a fantastic shopping centre in St David’s. Not only is St David’s Wales’ biggest shopping centre, but it also has a great mix of over 180 shops, restaurants and cafes that can fill your day with fun activities, before moving onto the nighttime.
Given the arcades we covered above are only between a 1 and a 5-minute walk from the shopping centre, it makes sense to fit them all into your day!
Given that the centre also deals with over 40 million shoppers each year, the customer experience is also pretty decent. There is also plenty of car parks nearby, so if you’re driving to the city from anywhere in the United Kingdom, you won’t be left without a place to park!
#5 Visit Cardiff Castle
Another thing to do when the weather is sunny is Cardiff Castle - this is not only a beautiful sightseeing spot right in the centre of the city, but it also has an immense amount of history. Built in the 11th century by Norman invaders, the original castle dates back to the 3rd century when a Roman fort was established on the site.
If you’re going to visit Cardiff Castle, we would recommend pairing it with visiting Cardiff Bay as they are both things to do on a sunny day which will get you outside and provide a balance of fun things to do in Cardiff for couples.
#6 Go White Water Rafting
White water rafting and water sports in Cardiff? Yes, believe it or not, Cardiff has one of the best white water rafting locations in the country, at the Cardiff International White Water Rafting Centre.
If you’re not a fan of white water rafting, you can instead try stand-up paddle boarding, the high ropes (which Robyn claims she is an expert at 👀), hot-dogging (basically white water rafting in a hot dog-shaped boat) and gorge walking.
Believe it or not, we found this location after watching an episode of Geordie Shore when we were hungover… Despite this accolade, it’s definitely a site you need to visit.
Fun Things to do in Cardiff for Couples at Night
Cardiff is a lively city with plenty to offer. It is a great place to spend the evening with your significant other. There are many great places to see a movie, go out for dinner, and enjoy some drinks in beautiful surroundings.
Cardiff is an excellent place for couples on date nights with vibrant nightlife and beautiful scenery. Below we have listed four top fun things to do in Cardiff for couples at night.
#1 Try out Game Bars
Arcade and Game bars have become all the rave in recent years across the UK, and Cardiff has had some begin to pop up across the city, bringing a new form of entertainment for Cardiff’s couples. Below we have included some of the best bars for you to visit:
Boom Battle Bar Cardiff: Offering axe throwing, shuffleboard, electric darts, American pool, crazier golf (which is basically just a proper crazy golf course which actually has some cool obstacles) and shuffleboard bounce, Boom Battle Bar is a must-visit if you’re looking for fun things to do in Cardiff for couples at night.
NQ64: This arcade bar has one of the coolest interiors of any arcade bars you will see across the country and has an excellent selection of classic consoles and retro arcade games. This can be enjoyed alongside one of their fantastic selection of craft beers.
Kongs: If you haven’t visited one of these across the UK, then trying out the Cardiff location is a must-do. Offering table tennis, table football, arcade games and pinball, this spot is a fantastic place to channel your competitive side and potentially have a few bets on the outcome…
#2 Drink Local Beer
South Wales has some delightful local breweries that offer a range of beers for you to try.
Just outside of the Principality Stadium, you can visit Zerodegrees. At this microdistillery bar, you can actually see the internal workings of a brewery, allowing you to see from 0 to 1 of the brewing process.
Once you’ve visited Zerodegrees, you can then pop next door to Tiny Rebel brewery, one of the best names on the Wales beer scene. The family-owned brewery has a range of tasty beers and ales which fit any taste preference.
#3 Go to a Comedy Night
As we have already touched upon above, we love a comedy night as they’re not only always a laugh, they’re also a great way to settle into a new city.
If you have a day of going to Cardiff Castle and then down to the Cardiff Bay, you may as well go to Glee Club. It has events every Friday and Saturday night and is situated right in the middle of the Bay.
Just make sure you don’t sit in the front row, as you’re highly likely to get picked on as they love interrogating couples!
#4 Eat Out
Cardiff has some of the best restaurants in the UK - as we will cover below, there are some fantastic restaurants that fit any requirements or budget and will leave you satisfied.
We have noticed from Henry living in Wales that some restaurants do not have the best marketing, so it isn’t that easy to find the best restaurants in Cardiff for couples. We are trying to change this, though! Henry has a marketing agency, Rough Water Media, which specialises in getting companies on page one of Google.
Cardiff’s Best Restaurants for a Romantic Couples Dinner
Just because you are in a relationship doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy a night out with your partner. In fact, it is even more important to have time for yourselves and be able to do something that you both enjoy.
Luckily for couples, many romantic restaurants in Cardiff offer a range of delicious dishes and decadent desserts. So, if you are looking for fun things to do in Cardiff for couples, this list of the 5 best restaurants in Cardiff is for you!
#1 Ty Maderia
Positioned under a strip club, if you walked past this restaurant in the heart of Cardiff on Castle Street, you wouldn’t think it is anything special.
Henry is a big believer that this is the BEST restaurant in Cardiff. Authentic Portuguese food, a stunning interior and fantastic service provide one of the best fun things to do in Cardiff for couples.
If you go, you have to try out their seafood which is all laid out on their fish counter, to see exactly what you’re going to eat. They also have a famous Ty Madeira sauce which pairs perfectly with a ribeye steak.
Food at Ty Maderia
#2 Pasture
This was the first-ever restaurant we went to as a couple in Cardiff (below), and it shouldn’t be missed. Pasture is set up to be a showcase, with an open kitchen and dry ageing cabinets which show cuts of beer that are being aged ready to be cut into their signature steaks.
Their steaks are aged for a minimum of 35 days, and they have a selection of ribeyes all the way to 1kg Tomahawks & Porterhouse to share.
Pasture also has an excellent outside seating section which is perfect for people-watching. When we visited, Pasture had a great selection of small bites, which meant we could share some incredible plates of food while soaking in the sun and enjoying the surrounding business of Cardiff’s Castle Street.
#3 Smokehouse Pontcanna
Henry recently visited this restaurant and was completely blown away. Don’t let the restaurant’s website or slightly out-the-way location put you off, as the smoked meats that this place has to offer are delightful.
A large section of Smokehouse’s restaurant is recommended to be ordered in advance, as the chefs smoke the food throughout the day, which makes it packed full of flavour and melts in the mouth.
Robyn had the St Louis Pork Belly Ribs, and Henry had the Beef Brisket, which was probably the best beef brisket he has ever had! To check out this restaurant’s menu, use this link and drop us a message if you have any questions!
#4 The Potted Pig
The best restaurants have fantastic food, excellent service and a fantastic location. The Potted Pig has all of the above and especially has an incredibly unique site.
Located in a former bank vault beneath Cardiff’s business street, The Potted Pig has a passion for modern British food which its chefs express through seasonal menus and a selection of gins.
There’s no such thing as a typical menu at The Potted Pig. They love to cook, they love to eat, and so they cook the food they want to eat. The chefs work closely with suppliers that provide quality ingredients, ensuring that you get the best of what’s available seasonally.
#5 The Coconut Tree, Cardiff
The A Couple Things To Do team absolutely love Asian street food, which is precisely what you can find at The Coconut Tree. Located just a 3-minute walk from Cardiff Central Station, this is the restaurant you need to go to if you’re looking for fun things to do in Cardiff for couples.
The menu has a selection of small Sri Lankan street food dishes which you can enjoy between the two of you.
One of the things we love about it is the restaurant’s mantra, which is along the lines of:
DO expect an explosion of flavours in our dishes and sweet & fiery Cocktails
DON’T expect a massive food bill…but do expect to spoil yourself with drinks
DO expect meats, fish & veggies (lots)
DO expect warm Sri Lankan hospitality
DON’T expect the volume to stay down too long
Conclusion: Fun Things To Do In Cardiff for Couples
This guide has given you a comprehensive list of fun things to do in Cardiff for couples. We haven’t included many other things, such as Roath Park, Treetop Adventure Golf, afternoon tea, The National Museum Cardiff and Bute Park, so feel free to explore the city to see what else it has on offer!
With Henry living in South Wales for two years and set to stay there in December, you can be guaranteed that we will be sharing more articles about what the city has to offer, so stay tuned to our blog and follow us on social media!
