The Philharmonic is a Cardiff institution. Known as The Philly by locals, it has been a constant presence in the Cardiff nightlife scene since the late 80s. After a few years of closure, it reopened in 2017 and has had a massive resurgence. It’s now popular for late nights, food and drink offers and, of course, bottomless brunch.
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This review is not related to the Royal Philharmonic Dining Rooms in Liverpool or the Philharmonic in New York but for the Philharmonic Bar in Cardiff.
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Cardiff’s Most Iconic Venue
The Philharmonic has always been my guilty pleasure. It was always one of the bars I could get into when I was 17. They played great music. I’d dance the night away nursing a cider and black, so I’d still have enough money for a takeaway from Chippy Lane and a taxi home. I don’t even think they sold bags of crisps, but since it’s been revamped, it’s now somewhere people go for a quick lunch or early evening dinner.
Other than a lick of paint, the outside looks the same. But inside looks like a completely different bar. Gone are the sticky, uneven wooden floors, and there are glossed tiles and patterned carpets. Wooden tables and softly furnished chairs surround the modern bar. However, I could still see glimpses of the “good old days” – remembering where we used to dance and where the DJ was. The toilets are exactly the same!
Philharmonic Cardiff Photos
There are three floors, five different rooms and even a rooftop bar – the Philharmonic Secret Garden. You can get your favourite pint, or glass of wine, enjoy an indulgent cocktail or check out their Ginventory wall in the main bar. There are 99 different gins! There is a long menu and a variety of mixers. Don’t worry, if you’re not a gin fan – like me – there are many other spirits.
Philharmonic Cardiff Menu
There are lots of options for vegetarians, vegans and gluten-free options. Weekday offers such as Meat Free Monday, and Tapas Thursdays include a free drink. What I love most is that you can order from your table on their app, and they’re delivered to you.
As someone who is food conscious or a food snob, if you prefer, I like to make sure my food is homemade and freshly prepared. I also like to ensure the plate contains vegetables or salad. It was tough to do this at The Philharmonic. It is like a typical “pub” menu with burgers, steak, pasta, curry, and the Cardiff brunch menu.
How are you getting there?
Transport for Wales now offers Multiflex, which gives you 12 journeys for the same price as 5 returns. With stops in Taffs Well, Radyr, Whitchurch, Llandaff North, Cathays, Cardiff Bay, plus two in the city centre – Queen Street and Cardiff Central – less than a 5-minute walk to The Philharmonic. Plus, who doesn’t want to save money?
Bottomless Brunch at The Philharmonic Review
The bottomless brunch is available daily, with the last sitting at 3pm. You can go as a group, but I just visited with one friend. Occasionally there are different themes when an event is on, such as St Patrick’s Day or Philharmonic Halloween.
There are two options; £30 per person, including a brunch dish, which can be upgraded to a main meal for an additional £3. Plus, 90 minutes of bottomless drinks. Including Prosecco, pints of Coors Light, gin and mixer, Aperol Spritz, Raspberry Cosmo, Pornstar Martini or a Mojito. It also includes a non-alcoholic selection. The second option is for the Secret Garden. For £35 per person, you have a glass of champagne on arrival, plus some upgraded drinks, including Espresso Martini, Berry Bramble and Tanqueray Seville.
I did fancy a veggie breakfast because I’m obsessed with Glamorgan sausages. However, our table was booked for 2pm, and I thought I should have something more substantial for lunch. I opted for the chicken and chorizo penne pasta with a tomato-based sauce and topped with parmesan. Honestly, I didn’t think I was going to enjoy it, but it was really tasty. My friend went for the chicken katsu curry. Of course, it was no Wagamamma’s, but good all the same.
When we sat down, our waitress – who was amazing – said that it was a very busy afternoon. She had some big tables to look after, so was going to let us double-park our drinks. What was my view on this? Awesome! They just kept coming!
Just as we were getting ready to leave, to find another bar, a live duo hit the stage. They were so good; we had to stay and dance the early evening away!
Other Entertainment Bars in Cardiff
Whether looking for an after-work drink with colleagues, a boy’s or girls’ night out surrounded by cocktails, or a date night spot, you’re always close to the best bars in Cardiff city centre.
- Golf Fang Cardiff
- NQ64 Cardiff
- Flight Club Cardiff
- Tonight Josephine Cardiff
- Rooftop Bars in Cardiff
- Cocktail Bars in Cardiff
- Wetherspoons in Cardiff
- Quiz Nights in Cardiff
- Dog friendly pubs in Cardiff
Eat Out in Cardiff
Cardiff is a foodie’s delight. From the quality of the produce to the level of cooking, at both the casual and cheap eats, Cardiff is staking a serious claim to being one of the most exciting places to eat in the UK.
- Afternoon tea in Cardiff
- Bottomless brunch in Cardiff
- Steak restaurants in Cardiff
- Vegan restaurants in Cardiff
- Thai restaurants in Cardiff
- Japanese restaurants in Cardiff
- Caribbean restaurants in Cardiff
- Chinese restaurants in Cardiff
- Burger restaurants in Cardiff
- Street food in Cardiff
- Welsh food in Cardiff
Get 50% off food in Cardiff
We all need to refuel and rehydrate. If you love food and drink, do you have a Tastecard? You get 50% off the food bill or two meals for the price of one. There are over six thousand participating restaurants across the UK. Get a 90-day free trial here:
Stay the night
If you know when you’d like to travel, try to book in advance and as soon as possible. Prices tend to rise the closer you get to the travel date. However, there is a vast array to accommodate all budgets.
easyHotel Cardiff
The easyHotel Cardiff has double rooms (with or without a window), accessible bedrooms and twin rooms. Found a short walk behind Cardiff Queen Street train station, the budget hotel has en-suite bathrooms, heated rooms in the winter and air conditioning in the summer. WiFi is free; pay and display and multi-storey car parks are nearby.
Radisson Cardiff
The Radisson Blue Hotel Cardiff is in the city centre. The 4-star hotel has smart TVs in the bedrooms, private bathrooms with complimentary toiletries, laptop-compatible safes, and limited onsite parking.
Radisson Hotel Discount Code
Get 15% off 3 or 4-night stays, 20% off 5 or 6-night stays, or 25% off for 7 or more nights in luxury rooms and suites. When you use the Radisson Hotel Promo Code LONGER, you’ll also receive complimentary high-speed WiFi on unlimited devices. More information
Dog friendly hotels in Cardiff
Your perfect dog-friendly escape in Cardiff awaits! Before I had my rescue dog, Ivan, I didn’t think Cardiff was very dog friendly. How wrong was I? The dog friendly hotels in Cardiff include national chain hotels, budget brands, pubs and country houses.
The Copthorne
The Copthorne, part of Millennium Hotels and Resorts, is a traditional 4-star hotel in Cardiff that is ideally located between the city centre and the coast of Barry Island. Ideal for business travellers, couples or families, it is a perfect base. You can expect free Wi-Fi, an indoor pool and modern in-room amenities. Book early and save up to 20% off:
The surrounding areas
Don’t be afraid of staying out of central Cardiff either. Penarth, Barry, Caerphilly, Pontypridd, and Merthyr Tydfil are the surrounding areas connected by regular buses and trains. You can also plan with LastMinute.com. Stay at great hotels at a fraction of the price.
Cottages and Houses
The award-winning business, Sykes Cottages, has properties across the UK, and the ones near Cardiff are beautiful. From cosy lodges with traditional woodburning stoves to contemporary accommodation with a hot tub. With all the amenities you could need, including parking, WiFi and many dog-friendly places, check out Sykes Holiday Cottages.
Pre-book your parking and save!
NCP Park Pass is an easy way to save money on parking. Not only do you access special parking deals, but you also don’t need to remember where you put the ticket collected at the barrier – mine always gets lost in the handbag. As payment is contact-free and cashless, you do it on your phone.
You can always pre-book your parking online and save money if that’s not your thing. Find a car park, choose your date and time, enter your details and make your payment. Once you’ve booked your parking online, you will receive a booking confirmation email detailing your booking and how to enter and exit the car park.
FREE Visit Cardiff Checklist & Guide
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