Whether it’s a post-work drink, a romantic date, or an evening out with friends, you can’t beat a good glass of wine and a few snacks.
Fortunately, in the last few years Cardiff has seriously upped its game when it comes to destinations that specialise in wine.
From Spanish sherries and Italian aperitivi to natural wines and self-service vending machines, here are 11 excellent Cardiff wine bars you need to visit.
Read more: The 50 best restaurants in Wales in 2022
1. Glass of Bandol
There’s one feature that makes this newly opened Whitchurch wine bar very unique - Glass of Bandol has a series of vending machines which dispense 24 different varieties of wine in different size pours from 50ml to 175ml.
Top up a prepaid card at the bar and serve yourself wines of different styles and price-points from across the world, including lesser-known wine-producing countries such as Lebanon and Georgia. And to go with all those wines there’s a selection of cheese boards on offer too.
Where : 69 Merthyr Road, Cardiff CF14 1DD
2. Bulles Wine
Sharing a home with Mec coffee shop on Crwys Road, Bulles Wine focuses on organic, biodynamic and low intervention wines. Open during the evenings from Thursday to Saturday, it's a beautiful looking venue with exposed brickwork, wooden floors and an orange tiled counter.
Bulles and Mec were previously based in Castle Arcade but they relocated to Cathays at the end of last year as a result of the pandemic.
Where : 130 Crwys Road, Cardiff CF24 4NR
3. Bar 44
One of the most respected names in Cardiff hospitality, this Spanish tapas bar is primarily a brilliant restaurant but it’s also an excellent place to stop off for a couple of glasses of wine and a plate of charcuterie.
Understandably, Bar 44 specialises in Spanish wine, with a great selection by the glass. Handily, their menu is divided into sections like “aromatic, fragrant” and “rich, rounded” and each wine comes with extensive tasting notes.
Where : 15-23 Westgate Street, Cardiff CF10 1DD
4. Sibling
This trendy brother and sister owned cafe and wine bar in Roath is open on Friday and Saturday nights for simple yet flavour-packed small plates and natural wines, beers and ciders.
There’s always a small yet interesting selection of wine on offer by the glass and even more available if you’re planning on tucking away a whole bottle. On the small plate front, dishes include sobrasada and honey on toast, hand-carved duroc ham and creamy burnt Basque cheesecake.
Where : 39 Lochaber Street, Cardiff CF24 3LS
5. Bacareto
Inspired by the bars of Venice, Bacareto is a great spot for a glass of Italian wine and a clutch of cicheti (Venetian snacks), such as deep-fried buffalo mozzarella and tomato ragu arancini.
It’s a venue with a gorgeous aesthetic too, with its sweeping wood-panelled bar, terrazzo tiling, canary yellow banquette seating, roof terrace and wall-mounted planters.
Where : 13 Church Street, Cardiff CF10 1BG
6. Uisce
Bolted onto the side of Heaney’s, Uisce is a compact oyster and wine bar that serves a big range of wines by the glass, including more premium wines that are kept fresh using Coravin gadgetry.
If you get peckish then you could order a bowl of olives or smoked almonds but then you’d be missing out on their stellar small plates. A standout is always their seasonal crumpet, which is currently topped with ox, sauce gribiche and brown shrimp salad.
Where : 4 Romilly Crescent, Pontcanna, Cardiff CF11 9NR
7. Curado Bar
Situated in the shadows of the Principality Stadium, this bar and restaurant will transport you to sunnier times on holiday in Spain .
With an impressive bar dominating the entire length of the venue, pull up a stool and spend an evening grazing your way through their range of Spanish wines and tapas. The team behind the business also own a wine-importing business and regularly host Meet the Producer events. So, they really know a thing or two about wine.
Where : 2 Guildhall Place, Cardiff CF10 1EB
8. Glory Stores
This sophisticated provisions store and cafe in Roath sells a range of top-quality produce from locally-sourced Welsh chocolate to Spanish olives and Belgian peanut butter.
During the daytime, you can pop-in for a glass of Bollinger and a doughnut. They’re also open late on Friday and Saturday nights offering a small yet well-considered selection of wines by the glass and delicious small plates including cheese plates and game pie.
Where : 1 Upper Kincraig Street, Cardiff CF24 3HA
9. Kuro
This fusion restaurant and wine bar in Roath is owned by two friends, one of whom was previously a chef at Casanova.
Their bar area is particularly good. Offering a huge selection of wines by the glass, with a particular focus on Italy, Kuro provides complimentary snacks to go with your drinks, ranging from homemade sourdough with marmite butter to freshly made tortilla chips and hummus.
Where : Unit 11 The Globe Centre, Albany Road, Roath, Cardiff CF24 3PE
10. Vin Van Caerdydd
Based in a former welders yard that’s been converted into container and warehouse spaces for small independent businesses, Vin Van Caerdydd is a wine shop, wine bar and events company that has a mission to make quality wines available to everyone.
Their outdoor wine bar opens on Fridays and Saturdays when you'll also find Flowerhorn Brewery serving up their beers and Mr Croquewich dishing out his excellent parmesan chicken sandwiches. It's currently closed for the winter but will be back open in April.
Where : The Bridge Studios, 454 Western Avenue, CF5 3BL
11. Prego
With an outside seating area on the High Street where you can watch the world go by, Prego specialises in Sclavia wines from their family vineyard in the south of Italy.
To go alongside the Italian wines there’s a compact menu of antipasti boards and bruschetta as well as a handful of mains including braised beef in red wine with roasted tomatoes and buffalo mozzarella, basil and tomato stuffed ravioli.
Where : 23 High Street, Cardiff CF10 1PT
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