If you're a fan of the bottomless brunches at Tonight Josephine, which opened in the city centre earlier this year, then you are guaranteed to fall in love with Cardiff's latest rock'n'roll cocktail bar, Blame Gloria, which was approved for a premises licence by Cardiff Council this week.
The Adventure Bar Group, which is the company behind Blame Gloria, Tonight Josephine, Bar Elba and The Escapologist - and can be found all over the UK - is planning on transforming what was formerly The Meating Place into a glitter-filled and killer-cocktail basement bar that currently has locations in Covent Garden, Clapham and, soon, Bristol.
Read More The 13 new Cardiff restaurants and bars you couldn't visit this time last year
Since closing its doors, four years ago, the location has been empty. But not for long, as the Adventure Bar Group will be taking over 39-41 St Mary Street, The Morgan Quarter, CF10 1AD, according to the notice of application pinned to either side of what will become Blame Gloria - although a date for its opening has not yet been revealed.
Blame Gloria encourages its visitors to grab their dancing shoes and soak up the sweet cocktails on offer. As per their website, Gloria says: "Dust off your party shoes, dig out your glad-rags and leave all your inhibitions at home, because the party is here and ain’t nobody holding her back.
"So, whether you’re celebrating a belated birthday, craving your theatre fix or simply in need of a boogie, our reservations team are on hand to make sure that your night out is one to remember – or forget, you can Blame Gloria either way."
The story behind the woman inspired by the club's name, according to the much-loved London bar goes: "Gloria always threw the wildest parties. She had the best legs in Soho. Some say she dated Hendrix. She showed bowie how to do his make-up. She owned an infamous b&b in Covent garden. When she ran out of dosh she moved into the basement."
With that in mind, it seems we can expect some pretty glamorous - and pattern-filled - interiors, fabulously designed cocktails and themed brunches that'll drive you to the dancefloor and turn a boring night into a full-blown party. They'll also hold themed brunches with Mamma Mia, Disco and Abba being the most recent themes at other venues.
According to the premises licence application, the cocktail bar, which will be located next to the Queer Emporium, will be open between 10am and 3am, with the sale of alcohol from Monday to Sunday, 10am - 2.30am. As stated in the application, they will also provide regulated entertainment, including live music and recorded music indoors.
However, it seems this plan for the establishment has had some opposition from some of Cardiff's community - read more on that here.
The Meating Place was a much-loved steakhouse in the city that was forced to close after eight years suddenly in 2018 due to a "loss of lease." Specialising in meat skewers and steaks, it was always a hit with locals and visitors and, at the time of closure, the managing director said in a statement: "It is with regret and a heavy heart that we announce the closure of our beloved restaurant, The Meating Place.
"However the time has come to close its doors and move onto pastures new due to the landlord withholding the lease renewal in order to further develop the property.
"We have loved being here and thank each and every one of you that has dined with us over the years – we leave with fond memories of this place and we hope you do too."
