It’s that time of year—nothing is on your mind except the essay you’re writing or the exam you have in a couple days, but before you know it the exam stress is over. You’re done, and if you’re in your final year the next thing on your mind is celebrating all your hard work at graduation. But after the ceremony, where to go?
How do you celebrate after graduation? Never fear. We at Gair Rhydd Spotlight are here to help you out.
First and foremost, I would like to say that there are many ways to celebrate. This article will cover all sorts of fun places in Cardiff from dinner with your family to a big night out with your friends and anywhere in between. A dinner or lunch out can be a fun and delicious way to celebrate completing your degree.
Lucky for you Cardiff is full of options. Church Street in City Centre boasts a range of trendy and delicious options including Thai, Vietnamese, Indian, and Italian cuisine as well as some higher end pubs and burger joints. Some standouts include Cafe Citta—a small but homey Italian restaurant with an authentic feel that only gets better as you taste the food.
Mowgli’s—rated in Tripadvisor’s top 10 restaurants in Cardiff—has a stunning interior and delicious Indian food. Make sure to get a reservation in for these restaurants as they tend to get quite crowded. For a more upscale option, the Potted Pig on High Street offers delicious and trendy modern cuisine served in former bank vaults.
If you’re looking for an upscale vibe with more focus on drink than food, cocktail bars might be for you. St Mary’s street is the place to go for cocktails featuring top notch cocktail bars such as Dirty Martini, The Alchemist, Philharmonic, the Libertine and Penny Royal. The Botanist on Church Street is also a standout for its aesthetic earthen atmosphere and could even serve as a dinner spot with its limited but high quality menu.
Looking for somewhere closer to Cathays? Rhostio’s has a chill and aesthetic atmosphere featuring plenty of greenery and a rooftop patio. Sticky Fingers is another great option for cocktails and delicious street food.
Now maybe after a couple cocktails you don’t want the night to end or maybe a night out has been your plan all along but you’re not sure where to go. Cardiff nightlife has many options. The most popular spot to celebrate graduation will be YOLO at the Cardiff Students’ Union.
If you want to soak up the celebration with loads of other Cardiff Uni graduates this is the best choice for you. However, this is a ticketed event and will only be on Wednesday July 16—so if you are looking to go out another day or cannot get a ticket on the SU website Live Lounge, Barbara’s Bier House, or Bonnie Rogues are often popular amongst students and will likely still have a lively, celebratory atmosphere. If you’re looking for somewhere more LGBTQ+ friendly, Kings is an excellent option earlier in the night with karaoke on Tuesdays and Thursdays, while Pulse is better later on with many, of Kings’ patrons moving on to Pulse as the night continues.
If none of these are your vibe and you’re looking for a more activity-based celebration, there are plenty of options for you too. You could go for something physically active like minigolf at Par 59 or axe throwing (amongst several other games) at Boom Battle Bar. For an arcade style evening, NQ64 is a bar/ arcade in the middle of Cardiff.
Roxy Lanes also offers arcade games and a bowling alley. If you’re looking for a slightly more laid back activity, board game cafés like Chance and Counters or Scaredy Cats are great options. However, you choose to celebrate, there are plenty of options in Cardiff.
We hope this article helped you plan your graduation celebration and that you have a great time. Best of luck wrapping up the term.