Q Bar is a heavenly bit of style in an unlikely location.

The Venue
Is it a club, is it a bar? Or is it a snooker hall? No, it’s actually all three. The Q Bar is owned by the chaps behind the place of the same name in Cheltenham and believe you me, they are on to something. The venue is one big room (300 capacity in total) with a low ceiling and the bar at the far end, all smartly and tastefully decorated in a modern idiom.

At the other end of the room are six immaculate purple baize covered pool tables with shiny funnel shaped silver lamps hanging low over them - and against the cream walls they look just great. There’s another bar upstairs (300 capacity) again with a couple of pool tables, a mirrored DJ booth and alcoves with distressed leather seating. There is a small bar lined with metal legged stools and there are pool tables here too, as well as a metal balcony so you can look down at the action below.

Normally the tables cost £7 an hour but on Monday they are free from 7pm till midnight when the tables are always, unsurprisingly, busy. The music is R'n'B, drum'n'bass and dance and Q Bar is open till 4am on Mondays (student drum'n'bass night), Fridays and Saturdays.

The People
Q Bar has quite a loyal following, although it’s not as big as it should be. That, however, is starting to change as people begin to appreciate its style and, in particular, late night drinking potential. As you'd expect the pools tables are a big draw for guys but it's a pretty even split and generally the crowd is early twenties. It’s fast becoming more of a music venue.

The Food and Drink
On tap there’s Carling, Caffrey’s, Grolsch and Guinness and they’ve got Magners on draught too, which is unusual. They’re also the only bar in Cardiff to do Coors Sub Zero, which is issued from a pump which tilts the glass, spins it round and fills it up with ice crystals. All of which is perfect on a summer’s night but on a rainy grey autumn afternoon? In bottles there’s Tiger, Salitos, Sol, Budweiser and Bulmers. There’s a decent range of spirits and cocktails too which cost £4.95 each, although a new list is currently being devised.

The Last Word
A great looking joint, The Q Bar is there to be discovered, flirted with and, eventually, loved.