This tastefully kitted out bar in St Mary’s Street is fast becoming a style icon for the city.

The Venue
Rococo, Baroco…It’s all getting a bit confusing in Cardiff. All we need now is a guy called Rocco to open a bar. To set the record straight, this is an independently owned cocktail bar—and a pretty cool one at that. It sports a dark polished wood floor, funky 70s textured orange wallpaper and exposed brickwork.

Other parts of the walls are plastered in equally glorious brown and gold wallpaper and, still with that 70s theme, there are brown and orange ottomans (poufées to you and me) to sit down on. There’s a big mirror on right with its Rococo logo stamped on it and an S-shaped continuous banquette near the window, as well as booth-seating at the back. In between there are potted plants, plasma screens and stools line the bar on the left which are overhung by big and bold black and white lamps. To finish off the whole effect are abstract paintings and the sounds of funky grooves, breakbeats and soulful house which fill out the room at the weekend.

The People
Decadent young professionals and skinny-tied office-goers flood here after work and at the weekend. It’s not really a student venue, but you get some in too. People do dance while others just strike poses.

The Food and Drink
On tap you have Grolsch, Carling, Strongbow and Coors and in bottles Magners, Peroni, Amstel, Corona, Tsingtao and Guinness. Specialising in spirits, Rococo has a superlative range including the likes of Stolly Elite and Belvedere Ciroc Elite vodkas, as well as Tanqueray Ten and Hendrix Grand Reserva gins, single malts, tequilas and rums.

All the cocktails served here are made with premium spirits and, sensibly, the prices reflect the ingredients: so there’s that stone classic Mai Tai which is white, dark and golden rum, Amaretto, pineapple juice, grenadine, lime juice and orgeat syrup, for £6.20, but it’s worth it. And a Woo Woo is £5.90, while you can get a fresh fruit bellini for £7.95. There’s also a fine range of teas, including herbal, and coffees, including alcoholic ones.

The Last Word
Quality, poise and style in an easily digestible form, Rococo is currently the leading light in Cardiff’s burgeoning bar scene.