Working at the coalface of Cardiff city centre, Glo is lighting the way.

The Venue
The Glo Bar is funky and hip, which comes as a surprise as it’s slap bang in the heart of Cardiff's shopping central. Rather than a trendy way of spelling glow, glo is actually the Welsh for coal. It’s all black and white and metal inside and is smartly modern with its all-glass facade, wooden floor and polished chrome bar with a mirror behind it.

There are small cocktail style tables dotted with candles and comfortable sofas in the corner. While the ground floor is subtle sophistication by day, with the restaurant and club downstairs, the bar stays open till 3am on Fridays and Saturdays.

The People
The crowd here varies according to the night with students on a Tuesday and a party crowd packing the place out at the weekend DJ nights. And their DJ nights have pulled in some real talent, including Mr Thing, Goldie Lookin’ Chain (who are almost regulars), Cut La Roc and Jean Jacques Smoothie.

During the day Glo moves at a slower pace with business and shopping custom. But the service is always nothing less than efficient and pleasant.

The Food and Drink
Like its name, Glo is all about being local. They source local, fairtrade and organic produce when possible. The menu ranges from light snacks, like tortillas and bruschettas, to main meals such as a Snowdonia burger (so named because of its mountainous size) for £8.50. A generous king prawn salad is £8.50 and a tapas menu is on offer from 3pm.

On draught there's Carling, Grolsch, Coors, Worthington’s and Guinness and Modelo. In the bottles there's Beck’s, Foster’s Peroni and Sol. Cocktails are £5.50 each and include the classics and wines range from £12.50 a bottle to £25, while sparklers go up to as much as £125 for a Dom Perignon 1999.

The Last Word
An oasis of charming contemporary cool in the heart of the city, Glo Bar embraces everyone with a smile.