Heading for Cardiff next weekend? Jo Manning has a few tips for Munster fans - and anybody else - arriving in the city
Make no mistake: Cardiff is a rugby town. In fact Wales is a country obsessed, so Munster fans will find themselves in good company if they're planning to see a bit more of the city than Millennium Stadium next weekend.
A decade of regeneration has brought a cosmopolitan buzz to the city, and although it still has a reputation for drunken carnage on Friday and Saturday nights, you can avoid the worst without going too far, especially as "the Diff" has grown used to handling big sporting occasions.
SHOPPING
Queen Street is the main drag. It's flanked by three large shopping centres: Queens Arcade, St David's and Capitol. If you'd like more than a flick through the rails at M&S, check out the nearby Castle and High Street arcades, where independent shops jostle for space with trendy cafes.
Farther south are Morgan Arcade and Royal Arcade. This area isn't quite up to scratch just yet, but it's still worth a trawl because of a range of cafes and stores such as Spillers, which claims to be the world's oldest record shop.
EATING OUT
You'll find some good, reasonably-priced restaurants in Old Brewery Quarter, towards the bottom of St Mary Street. Favourites include La Tasca (tapas) and Thai Edge (obvious, really).
If your tastes are simple and nocturnal, Caroline Street is known as chip alley, where chicken, chips and kebabs are the order of the night. It gets boisterous in the early hours, but it's the place to go for the real Cardiff.
Rather more sophisticated is Capsule, a restaurant and contemporary art gallery on Charles Street (just off Queen Street), which combines great food and service with a relaxed, easy-going atmosphere.
ESCAPE
If you want to get away from the melee, head for Cardiff Bay. It takes about 10 minutes by taxi. The chic waterfront Mermaid Quay quarter has a few good Indian, Chinese, Japanese, Turkish and Mediterranean restaurants. These are popular, so book in advance if you want an evening meal. You can normally get a table for lunch without booking. If your wallet is heavy, aim for Le Gallois - Y Cymro, a chic restaurant in the Pontcanna district. Close by is the leafy hub of Pontcanna Street, where you'll find Cardiff's media types. Good restaurants include Cafe Brava, Cibo and Diner 77.
NIGHTLIFE
Avoid the very bottom of St Mary Street - the bit cordoned off by police every weekend - at all costs. Brimming with superpubs, this area is full of screeching, flailing binge drinkers. Instead, seek out independent bars and old-school pubs in the side streets. Some Munster fans may already be familiar with Kitty Flynn's; close by is the trendy Copa. Tucked away at the top of the High Street is Floyd's, a tiny first-floor bar loved by locals in the know. Round the corner and opposite Cardiff Castle is Dempsey's, a friendly Irish pub with great discos upstairs on many Saturday nights.If classical music's your thing, Welsh National Opera is staging Tosca at the magnificent Wales Millennium Centre - the large building that resembles an armadillo - on Friday.
SIGHTSEEING
Cardiff Castle, right in the middle of town, is being renovated, but its splendid interiors are well worth a look. National Museum Cardiff, within walking distance of the shops, tells the story of Wales. It also has a fantastic collection of impressionist paintings.If you've brought the kids along, a great place to visit is Techniquest, in Cardiff Bay. This science discovery centre features an array of interactive exhibits and live demonstrations.
As well as the Heineken Cup final, Cardiff is hosting the British Water Ski Racing Championships next weekend; next to the bay, in Roald Dahl Plass, a continental market will be selling tasty produce and international foods.
If you want to look further afield, visit Castell Coch, a fairytale castle on the northern outskirts of the city. Or park your car in the village of Taff's Well and hike up the Garth, a hill with magnificent views of Cardiff and its surrounding valleys.
ACCOMMODATION
You might be in trouble if you haven't already booked. Hotel rooms are going to be particularly hard to come by next weekend, as Millennium Stadium is also hosting the Coca-Cola Football League championship play-off, on May 21st. It might be worth giving the B&Bs of Cathedral Road, in Pontcanna, and Newport Road, in Roath, a call. Both are within walking distance of the city centre and the stadium.
CONTACTS
GENERAL INFORMATION
www.southernwales.com
RESTAURANTS AND BARS
48 Charles Street, 00-44-29-20382882, www.acidcasuals.com
83 Pontcanna Street, 00-44-29-20232226
Cafe Brava 71 Pontcanna Street, 00-44-29-20371929
15 Castle Street, 00-44-29-20252024
Diner 77 77 Pontcanna Street, 00-44-29-20344628
23 High Street, 00-44-29-20222181
Kitty Flynn's 51 St Mary Street, 00-44-29-20644952
La Tasca Old Brewery Quarter, 00-44-29-20230087, www.latasca.co.uk
Le Gallois - Y Cymro 6-10 Romilly Crescent, Canton, 00-44-29-20341264,
www.legallois-ycymro.com
Thai Edge Old Brewery Quarter, 00-44-29-20235665, www.thaiedge.co.uk
ATTRACTIONS
Cardiff Castle Castle Street, 00-44-29-20878100, www.cardiffcastle.com
Castell Coch Tongwynlais, 00-44-29-20810101, www.castlewales.com/coch.html
Mermaid Quay 00-44-29-20480077, www.mermaidquay.co.uk
National Museum Cardiff Cathays Park, 00-44-29-20397951, www.museumwales.ac.uk
Stuart Street, 00-44-29-20475475, www.techniquest.org
Wales Millennium Centre Cardiff Bay, 00-44-8700-402000, www.wmc.org.uk