7 things to do in Cardiff: 7 things within 7 minutes of our Sophia House Serviced Offices
There are plenty of good reasons to set up your business in Cardiff. Not only is it the closest European capital to London, but this former industrial city is a hub for financial services, as well as science and technology, and businesses in the creative sector (such as marketing and branding agencies).
Rombourne’s serviced offices Cardiff are ideally located on Cathedral Road, which is home to many thriving businesses, and is just a short walk from the hustle and bustle of the city centre. Situated in the trendy district of Pontcanna, and just a stone’s throw away from Canton, there’s plenty of places for employees in the area to hold team meetings, grab a quick lunch or socialise after work!
Here are 7 of the best locations you can reach within approximately 7 minutes of our serviced offices in Cardiff…
1. Bute Park and Arboretum
Rombourne’s serviced offices in Cardiff are adjacent to Sophia Gardens, a large public park that houses the Sport Wales National Centre and the SSE SWALEC, a cricket stadium that’s home to the Glamorgan County Cricket Club. It’s also connected to the city’s famous Bute Park, which once formed the grounds of Cardiff Castle.
With 130 acres of landscaped gardens and parkland, Bute Park isn’t just one of the largest urban parks in Wales; there’s also plenty to see and do! As well as marvelling at the park’s collection of over 3,000 tree species and keeping an eye out for woodpeckers, herons, and other local wildlife, visitors can also enjoy a spot of lunch at The Secret Garden Café and Pettigrew Tearooms, and find out more about the park’s rich history at the Bute Park Education Centre.
Your team can even fit in a lunchtime workout using the equipment located on the free Fitness Trail!
2. Kin + Ilk Café Bar
Conveniently located across the road, and just a few doors down from our Sophia House offices, Kin + Ilk has become the perfect place to grab your first caffeine fix of the morning, have a hearty lunch, or even have a more laidback meeting with your team or your clients! In fact, with the Pontcanna branch of the café bar being open into the evening, it also offers a vibrant atmosphere for after work socials, and their unique events range from wine tastings to small art exhibitions.
Founded in 2016, Kin + Ilk have grown quickly, and already have 3 of their café bars located across the city. This means you can get your fix of their versatile house roast, Finca El Izote, even if you’ve strayed away from the Sophia House office!
3. Cardiff Castle
Situated between our Sophia House serviced offices and Queen Street (which is the main thoroughfare in the city centre), Cardiff Castle is in a prime location to be explored during a long lunch or after work, with this medieval castle offering over 2,000 years of history to immerse yourself in.
Although Cardiff Castle and its grounds appear to be modest, inside the site, there’s plenty to discover. Start your journey at the Interpretation Centre, where you’ll be introduced to the history of the castle with a film and optional portable audio guides. From here, you can choose to explore the Cardiff Castle Museum, take a house tour of the Castle Apartments, or experience the views from The Norman Keep.
Not enough time to see everything in one go? If you live or work in Cardiff, you can get a key that gives you free admission to the castle for three years!
4. Principality Stadium
Once known (and often still referred to) as the Wales Millennium Stadium, The Principality Stadium is located on Westgate Street, just a 5-minute walk from our serviced offices in Cathedral Road, Cardiff.
The national stadium for Wales, The Principality Stadium first opened in 1999 and is home to the Wales national rugby union team; in fact, its first major event that year was a test rugby union match against South Africa! Now, it’s the second largest stadium in the world, and its impressive stature and features have attracted many great events to the venue. These range from the football competition during the 2012 Summer Olympics, to the 2017 UEFA Champions League Final, to concerts from U2, Justin Bieber, Beyoncé, and Oasis.
5. Bar 44
Before watching a concert at the Principality Stadium, head across the road from the venue’s Westgate Street entrance, and grab a drink and a bite to eat at the popular Bar 44. With Cardiff being named as one of the UK’s top five growing food and drink scenes in 2015, there’s plenty of great restaurants to choose from, though Bar 44’s authentic Spanish dishes help them to stand out above the rest!
With Spain being one of the world’s most exciting wine regions, Bar 44 has an excellent choice of wines to suit every taste and occasion, as well as sherries, lagers, craft beers, gins, and cocktails (if wine isn’t your drink of choice).
Each of the three restaurants in Cardiff, Penarth, and Cowbridge have their own variation of the tapas menu, so you can be sure to try something new when you visit.
6. Breakout Cardiff
If you’re looking for a fun teambuilding exercise to complete with your colleagues, then look no further than Breakout Cardiff! As the city’s first escape room game, Breakout Cardiff has 5 great escape rooms to choose from, with agendas ranging from stopping a missile strike, to finding a missing colleague, to returning a haunted prize to a carnival.
With just 60 minutes to solve the puzzles to enable your escape, they offer a fantastic opportunity for you to encourage your workforce to collaborate and work together.
Situated in the city centre’s Brewery Quarter (above Five Guys), Breakout Cardiff is very easy to find, and it’s on the doorstep of some great bars and restaurants. This means the night doesn’t have to end after you’ve (hopefully) escaped the room!
7. Pipes Artisan Brewery
Cardiff is a modest but bustling city, with a number of clubs, bars, and pubs to choose from. However, if you venture away from the city centre and into Canton (which is a very short walk from our serviced offices on Cathedral Road), then you’ll find something a little different in the form of the Pipes Artisan Brewery.
As well as priding themselves on brewing high quality beer in a range of unique styles (including Vienna Red, Chocolate Wheat, and Baltic Porter Espresso, amongst others), Pipes also hosts regular Bar Open events where visitors can sample new speciality beers each month. They can even provide Party Kegs for a work event with a difference!
