To celebrate St David's Day, we asked Welsh luminaries from Howard Marks to Huw Stephens to tell us about their favourite haunts in CardiffHoward Marks, authorI never go to Cardiff without visiting Demiro's (Unit 26, Cardiff Bay, Mermaid Quay), usually just before getting seriously drunk at Mocka (1-2 Mill Lane), the best club in Cardiff. Demiro's has a massive outside area where the conflicting ideologies of both lovers of fresh air and smokers can peacefully coexist. The cuisine is a delightful mixture of Welsh, Spanish and Italian. I stick to Welsh dishes: heart-shaped cockles, laverbread and bacon (to take care of my constitution), washed down by a bowl of cawl (lamb and potato soup) to prevent any possibility of erectile dysfunction. I drink Spanish wine and get spoilt by Italian waiters, who some days enhance their impeccable service by loudly and surreally vocalising operatic arias in unison.Matthew Rhys, actor"Oi Taff!" is a phrase I've heard many a time in my life. Some say the term comes from the fact that the River Taff runs from the valleys and through Cardiff. The river is a beautiful way to see the city. The Taff trail is a well-worn but peaceful path alongside the river. You can pick it up anywhere, but the best place to start may be in Sophia Gardens, just a stone's throw from the city centre. Walking past Glamorgan's cricket ground, you can stop at the Mochyn Du (Black Pig in Welsh) in Sophia Close for a pint of the local brew. The Mochyn Du also does a great range of traditional food (pies, fish and chips, etc), good hearty Welsh fare to accompany your pint. Continue on and you'll enter Cardiff Castle grounds ? the castle itself is well worth a visit (�11 adult, �8.50 child). There's an early motte and bailey within the castle walls and over time various architectural influences have been added. The river then takes you past the Millennium Stadium ? the home of Welsh rugby, although to many of us it will always be the Arms Park (the old and far superior name). The beauty of Cardiff is its size. For a city that has such wide-ranging amenities to offer, it's all within a very short, walkable distance. Just start at the river ?Huw Stephens, DJI highly recommend a visit to Spillers Records, the beating heart of the thriving Cardiff music scene. For dance music, Catapult Records (22 High Street Arcade) is full of good stuff. The best venue in Cardiff is Clwb Ifor Bach on Womanby Street, home to a diverse range of nights. The Chapter Arts Centre in Market Road, Canton, is a wonderful place with so much going on and a nice bar. Gwdihw (6 Guildford Crescent) is a cafe in the city centre that is warm and welcoming and serves good food, as does Cafe Minuet (42 Castle Arcade), opposite the castle, which makes amazing Italian food.? Huw Stephens takes over the Saturday 1pm-4pm slot on Radio 1 in March. He is co-curator of the annual Swn Festival in CardiffMatt Tebbutt, chefWe have a set routine when visiting Cardiff as a family ... the Doctor Who exhibition (Unit 9B, The Red Dragon Centre, Atlantic Wharf Leisure Village, Hemingway Road; �7.50 adult, �5.50 child, closes 27 March) is the highlight for the kids, then a walk along the bay, where we always point out the Norwegian church where Roald Dahl was christened. This is followed by a big Chinese at the Riverside Cantonese (44 Tudor Street, Riverside) near the Millennium Stadium. They are great with the kids and it's one of those places where you see the local Chinese eating ? always a good sign!? Matt Tebbutt runs The Foxhunter, Nantyderry, Abergavenny, Monmouthshire, thefoxhunter.comDarren Floyd, writer and painterJust one favourite place in Cardiff? Blimey! Well apart from the beautiful Pontcanna Fields, Blackweir bridge and the blissful Flat Holm Island, I suppose it's got to be the legendary Spillers Records! I remember buying my first Glastonbury ticket from them in 94. Just walked in off the street and paid �60! You tell kids these days and they won't believe you! Bought so much great music, seen so many great bands playing in stores and to top it all they stock my novel, Match Day. Tidy!? Darren Floyd is the author of Match Day, published by Hirst Publishing at �7.99Angela Gray, food writer and chefOne of the things I love about Cardiff are the Victorian arcades, full of quirky little shops that have real personality. Morgan Arcade is home to Jon Ian shoes (7 Morgan Arcade) ? temptations galore! I also love Wallys deli (42-44 Royal Arcade), an Aladdin's cave of global delicacies and a must for food lovers, the Riverside Farmers' Market (Fitzhamon Embankment) on Sundays, and a trip to Madhav stores (53-59 Lower Cathedral Road, 029-2037 2947) for exotic ingredients and a plate of fiery vegetarian curry. Out of the city centre, you have to visit Anand George's new venture, Chai Street (132 Whitchurch Road), a cafe serving delicious Indian breakfast and lunches, right next door to his premier restaurant, Mint & Mustard.? Angela Gray is the author of The Welsh Cheese Book, published by Gomer at �5.99For details of attractions in Cardiff and across Wales see visitwales.co.ukCardiffWalesEuropeCity breaksUnited KingdomCultural tripsFood and drinkguardian.co.uk © Guardian News & Media Limited 2011 | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds
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