The Pomegranate

Why we love it

If Coltrain found himself grooving between the modern day Cathays train station, Cardiff Uni and the Welsh Government HQ, he'd take Giant Steps towards The Pomegranate - a Jazz Café / Bar set unassumingly behind the bustle of Park Place but singing out a much-needed rhythm change in this neck of the woods.

By day, Coaltown-coffee infused air and counter-top carousels of cake and traybake intertwine with a heady mix of blues, soul and bebop. For meetups or a spot of work, it's a less boisterous spot than adjacent options - and far more rewarding. You'll immediately notice The Pomegranate's sense of space, too: space to focus, to relax or to simply escape from the hubbub of prime-time Cathays life.

Playable instruments help to set this gem firmly apart (you'll not be able to resist tinkling the ivories of the stride piano as you enter or the baby grand placed snugly in a corner adorned with artwork, pot plants and plush furniture), but it's the evenings when The Pomegranate bears the most fruit. The atmosphere becomes more intimate, coffee turns to cocktails & conversation and attention turns from "on-point playlist" to on-stage live Jazz (complete with a full grand piano and welcoming some of the best young cats in the city). Jazz at The Pomegranate. Nice.