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Champagne was flowing, well dressed bodies were packed tightly, Only Men Aloud! were belting out some Welsh favourites, Nick Knowles was dashing in his metallic suit and John Barrowman was melting hearts (both male and female) dancing on the bar.
CLUB CLASS
The place was buzzing and, most noticeably, everyone was smiling. I can only be describing the launch of the fantastic, newly refurbished Cameo Club, an exclusive members club in the heart of Pontcanna.
Owners Huw Davies, Rhodri Ogwen Williams and Matt Kirkpatrick have transformed the Cameo Club which now provides a funky bar, bistro and lounge. Daytime sees professional people working away at their laptops or having meetings, couples and friends enjoying lunch, cooked lovingly by Dafydd Lloyd and Jorge formerly of Patagonia, while night time takes on a whole new vibe.
Vale Life hooked up with friends and caught up with the latest news above the laughter and clinking glasses. The mood was infectious and after more singing, more chat and even more gyrating from the gorgeous Mr Barrowman, we bade our farewells and moved our way through the crowd and into the street.
We’ve had several business meetings at the club and that’s not just because it has WiFi throughout. They’ve done an amazing job with the refurbishment. The colour scheme of grey’s and blue’s works well, as does the bar area with its abundance of colourful optics.
We’ve yet to sample the food but the menu looks good as did the food we’ve seen being served. Looking down at us are black and white photographs from Llanelli-based photographer Terry Morris’s Cool Cymru collection and these include Katherine Jenkins, Matthew Rhys, Andrew Vicari and Shirley Bassey. Photographs of Anthony Hopkins and Catherine Zeta Jones will be added in the New Year.
I’ve never been a member of a private club before but the Cameo Club membership definitely appeals. From January 2009, the new membership with be £150, but join now and new members will benefit from the club’s special introductory launch rate of £95, a saving of £55.
So, what are the key benefits of membership? The club has an enlarged private members’ only bar area and versatile private lounge, a private screening lounge for corporate and sporting events, a versatile private lounge for dining, board meetings or parties, use of the bistro, the benefit of a 2am license outside of the city centre and 10% discount off all purchases of food and drink and special events. If you joined now, you would still benefit from the discount for the remainder of November and December. Sold. Now, where do I sign?
If you like the look of the Cameo Club, you won’t be surprised to learn that the owners also run the popular bar One which is located over two floors in the Wales Millennium Centre.
One is the ideal place to relax or meet friends in an attractive, contemporary setting for pre and post performance serving bistro food, fine wines, beer and spirits. It provides a stylish venue for the casual visitor and theatre-goer and is also available for private functions.
Another Vale Life haunt, we can thoroughly recommend their lamb cawl and mushroom risotto.
One
Monday to Saturday 10am to 11pm
Sunday 10am to 10.30pm
029 2047 0254
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New to the group is A Shot In The Dark on Cardiff’s City Road.
Here you can enjoy delicious fresh food, (they have good vegetarian options), fair trade coffee, a wide selection of teas, home-made cakes and a good selection of old and new world wines, beers and spirits, along with frappés, smoothies and milkshakes. These and more can be enjoyed on squishy leather sofas while you chat with friends or work on your laptop.
Spread over two floors, A Shot In The Dark is available to hire for events, be it business or pleasure.
A Shot In The Dark
12 City Road, Roath
Cardiff CF24 3BJ
029 2047 2300
info@ashotinthedark.eu |
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We asked Nick Knowles, journalist, writer, producer and TV presenter about his connection with the Cameo Club and why he chose to become a member.
I have several connections with Cardiff over the years. Firstly I have Welsh family. Uncle Fred and Auntie Sheila Jenkins and all my cousins up in Mountain Ash and Hirwaun near Merthyr, so much of my youth was spent in the Brecon Beacons and in and around Cardiff. I was a keen rugby player and came with my brother to the internationals at the old Arms Park and the new Millennium Stadium. (I should point out as an England supporter unless Wales were playing anyone else when I would, of course, support Wales).
Many of my best friends like Rhodri Williams are from Cardiff and some of the best nights out down the years have been here. Finally, Only Men Aloud won my recent Saturday night show Last Choir Standing and I’m due down there for a celebratory pint or several with them. Also various girlfriends...
How long have you been a member?
For nine years since Rhodri and Huw Davies took over. I’ve have had some legendary evenings in the company of some of my rugby heroes, drunken actors and actresses and my Cardiff buddies like Oagy.
Why did you become a member?
Because I knew the guys and knew they would create a fun place to be. The first time I went, neither Rhod nor Huw were there, and I was taking friends. There was, at that time, a secret password that would identify me to the huge doorman as one of Rhod’s true friends as I was new. I was told to say “Let me in you big fat Hom!” I have to say I thought long and hard before using the phrase as I could imagine if it were not correct I would be struggling to eat corn on the cob over the coming months until I could get new teeth fitted. However, on uttering the phrase I was admitted. I must warn customers that the password has long since changed and the use of the phrase to doorstaff now is likely to encourage a fairly physical response.
What do you like about it?
I like the fact that everyone just gets on with their evening. No-one seems to care what anyone else does for a living and no-one tries to photograph me if I over-enjoy a glass of wine. The food’s great, there’s a good cellar of wines and it’s a nice environment in which to chill out. There are attractive women too which is no bad thing.
Nick is currently working on the 18th series of DIY SOS, a wildlife gardening show called Wild About Your Garden, Real Rescues on daytime BBC 1 and Saturday nights doing Who Dares Wins quiz show around the lottery. He’s also just finished a film script which is off to America for financing, is discussing the possibility of another Last Choir Standing, and working up to do To the Ends of the Earth, a huge wildlife spectacular in Africa next year for the BBC.
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