WOW BAR & LOUNGE LAUNCH PARTY
4 Churchill Way, Cardiff, CF10 2DW
Well, it has been a long time coming. After 12 years or so since its inception back in the late 90s, when Wow Bar took the Cardiff gay scene by storm, Wow is back and promises to deliver over and above the successes of yesteryear.
The original club’s star-studded Saturday nights were infamous on the gay circuit back in the day, when everyone from Danni Minogue to Dana International took to their large stage.
The new Wow is much more intimate, however, and while the chart-toppers might not feature in the line-up here anymore, this new venture is altogether more sophisticated and visible than its older sister on Bute Place.
Following a successful launch night last week, with drag queen Marcia commanding proceedings, this bar has been pretty much packed out ever since. Its many themed nights; Monday’s Boylesque, Thursday’s PMSL and Sunday’s 2 Poofs and A Piano, are proving extremely popular indeed.
Food is served daily from noon, and if the canapés on opening night are anything to go by, then the menu here is well worth checking out.
Wow has a unique feel about it, that’s for sure. Having frequented the old Wow many years ago, this place has a buzz that you don’t get everywhere. It’s so much more than just a classy night spot on the gay trail, and Cardiff’s Scene needs this. While the staples of The Golden Cross, Exit and The Kings Cross do their thing well and the kids have the pounding Pulse, where do we young professionals go for a more sophisticated night out? Finally, Wow has filled the gap. Be it a drink with colleagues after work, a lunch or coffee date, or a hard-core Saturday night on the town, this place seems to deliver on all of these levels without alienating anyone. For a gay bar, that’s quite a feat!
Orange is the theme. And lots of it, like a Dutch shrine. The lighting is Italian Uto and the (obviously expensive) leather seating is so showroom that you almost don’t want to sit down – I did and they are très comfortable.
The real gem, however, has to be the white chill-out zone downstairs. Here the UV lighting against the white décor makes even the palest of persons look as orange as the seating upstairs. A good spot for us freckly Celtic types, then! This space is very well designed, as are the toilets and underground dance-floor, which was packed with the capital’s cuties last Saturday night.
Most venues will offer food, drink and a comfortable environment for the city’s gays, but Wow exceeds expectations with the unique, indefinable atmosphere that comes with the brand.
Words: Jamie Rees
Info: 029 2066 6247 / Wow Bar & Lounge
