Tucked away at the back of Cathays is Bl┼Ám; an independent coffee shop that was first introduced to me ago by my third-year housemates. I remember my first visit vividly; I was battling the hangover from hell, and only an iced oat latte would revive me, and revive me it did. Since then, it has become a firm favourite of mine, with their oat dirty chai lattes not only being the tastiest IÔÇÖve ever had, but the most aesthetically pleasing; the sprinkle of spices accompanied by the dried flowers making me feel almost criminal when drinking it and ruining such visual perfection. It is a great space to meet up with friends for a coffee and one of their cakes made by local independent bakers (yes, they have the best baked goods too) or to take your uni work and use the excuse of studying to justify a delicious coffee.

Words by Hansa Tote

The Plan Cafe in Morgan Arcade, between St MaryÔÇÖs Street and The Hayes is my favourite cafe! I love to immerse myself into CardiffÔÇÖs culture and being the foodie that I am, I choose to do so by discovering independent eateries. I stumbled upon The Plan Cafe during a break between my contact hours at JOMEC. As the school is centrally located, there is an abundance of cuisine options nearby. I knew that CardiffÔÇÖs eminent arcades would likely have what I was looking for and that is how I found this gem! ItÔÇÖs perfect for solo study dates, especially if you are seated upstairs and can overlook the arcade. Alternatively, as itÔÇÖs right in the middle of town, itÔÇÖs a great meeting spot for friends. My order of choice is their Soup of the Day & Bread and Butter (and coffee, of course) which is an exquisite uni lunchtime treat. 

Words by Carys William

A new favourite coffee spot of mine is Coffi Lab on Wellfield Road. ItÔÇÖs a bit of a trek as itÔÇÖs a 30-minute walk from the main Uni building, but if you have the time or are looking for a new place to study, I would definitely recommend it. The best time to come is a Saturday morning as Coffi Lab is dog friendly, meaning itÔÇÖs the perfect place to people watch, as dog owners often pop in before their morning walks round Roath Park. Even though it only opened in August of this year, it seems to have loyal customers and is always popular. As its in Roath, the customer base tends to be more families than students, which I like as has more of a local, homely feel. The spacious, bright layout of the shop accommodates the different groups of people, having some spots to study, as well as outdoor seating for a sunny morning catchup. One thing that makes this place a go to, is their baked goods. They sell Alex Gooch pastries and always have such a selection. Currently they have all things pumpkin spice, for autumn.

Words by Megan Phillip