The Cardiff Student Guide: Cathays

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About the author: Hi! I’m Jess and I am a final year English Literature student at Cardiff University. I’m also the Cardiff Content Ambassador and a Social Media Brand Ambassador for UniHomes. I love travelling, cups of tea, fitness, writing and creating lifestyle content.

If you’ve ever wondered what it’s like to live in Cardiff's Cathays as a student, you’re reading the right guide.

Cathays is home to thousands of students each year and is one of Cardiff’s most popular student neighbourhoods. From independent cafés and iconic student pubs to supermarkets and some of Cardiff’s best student nightlife, it’s no surprise that Cathays is bustling with students who call Cathays home every year.

Whether you’re moving to Cardiff for your first year or searching for a house with friends, here’s everything you need to know about living in Cathays as a student.

Location 📍

Cathays is one of Cardiff’s best-known student areas and is within walking distance of Cardiff University.

It’s also well-connected to Cardiff Metropolitan University, the University of South Wales, and the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama by bus and train.

Whether you’re walking to lectures, catching a train home from Cathays train station for the weekend, or heading into town with your friends, it’s no surprise how popular Cathays is, since everything is within easy reach.

Cathays was also the most searched student area on the UniHomes website for the 2026/27 letting season, receiving six times more searches than the next most popular Cardiff neighbourhood, Roath.

Food and drink 🍽️

One of the best things about living in Cathays is having everything you need be just a short walk away.

Supermarkets

For your weekly food shop, you’ll find:

• Lidl (a student favourite for cheap groceries)

• Tesco Express (for those sweet treat cravings)

• Sainsbury’s Local

• Independent convenience stores

Top tip: Avoid going to Lidl at 5pm since it is the end of the university day... unless you’re craving the Lidl bakery, which never disappoints!

Cafés

Whether you’re looking for somewhere to study or catch up with friends, Cathays has plenty of independent cafés to choose from:

• Metchy’s Cafe: make sure to try their Lotus Biscoff milkshakes

• Yakamoz Cafe: ideal for a relaxed coffee catch up with friends

• The Table: every Friday at Emmanuel Church, serving affordable homemade food and drinks during term time

• Cafe 37: well known for its “perfect hangover breakfast”, according to a Cardiff University student!

Restaurants and takeaways

Alongside cafés, there are plenty different cuisines to choose from if you fancy dinner out with friends:

• Maria’s Greek Taverna: “best Greek restaurant in Cathays” – Cardiff University student

• Curry Hut: a Sri-Lankan and South Indian restaurant

• Fortune House: Chinese takeaway

• The Bagel Place: located outside Cardiff University’s Student Union

There’s so many more to explore!

Nightlife 🪩

Cathays has built a reputation as one of Cardiff’s best student nightlife spots.

Some of the most popular student pubs include:

• The Woodville: did you know they do bottomless brunch?

• The Mackintosh: a great spot to play pool and sit outside in the sun

• The Flora: ideal for relaxed evenings after lectures with friends

• The Crwys: just sits in the middle of Cathays and Roath, making it a great meet up point with friends

• The Vulcan Lounge: a Cathays go-to local with live music and events

• Foundry Social: a contemporary social pub with a quiz, live music- what more could you want?

• Misfits: while the digital queue might test your patience, the affordable drinks and talented student DJs make it one of Cardiff’s best-known student clubs.

The best part after a night out is of course getting food before you walk home. If you ever feel hungry after a night out at Misfits, check out T & A Kebabs (but be warned; you might feature on their late-night TikTok live stream).

Want to know more about Cardiff clubs and pubs? Check out Content Ambassador Helena's post on the best student nights out in Cardiff.

Student housing in Cathays 🏠

It’s easy to see why student housing in Cathays remains one of the most popular choices for Cardiff students.

Since July 2026, the average rent for a UniHomes property in Cathays has been £196.37 per person per week. It also received 6x the number of searches as the next most popular area, Roath! Most properties have three or more bedrooms making the area ideal for groups of friends looking to share a house.

When you rent through UniHomes, your bills are included in one monthly payment, covering utilities, Wi-Fi and your TV license, making it easier to budget throughout the academic year.

Whether you’re looking for your first student house or planning your next move with friends, Cathays continues to be one of the best places to experience student life in Cardiff.

Although there is so much more to Cathays than what’s in this guide, make sure to head over to our Instagram and TikTok for more information on what Cathays is like as a student from our Social Media Brand Ambassadors.

This post is part of the UniHomes Content Ambassador programme, where current students across the UK share tips about student life in their city to help you make the most of your time at uni. Like these guides? Add UniHomes as a preferred source in Google with just one click by checking the box to see more expert content from our student writers!

Whilst you’re out having fun in your new uni city, remember that UniHomes promotes responsible drinking, and any alcohol products featured within this article are for ages 18+.

The views and opinions expressed in these blogs are those of the UniHomes Content Ambassadors and do not necessarily reflect the opinion of UniHomes. UniHomes accepts no liability for the content of these Student Blogs.