this place always has great house music and Djs playing. it reminds me of my fav. SF clubs. underground house nothing trendy
last night(Wednesday) the music was funky jams 70s n 80s(and packed w/ a ton of people btw) so obv. it depends on what nights you go but Saturdays usually rock out w/ sick house beats.
I wish the venue was larger, it's small and stuffy at times. I only go there to dance but a lot of people are looking to "hookup" nonetheless there's always a crowd dancing and appreciating the music.
They didn't let my brother in with his ID card because they only let people in that have Drivers License's !!! Been a bartender for 6 years now and I've never heard of such craziness. Their comment  was that they're trying to only cater to a certain "crowd' . Â
Get remodeled and not smell like the Cave ride at Santa Cruz then !!!
Plus I got sick after drinking a margarita from here the last time I was there. Didn't taste right to me. The dishes were probably washed improperly.
Just go to khartoum. Way better vibe all around.
This is Campbell's equivalent to SFs End Up. Usually where you would never start your night, but usually where it ends. Patrons are generally an eclectic group of misfits, either coming from the Row, locals, and well...misc. :) Usually have a good time here though if i am with a group of people. Only knocks on the place is that its tiny, and gets crowded real fast, and no beer tap :/
Review Source:I had a friend visiting from out of town who wanted to check out the local nightlife so we decided to head over to Cardiff. Apparently they've adopted a new rule that only people with driver's licenses can get in and despite the fact I had CALIFORNIA STATE ISSUED ID CARD, as well as a second photo ID and credit cards with picture and name.. I was still refused entry.
So I guess the rule at Cardiff now is that unless you drive, you can't get in. Apparently it's to discourage a "certain type of crowd" whatever that means. I've passed airport checkpoints, opened bank accounts and applied for new social security cards with my ID card but I can't get into a bar?? I've been coming here off and on for several years so if discriminating against customers is how they want to operate, I will NEVER come here again and make sure to tell my friends the same. Absolutely ridiculous.. I'd give negative stars if that were an option.
Afterwords we walked to Khartoum and had a great time.
"A Very Short Tale of A Night That Never Happened"
by Anayo
"Nothing to do on a Wednesday night, hmm, I heard Cardiff plays good music on Wednesday's, I think I'll check it out," I thought to myself as I left work.
I drove up to Santa Clara to pick up old college friends and we decided, hey, why not? We got ready and piled in the car. We arrived at the bar at around 11:30pm.
As we walked up to the door, we noticed there was nobody in line and barely anyone inside. A short man who was visibly shivering was complaining about the cold as we approached.
"Obviously from the lack of body heat in there," I snarkily said in my head as I handed him my license.
I stepped aside as my friends handed him there identification. I started to bounce along to the music - I had to admit, they were playing my jams!
I looked back at my friend wondering what the holdup was. "We don't accept state I.D.'s, you need a driver's license, you can't get in," said the bouncer. Wait, what???
Dumbfounded and in shock. Our night was cut short by a small man with enlarged entitlement.
The End.
(2 stars for the music I could hear from outside, though!)
The South Bay has always had so many clubs that come and go, almost of all of which feel like a meat market where a girl can't dance without feeling some douchebag walk up on her backside. Â The Cardiff is one of the ONLY clubs that anyone can go to where you can always count on a good time, great drinks, and you can always dance for the sake of dancing. Â The DJs are almost always awesome - not too much of that top 40 crap, but real DJs who play and beat match real music. Â The owner is super sweet, and takes care of his people, and the bouncers are respectful and fun. Â It's a hidden treasure in the South Bay for sure.
Review Source:This is not much of a review on the club since I never went in, but more so on the staff that I dealt with including the wack ass owner.
At the time I didn't have my license but I did have a CA ID...which apparently wasn't good enough even tho it clearly said I was 21 on it. Â They wouldn't let me enter. Â I've NEVER heard of a club that turned people away for not having a driver's license. Its the most ridiculous load of SHIT I've heard in my life.
That being said....I have NEVER been back, even after getting my license. This place deserves NO stars.
This place is weak, folks!
I'm not a major fan of Campbell's bar scene, but I gave this place a shot on a random weekend (not a Boogie on the Bayou weekend, though).
There are perverts and creeps galore, and not the interesting kind you find at good dives, but the kind that you will likely smack after your third shot of Jameson.
It's situated in a small space off Campbell Ave., so parking can be difficult to find on weekends. Skip the Cardiff altogether and check out the Irish Pub down the street.
It was pretty busy here on a Saturday night, though interestingly it started to die down around twelve, as people seemed eager to get to another venue, elsewhere. Interesting circle formed and a mini-dance-off happened in front of us, which was entertaining. Though straight men dance like me, and I consider myself a terrible dancer.
Decent drinks, okay crowd, very mixed and random people were there. The music was too loud, and that's coming from someone who likes the Abbey in West Hollywood. Several of us complained that our ears were literally ringing after we left. Auditory damage = fail.
Great House music!
If you are looking for your typical San Jose kind of hip hop... please... do not come here and request for it... you will NOT get it. (Smiles sweetly) :)
No cover, food spots close by, decent enough crowd. Smoking area in the front, parking on the strip and in the back.
Oh, and I particularly like that they are always playing some weird ass random movie in the background (that you can't hear, of course).
Cheers!
Note: I'm writing this review with the perspective of a dancer.
Great place to get down and funky on Tuesdays/Thursdays. Â Heard that there was a more hip-hop/funk musical selection on Wed, haven't been yet. Â Got in just fine with my driver's license, no dress code required. Â Drinks are average bar prices, and the dance floor is a bit small but manageable. Â The skill level for all-styles dancing is pretty high though, and sometimes it's fun to just even watch people strut their stuff. Â Other than the occasional drunk person ruining the dance cyphers every now and then, Cardiff is a hidden gem in a city like Campbell!
Can I say that I've stepped back into the 70's and I wasn't even alive back then. Â Ha ha! Â The outside of this place is best described as the cave looking bar. Â There are huge rocks along the wall of the bar. Â On the inside it is like a rectangle. Â I liked that there are places to sit down with people. Â What I didn't like was the music. Â Yuck!
Outside is a smoke area. Â Felt like the bouncers were a little on the rude side. Â Just maybe the night I went, but he messed up my coworkers night out by acting macho. Â Kind of uncalled for on the bouncers behalf. Â Made me really not want to come back here.
At the bar they didn't have a lot of the drinks we asked for. Â Example. Â Can I order blank? Â No sorry we don't have the ingredients for that. Â Okay can I have this? Â No sorry. Â If this place is a bar, they really need to have the mixes for their drinks. Â Hello?
Great local lounge with a friendly and mixed crowd. Music is not our average house (came on a Tuesday)...so we're talking, not Kaskade, not Above and beyond... Also not the place for clubbers and people who want to grind and drunkenly roam the dance floor. There are some talented and skilled folks who know how to get their groove on...lots of poppers, some b-boys/girls, tutters, etc. Dance battles where people show their moves...great place to just relax, watch the show, and enjoy the music.
Bathrooms are very, very small and at times it may smell a bit iffy, but overall not a bad place to be when you don't feel like going to a normal lounge/bar/club. Bartenders also make very strong drinks for a decent price!
Came here on a saturday night for a bday party. Campbell itself reminded me of downtown orange. . .it looked dead. . .as we entered the place. . .the music was pumping and the drinks were flowing! Bartenders were all friendly and poured the drinks heavy! There were tons of room 2 dance battle! hehee
The dress was casual. . .but a few ppl in cute clubbing gear!
Had tons of fun!
Denied entrance with valid CA id. Â Sam the owner tried to explain that a certain kind of people don't have a CA dl. Â It smacks of the worst type of discrimination in what is otherwise a great, fun and diverse neighborhood.
denial of entrance for expired id, out of state id, questionable id (or cadl) seems okay to me, but to deny based on one form of VALID id vs another... well it just seems to me like the want to make sure nobody "poor" goes to their bar. Â funny enough, i have extra money BECAUSE i ride transit, and i was prepared to drop a few hundred dollars last night. Â
DON'T SPEND YOUR MONEY HERE FOLKS, THEY WANT TO KEEP "CERTAIN" PEOPLE OUT, EVEN WITH PROPER ID. Â sounds like the south, not the silicon valley.
Two words: Shady and dirty.
This place is the eyesore of Campbell Ave.
The atmosphere is not fun--it's a way to loud (which is fine if you  are going to play good music); its is creepily dark; and, the outside décor is hideous--it is time for an update from the 1970s look. Likewise, this place seems really dirty--try not to use the restroom. Thus, this bar is not at all welcoming or an enjoyable place to spend a few hours.
Drinks--nothing special. The drinks here are not bad, but I can get standard drinks at a place I would actually enjoy being at. Â
Thus, don't go here--there are plenty of other bars/restaurants in Campbell.
Great spot for house music on Tuesdays and Thursday. Â Great late happy hour beer and drink specials... Â i think their weekday happy hour goes until 9pm...
after happy hour the drink are a good price, they have every kind of alcohol i've ever asked for...
the dance floor gets crowded around 11, Â but if you get too hot there is a patio out front for smokers... Â
2 cons:
you can't have your drink on the outside patio... Â but i think that's an issue with the city of campbell not the bar...
there are way too many stools at the bar, it's hard to order a drink if you aren't sitting in a stool... like walk up ordering...
House Music.
If you love house music this is the place to be to listen to it.
If you love house music and dancing, push some people off and get a group of your friends to form a circle just to make space.
The chairs in the back are disgusting! Â
The bathroom's too small.
but.. hey, what I would go through for good music and a good crowd =)
If you dont have a driver's licence then turn around and go home. This place DOES NOT accept passports or state ID's when you get carded. Probably one of the dumbest policies that I have ever dealt with at any bar/lounge ever.
Depending who's carding you might get lucky. If not don't bother with these guy's. I would imagine that a place would let people with valid identification to keep their business going (LIKE MOST PLACES). I guess this place doesn't want to make money for people who don't have a drivers licence.
What if someone has a DUI and their with a friend who took them there? Wouldn't it be safer that way? Or what if they were drinking at Cardiff and walked home then that person would get in to some heat with the cops for public intoxication? There goes one of you're loyal customers.
If you're looking for a late 30's to early 40's crowd on a Saturday night, Cardiff Lounge is your place.
Pros:
*Cheap drinks
*No cover
*No dress code (though this could be a "con" I suppose)
*Not too crowded
Cons:
*Warm alcohol - from beers to liquor, they seem to think room temperature is ok
*Bad music
*Small dance floor
Bottom line, was an OK experience but wouldn't consider returning.
Bumpin music
Slick DJ's
Fog Machines and...
Lazer Rays.
Every South Bay house head knows that this poppin little dive is THE Â place to go for your fix. The Cardiff consistently has amazing house music most days of the week. You will always see a decent dance circle, and happy people groovin.
Solid.
Why this place is packed on a Friday night is beyond me. It's a dive bar with an identity crisis.
1. The bar/lounge is dark and poorly lit. It's not sexy. There's no mood lighting or accent lighting whatsoever. Ambiance is a big part of a decent lounge atmosphere and the Cardiff is laughable in this respect. (Normally, this would = dive bar). Attitude is served up from both patrons and staff. Dive bar it is not.
2. Dive bars embrace their shittiness. The Cardiff does not. They try for more with hot bartenders. But then they fail to test these girls on making basic drinks well. Real bars make good drinks. And do it quickly.
3. No seating aside from a line of bar stools. Don't try to pass off as a "Lounge" with nothing to lounge on. And that dirty velour bench on one wall does not count.
4. With no windows or ventilation, the a/c should be blasting. We finished our drinks with the quickness, just to get outside (where it was still 80+ degrees...at night).
5. They have a "coat check" which is not manned by anyone and is simply a hole in the wall with a rod and hangers. Multiple reviewers talk of their coats being stolen. (A "hang at your own risk" sign would be appropriate). This would work better at Butter in SF, where irony is the name of the game.
The Cardiff used to be really bad. It was better then - before this botched face lift.
I came here with some friends this past Friday night after my b-day dinner. Â I've been here before numerous times. Â Cardiff Lounge is one of the few spots to listen to some good house music. Â This past Friday night Julius Papp was spinning an awesome set. Â This place usually has a good vibe and is a nice spot to chill or dance it up a little. Â They have a few couches in the back area for people who like to chill. Â Outside in the front is a smoke area for those who need to light one up. This place is generally very chill and offers a very mixed crowd.
The only bad thing I can say about this place is that it's pretty small, so it can get pretty packed and insanely hot on busy nights.
Summary: Good house beats, chill crowd, and no cover!
It's "so-so" in so many ways.
6th Year Anniversary party with Miguel Migs, so I stopped by.
Place was packed. Bartenders were slow and clueless. But that is OK, I am forgiving. I still consider this place a DIVE BAR and there is nothing fancy or swanky about it. Dark, lounge chairs, and house music.
The front area is sectioned off for smokers.
I guess I am too old or I've had enough of the Cardiff.
I went home at midnight.
The good: Cute girls come here. I have seen a few pretty ones here and there. Sure, they tend to be snobby and pretentious but at least they are cute enough to pull it off.
The bad: Â The snooty crowd. It's really small. It can get crowded fast. It's in Campbell. If it sucks, there aren't many options left.
The ugly: Â The constant house music. It gives me a headache.
Immediately upon walking into the Cardiff Lounge, I was overtaken by a mental replay of the the Family Guy episode with Jasper (Brian's gay cousin) and his soon-to-be husband dancing to Stewie making "Uhn-Tiss- Uhn-Tiss-Uhn-Tiss" sounds at the dinner table.
There weren't any animated characters present nor dogs, nor babies...but the House music was so unexpected and overwhelming that it was the only parallel that I could draw.
This place is a cess pool. I've been to the Cardiff Meat Factory 3 times; twice with a girl that I was obviously there with "together" and once with my buddy.
I don't know what it was, but as soon as we walked in..[girl and I], all off the men in the room(and I do mean room) put there noses up in the wind like a gang of starving wolves on The Discovery Channel. The 2 nights continued on with dudes and their little red thing sticking out of their pants hitting/dancing/groping on the lady I was with while we were talking and dancing. So after getting into a couple shoving matches we left.
My 3rd visit was quite perplexing. I walked in with one of my boys to find a dance floor full of dudes dancing with each other. 2 thoughts popped into my head; 1) Cardiff had changed to an all male bar, however, I did not see a rainbow flag flying above the entrance or 2) I walked into a gay version of Stomp the Yard and the boy bands were practicing for a "battle"...suffice to say I will never return this establishment.
This place is the place to be Thursday nights. All the 'local celebrities' and 'party scene' people flock here to SEE or BE SEEN.
There's no cover charge but good luck making it past the door guy. Unless you know Sam or are a group of good looking females you could end up waiting in line all night to get into a room that probably isn't any bigger then your master bathroom.
All the bboys/housers usually assemble in the back of the bar, next to the bathrooms. Which, by the way, the stalls in the woman's bathroom barely give you enough room to even squeeze into. The stall doors are literally touching your knees as you sit on the john. So try not to break the seal, ladies.
Be forewarned, its only HOUSE Music on Thursdays.
Like whoa yo, didnt' know about this town here
Just cruisin for some cocktails and beers
Luis said this be a super Filipino hang out
Wanted to find out what it was all about
So in we went at 8 o'clock in the pm
To find out this place be for hot womens and men
From Israel to San Francisco, they come from all over
Be pimpin out in their fancy Range Rovers
No matter what age, they all be chillin
Cardiff's the hotspot for thrillin
Transformation from a pseudo dive bar
At ten o'clock this is where the hipsters are
Everyone gets along no problems at Cardiff
Except for the chick in the bathrooms who smoked one to many spliffs
This is the only reason I'll be back at Campbell
Place is hot as f*ck, hotter than hell!
PS-
If you're a cute Asian alien boy
Older gentlemen ain't so coy
They'll talk you up like the real McCoy
Be buying you drinks, it gives them great joy
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