Delicious food and drinks. It was fascinating to watch the bartenders make their cocktails. They probably use dry ice for most of their cocktails which creates amazing smoke effects. The service was extremely slow though, we waited a good 25-30 min to order our food and drinks - not very impressed. However, the food was pretty good and was worth the wait. The lamb chop was tender and the grilled chicken burger was delicious. The burger could do with a little more sauce though! Overall, the ambience was fantastic and the service was friendly despite slow.

So, and for the first time in a while, both me and my missus decided that it was time to spend a night away. After considering all of the options, we settled on The Alchemist. What initially attracted us to The Alchemist, wasn't the fancy cocktails or the atmosphere of the bar itself, "the menu looks peng". Upon entering, we were very kindly greeted and shown to our table. Looks can be deceiving and The Alchemist is quite a lot bigger then one first realises. We were seated, and along comes Joe. Now although the food is great, as are the cocktails, Joe is the main reason I am writing this review. The guy is great! He is friendly, knowledge and extremely helpful. He is a credit to the company. He served us quickly, but paid attention to us and made us feel welcome. Something we always worry about when trying new restaurants is being judged (both me and my partner being larger people) and Joe didn't seem to judge us at all. It made us feel welcome and at home. We placed our food and drink order. The cocktails (well Mocktails) were The CBD spritz for me and A virgin P**nstar martini (now there's an Oxymoron) for her. We ended up swapping with eachother because we found that we preferred the other person's one. Not that we didn't like that, far from it, we just liked the other one. Food turned up shortly after, Buttermilk chicken for me and duck spring rolls for her. The chicken was nice, hot and the sriracha mayo was amazing. But oh my, the duck spring rolls are to die for. We've eaten a lot of spring rolls over the years, and these are hands down the best. After we finished, the plates were quickly ushered away and shortly thereafter, our mains arrived. Surf and turf for me, French dipped sandwich for her. We have a tendency to share food, so we got to experience each others meals. The French dipped sandwich was delicious, with the cheese inside brilliantly accenting the steak. The truffle gravy was a perfect accompaniment. I did love the surf and turf. We did have an issue. When we first received it, we found that it was a little underdone for my liking. But this issue was quickly rectified by Joe and his fellow staff members, and they were very apologetic to us. We told them not to apologize as these things happen. The food came back out, cooked absolutely perfectly this time around. We finish everything. It was gorgeous. But we werent finished. Churros for dessert, smothered in sugar and filled with caramel. A lovely digestive for after a very, and satisfyingly fulfilling meal. Once again, big shout out to Joe! You absolute legend. We both would 100000% recommend!

Loved this please, not been before but have a few friends that have. Loved the decor. Only popped in for 1 cocktail and ended up staying for a few cocktails! They are a bit pricey, but really nice, none of this filling up with juice or fizzy pop millarky! Really enjoyed and can highly recommend the salted caramel espresso martini!! 😋

Would highly recommend the Alchemist if you are a fan of cocktails and even if you aren't the food is brilliant too. They have a wide range of weird and wonderful cocktails, some of which have dry ice. It was so good we went there twice in one holiday.

Always wanted to try this place. Went on a Friday daytime as a walk in. Great atmosphere, friendly staff, very helpful. Really enjoyed my visit. Cheers

We went here as a birthday brunch treat and the food was flawless. Really tasty and a good selection of dishes to choose from on the menu. The brunch deal was worth the money and I was glad they offer a specific number of drinks rather than a 'bottomless' deal. The cocktails were an exciting gimmick and the staff were really knowledgeable but the flavour wasn't quite there for us. If we went back, we'd probably opt for the non-alcoholic versions to change it up a bit.

Well spent birthday dinner! I am in love with food, desserts, and all drinks. It would be much better if the price were fair or included some discounts. It cost £95 for meals and drinks for 2 servings. Other than that, good service and nice food and cocktails. I mostly love the atmosphere ❤️

Great cocktails and food. Good service but booking advisable. Small restaurant compared to Cardiff so a bit of a tight squeeze. Music way too loud in cocktail bar at 5pm.

We were greeted by friendly staff and shown to our table. I immediately noticed that for a Monday night that there were a good many patrons already there. This may have been as it was Halloween. The waiting staff were quick to introduce themselves and were friendly, helpful and attentive. The food was served quickly and was very flavoursome as were the cocktails. I would happily recommend this restaurant to others.

Always happy to come to The Alchemist for a cocktail. First time coming to the one in Cardiff and loved the interior and the drinks as always. The food was nice but unfortunately a bit cold and lacking flavour.

Brilliant theatrical cocktails with some excellent quality food. The amazing dramatic effects of mixing different mixers, fizzing and bubbles, colours and flavours its truly epic.

I waited 20 min in front of the bartender to leave without having a drink! He served everyone that arrived and he just ignored me and my friends. I would say NEVER EVER GO HERE. When I entered I thought was empty. And then after seeing how you can’t get a drink I totally understood why. The drinks looks nice but who knows what is the taste when you can’t have a drink in 20min. Go to The Libertines, 2 min walk from Here and the staff is 100% better.

I think you are paying for gimmicks here. The quality and quantity is dubious. I ordered a mock tail and chicken wrap. The mocktail was tasty but half ice. The wrap was small and unloving. The salad came with no dressing. For all their dry ice and pizzaz, it felt a very empty and insincere experience. I guess that’s what you get for a franchise and staff probably getting a low wage. Underpaid alchemists will never turn base metal into gold - they’ll merely use gold paint and hope no one notices. Spraying dry ice into drinks all the time can’t be healthy either.

Lovely vibe here!. Staff and bouncers very friendly. Drinks are pricey but sometimes the saying goes you get what you pay for. We tried various cocktails and they did not dissapoint!!. Visit recommended!!.

Such a cool experience. Its very busy and you have a wait for being served at the bar, but this is purely because the bar people are making each drink carefully and it is well worth the wait. I ordered the "French kiss" which came topped with meringue and a fake tongue and honestly it was gorgeous! My friends ordered different drinks and were very happy with their choices. There was plenty of music playing, a great atmosphere, and really lovely staff.

Very smart looking joint, I'll be honest it's not cheap but nice to visit once in a while. 4 cocktails cost nearly £50, the presentation was good mind and would go back again. Very nice looking place I have to say.

Great evening spent here. Staff really attentive. Thankyou Georgia you made our evening. We had cocktails and small bites which were delicious. Great recommendation for a different night out

The cocktail bar’s dry ice concoctions were a highlight, impressing both visually and on the palate. The mesmerizing presentation and delightful flavors made the experience truly exceptional, offering a memorable and enjoyable evening.

Great concept, but the staff did not leave me with the best impression. I waited approximately 5 minutes before anyone came to direct me where to sit. When I was directed I was not told I would have to go to the bar to order my drink. Now the place was not even a quarter full so no reason for delays. The presentation of the drink was not as fun as I envisioned it and maybe it was because the bartender had made a drink wrong prior and was mentally distracted. The fries were nothing special. Honestly, I was hoping to have many drinks and buy their drink recipe book, but I felt a lack of joy and so I took off after my first drink.

I was looking for a place to warm up and happened to have my dog at the time, luckily it was dog-friendly. The hostess was really welcoming and helpful, and even gave my dog a bowl of water. The food and atmosphere, also amazing with possibly the best hot chocolate I've tasted. Thanks for the great service!

Nice mocktails although 60% of the drink is ice! Very average food. Very expensive considering. Wouldn't come here again. Its a cool place for to come but not worth it in my opinion.

One street has so many options but this spot was a hit for us. The interior was great, the vibe was spot on, the DJ was playing some great various house music selection, but cocktails made everything perfect. Some great cocktails with unique presentations. I can't comment on the food service, but will try next time.

Excellent venue with a visually striking bar and comfortable seating. The friendly staff put together flamboyant cocktails throughout which were as tasty as they were showstopping. Dry ice and flames galore. The pork crackling is a standout and a must had as a snack.

Love this place. Love the menu & unusual drinks. Love the theatre provided by all staff. Sarah who looked after us was lovely and helpful with her menu and drinks choices. Atmosphere, drinks & food always great. Would highly recommend. Please note book weeks ahead if it's a rugby 6 nations/ international weekend.

Very cool experience. Wide variety of cocktails available. Every one we ordered was very entertaining to watch being made. The “colour changing one” was exceptionally cool and tasty.

Amazing !! The food was incredible, the drinks and the show for the drinks were awesome, the staff were lovely and we didn't have a single complaint ! Really reccomend

Love the atmosphere (super chilled) and cocktails are very different/unusual. It is VERY expensive though with almost all cocktails being approx £10. If prices were cheaper it would easily get 5 stars, but I suppose your paying for the 'premium' feel

Was on my bucket list and am glad to have visited. My dry ice cocktail was lovely. Mixture of ages in there which was good to see.

What a great place. Staff very friendly and helpful. Good food and cocktails well worth a visit

Fantastic, unique cocktails actually made by experienced and talented mixologists. Fairly priced and lovely service. Came here for mine and my partner's 4 year anniversary yesterday and he said his Old Fashioned was the nicest drink he'd ever had. Thanks!

Amazing place to eat and drink. Staff were friendly and helpful.

Went there for the first time, it was a really good atmosphere. Food was lovely and arrived quickly. Drinks are expensive but the way their presented is the reason why again was lovely. Very magical atmosphere, definitely would go again.

Awesome choice of cocktails. And bar staff happy to make up own choice too. Well worth a visit

Went for some post meal drinks. The bar wasnt too busy but had a great atmosphere. We had 2 cocktails each which were both not only good to look at but tasted fantastic. We will definatley be going again.

Love the decor, staff were friendly and professional. The tables were spread out well for social distancing , good hand hygiene. Food was delicious. The cocktails were interesting and made quickly but not great more for show than taste. Staff were very careful about allergies and informative about the menu. Book in advance to avoid disappointment.