about us
Mermaid Quay is set in a stunning waterfront location in the heart of Cardiff Bay, less than a kilometre from the city centre.
It is the perfect place for dining out or relaxing over a drink in one of the restaurants, bars and cafés. With cuisine from around the world - from Welsh ice cream to Turkish cuisine, American burgers to Italian stone-baked pizza - Mermaid Quay has somewhere that caters for all tastes and moods. Alternatively, why not have a laugh at The Glee Club Cardiff's first and finest comedy venue?
Mermaid Quay also has a host of sophisticated shops, where you'll find everything from a complete make-over, designer glasses, stunning accessories, fabulous fashions, funky interiors and great gifts.
Steeped in history, Mermaid Quay's distinctive architecture is inspired by its maritime location and rich heritage - featuring decking, towers, balconies, terraces, colonnades and bridges.
And, there's always plenty going on, with a great programme including something for all the family. For the latest news, check out the what's on section.
art at Mermaid Quay
During your visit to Mermaid Quay, why not keep a look out for our public art collection?
People Like Us
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Cargoes
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Captain Willows
The clock's kinetic components include landmark buildings and aeronautical motifs depicting key events in Willow's life. At night, neon elements flash sequentially to represent the water, moon and tides. Designed by Andy Hazell, the clock was commissioned by Mermaid Quay developers Sovereign Land and Schroder Exempt Property Unit Trust through the arts and regeneration agency CBAT |
Butetown History & Art Quilt
Production of the quilt began with Bethan Ash, an internationally renowned quilt artist, conducting classes at the Butetown community centre and the BHAC gallery. The quilt now hangs in the Mermaid Quay atrium, next to NatWest Bank. |
history of Mermaid Quay
The industrial revolution saw a major expansion in Cardiff docks with the area, known in the nineteenth century as Tiger Bay, playing a major role in the export of coal. Mines in the Welsh valleys produced coal that was shipped to the rest of the world and by 1913 10,700,000 tons of coal were passing through the Bay every year.
As with most docks, Tiger Bay became a multi-cultural melting pot where migrants from Norway, Spain, the Caribbean and Ireland mingled and formed communities. Roald Dahl, whose parents were Norwegian, was christened in the Norwegian Church, which now serves as an Arts Centre. The dock’s multicultural legacy was the inspiration behind John Clinch's 'People Like Us' at Mermaid Quay.
However, after the Second World War there was a decline in coal based industry and the docks closed down, with coal exports ceasing in the 1960s. By 1987 the area had become run-down and the Cardiff Bay Development Corporation (CBDC) was set up to redevelop the area.
In order to rejuvenate the formerly tidal Bay, the CBDC created Europe's largest waterfront development by building a barrage across the entrance to form a picturesque 500-acre freshwater lake, completed in 1999. Following concerns from environmental groups, the developers of the Bay were keen to preserve wetland areas used by the large numbers of wading birds in the area, and therefore oversaw the creation of a new nature reserve further down the Severn Estuary.
At Mermaid Quay pieces of the Bay's rich heritage are all around you - the former queue shed for tickets to America is now Bosphorus, serving delicious Turkish cuisine, and look out for the original dock walls at Roald Dahl Plass, site of the former Oval Dock. The development of the Bay has meant that this heritage can be preserved whilst creating a fantastic leisure area to be used by generations to come.
