Chance & Counters in Cardiff

Great for games, but maybe not for stags! We visited Chance & Counter with a group of 10 friends for a stag do, and while we had a good time, it wasn't quite fit for a large and potentially boisterous groups. The cafe is clearly geared towards board game enthusiasts who appreciate a quieter atmosphere, which is understandable. However, it also serves food and drinks, which can create a bit of a conflict when a larger group like ours is added to the mix. Despite this, we had a great time exploring their huge selection of board games. There was something for everyone, with games of all types and durations. The food and drinks were also a hit, especially the dirty shakes (milkshakes with alcohol). They were so good I had two! Although, at £12 each, they were a bit pricey. I guess the cost helps to cover the board games, but it's something to keep in mind. The staff were great, despite having to ask us to keep the noise down several times and clearly a little distressed at time, they didn’t really show it. Helpful hints and tips: • If you're with a larger group, especially a stag or hen party, it might be worth calling ahead to see if they can accommodate you in a more secluded area. • Be prepared to pay a bit more for the food and drinks, but consider it an investment in the entertainment. • Take your time to browse the game selection - there are some real gems to discover!

Really love this place and visit frequently. The game selection is very impressive, the food is amazing, and there’s also a wide variety of awesome drinks too. This is a great location for both drinkers and non-drinkers alike. The menu is also very Coeliac friendly, with most of the menu being gluten free accommodating. This is my favourite thing to do in Cardiff and I wish I could give it a five star review, but it is let down massively by the service. The staff are so friendly and helpful and lovely but they will only come over to take orders maybe once an hour. And it’s even slower service if you’re seated upstairs. I’m not sure if they’ve been trained to not interrupt guests’ games frequently but, if so, I disagree with that idea massively. Not even wandering near the tables to give the opportunity to ask to order something is very frustrating, and if you go up to the bar it is very clear they don’t want you defying the rules of table service. Really, really hate to complain because I do love this place a lot, but it’s so frustrating upon every visit, and such an easy fix. Definitely will be back, but this area really needs improvement, sorry!

Make sure to look at the picture of the entrance or it's easy to miss this amazing place with good food, a lot of game choices and very reasonable prices

You really have to look close to find it. One door, up the steps, over a restaurant is the most relaxing place to hangout. The employees are very friendly and helpful. The quick food is tasty and just about anything you want to drink. The hamburgers are like Steak-n-shake's in the US. Great place in the city promenade, which is a must see anyway.

We came here two nights in a row on our visit to Cardiff and were not disappointed! The staff were friendly and welcoming and helpful in letting us know how it all works as well as recommending games to try. The prices are really good and they have a lovely cider on tap too. I have to say the standard of service was noticeably poorer today. Whilst the staff were again lovely, there was less hosting i.e. we were never given a menu, never asked if we would like more drinks. Yesterday we were clearly told it was table service whereas tonight I had no idea what the protocols were.

I've been here quite a few times over the years. We've with my family on a Saturday afternoon (didn't eat just played games). After being down our seats we had very little interaction with staff. Nobody came to introduce any games or see what we'd like to play. I asked about a specific game and was told "I don't know" then they walked away. We then had two members of staff warn us about our time ending, it was fine but felt like we were being rushed out. I love coming here but this experience didn't feel up to the standards of usually expect here. I don't know if it was coming with kids, first time here with children but it certainly felt like they had no time for us on this occasion.

good food & drinks, quite expensive but kicked out after 2 hours… just started to enjoy our night too. you also have to ‘wave’ for service as no bar service allowed so when busy can be awkward and left without drinks.

loads of choices for board games, nice staff and service, great choices of food and drinks too, better booked in advance

Always have a good time here and the staff are extra lovely. ❤️

We stumbled across this place in Cardiff. It’s so much fun, nice food and drink and so much choice of what to do. I highly recommend

We were recommended to try this slice of geek heaven, and it was awesome. Huge selection of board games, all meticulously categorised for ease of decision making. The staff were really friendly and helped suggest a board game for us which we really enjoyed! Also, the vegan double vanilla Milkshake was insane!

We had booked a table for 8 people to celebrate a birthday. We phoned up near our allotted time to confirm the booking was still on and was told the booking hadn't gone through on the system. This can be fair, sometimes the system can cause an issue and seems like just an unfortunate outcome. But we were rung later that our card details were used on a table and if we were going to show for the booking, so we decided okay we would try and go. Arrived and were told that there was no booking in our name again, very frustrating, but again, fine, we move on. Rung yet again, and this time, we just say just to cancel this booking as we have already been played around too much by this point. Had the audacity to still charge us the £25 cancellation fee. Very poor service.

Honestly don't know how to say this politely... the staff are friendly but smell very bad .... and the upstairs we were taken to absolutely reeked of body odour....we didn't stay

An beautiful little hole in the wall type place. An amazing collection of games and very tasty food selection. The staff were all incredibly friendly too

Good concept - if you enjoy board games you will have a great time here. Good idea for a date night perhaps as there are tons of games to select from - as in hundreds. However the dessert served unfortunately left a negative impact on my visit. It was the brownie option and it was chunks of brownie which were solid - I couldn’t eat them. It seemed like they had been left out and gone stale - completely inedible. And there was a drop of ice cream. Fortunately it was taken off the bill. The burger was nice. Fries were served cold. If you go here for the gaming maybe just avoid the food or at least the desserts!

We have been going to chance and counters since it opened and have seen major improvements recently, especially with the food quality. The vegan options are insane, so many options and all of them absolutely delicious. It's the standard of a stand alone restaurant. We had the black bean tacos, oyster mushroom buffalo wings, dirty fries, and a burger. All perfect, I'd come here just for the food to be honest! And as always, the service is fantastic. Super friendly and helpful, incredibly knowledgeable of the games. Just all around a great experience.

Perfect place for a free night. Staff are super friendly and recommend some tremendous games. The new menu was also a hit for us!

Came here on a rainy afternoon expecting to only play an hour or 2, ended up staying for 4 hours. Great selection of games, nice big tables to play on and a good food and drink selection!

We had a brilliant time. The food was lovely, the staff were really helpful and there was a brilliant selection of games to choose from. Will definitely be back!

Great place. Been a couple of times. Loads of games, good vibes and seriously good food. Would recommend to everyone.

Great place to stop by in the high street

First time here, and was amazing. Food was soooo tasty, loved it.

Fantastic hidden gem in the city centre. Friendly helpful staff & a family friendly environment. Looking forward to returning. Diet Coke float is inspired as you don’t get the double sugar high 👍👍👍

They do accept walk ins but bookings are recommended. Lunch deal included 2 hours of board games, a burger, fries and a drink for £10. The food was really good, the staff are very warm and the choice of games are great. I really enjoyed my visit.

Really lovely cafe, such a lovely atmosphere! The food was such good quality and the lunchtime deal made it such a good price! The staff were also lovely, super warm and welcoming and very helpful in regards to all the games.

We didn't eat any food here and we hadn't booked a table, but it was no fuss to simply get a drink and play some games! Brilliant bar and great social hotspot, would definitely come here every time I'm in Cardiff.

Very beautiful place, lots of choices and both food and drinks are amazing 😊

Fantastic cafe tucked away - this is a little hidden gem! We booked online to visit and we were not disappointed whilst there. The selection of games available to play is phenomenal and there's some for all the family. The food was beautiful, the burger was so juicy and tender, the chips were cooked to perfection and the staff were so friendly and welcoming! We would definitely visit again!

Great games cafe. Huge selection of games and very friendly staff who will recommend what to play. Cardiff's hidden gem.

Visited on a Friday evening adults and teenager. Staff incredibly helpful with choice of games which went down really well with our party. Food all delicious Tips for future more napkins or wet wipes to protect the games We would return

Very cute idea with board games and drinks on the weekend evenings. There are some very noisy players (not the places fault but just something to bear in mind). The drinks on tap are interesting - think some “ordinary” beers would be appreciated. Also think their cocktail options could be expanded - add aperol spritz hint hint!! Would go again it’s perfect for a different kind of evening.

Staff friendly, enthusiastic and knowledgeable about the many, many games on offer, which is useful because I've certainly never heard of most of them! Interesting beers on tap (along with other drinks!), and good pub-type food. Have been there several times now, and will be returning again. Slight downsides are that enthusiastic games players mean it can be quite noisy at times. The staff will do their nest to move you ask them, subject to table availability of course... Access is only up a flight of slightly wonky stairs, so probably not suitable for people with mobility issues.

Great, great place, tasty food, super games, plus a well stocked bar, and of course loads of fabulous games, all in a warm, friendly atmosphere. Highly recommended.

Myself and my partner visited today after a meal in Cardiff. After hearing from different friends how fun this place was, we decided to give it a try on a whim. After walking in with no booking, we were offered a table and a glass of water each. We picked a game to play and waited for the servers to ask us what drinks we would like. Around 20 mins later we were finally approached for our drinks. My partner asked for a beer but was REFUSED. Apparently, according to the waitress, he came in "too drunk and needed to sober up with the glass of water" before being served any drinks. He WAS NOT too drunk, or displaying any behaviour that showed this, and quite frankly I feel it is discrimination for how we looked. Utterly disgusted at the staff and service and their prejudices and will never return.

We love coming here. This time we found a game we really enjoyed that suited us all. The food is always really tasty. The war fries was sweeter than we would have liked.

Good service, nice and helpful staff. Nice atmosphere and loads of games. You can get food here but only fries and burgers ect. Only negative is we felt really rushed when it was nearing our end time. Really killed the vibe.

This is the second time I've visited you guys and I had the same excellent experience and service as the first. It was not an easy day with traffic in Cardiff but when I called to explain, you guys were super helpful at pushing back our slot and accommodating us. The atmosphere was great, food and drinks were ordered and received quickly, the selection on games were incredible as always. I honestly can't fault it here, it's always an amazing experience!

Love this place. Great and varied selection of games and a simple menu (which is always a good sign). Good drinks options and knowledgable staff. Looking forward to coming back soon!

This place is wonderful - huge selection of board games and a lovely welcoming atmosphere. The staff are really knowledgeable and friendly - they recommended us some excellent games after speaking with us, like a gaming sommelier! The food and drink is worth the visit too, with excellent burgers and fries plus an extensive menu of both alcoholic and soft drink options. We had a great time here with friends and will absolutely be returning. They also sell games and accessories as well in case you play something and love it so much that you want to take it home!

Fantastic place with absolutely lovely service! After a really horrible experience at another board game cafe in Cardiff, we came to C&C. The staff are soo welcoming and really super helpful. The patience of saints too - I couldn’t believe how well they all explained the rules of games to us all, and must do this over and over again all day long! So brilliant. Thanks very much!

Just go! So much fun. Really warm and supportive atmosphere, food is really tasty, excellent selection of games and they allow little monsters (dogs)

As always, a really fun evening!!! Food is lovely, drinks are lovely, staff are incredibly knowledgeable of all the games and on hand to help with explaining the rules. I've been back multiple times and will continue to whenever I'm in Cardiff.

Absolutely a must visit for board games lovers.

While the board game selection and food menu was very good, unfortunately we encountered an extremely rude member of staff throughout our time. The male server with glasses and brown hair on shift from at least 8:30pm was extremely dismissive, condescending, and terse. He tried correcting how we played our games, and brushed us off when we asked for a recommendation for a game. Not welcoming at all. I would come back as I did have fun with my friends, but the customer service here is very poor.

This place is just a gem. Hope they stick around for years and never lose their charm. Great location, brilliant staff and a wonderful collection of games that are updated on the regular. The Korean BBQ cauliflower wings are the best things you can put in your mouth on the right side of the law.

Always a great time! It can get a little noisy so worth being aware of that but that's true of any boardgame cafe. The food is fantastic - we can recommend the chicken poppers with korean BBQ sauce - and the game library is as good as ever. Service - both for food and games - is stellar. They're friendly and very knowledgeable. A really great way to spend an afternoon.

Amazing place in Cardiff!! Me and my friend went here with a gift card she had been given two years ago and they still let us use it! They were really kind and accommodating and managed to squeeze us in even though we hadn’t booked. The food and drinks are really well made and delicious, also reasonably priced for the size of what you get and how tasty they are. I really recommend the chicken burger and the biscoff milkshake. There are lots of options if you are vegan also. The games selection is really extensive and the staff are really knowledgeable and will explain how to play the games if you are confused and the “staff favourites” section is a really helpful too. Could not recommend more based on the lovely staff, great games and tasty food!

A very charming place to play board games, whether it's with a single match or a group of them. The staff are lovely, can make nice recommendations for games to play depending on group side & interests, and the food/beverages served here are nice as well.

We love this place for a relaxed and fun date night or meet up with friends. Huge plus that the food and drinks menu is both incredibly vegan friendly and delicious. Staff are very helpful and knowledgeable, and we enjoy the recommended games. Only things that could do with improvements for me is the hot chocolate always seems to be served lukewarm (though still amazing!), and the upstairs room is quite cold and drafty so whenever we're sat up there I feel I need a blanket.

Fantastic place to spend time. Huge selection of games, friendly staff and surprisingly really delicious food. Cheap and tasty food with lots of veggie options. Huge drinks selection. One of my favourite places in Cardiff to spend time.

Great staff, incredible selection of games, food and beer was great. Nice vegan and veggie options and dog friendly. Will be returning soon.

Great atmosphere, very friendly and approachable staff. They advised on games to try, and then helped with rules and game set up with one of the games, which was very much appreciated! They allowed us to extend our booked time slot, which then lead to us buying food. Food was very nice (burgers, chicken burger, loaded fries and onion rings) and we thought good value for money. Will be visiting again!

Brilliant and friendly staff who're knowledgeable in the massive array of boardgames on offer, meaning you can easily play something you've never played before! Food and drinks menu is excellent too!

Had a great afternoon at Chance & Counters. The staff were really friendly and attentive, they gave some great game recommendations too. There’s a good selection and mix of games, which was cool, as we were able to play some we’ve not played before. Food was delicious! For two vegans, one of whom also needs a gluten free diet, we were really pleased with the range of options on offer. Definitely somewhere we’ll be returning to!

Where does 4.9 stars on average come from? We were made to feel on edge from start to finish, had a bad service experience twice in the space of 90mins (and it wasn’t busy) plus told it was card only on payment (no sign on door, walls on entry, or at the bar. (Imagine it was card only and not clearly signed?) ‘Oh it’s on the menu and the table service explain this’…. errr no they don’t.) To top it off we had three drinks, paid £2 each for game rental for an hour and an half and then a £2.05 service charge appeared on the bill! I asked about this and stock answer from gentleman minding the bar ‘oh it’s on the menu and table staff explain’…. Maybe it is but again… errr no they don’t and certainly not value for money if the only person on the bar that can’t be ordered from is looking at her phone when walking downstairs and despite lots of waving doesn’t acknowledge us. My girlfriend had to go the bar and ask the lady to come over and the order which we already knew, as ‘I can’t legally take drinks orders from the bar, it’s table service only’. We wanted to try this as the other gaming cafe in Cardiff, as a change and a new experience. Will never go back. Avoid.

Came here on Friday last week. Lots of games, really friendly service, good atmosphere, lots of vegan options and very good fries and milkshakes!

Heaps of fun, looked after us and the food and bevs were great.

This place is great but the staff are what make it, they're all very friendly and helpful.

First time visiting this fun venue. Staff were so friendly and beyond helpful in helping us to learn a new boardgame. Korean chicken wings were delicious. Will definitely go again 😄 the dogs were welcome too.....what's not to like?

Great vibe. Friendly staff. We haven't laughed this much in ages <3

Took a group of 6, had an awesome time. Staff are great and it's a brilliant way to spend a few hours - highly recommended

Great place with great selection of board games and friendly staff. Downside is food is overpriced for a tiny burger and new (optional covercharge) becoming an expensive few hours. Some games unplayable now as instructions not maintained or missing.

Fun, informative, great food. Deffo revisiting

The only downsides to this place is its location and size, staff are great, atmosphere's great, food is great as a veggie

What a revalation. wonderful evening with friends playing games, but heres the thing. The beer is better than most craft beer places in Cardiff. The milkshakes are better than any milkshake i've ever had and the food is awesome. Incredible place to try cauliflower chicken wings if you want to be blown away by some vegan deliciousness. Staff are fantastic, really helpful and knowledgeable. Wish there were more places like this! Don't forget to book!

We always come here when we visit Cardiff, the food is tasty and the staff are clued up on every game available. Great place to while away a couple of hours :)

Recently booked this for a birthday and had a wonderful time, the staff were very helpful and attentive from booking emails right through the day and we will definitely be back!

A group of 9 of us came in for food and games and had a great time. The staff are very friendly and recommended some great games, would definitely come again.

Great place, Great people, Great staff, Great food (and smoothies), Great games. I genuinely wished I found out about this place earlier. Phenomenal place to go with friends and family.

Brilliant, very niche, just full of lots of people, concentrating hard while enjoying playing board games! First time here, will certainly return....

Lovely little board games cafe, we enjoyed a couple of games with good and drinks. We would much prefer if they got proper menus back! Instead of having to use a phone and look and a tiny drinks menu

Lovely place for a chilled afternoon. Friendly service and lots of board games to choose from. Lunch deal was excellent. Really enjoyed the chips.

We had an amazing time! We played some new games and had incredibly tasty food! I recommend the War Fries and the game Forbidden Desert!

Recently reopened, but still a huge Cardiff favourite. Have been coming here for years, great selection of games, really friendly atmosphere: places like this depend so much on their staff, and they are terrific: helpful, knowledgeable, always welcoming, would recommend to anyone.

Fun fun fun Service was lovely Cake was very dry

Friendly staff who know their games, great selection of games, lush food with lots of vegan, veggie and non-gluten options, lovely beer and drinks - what more could you want? Highly recommend it here, but make sure to book as it often fills up on weekends!

We happened upon this little gem while spending a few days in Cardiff. Super friendly staff, tasty food, nice selection of games, and a really friendly atmosphere. We liked it so much that we made repeat visits!

Visited multiple times and always had a great experience. They have a wide selection of games to play ranging from classic favourites to fringe hits you've never heard of before. The food and drinks are a little pricy but they're more than worth it for the experience you'll have here.

Staff were kind and knowledgeable about the games. We received recommendations and were taught how to play a couple games. Mac ‘n Fries stole the show—fair warning.

Vegan cake and oat milk for tea? Amazing! Big vegan menu. Zillions of board games to choose from. Friendly staff, good atmosphere.

Stopped in here before a gig to kill time. Friendly and informative staff, decent selection of games, informal atmosphere. Very impressed with bar and food, as a relatively new vegetarian, I was able to get a vegan burger that didn't disappoint. Still feels strange to rent a table in a cafe to play games, when most pubs will tolerate you monopolizing a quiet corner, but the cost didn't feel exorbitant and I didn't have to carry a box home, nor humour any curious drunks, for that matter.

Such a wonderful place—and it literally was the best part of our Saturday night in a city that we didn't realize got so... messy... on weekend nights. The vibes are great, they have a huge selection of board and card games, and the staff is super chill and nice. We got some drinks—I personally had the esspresso, which was extremely bitter, even for an espresso. Not sure about the food since we didn't order any. I'd say it's definitely worth a visit if you and some friends one to play some games and drink while out and about.

Had a wonderful afternoon here, despite the universe and prides parade making us oh so late, the staff were understanding and kind and just lovely, we played a few games which if we needed instructions, they told us so even our six year old understood. Highly recommend this place and will almost certainly return when Cardiff is not on lockdown 😂

Chance & Counters do possibly the best burgers and onion rings you can get in Cardiff and the gluten free options are just as good. Just don't get any on the board games!

Amazing place! Cant believe ive never been there before. An inconspicuous staircase on St Mary Street leads to a haven of board games, beers and banging food! Great bunch of knowledgable staff who made the experience so much more pleasant. Google asks for star rating on atmosphere but I mean its a calm chill environment not exactly a mashup in Magaluf, perfect for gaming any age and experience. Grab a coffee, grab a beer, grab a bite to eat and spend a nice couple of hours actually interacting with your friends / family. Thank you again and will see you on my definite return :)

So many games to choose from. Professional staff with table service. Very friendly and a good time overall.

Love this place with all my heart. The staff are amazing, the drinks are great and the board game selection is top tier. My friend and I really wanted to try out a variety of new games and the staff were able to recommend a variety of different board games to suit our mood as the night progressed. Would definitely recommend.

An amazing selection of games. Can easily spend all day here. Have visited several times and will continue to. Amazing food and drinks, wide variety. Absolutely fab staff.

Absolutely brilliant customer service- very happy to help pick out some boardgames and give us some quick introductions to games as well to help us get our head around it. Great selection of food and drinks as well - the Kinder Buenos milkshake was stunning!

Absolutely amazing experience. The food was shockingly good! The staff were so friendly and there were loads of games to choose from! They also like dogs!

We had a group booking for 10 for an event. The staff were so, so helpful, they decorated the area for us before turning up and it looked really lovely. Brilliant games selection and delicious milkshakes!

Milkshakes were amazing 🤩. Burger meat a little dry and chillie cheese fries were bland. The atmosphere is really nice and cozy although abit cold inside overall it’s a nice place to go to on a date or with friends/family.

Very nice board game cafe. Great selection of board games, great variety of drinks and food, open until late and the service is very friendly and welcoming. Highly recommend.

My favourite place in Cardiff <3 Everyone is so lovely, food is amazing and all the games are amazing!

My new favourite place to go in Cardiff. Cosy, friendly and great fun. Excellent service and staff are always happy to recommend games and chat with you about them. The drink choices are brilliant, with some great cocktails. Awesome place to spend your time!

An amazing selection of games. You could easily spend all day there. A very busy location which can get quite loud, by its nature. Food is excellent and they have lots of Gluten Free options which suits our party well.

Rolling a natural 20 coming here was a critical hit!

Excellent for fun with friends. Hundreds of games to choose from. Food- vegan and GF available. But it could be better as a bit over priced

Great place with a huge selection of boardgames where the staff know their stuff so can help out with any questions. Impressive beer range and tasty food too, highly recommend

Such a fun time and they had infinite patience explaining boardgame rules to me. Would defo recommend.