Why we brought the Italian Aperitivo to Cardiff (and Why It’s nothing like any English Happy Hour)

The spark and the dream – How It all began

Some stories start by chance. Others begin the moment someone decides that “good enough” will never be enough. The story of DNC Bar belongs to the second kind.

Behind the counter, behind every perfect pour and every genuine smile, there isn’t just experience—there’s a life choice. Simone and Leticia didn’t want another job in hospitality. They already had that—and they were good at it. They had spent years in Italian restaurants and international hotels, learning that hospitality isn’t a transaction; it’s a rhythm, a craft, an art made of precision and heart. But after years of service, of long shifts and sacrifices, they reached a simple but powerful conclusion: it was time to build something of their own.

Cardiff wasn’t just a city they moved to; it became their canvas. It’s where they built their lives, learned a new language, adapted to a new culture—and realised what was missing. It wasn’t another bar. It wasn’t another cocktail list. What was missing was a place that felt like home. A space where authenticity could be seen, felt, and tasted. Where you weren’t just a customer but a guest—and your story mattered as much as your drink.

That’s where the idea of DNC Bar was born. Not from a business plan or a focus group, but from a deep personal need—to express who they truly are. To bring to Cardiff not just Italian drinks, but the spirit of Italian life: warmth, elegance, connection.

Every cocktail here carries a piece of their story; every board of cured meats and cheeses is a slice of memory from back home. The music, the lighting, the details—all tell a truth that can’t be faked: this is passion made visible.

DNC Bar didn’t start as a trend. It started as a statement. A statement that says, we still believe in real things. In craftsmanship over convenience. In relationships over rush hours. In creating a place where people remember how it feels to slow down.

Of course, nothing this real comes easy. Every flawless drink hides countless hours of work. Every perfect night requires care, repetition, and relentless discipline. But when passion is genuine, it becomes contagious. And little by little, that passion built something stronger than a customer base—it built a community.

Today, DNC Bar isn’t just a venue. It’s proof that dreams born from the heart can become real. It’s a reminder that authenticity still matters, that human connection still wins, and that some values—like quality, warmth, and belonging—never go out of style.

And every time someone walks through that door, even just for an Aperitivo, that story begins again.

Aperitivo vs Happy Hour – Two Worlds Apart

There are two ways to enjoy a drink after work. One is British. The other is Italian. They may look the same from a distance—but they live in different worlds.

The happy hour was born to fill glasses, not souls. It’s a business formula—a “buy one, get one” tactic built to move stock and crowd bars. It’s loud, fast, transactional. It shouts fun! but feels hollow once the music stops. Because when the discount ends, so does the magic. You leave with an empty glass and nothing to remember.

The Italian aperitivo, on the other hand, doesn’t need discounts to attract you. It draws you in with substance. It’s not about what you drink—it’s about how you feel while you drink it. It’s that sacred pause between day and night when time slows down, conversation flows, and life briefly makes sense again. It’s not a promotion; it’s a ritual. It’s the meeting point of taste and connection, of pleasure and presence.

That’s what Simone and Leticia wanted to bring to Cardiff: not just an imported habit, but a philosophy of living. No shortcuts, no watered-down versions. Because emotions can’t be translated; they can only be recreated. And that’s what they do, night after night—recreate Italy’s rhythm through light, sound and flavour.

At DNC Bar, there’s no assembly line behind the counter. No pre-mixed cocktails poured from a jug. Everything is crafted in real time, in front of you, by people who care. Every gesture has intention. Every drink has a heartbeat. Every guest gets attention.

Here, the music doesn’t scream over you—it flows with you. The light doesn’t blind—it embraces. The pace isn’t rushed—it breathes. And for a moment, you remember what connection feels like.

Most bars chase the look of Italian style—neon signs, spritz photos, generic playlists. DNC Bar lives the spirit of it. The difference is subtle but absolute: imitation copies the image; authenticity honours the values. And our values are simple—authenticity, calm, elegance, relationship.

Because an aperitivo isn’t a cocktail; it’s a statement. It says, “I’m taking a moment for myself. I deserve it. ”It’s an act of respect—for your own time and for the company you share it with.

When you experience that, you don’t just taste Italy—you feel it. The warmth, the rhythm, the ease of conversation, the smile that comes without effort. It’s not escapism; it’s connection. And once you’ve felt it, you can’t go back to ordinary.

Cardiff already had happy hours. What it didn’t have was this: a place where the clock slows, the senses wake up, and every glass poured has meaning.

Happy hour fills glasses. The Italian Aperitivo—our Aperitivo—fills hearts.

The DNC Experience – Why People Come Back

Some bars are remembered for their drinks. Others are remembered for how they made you feel. DNC Bar belongs to the second kind.

When people walk through the door, they’re not just greeted—they’re welcomed. There’s a warmth here that feels different, almost disarming. Because genuine hospitality, the kind that comes from real passion, can’t be faked. You see it in the eyes, you hear it in the tone, you feel it in the silence between songs. It’s that Italian way of saying: you matter.

Every cocktail that leaves the counter is made with the same care as the first one ever served. There are no shortcuts, no formulas, no copy-and-paste. Every pour is deliberate. Every garnish has meaning. And that attention to detail creates something people crave in a world that moves too fast: connection.

You can taste it in the balance of flavours. You can sense it in the way the staff remember your name. You can feel it in the space itself—elegant but unpretentious, refined but familiar. Because the goal here isn’t to impress you. It’s to include you.

Simone and Leticia believe that when you walk into their bar, you’re walking into their story. You become part of a living circle that grows one conversation, one toast, one evening at a time. Some guests come for the perfect Negroni on Friday nights. Others for the Bottomless Brunch that turns a Saturday into a celebration. And then there are those who simply stop by to share a smile and an espresso before heading home. Each of them finds something that can’t be listed on a menu: a sense of belonging.

DNC Bar isn’t built for trends. It’s built for people. The ones who believe that life’s best moments don’t happen when you scroll faster or shout louder—but when you slow down, listen, and truly connect. That’s why the experience here lingers long after you’ve left. It’s not just about taste—it’s about memory. About that intangible something that follows you into the next day and makes you say, “Let’s go back.”

This is what real hospitality feels like. It’s the handshake that lasts a second longer, the laugh that fills the room, the sense that for a brief, beautiful moment, you’re exactly where you’re supposed to be. It’s what the Italians have always known: that joy doesn’t live in luxury—it lives in presence.

And that’s the promise of the DNC Bar: to give you more than a drink—to give you a feeling worth remembering. To make you part of a ritual that began with two people and now belongs to many. To remind you that happiness isn’t an hour—it’s a way of living.

Because at the end of the day, it’s not the cocktails that matter. It’s the people who share them. And the right people are all here.

Written by Simone & Leticia Founders of DNC Bar – The Real Italian Aperitivo in the Heart of Cardiff

“We built DNC Bar not to follow a trend, but to share a feeling —the warmth, flavour, and spirit of true Italian hospitality. When you walk through our door, you’re not just a guest. You become part of our story.”