Screaming Orgasm” came the spirited request from a bench full of giggling girls at the heaving bar-bistro. I was instantly reminded of the famous – or should that be infamous – scene from When Harry Met Sally.

We were, however, at Bar Cwtch which, somewhat surprisingly for just after 8pm on a rainy Sunday night in April, was packed to the rafters, mostly with 20 and 30 something women.

You could hardly hear yourself talk, let alone order one of the menu’s mouth-watering selection of pizzas at this highly atmospheric, subterranean vault, for the merry buzz and banter of the clientèle.

They were among several groups of customers ordering from an impressive list of cocktails, wines and speciality beers at Cwtch, which, incidentally is Welsh for cuddle or hug, and whose nearest English translation is “safe place”.

So it all kind of fits in with the general feel and ambience of the venue, one of many bars and eateries now thriving at Cardiff Bay – hailed as one of Britain’s most dramatic waterside regenerations.

We were at Bar Cwtch – pronounced “cutch”, in case you were wondering – primarily for the aforementioned pizzas, which you can watch being made and then baked in a traditional wood-fire oven in the open kitchen adjoining the bar.

The pizzas certainly lived up to their reputation and the warm, friendly vibe of the bar added to the occasion. Good music too, with entire albums by REM and Led Zeppelin being given a spin, just loud enough to hum along to and appreciate a Jimmy Page guitar solo without drowning out conversation.

Naturally, the establishment boasts its own cocktail, the pinky coloured Cwtch Cosmo which is vodka, cranberry plus a few secret “bits and bobs”.

Shame it was bucketing down outside as the premises boast an ultra cool garden decorated with an intriguing range of artworks by talented locals. Must be great in the summer.

Bar Cwtch is situated beneath – and is part of – Jolyon’s Boutique Hotel, a former Georgian Town House conveniently situated in the heart of Cardiff Bay, directly opposite the Millennium Centre.

The reinvigorated Cardiff Bay has served as a backdrop for many a Dr Who episode over the past few years and when filming there Chris Eccleston, the third most recent Doctor, sometimes stayed at Jolyon’s.

“Thanks, very much better than the Tardis”, he once wrote in the guest book. And he wasn’t half kidding!

The Independent newspaper described it as one of the five best town house hotels in Britain. I’ve only been to one of two such hotels before but this would indeed be tough to beat.

Jolyon’s, which opened six years ago, has just six rooms, all of which feature individually designed bedrooms, tasteful furnishings and en-suite bathrooms.

They all boast big beds, wi-fi facilities, free-to-view TV, fluffy towels and tea and coffee facilities. Ours – lucky us – had a whirlpool bath which you can slide into and, if you’re not careful, happily doze off with the foam slowly rising up to your nose.

We stayed for a night at Jolyon’s and what was surprising was that we had no idea that Bar Cwtch, a couple of floors below our bedroom, was crammed with chattering drinkers until we opened the front door. The Georgians certainly knew how to sound-proof their cellars!

Having arrived at the hotel around lunchtime after leisurely 80 minute or so drive down the M4 from Swindon, we spent the afternoon strolling around Cardiff Bay, with its mixture of old buildings and tastefully spectacular new additions.

The former Cardiff Docks was once the world’s largest coal exporting port before the black stuff dried up and the area, like so many others, fell into decline.

However, it has undergone what is described as Europe’s largest waterfront development and today brims with a huge array of leisure facilities and activities – on and off the water.

Several boat tours operate from Mermaid Quay, which is where Jolyon’s is located, along with water taxi trips to the nearby city centre.

The bay is home to Techniquest Science Discovery Centre, Craft in the Bay stalls, Butetown History and Arts Centre, the Goleulong 2000 Lightship, the Norwegian Church Arts Centre and the aformentioned Wales Millennium Centre.

But it was such a sunny afternoon – at least it was before a great black cloud eventually arrived – that we decided to chill out in a couple of waterside bars which offered panoramic views of the horizon, with its bobbling boats, swooping gulls and salty breeze.