Latest reviews from Cardiff
| 64 /100 Head of Steam Cardiff (Bar) 18-19 CHURCH ST, “More taps than most places in Cardiff (other than Brewdog) and mostly craft and casks. I wasn’t too enthralled by the selection though, and I could honestly barely be bothered to try anything. 1/2 pints available and free tastes. Might as well pop in, as you have plenty of room to browse the selection.“ |
| 66 /100 17-19 CASTLE STREET “Lively spot when it eventually opens in the late afternoon and evenings. They have 5 core beers and another 5 seasonals + guests. Flights of 3 x 1/3 pints available, plus staff will give free tastes. Nothing super ambitious on tap, but their beers were clean, albeit on the boring side. Friendly, hospitable service. Given how underwhelming Cardiff’s beer scene is, this is probably worth a visit.“ |
| 52 /100 Cambrian Tap (Brains) (Bar) 51 ST MART STREET “Super close to the train station, this is a traditional pub with most Brain casks and macro swill. I found essentially nothing interesting on tap here, so I opted for a new Brains boring cask bitter. Only 1/2 or full pints available, but staff will do free tastes. Server was on the grumpy side. I wouldn’t recommend this place, but then again, Cardiff doesn’t really have much to offer craft-wise.“ |
| 62 /100 BrewDog Cardiff (Bar) 31 WESTGATE STREET “Another BrewDog much like all the others, but on the less interesting side. 26 taps, 6 of which are guest taps, the rest of standard BrewDog beers. And the guests weren't anything special when I visited. Moderate-to-small place compared to other locations. Pleasant service and the usual 1/3 pints available, plus free tastes. Cardiff barely has any modern craft beer still, so may as well check it out.“ |
| 62 /100 Wally's Liquor Cellar (Beer Store) 10-14 CASTLE CARCADE “Located in the beautiful Castle Arcade, this has a small selection of all-Welsh micros (maybe 100 bottles/cans). All unrefrigerated, so be even more sure to check the bottling/canning dates for the hop-forward beers. Not an entirely interesting spot for me, but a cool spot and might be worth a quick perusal.“ |
| 58 /100 City Arms (Brains) (Bar) 10-12 QUAY STREET “Old, classic, long-running traditional pub in the heart of Cardiff, across the street from Tiny Rebel. Since they’re a Brains pub, you’ll find a bunch of their beers on cask, some ciders, and some macro swill. 1/2 or full pints; staff will do tasters. Pleasant service. Nothing special for beer quality, but worth a quick stop for the environment and to get some Welsh ticks maybe.“ |
| 60 /100 Tiny Rebel Cardiff (Bar) 25 WESTGATE STREET “Cool spot right in the centre close to the other top spots. Not the biggest place but there was plenty of room when I visited around midday. Couldn’t have been many more than a dozen taps on when I visited, and I was quite disappointed in the beer selection: almost everything was fruited this and flavoured that. I didn’t like any of the house beers I tried; luckily, there was a nice farmhouse cider on. 1/3 pints available and staff will do free tastes. Worth hitting when in Cardiff but don’t expect much unless they luckily have their more ambitious beers on.“ |
| 42 /100 BrewDog Cardiff (Bar) 31 WESTGATE STREET “Despite its being so big, it's somewhat inconspicuous and I actually walked past it without noticing a couple times. It's right between The Queen's Vaults and The Royal Hotel, both much more evident.
It doesn't have the style of a pub (let alone a vintage Welsh one), but rather an uncompromising American taste: metal chairs, large tables to be shared, industrial looks. Can't call it beautiful at all.
25 taps, loads of bottles, all BrewDog, of course. Timetable is a little fenecky, most days it won't open till 16:00.“ |
| 50 /100 Glassworks (Greene King) (Bar) 4 WHARTON STREET “Nice pub in Cardiff city center (or should I say centre?), big, cozy, music a tad too loud for me. Patrons don't shout as loud as in the rest of the city's pubs. Nice food, vegan opitons, 20 taps, five pumps (all of them Greene King IPA, jeez.) Big con: no local beers whatsoever. And I don't mean Cardiff area, I mean Wales. Unforgivable. Greene King, put your big boy's pants and step up for Wales.“ |
| 70 /100 Queens Vaults (Bar) 29 WESTGATE ST “Beautiful brick building in a corner right opposite Brewdog Cardiff; huge wooden interior, nice window-lit booths and more than 30 taps I could count, several cask-conditioned pumps (about 12.)
Not a bad option if you're in town, definetely worth including in a pub crawl.“ |
| 82 /100 Prince of Wales (JDW) (Bar) 81-83 ST MARY STREET “This venue is spectacular. Clearly (and proudly) an old theater transformed into restaurant and pub. Five (if not more) different spaces distributed throughout two floors; beautiful decor and nice, friendly staff. The upper counter had 20 taps, but the lower had even more. Cask-conditioned ales for sure, and nice fast-food. Giant screens for those wanting sports with their beer. Very dim light. There's even a family-friendly portion, with a separate entrance and four or five booths sitting up to six people each.“ |
| 70 /100 Old Arcade (Brains) (Bar) 14 CHURCH ST “Big pub in Cardiff city center, has two separate counters and three different spaces, and a back dead-end alley full of graffiti with the name of the pub, Wales' dragon and some fella. Beers there are mostly Brains, and some international monstrosities like Moretti and San Miguel. Being Wales, you have several casks waiting in line if you want real ale.“ |
| 60 /100 City Arms (Brains) (Bar) 10-12 QUAY STREET “Near the stadium, and just opposite Tiny Rebel, lies this classic British pub, full of wood and loud locals ingesting non-healthy amounts of beer and cider at whatever the time.
I counted 39 taps, 12 of them for casks, but there could be even more that I missed. Food is missing, just some bags of crisps.“ |
| 46 /100 27 WESTGATE STREET “"The Queen's & Royal Garage" reads on the façade of this stunning building, obviously a fancy storage facility for Victoria's carriages (and their peers'.)
Time goes by, and even though this country is still a monarchy (and so much so), this garage has turned into a microbrewery and restaurant, with tall ceilings that allow for two separate second floors, two terraces and a sunlit, gigantic ground floor.
Even though Zerodegrees has produced some 100 different beers, their line-up is just the basic three plus an odd one if you're lucky enough. So go there for the ambiance and the building, but not for the whales of Wales.“ |
| 58 /100 Owain Glyndwr (Bar) 12 ST. JOHN STREET “Humongous two-story 18th century pub in Cardiff city center (centre), noisy, smelly, full of drunkards watching sports at such a loud noise you can't hear your thoughts (or the bartender's questions.)
Average fa(s)t food, some 30 taps, like four to six of them are casks. Terrace. Didn't even bother to count the bottles.“ |
| 60 /100 Rummer Tavern (Bar) 14 DUKE ST “Oldest pub in Cardiff, just opposite the castle. Beautiful façade, disappointing interior (way too many neon lights and overly loud pop music, and the usual sports TVs on everywhere you look.)
12 taps, four of them for cask-conditioned ales. Nice staff. Snooker table at the back. Didn't try the food.“ |
| 70 /100 Tiny Rebel Cardiff (Bar) 25 WESTGATE STREET “Beautiful detached brick building near the olden Eastern Gate of Cardiff, right in front of the stadium. Graffiti on the walls, very loud ambiance, always packed. Staff not really knowledgeable.
So many taps I don't even remember how many; four casks in the cellar. Burgers and chicken wings to eat, some veggie and vegan options, but nothing too fancy.“ |
| 62 /100 City Arms (Brains) (Bar) 10-12 QUAY STREET “Small pub around the corner from Tiny Rebel. A few Welsh ticks from Brains here, but not much else. Cozy place, with a few seats outside. Service was friendly. Just not much of a craft beer selection.“ |
| 70 /100 Head of Steam Cardiff (Bar) 18-19 CHURCH ST, “Medium sized pub with a good selection of craft beers. Lots of stuff I hadn't tried at least, though I'm relativley weak on my British ticks. Half pints available, and a decent selection of cans and bottles as well. You have to walk all around the central bar to see the different tap options. Probably not as interesting for people who live in the UK but I found lots of ticks here. Atmosphere a little rowdy on a Sunday night. Service a little shaky.“ |
| 80 /100 Tiny Rebel Cardiff (Bar) 25 WESTGATE STREET “Cool place in downtown Cardiff. Lots of taps to choose from here, including a couple of guests. Their beer was mostly ok. A live folk band was playing when I visited on a Sunday evening. Flights available here, which isn't common in the UK. Friendly service. Prices OK.“ |
| 64 /100 27 WESTGATE STREET “decent modern bar, the beers are good if not spectacular (though i seem to keep being there on egg-chasing weekends when owt over 5% gets taken off).“ |
| 76 /100 17-19 CASTLE STREET “Convivial taproom across from the castle. It's a nice place to be and the service is friendly and fast. The beer is a draw as well, although none of the 8 beers (5 core and 3 specials) rise above sessionable ABV (3.4 to 5.2%). Still, they're decent enough recipes and they know how to keep a crowd entertained. As befitting the name, dog-friendly.“ |
| 72 /100 Brew Monster Tap House (Bar) 31-32 HIGH STREET “Sadly quite empty on a weekday evening, the Brew Monster Tap House is a friendly and unassuming place within spitting distance of the castle. They had five of their own beers of draught when I was here, nothing too exciting and all sessionable but a little bit retro (nice to see a UK brewery put out a wheat beer) which I enjoyed. A very small selection of cans in the fridge (saw a lot of Stroud). Doesn't compare with the great breweries but come on, it's great having these places around too.“ |
| 30 /100 Rummer Tavern (Bar) 14 DUKE ST “I used to drink in here back in the late 90s. Unfortunately it isn't a beer pub at all anymore. Only two cask ales available - Brain's SA and Doom Bar - on my visit. No keg or packaged beers of note. Went for the Brains SA which sadly wasn't in good condition at all. It's cheap so very little was lost but one that can certainly be missed.“ |
| 68 /100 27 WESTGATE STREET “Kid of surprised I've never been to a Zerodegrees bar or had any of their beers up to now. They were around quite some time before 'craft' was a thing in the UK and are still going, so that's something. Anyway I'm here now, it's a reasonable crowd for a weekday. Nice bar staff and free popcorn so... tbats something. Five of their own beers on and no guests. Nothing too adventurous but I played it extra safe with the APA and it was reasonable if slightly supermarket-y. I don't mind this place but at the same time I wouldn't make a beeline for it. Next to the Queens Vaults and BrewDog which could make for an interesting mini-crawl indeed.“ |
| 78 /100 Scaredy Cats Cafe Bar (Bar) 16 WORKING STREET “A hip cafe which is very popular with the younger crowd but friendly for anyone. As dnelson noted below, it's brought to you by the people who ran Bub's. It does feel like a place where I could engage in an evening of craft beer and show up the following day for a flat white and a flapjack. Board games. Dolly Parton playing in the background. The tap list is small but well-considered: I'm drinking a Pillars eisbock. Cans and bottles as well. I really dig this place.“ |
| 74 /100 Flute & Tankard (Bar) 4 WINDSOR PLACE “On a side street just off the shopping behemoth of Queen Street, the Flute & Tankard is a wonderful world away from the hustle and bustle of the city centre. It is a lot newer on the inside than the front would suggest. The selection is more quality than quantity although it has enough of both: five cask ales from smaller breweries, one keg beer of note (an Arbor pale) and loads of cans (UK craft, Belgian, cider and macro). I'm drinking a mild in my first handled glass since probably 2015. Definitely meets the jjsint seal of approval.“ |
| 64 /100 Woodville (Bar) 1-5 WOODVILLE ROAD “Student-oriented pub not far from Cathays train stop. Its a Crafted Social pub, so you'll know what you're getting if you're familiar with the formula. They've got one cask beer on, which at the time of my visit was Anarchy Blonde Star, pkus five keg, mostly sessionable and easily obtainable stuff but they did offer one from local brewery Pipes. Six ciders as well, mostly flavoured Lilley's. You aren't likely to fing that much new for most beer aficionados, but it's a handy stop if you're to travel farther into Cathays. Worth inclusion here. Just.“ |
| 62 /100 Andrew Buchan (Bar) 29 ALBANY ROAD “It is rare these days, especially when in student areas, that I don't automatically raise the average age of a pub by walking into it. The Andrew Buchan is resplendent with blokes in their 50s and 60s nursing their pints. Its pleasant enough if absolutely bare bones. Not so much for beer drinkers, however if you're after some Rhymney Brewery ticks, this may be the spot for you as they offer three on cask. Also some bag in the box ciders that looked interesting but I only noticed them on my way out. On pure Ratebeer terms it doesn't get a high rate but as an actual living breathing place it's absolutely worth a stop.“ |
| 72 /100 Pen & Wig (Bar) 1 PARK GROVE “Large foody pub off the beaten path. It's not overly posh, but rather a little well-worn and comfortable. I was tempted by the array of beers on sale but a few of them were 'Coming soon' a la JDW. There were still 5 beers and 2 ciders, all but one knew to me and mostly from smaller Welsh producers such as Dog's Window and VoG. Prices are more expensive than most of Cardiff. Worth a stop as not that far from the centre really.“ |
| 74 /100 Kongs Cardiff (Bar) 114-116 ST MARY STREET “Kongs is a dark basement bar with retro video games and craft beer. The games are fine, nothing too out of the ordinary but good fun to play on the old 80s machines. The beer is pretty good for a Cardiff City centre joint: draught from the likes of Anspach & Hobay and Deta, with a good selection of cans as well (e.g. Vault City, Floc and Bullhouse). Not cheap but bit eye-watering. A reasonable stop, and you may find yourself longer than you intended.“ |
| 66 /100 Queens Vaults (Bar) 29 WESTGATE ST “OK, not a beer pub but it's great fun. I used to drink here 25 years ago and it hasn't really changed much... anyway the music is metal (Drowning Pool as I walked in) and the beer is Cheap. Nothing you'd want to drink but as there are a couple of Felinfoel beers you may get a tick or two, and there's five Snail Bank ciders (three flavoured, two normal) in boxes. And so cheap. £2.95 for my pint. Love it.“ |
| 74 /100 Head of Steam Cardiff (Bar) 18-19 CHURCH ST, “Moderately busy on a Sunday Bank Holiday, there are still bouncers on (although more laconic ones) given the central location. This Head of Steam is one of the decent ones with a good few casks and about eight craft-oriented beers on keg. There are a few bottled Belgians but nothing like the international bottles/cans you sometimes see. Still there's plenty to tempt you, and though they are on the expensive side they are certainly not the most expensive in the city. You know the chain, this is a safe bet in the best possible way.“ |
| 52 /100 Queens Vaults (Bar) 29 WESTGATE ST “Traditional boozer just across the road from the Millennium Stadium, so gets extremely busy on event days as you might imagine. Cask beers are currently Felinfoel, cheap but unexciting. Keg stuff is the usual macro brands, but again reasonably priced in fairness.“ |
| 64 /100 Owain Glyndwr (Bar) 12 ST. JOHN STREET “Large city centre pub with sports screens so can get very busy and loud at weekends. Not really a place to come for new beers, although there are usually a few local cask beers available (often Brains, VOG, sometimes Tomos & Lilford). Tiny Rebel and recently Flowerhorn on keg too.“ |
| 74 /100 Lansdowne Hotel (Bar) 71 BEDA ROAD “Welcoming locals' pub a couple of miles from the city centre but an easy bus ride. Usually either two or three casks on, well kept and plenty of rotation, plus a handful of craft taps dedicated to local breweries such as Pipes, Crafty Devil, etc. Food is good too.“ |
| 70 /100 Discount Supermarket (Grocery Store) 97-99 WHITCHURCH ROAD “The original beer shop that inspired Pop'n'Hops to open a few doors down. There is still a decent selection here, including local/national craft cans and some interesting (but not rare) continental beers. Would be better if the hoppy stuff was kept in a fridge rather than just a shelf. Worth a look if you're in the area.“ |
| 54 /100 Ernest Willows (JDW) (Bar) 2-12 CITY ROAD ROATH “Classic 'Spoons pub a short way out of the city centre. Typical selection on cask: Ruddles, Doom Bar plus the usual odds and ends from around the country at very cheap prices. May get lucky and find one or two of the regional craft cans from other areas.“ |
| 48 /100 Glassworks (Greene King) (Bar) 4 WHARTON STREET “Nice enough for a GK pub, but not the place to go for any new beers, unless you haven't tried their two new-ish 'craft' beers yet.“ |
| 78 /100 Tiny Rebel Cardiff (Bar) 25 WESTGATE STREET “A large inside place in one of the streets just down from teh Cardiff castle. Quiet some seating and a large bar with several taps. Lots of Tiny Rebel but alos some other beers. Prices are pretty nice, as all around Wales. Cool staff. Very nice atmopshere. I really liked it.“ |
| 60 /100 27 WESTGATE STREET “In the street down from the castle, among some other beer places. Of the ones I visited I initially liked the setting of this one the most. Raw, industrial looking place with tanks right next to you. Though the offer was a bit lacking, so in the end it lowered the score a bit. Still, an ok place to visit if going round the pubs.“ |
| 74 /100 BrewDog Cardiff (Bar) 31 WESTGATE STREET “My first BrewDog visit (so can't compare it to others). In one of the main street of Cardiff, down from teh castle. A large place with lots of indoor seating. A fair number of tapped beers, though not many of them really new or special - but some were. Prices are a bit steeper than in other places I visited, but still not too bad. A fine place to enjoy some good beer.“ |
| 64 /100 Brew Monster Tap House (Bar) 31-32 HIGH STREET “In one of the main streets, just down from the castle. Nice, smaller brewpub with some seating outside (shared with a pizza place). A nice number of taps, but when I stopped by only 4 taps available. Ok staff, fair prices, but sadly, not much to choose from.“ |
| 62 /100 Owain Glyndwr (Bar) 12 ST. JOHN STREET “Visited April 2015. Had a bottle of Guinness Dublin Porter, and a cask pint of Brecon Welsh Beacons. Fairly nice pub, central location.“ |
| 70 /100 Bottle Shop Pontcanna (Beer Store) 115 SEVERN GROVE “Similar to the other Bottle Shop in Roath, predominantly a wine shop but with a decent beer range, including UK craft and some interesting (sometimes rare) Belgian and German offerings. Small range of cans (mostly lagers/pales/wheats) are kept refrigerated. Prices are pretty average, there's a £1 corkage for drinking in.“ |
| 60 /100 Head of Steam Cardiff (Bar) 18-19 CHURCH ST, “Big place with a lot of selection.
The Barman I got didn’t know anything about what they were selling or beer generally.
My pint was nice but moved on pretty quickly searching for better.
“ |
| 74 /100 Head of Steam Cardiff (Bar) 18-19 CHURCH ST, “Visited with my family for dinner - our first visit to this chain. Being a Monday evening it was pretty quiet customer-wise. We sat downstairs, but there's also a second floor and a small area outside. Tables downstairs are arranged around a central bar, many in little booths - we were pleased to see that in keeping with the name of the pub, our seats had been taken from an old train and still had the luggage racks above. Beers available are displayed on electronic screens through the pub which is great apart from the fact that it takes quite a while for it to scroll through 20-odd screens of taps and bottles and events. Beers available on our visit were: 4 cask (all Camerons); approx 20 kegs (5 Camerons/Tooth&Claw, 8 "macro craft" and the remainder from smaller craft breweries, including some local); and 90-100 bottles. Unfortunately the first two beers I chose had run out, so clearly their shiny screens are not totally up to date. Prices were about average for these expensive times and the beers seemed in decent nick. They'll do a beer flight (three thirds) or individual thirds of anything on tap. Foodwise the menu is pretty basic - variations of pizza, burgers, gyros or tacos. We all had different types of gyro and we all thought that the quality was pretty high. The service was friendly and reasonably fast, the music seemed a tad loud for a quiet Monday night but didn't prevent conversation or anything. Overall I thought it was a decent place and would happily visit any of the chain again.“ |
| 76 /100 Wally's Delicatessen & Kaffeehaus (Grocery Store) 38-42 ROYAL ARCADE “One of two Wally's stores in the city centre (the separate Liquor Store is solely devoted to booze). It's a mid-sized deli with a nice mix of local and continental food. The booze is at the opposite end to the entrance. There's probably a similar number of beers on offer as at their Liquor Store (about 80?), but here you get a mix of local micros and common international beers (whereas the Liquor Store is almost entirely Welsh micros and more craft-focused). For Ratebeerians the Liquor Store is therefore a better bet if you're looking for Welsh region ticks, but it's still worth coming to the Deli for the food (and you may still get a few different ticks here anyway). The prices are reasonable considering the city centre location and all the staff seemed very friendly. A couple of points to note - firstly the beer range shown on their website seems a little more restricted than what's actually in the shop. Secondly, you have to pay for booze at the till in the booze section rather than at the main tills (you can pay for food at the same time though). Overall I'd recommend this place, and I'd return if I was in Cardiff again.“ |
| 76 /100 Wally's Liquor Cellar (Beer Store) 10-14 CASTLE CARCADE “Visited August 2022. One of two Wally's stores in the city centre; as the name implies this one stocks booze only (as opposed to their deli which also does food). It's hidden away in a very attractive historic arcade opposite the castle entrance, which has several other interesting shops (there's a great second hand bookshop, whilst the Friends in Knead bakery does amazing doughnuts). Beerwise the liquor store very much focuses on Welsh micros (if you want international beers try their deli instead). There were probably 80 or so different brews, including several breweries that were new to me. Very friendly staff, and the prices were reasonable considering its city centre location. Recommended; I'd return if I was on Cardiff again. Note that the beer list on their website doesn't seem to show the full range and I think is based more on the stock at the separate deli than this liquor cellar.“ |
| 46 /100 Mount Stuart (JDW) (Bar) LANDSEA HOUSE, STUART PLACE “Visited August 2022. This is a huge two storey Spoons in a fantastic location on Cardiff waterfront with stunning views across the bay. It's an impressive building too - shiny modern plate glass and funky wiggly roof at the front, whilst the back half is a restored old brick dock building. Frankly it feels like the sort of place that gets design awards. It's light and airy inside, but the best place to be is the large upstairs balcony, which must host one of the best vistas of any of the many waterfront venues here - and there's even a telescope! We came here for brunch on a Monday morning, so it was pretty quiet (although I'd imagine it's rammed on Friday and Saturday evenings). Sadly it was clearly not quiet enough for the surly and unenthusiastic staff - it took ages to get served at the bar, ages more for the food to arrive, and when it did arrive it was on cold plates and was barely lukewarm. The only plus side was that with the glorious views and warm sunshine on the balcony we were pretty content despite the wait. I didn't feel like a beer but I did check out the taps upstairs - four bog standard national brews, plus Evan Evans WPA and a Roosters beer called "coming soon...". There may have been others downstairs but I forgot to check. Overall it's well worth coming here just for the venue and views - but maybe just chill with a coffee or something on the balcony before heading elsewhere for better service, drinks and food. Wetherspoons are a sad shadow of their former selves in these regards and really need to buck their ideas up before they die.“ |
