please note - reviews on this site are purely the opinion of site visitors, so don't take them too seriously.
Our final stop on Tuesday night in Cardiff after the micropub St Canna's Alehouse in Canton (a request to be added has been submitted) was what I still believe to be Cardiff's best pub - the City Arms. It was quieter than on our last visit. But, the ale range was still good. Brain's Bitter, SA, Rev James & Dark were on one side. On the other were guests - Weird Beard Five O'Clock Shadow, The Brew Foundation Pop, Milestone Welsh Dragons, Orkney Corncrake Ale, Turning Point Lucid Dream Cookie Cream Stout & Northern Monk Festive Star Spiced Mocha Porter. Ciders were Mole's Black Rat Cider, Colcombe House Willie Gunn, Gwynt y Ddraig Welsh Warrior & Snail's Bank Raspberry Ripple & Fruit Bat. The pub still has a nice atmosphere and staff know their beers.
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A week away (Monday afternoon)
Nominally a Brains house with a very good selections of guests (forgot to take notes - bear in mind for future reference) Also a good idea to use glasses to check ABV before trying to order a 7.2% mild! Settled for a Glamorgan IPA, which was good.
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With eight beers on tap, one might expect this to be a real winner and although it’s serviceably good, there were three bum notes. These are extremely ‘aromatic’ toilets, a guy warbling pointlessly with a guitar in the corner and a number of patrons more than a few sheet to the wind. OK, it’s a pub and all of those factors can come with the territory but the City Arms is currently being blown out of the water by the Tiny Rebel place across the street.
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Lots of beers on again, and Ciders .Usual busy crowd mixed with tourists, made a good mix. Barry Island-Pale Ale, Rudgate-Dick Firkin, both £3.45, were good, but not very good.
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A once great pub which since change of manager is going downhill rapidly. Would always visit for a chance to try beers from the stillage which always had 4 different barrels on. These days it only ever has one on if that. Bar staff can be rude and seem to know little about beer. Also check your change as they are very good at making mistakes. Short changed 3 times in one visit.
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By far the best pub i visited in Cardiff. Cosy and traditional interior. Two cask stillage ales in addition to the handpumps with ales and ciders. All beers in perfect nick and correct temperature. Don’t think they serve food.
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Beers still too cold, which makes them lifeless. Time called at 22:45 when I was told they served until 23:30. Shame, it spoils a decent pub.
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Best pub in town, lots of real ales on, 12 I think and a couple served from the cask. Also 2 ciders on tap.
All pints consumed were good. Prices ranged from £3.25 to £3.65.
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Good range of guest beers but many from Devon & Somerset. Could have been a few more local ones. Found the Urban Tap beers better.
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Great selection of real ales and real ciders. Normally 4 ales served direct from the cask. Criticism - the ales sold from the cask tend to be from micro-brewers, and can taste very peculiar! They're meant to, as they may have been brewed in whisky barrels, so have a hint of whisky or taste of cough medicine. They don't seem interested in traditional stalwarts, like Courage Directors, Wadworth's 6X, or Marston Pedigree.
Friendly, knowledgeable staff and easy going atmosphere.
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By far and away the best pub that I found in the City, good selection of beers. There was a stout and porter festival on when I called but they also had a full range of Brains as well as 3 or 4 guest bitters.
Every one of the several beers that I tried was in good order, the staff were knowledgeable and friendly and the atmosphere was pleasant. My only criticism for the landlord is that the water cooled guest beers were too cold which had taken some of the life out of them.
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Probably the best pub in Cardiff city centre, this pub is excellent for real ale drinkers. The pumpclips adorning the walls give an indication of the range of beers they have stocked. Beers on yesterday were BrainsBitter & SA, Conwy Welsh Pride, Vog Summer Daze, Cottage Normans Conquest MM, RCH Pitchfork, White Horse Jack's Better, Irving Invincible & Butcombe Gold. Cider and perries were Gwynt y Ddraig Happy Daze & Two Trees Perry & Mr Whiteheads Newton's Discovery. The interior is fairly no-nonsense, traditional. The staff were friendly and knowledgeable. I quite liked this pub and will probably visit again next time we're back in Cardiff.
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I had the pleasure of two nights in Cardiff, and this was the pub with the most choice of real ales, both from Wales and further afield. The place is directly opposite the Millenium Stadium and offers a real pub rather than the many bars which are spread around the city centre. Great choice of ale and on our visit, it was very busy with friendly bar staff and a 'must visit' should you fancy a drink around Cardiff.
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a welcome stop on a cold rainy night in Cardiff - pub very busy but staff still had time to advise on the selection of beer and offered the chance to try before buying. Had the atomic power and very good it was too. Unable to sample more as last bus was calling... will hopefully have a longer session next time we are in town
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Friendly welcome and relaxed atmosphere. Ales kept in excellent condition and plenty of choice - but a bit pricey at £3.55 for a pint of bitter!
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Probably the best 'ale' house in Cardiff. A good selection on (I had a rsther nice pint of Gower Black). Amust for any aleheads visiting the Welsh capital
anonymous - 28 Dec 2012 21:55 |
So good we had to call twice on Saturday - the stout and porter festival and a cancelled train helped the decision. We tried all the stouts and porters on offer, and they were all in good condition. Locals friendly and chatty, including the Crystal Palace supporter from Sarf Landon married to a local girl. Would be one of my first stops next time in Cardiff.
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Visited for the first time in many years and what an improvement. Great selection of ales and a Belgian Beer Fest going on. Busy and friendly, I'll definitely come back here.
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Visited on a Friday afternoon. Good selection of ales and a somewhat wicked cider. Very competent barman, if not over-friendly. Doing a deservedly good trade. Certainly one to visit.
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excelent city center pub , very good quality and quantity of ales in great nick
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I get the impression a Sunday night isn't the busiest of the week for this boozer, but a wonderful landlord and some exceptional beer should make it an essential stop on any crawl in Cardiff town centre. Yes, a Brains establishment, it also caters for all, and I mean all, tastes including a range of ciders that looked impressive. Brains Dark, followed by Elsie Mo and one of the barrels racked up wonderfully on the bar (Green Back, I think it was called?), were all delivered wonderfully, so if I'm in this neck of the woods again, I'll be calling in!! Cheers!!
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Reconstructed Brains pub but still retaining a traditional boozer feel. Unusual (in my experience) for Brains in that it has a number of guest beers available, some of them straight from the barrel.These are welcome as I have usually been drinking Brains elsewhere all night and this is a last stop before getting the train.
Quite lively , with a good atmosphere, on the Friday nights that I have visited.
Pleasantly surprised.
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Fairly quiet on Sunday night although there were lots of students on a crawl around town. Refurbished since my last visit but not ruined in any way. Full range of Brains beers plus 4 guests on gravity, I hope that they can justify that range of ales.
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Brains Bitter was "ok" but the pub was empty and stunk of bleach, 5/10
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On match day you can't get near the place, on a Thursday night you wouldn't want to go near the place. Reasonable pint of Brians Bitter, nice bar staff, but dreadful "music" booming through from from some wannabee DJ that ruined the atmosphere. The place was empty so why they think this is a good idea, who knows? Otherwise good traditional boozer - just lose the "music"!
brouk - 17 Apr 2009 00:43 |
Fairly basic, traditional pub located right outside Cardiff Arms Park and the Millennium Stadium (so it must get very busy on match days). Nice pint of Brains SA, and Brains Bitter was also available on the other handpump.
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Nice place, with the usual Brains selection as found in any half decent pub in Wales. Good music. Is in a nice location in the heart of Cardiff too.
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Nice pub, friendly crowd, usual range of Brains beers (well kept). Open late at weekends.
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Visited on 31/10/1997. Pub was very welcoming 9 years ago, hope it still remains so. Brains Dark and Bitter are remembered as being on good form along with excellent chilli-con-carne eaten at lunch. If my memory serves me correctly, the pub was popular in the late 1990s with long-distance juggernauts in for the Brains.
This retrospective review has been compiled from a diary kept in 1997.
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DJ night on Tuesdays plays electronica, funk & rock, 8pm onwards.
eg. Squarepusher, Prince, Talking Heads
John Nada - 27 Sep 2004 14:02 |
Great Pub, traditional decor and serves Brains beer (definite plus!). Thursday night often hosts a super DJ night specialising in classic '80's music (he found my obscure Pixies track so can do no wrong in my eyes).
Sean - 24 Sep 2004 11:03 |
good pub with a gorgeous barman called rhodri
rachel - 8 Sep 2004 10:48 |
Probably one of Cardiff's best known pubs, situated just opposite the Millenium Stadium. Always a great atmosphere, especially on match days when it's always packed to the rafters. Late license also makes this pub an ideal pre club venue, and attracts a good mix of locals, students and clubbers. It's a Brains pub, so expect the full range including Dylan.
Sal - 16 Jun 2004 14:58 |
