The Admiral, Cardiff

Visited 07/08/24. Formerly the Admiral Napier. Traditional and v busy pub (especially given it is pretty much next door to a popular JDW). Front room off the main road a square room with bar in the far (relatively speaking) corner, the room being partially carpeted and bare boarded around the bar. A couple of TV's showing the evening racing. Regular pub tables and chairs. Short corridor past the toilets to the back bar (not manned on my visit) with essentially the same quaffs, with bigger screens showing the same activities and a dart board. Out the back thereof was a paved beer garden partially covered with artificial grass with picnic benches and booth tables and with a large outdoor screen in the corner also showing the racing. No cask, a couple of hand pumps intimating Brains quaffs but one with the clip turned around and the other being used as a dispenser for the roll of blue paper towel on the bar, so not expecting that one to return to beer dispensing duty any time soon. Keg choices were pretty much the sort of set you would expect in this type of venue namely lagers (Carling, Carlsberg, Madri, Coors & San Miguel), ciders (Thatchers Haze, Strongbow regular & Somersby blackberry) accompanied by Brains IPA smooth, Guinness and Worthington Creamflow. Thought this was a reasonable venue, beer options aside, and am enjoying the crawl around this part of Cardiff that is Canton. A working-class suburb and great to see the pubs busy and locals enjoying themselves. As Alan proclaimed on his visit almost 20 years ago, it is hard to be disappointed by this venue. Lack of cask limits it to an average score, but enjoyable spending 30 mins here.

This building looks more modern than some of the other Canton pubs. I went in the small public bar at the front which had a few TVs and wood panelled walls. There were a couple of locals in on my early Friday afternoon visit. I didn't get to see the other bar. There were three hand pumps which had Brains Dark, Bitter and Rev James Gold. I went for the Dark (£2.60) which I had to send back as it was vinegar. It was replaced with the bitter which was in decent nick. This is very much a locals pub and I can't imagine returning.

The Admiral Napier is an ordinary looking town pub that is situated in cantons main shopping area. Once inside there were two seperate rooms,i had a drink in the bar,which had a pool table in it,there was a seperate lounge which looked more comfortable. This pub is a Brains tied house,there was one real ale on the bar,which was Brains bitter,this was a decent drink. I quite like doing these sort of pubs,this one did'nt dissapoint me. Pub visited 28/5/2005