The Old Arcade, Cardiff

As described below, the pub features much decent wood panelling, a modern boarded floor with an emphasis on sport. I went for a half of the Brains SA, which hasn’t attracted a comment. As mentioned: formulaic.

Brain's tied house with a strong rugby theme,there are lots of external seats on the pavement and folding windows to the front of the pub ,when opened give the interior an airy appearance.There is a bit of wood panelling and beyond the bar there is a more ornate back lounge which feels quite traditional.The framed rugby shirts recount significant players and events but the tourist nature of the customers give the pub a transient feel rather than a beloved local. The handpumps were offering Brains SA (a pale imitation of the original brew),SA Gold,Bitter ,Reverend James and Dark in poor nick NBSS 2.All these ales are brewed by Marston's in Burton so lack local origin and I'm sad to say I also found the pub too formulaic.Not sure I would include it on a crawl and not sure how it has achieved a 2025 GBG listing.

Head and shoulders above any of the other Good Beer Guide 2025 ticks I visited today. Very busy on a Monday Lunchtime. Maybe the £2.70 Brains SA Promotion (very good condition), where the landlord talked me out of a half as it was more or less the same price for a pint. Interesting rugby memorabilia and entertainment provided by a rumbustious landlord who was genuinely entertaining.

I haven’t been here for years, generally preferring the really decent Head of Steam next door. In fact I had almost forgot it was still here. Still here it most definitely is. Layout wise, well described below. I think it is a decent venue, although the tables are v close together and would mean the place was claustrophobic when there were a lot of punters in - not something I have to contend with this evening. As noted v much a Brains pub, 6 hand pumps operational dispensing 5 of their ales. I went for the one that was doubled up as I had never tried before, the Dark. I really enjoyed it. Others were SA, SA Gold, the standard bitter and the Reverend James. They also had their keg version of the Standard bitter and their own lager called Bayside. Other keg choices included Barry Island IPA, another Brains quaff, and the now seemingly ever present on the venues I go to, Cruzcampo! I’m not a great Brains beer fan, but I think the venue itself is more pleasant than the Head of Stem next door. Especially on a spring evening where the balcony doors here are thrown open to let in the South Wales gloom! Lush.

This place is something of a Cardiff institution that I've been to more than once before but not for well over thirty years. It's a shrine to Welsh Rugby and I wouldn't care to visit it when there was Rugby or any other event on at the nearby stadium. The wide two bar layout has been well described below and I stuck to the front bar which had a fair crowd in. The six hand pumps had one unused, Brains Dark, Bitter, SA, SA Gold & Rev James. I went for the Dark (£2.70) which was first class. It's well worth a look especially now there is competition next to it.