Ye Olde Butchers Arms, Cardiff

Visited 27/11/25. Visited previously 22/10/22 Cask amounted to Abbot, Genevieve a West Coast IPA from GK, Doom Bar, Butty Bach and the Kimberley Bitter from Harry's and Hansons Brewery. Keg comprised Coors, Staro, original SB, Neck Oil, Guinness, Clwb Tropica, Peroni, Ffresh juicy pale ale from Glamorgan Brewing, Stella, Cruz, Asahi, Madri, Thatchers Haze and Thatchers Gold. U shaped pub with the bar counter following the inside shape of the venue. A slate skirt around the bar counter and then a mixture of bare boards and very well-worn carpet. There are a few regular tables in front of the bar counter to the left and right of the entrance. The right-hand side had quite densely packed regular tables served by either regular chairs or banquettes. Beyond the end of that area was another room with tables laid for diners. There was a large beer garden out the back, but it was closed to patrons on my visit owing to the inclement weather. The left-hand side was more bar like with tall stools at the bar counter, larger tables and then a pool table and dart board in the rear corner. Plenty of footy memorabilia on the walls in this part, mostly Cardiff City related, and TV’s showing various sport and music channels, the latter bizarrely with the sound turned off, indeed the only sound in the venue was some quite raucous chatter from a couple of well-oiled chaps sitting near me! A step down from last visit when the Treorchy male voice choir were in attendance after a concert in the nearby church and regaling the punters here also with their considerable voices over a few post-concert pints.

This pub was the first of the two we visited in the Rhiwbina area of Cardiff. It's tucked away in a residential area and is not a place you would stop by in passing. As with our first pub of the day, just one other customer was present. The ale choice was not too inspiring - Doom Bar, Atlantic & Abbott. The interior was slightly more interesting, with plenty of Cardiff City Football Club memorabilia on display. Kitchen staff were in place, but there was no custom for food. Another very quiet pub, which I found decidedly average.