The Pen & Wig, Cardiff

Visited 18/02/26. Visited previously 05/05/21 Ten handpumps, all dispensing and providing Lilley’s Bee Sting and Mango cider, the Original and the Gower Gold both from Gower Brewery, Life’s a Peach Pale Ale from Tomos & Lilford, Jemima’s Pitchfork and the Welsh Pale both from the Glamorgan Brewing Co, the Twti Ffrwti light ale and the Cymryd Y Pyst! both from the Treforest Brewery and the Muster best bitter from the Goff’s Brewery. Keg offering of Peroni, Amstel, Moretti and the Sale di Mare unfiltered version, Cruz, Asahi, Inch’s, berries and cherries Old Mount Cider, Guinness, Heineken, Reliance Pale Ale, Neck Oil, something called Roar Premium Craft Beer by Ron’s Style (might be a Tomos and Lilford brand, and I did see it again in the most excellent curry venue, the Juboraj in Rhiwbina later that evening). Long, quite narrow venue with a few regular tables and chairs in the front bay window to the left of the entrance in a carpeted and wood panelled area with an un-used fire grate. There are a couple of picnic style benches out the front. The bar counter is then along the left-hand wall to the middle part of the venue in a bare boarded area with a couple of tall tables and tall stools opposite. Beyond this, the area splits with an internal wall, to the left of it is a flagstone area and some regular tables and chairs leading out into the rear beer garden, which provides a reasonable amount of covered seating but not in play on a late afternoon on a cold and wet day. To the right of the internal wall is a carpeted area with plenty of regular tables and chairs and the main dining part of the venue. A few screens in the venue and a quiet pop soundtrack. I realised that on my previous visit just after we came out of lockdown in Spring 2021 that I had visited when I had to drink outside so many years since I had been inside this very fine cask establishment. It is a must visit in Cardiff and a superb beer venue.

As mentioned, this pub’s name may be a legal reference, so perhaps these grand neo-Gothic buildings constitute legal chambers, or is this, given the area, a ‘maindy’ (stone building)? Either way, it would seem that this is a conversion of some sort, boasting that it’s been in the GBG for the last six years, now under the aegis of Heritage Pubs. Dark wood panelled, the interior is quite grand as mentioned, with affluent professional customers, many apparently drawn from the legal profession, though presumably not the criminal fraternity; what does let the place down though, are the TV screens which were showing adverts from the Food Channel on loop; how many times do I want to drink and watch a medium rare steak being turned over or a salad being tossed? There were 10 pumps, about five dispensing Lilley’s ‘unreal’ cider, though half were sporting ‘Coming Soon’ tags, me going for a half of Glamorgan Jemimas Pitchfork (Google it) and in ok shape. This place is an interesting addition to a crawl, but the TV dross, average beer and limited ale promised for a Thursday evening lets the side down a bit, but otherwise it’s a decent place for a prolonged stay.

Official site of The Pen & Wig - www.heritagepubs.co.uk

Official site of The Pen & Wig - www.heritagepubs.co.uk

Based in an upmarket suburb away from the circuit drinkers,this ornate building has the feel of a legal chambers with it's solid exterior. Inside there is a fine fireplace at the front,good wood panelling and some opulance.Opposite the bar is a wooden staircase ,while beyond is a seating area and then the beer garden,a real suntrap in good weather.A large Bass mirror adds to the interior decoration. Real ale options on my trip were Goffs Pan -Asian IPA (NBSS 3.5) and Mango IPA,Tomas & Lilford Irreverent James,Mumbles Gold,Glamorgan Jemima's Pitchfork ,two Lilly ciders and three ales coming soon.Ales priced around £5.60 mark this out as expensive for the area but one I would return to given the range of real ales available.If crawling Cardiff,dont miss out on this one.