The Waterguard, Cardiff

Visited 28/01/25 No cask, keg offering of the Sovereign Bitter, Old Brewery Bitter, Taddy lager, Alpine lager, Pure Brewed Organic lager, Cider Reserve, Organic Wheat Beer, and the Extra Stout. This feels a world away from the dark wood clad central London Sam Smiths venues collectively worth the value of a small country GDP in terms of the primeness of the properties. This feels like a posh riverside bar in a yacht club in comparison! It was difficult to get a proper external view of the place on a dark rough weather evening other than I agreed with the earlier review that it looks a bit castle keep like. The outside tables / benches were not surprisingly in play this evening. Inside the light wood bar counter was along the left-hand side of the main room that was a tiled floor affair with quite a bit of nautical theme around the place. Mixture of high bench seating opposite the bar, some booths along the right-hand side towards the other glass frontage. There was a small snug with Chesterfield sofa to the side of the entrance of the main bar and rather unexpectedly a darting area in a small area with a couple of tables the other side of that. The venue is undoubtedly classy with some nice art / prints on the walls, but as a Sam Smiths pub it really does mess with your perception.

Sam Smiths pub in the trendy trendy trendy Cardiff Bay area. Distinctly different entrances at either end of the building – it looks like most of the place is new and has been grafted onto the frontage of an old castle-esque folly building. Nothing like their average place, this is all light wood, polished stone floor, light and airy. Of passing interest are various bits of nautical and Tiger Bay paraphernalia but all very neatly arranged and a bit sterile. Of higher draw is the rear garden with a dockside view. Fairly limited range of draft once it was established that the Extra Stout was off and the place is cask-less. A pint of Man in a Box set me back £4.40.

The Waterguard is a riverside Sam Smiths pub so unsurprisingly it was empty during a recent Tuesday early evening visit. To the right of the entrance is a snug and to the left is a dartboard. The high-ceilinged bar area is open plan with a long bar counter that runs up the left-hand side. The usual SS keg range is available, and I paid £1.65 for half an OBB. As per there is no music or television. Outside at the rear are some picnic tables. I found the barman to be polite, but I was pleased I only ordered a half.