The Sir Samuel Romilly (JD Wetherspoon), Barry

Visited 29/04/26 Decent cask offering of Cwrw Gorslas amber bitter, Jemima's Pirchfork golden ale and Welsh Pale all from Glamorgan Brewing, then Sea Scape golden ale from Evan Evan's, Jaipur, GK IPA, Doom Bar, Abbot, Sharps Sea Fury and Batemans XXXB. Keg offering of Budweiser, Angelo Poretti, Guinness, Corona, Stowford Press, Thatchers Haze, Stella, Bud Light, Coors, Carling, original and dark fruits SB, Leffe Blonde, Carlsberg, Guinness, BrewDog Punk IPA, Seven Brothers Easy IPA, Mad Squirrel Sumo APA, Shipyard pale ale, Worthington CF, K1664. Large JDW, carpeted with an attractive red design with the ornate bar counter on a tile skirt and from middle to rear left-hand side as viewed from the main road outside. The main bar area is up a few steps from the street level outside. Lots of the usual JDW seating options including some back-to-back low booth tables down the middle of the venue. There is a street level seating area around the two roadsides of the venue with regular tables and chairs and some leather booth style tables on the front side in a library feel section and then an expansive left-hand side looking out onto the outside seating area on the exterior left-hand side of the venue. Screens were limited, but there were a lot of fruit machines and the venue busy as you would expect with beer at such low prices (my pint of Cwrw Gorslas was less than £2). The venue has the feel of a cinema conversion; indeed, the rear of the venue looks like it retains a curtain covered screen viewing area. All in all, it is a very pleasant JDW with a decent cask beer offering.

Large Spoons in an imposing building. Usual JDW stylings with the exception being a very attractive bar area featuring some large (original?) cast iron fittings, which may have been part of the old market hall. Pretty dark in most of the inside, bring a torch. An utter snooze on the ale front with just two national stagers (I suppose COVID is the excuse here) so I decided to have another one off Timbo’s world lout menu (Singha – not one I’d have again). Ordered food and all was in order. Given that Barry’s craft bar doesn’t open Tuesdays (even in summer!) and the supposedly open micropub was resolutely shut at 9.30, this one is a bit of a default in a town hardly blessed with quality.