The Dock, Cardiff

Large and ornate pub in modern building as described below. They seem enthusiastic about their beers and have Brains special brews and craft beers alongside the regular ones. Cask Marque listed. One of the better drinking places in Cardiff Bay.

This is an enormous Brains pub in a striking building on Mermaid Quay. Despite the very modern exterior which seems to have been designed to resemble a boat with a bow and sails very easily identified, the interior has been fitted out with a lot of traditional materials. There is plenty of dark wood throughout, as well as quarry stone walls, tiled floors and exposed beams and supports. The overall effect is a pleasant blend of a modern bar within a traditional British pub setting. The place is so big I only managed to explore a fraction of it, as we had booked a table on the upper level which has balconies giving excellent views out across the bay. We all ate here and the general consensus was that the food was very good and value for money given the location. The staff were also very helpful, especially as we caused the kitchen staff all sorts of trouble by arriving late, just as the kitchen was about to close. On the bar, I noted Brains SA, Bitter, Dark and Farmers Walloon on handpull, with additional Brains brews on keg alongside other more commonplace lager and cider options. The Farmers Walloon wasn’t really my cup of tea, but I managed to get through a not inconsiderable amount of the Dark before we all staggered out to party the night away elsewhere. This place struck me as a great, multi-purpose venue capable of simultaneously accommodating our noisy stag-do crowd, casual diners and drinkers, large family groups and everything in between. It’s worth a visit just to sit on the balcony or on the seats out the front, but I’d happily return for food or drinks without the need for a view.