BrewDog Cardiff, Cardiff

Expensive by local standards (as you'd probably expect), but packed on my visit - perhaps the international Rugby Union on the big screen was the reason? The range seemed to be limited to the more mainstream offerings from the Brewdog range and the shortage of seating made for a fairly uncomfortable experience. Obviously, I didn't experience the bar under ideal conditions but, nevertheless, there seems to be little to encourage a repeat visit, albeit that that's an unlikely prospect at even the best of times.

As I'm committed to visiting their Perth outlet this year I decided to break my boycott of this pub chain. As noted below it's a typical rectangular open plan trendy bar with a wooden floor, an unfinished look and basic furnishings. It was quiet on my Wednesday afternoon visit. There were no signs of cask and none of the numerous keg options could be described as cheap. I went for a 5am Saint (£5.00) which was a major disappointment as It didn't seem to be anything more than a stronger keg Boring Brown Beer. The Punk IPA was just 10p cheaper but I found it recently for £2.79 in a JDW. I'll still be going to the Perth one but doubt that I would return here given the better options nearby.

Brewdog's first foray into Wales sees a simple single room bar in a prime location opposite the Millennium Stadium and close to a number of Cardiff's other top destination beer houses. The pub is mostly bare boarded, with the exception of some red and white tiled flooring under the large front windows, which can be folded open in summer months, allowing easier access to a row of café tables on the pavement outside. Some red, high backed padded banquettes run down the right hand wall, serving a small number of tables with a large collection of board games stacked behind. The wall here has been cladded with wooden planks, which sounds terrible, but actually looked pretty good (or at least it did from where I was sat on the other side of the room). High tables in the centre of the room are supplemented by stools which have motorsport-style sponsor's logos on their backs. To the left are a couple of snug spaces, separated by low panelled screens bearing the Brewdog emblem and an effective spilled-paint design, within which are a series of plush padded banquette booths under a bare brick wall with a large neon Brewdog sign. A very simple bar counter runs the length of the back wall and the bar back is an unattractive concrete affair with large cinema style boards listing the beer range and the pub's name picked out in large letters above. Decent music played throughout my stay and each table had been thoughtfully set up with copies of the beer menu and an in-house Brewdog magazine. I was greeted by an uber-hip barman who seemed to converse only in glib Americanisms ("Howdy", "Yo, my man", "Sure thing, Dude" and so on...), mangled somewhat by his broad Welsh accent. Anyway, he was an enthusiastic sort and I got the impression that he'd start talking me through each of the 12 Brewdog beers and 18 guests (all keg of course) if I didn't hurry up and choose something. I gave the reliable Dead Pony Club a try, with other options including Alice Porter, Punk IPA, Alt Amber, Libertine, and This is Lager, whilst the guests were from the likes of Fyne, Mikkeller, Stone, Fourpure and Beavertown. It goes without saying that the usual Brewdog A-level maths examination has to be taken before you can figure out how much you've actually paid for your third, half or two thirds of a pint. I tend to find Brewdog bars very hit and miss, but was pleased to report that this definitely leant towards the hit end of the spectrum. It's an exciting venue for a city like Cardiff and provides an interesting alternative to the traditional pubs and Brains houses the city specialises in. Not one for an extended session perhaps, but there is a good five or six-pub crawl to be done down this side of the Millennium Stadium and this place should form part of that.

Situated in a nasty 1960’s block, this is nonetheless the best Brewdog bar I’ve been to. Usual industrial utilitarian chic over two floors but a little more intimate than their usual offering. I ended up on some 7.2% loopy juice which was priced pretty reasonably compared to the norm (are Cardiff punters more wallet-conscious?). Would I go again? Yeah, maybe I would.

due to open summer 2014