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Beer of the Week (w/e 15th June 2025) with Tris39
on the Pub Forum
Detail Pages
Rummer Tavern, Cardiff
Cardiff
CF10 1AY
Reviews (Current Rating Average: 5 of 10) see review guidelines
Tris C left this review about Rummer Tavern
In a rather depressing and inexplicably downmarket location, with Cardiff castle across the road, the pub – which features an ugly roller shutter to its frontage when closed – is situated on an unattractive parade, sandwiched in-between fast-food outlets and a gaming arcade, a perfect backdrop to meet tourists’ heritage expectations [not].
Established in 1713, this is as mentioned Cardiff’s oldest pub – and not that olde then – and at least the main façade exhibits some enticing brewers’ Tudor with leaded lights, but I wonder just how old it really is - 1930s? In what is now a sports’ bar, the interior is a shocker: masses of exposed brickwork; modern bare boarded; modern colour scheme; games machines; silent unwatched Tour de France on multiple TV screens; pool and darts to the rear; a tedious teenage girl-orientated muzak soundtrack and just one customer at the time of our early afternoon visit. What was inescapable though, was the aforementioned smell of what I interpreted to be air freshener, to mask the strong smell of damp or the lavs, highlighted by Quick Pint from as far back as 2008.
There was just one cask offering in the form of a handwritten pump clip advertising Purity Pure UBU, tasting suspiciously like GK I Pee A.
This place is like a downmarket O’Neill’s, if your imagination can stretch that far. Awful.
Rated: 2.5.
On 31st May 2025
- rating: 3
[User has posted 2243 recommendations about 2200 pubs]
Bucking Fastard left this review about Rummer Tavern
The oldest pub in Cardiff and one of the worst.The exterior is the highlight with lots of brewers tudor ,and original leaded windows. However the interior has been mullered,there is some exposed brickwork to the immediate left in a section looking like it might be for diners had anyone been in,while the rest of the interior has many flatscreens,high tables, some neon signs ,noisy muzak and a central bar to the left side advertising by way of a handwritten sign that the single handpump having "beer of the week Purity Ubu " but without any clip on the handpump.The output from the handpump was drinkable ,NBSS 2.5 but there was a view from the crew that what we were offered my well not have been Purity Ubu.
The other feature of the interior was an overwhelming smell of disinfectant from which there was no escape.
Another punter entered the empty pub after us ,and seemed happy with his mainstream lager but that was the sum total of the custom on a pleasant Thursday lunchtime.
One to avoid .
On 26th May 2025
- rating: 3
[User has posted 2971 recommendations about 2971 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Quinno _ left this review about Rummer Tavern
Not much change here – still a decent range of ale on and I opted for a Bath Gem, which was in decent nick but felt a little muted, taste-wise. Very busy, looks like people have cottoned-on to its potential.
October 2014
Olde worlde mock Tudor look from the outside and the inside is another long, narrow Cardiff pub. There’s some wood panelling and a painted brick area at the rear, with flagstone flooring and painted red brick walls on entering. The best seating area is at the front, by the lovely bowed and leaded window. Perhaps surprisingly there were five ales on (decent selection) and my Celt was in good nick. Looks to have improved over the last few years and given the decline of the once fabulous Goat Major, this one is now well-worth making a beeline for in the area. Rated 7
On 23rd November 2015
- rating: 7
[User has posted 5589 recommendations about 5570 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Pub SignMan left this review about Rummer Tavern
Situated in a row of shops opposite Cardiff Castle, this pub with its mock-Tudor frontage has a deep but narrow single room interior. The front section is a bare boarded seating area with standard tables and chairs arranged in rows down the left hand side, broken up by some partitioning screens in places. The walls to the front left are bare brick, eventually being replaced by tongue and groove panelling, whilst the right hand side boasts some lovely traditional dark wood panels that extend almost to the rear of the pub, where the servery eventually appears on the left hand wall. The counter has a series of drawers on its front, although whether they actually open or are just for decoration wasn't clear. Meanwhile, the canopy displays a mix of items including bottles, jugs, buckets and lamps. The bar back is also tongue and groove panelled and has a great Hancock's HB display shelf as a centrepiece. A couple of standard tables and chairs can be found opposite the bar and there is a slightly raised carpeted seating area at the far end of the room with three or four more tables, bare brick walls and a TV screen which was turned off in favour of quiet indie music. The whole pub is dimly lit, creating an atmospheric feel with the dark panels, which are decorated with lots of framed beer posters and some temporary St Patrick's Day promotional stuff. Menus on each table listed very reasonably priced food options with main meals, including steaks, costing around £7.00.
On the bar, two house beers - Hancock's HB and Wye Valley HPA - were complimented by Wye Valley Butty Bach, Purity Mad Goose, Untapped UPA, Exmoor Ale and something from Otley that I couldn't make out from the pump clip. A final handpull was dispensing Thatcher's Heritage Cider. I gave the UPA a try and thought it was a tasty enough drop, if not quite in tip-top condition.
I found this to be a well kept, traditional city centre pub and was a little surprised that it wasn't doing a much better trade given its prominent position. The pub makes a good bolt hole and the fact that it's not tied to Brains means its worth keeping in mind as a good bet for an interesting, varied ale selection.
On 18th April 2015
- rating: 7
[User has posted 3361 recommendations about 3361 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Just a quick pint, then I'm off left this review about Rummer Tavern
Looks like an interesting old pub, but the tables near the stairs had a distinct aroma of toilet chemicals wafting up from below. Only one real ale on offer (a reasonable pint of Hancocks HB).
On 25th September 2008
- rating: 6
[User has posted 8733 recommendations about 8733 pubs]