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The Pen & Wig, Cardiff

1 Park Grove
Cardiff
CF10 3BJ

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Reviews (Current Rating Average: 7½ of 10) Add Review see review guidelines

David Walton left this review about The Pen & Wig

Visited 18/02/26. Visited previously 05/05/21

Ten handpumps, all dispensing and providing Lilley’s Bee Sting and Mango cider, the Original and the Gower Gold both from Gower Brewery, Life’s a Peach Pale Ale from Tomos & Lilford, Jemima’s Pitchfork and the Welsh Pale both from the Glamorgan Brewing Co, the Twti Ffrwti light ale and the Cymryd Y Pyst! both from the Treforest Brewery and the Muster best bitter from the Goff’s Brewery. Keg offering of Peroni, Amstel, Moretti and the Sale di Mare unfiltered version, Cruz, Asahi, Inch’s, berries and cherries Old Mount Cider, Guinness, Heineken, Reliance Pale Ale, Neck Oil, something called Roar Premium Craft Beer by Ron’s Style (might be a Tomos and Lilford brand, and I did see it again in the most excellent curry venue, the Juboraj in Rhiwbina later that evening).

Long, quite narrow venue with a few regular tables and chairs in the front bay window to the left of the entrance in a carpeted and wood panelled area with an un-used fire grate. There are a couple of picnic style benches out the front. The bar counter is then along the left-hand wall to the middle part of the venue in a bare boarded area with a couple of tall tables and tall stools opposite. Beyond this, the area splits with an internal wall, to the left of it is a flagstone area and some regular tables and chairs leading out into the rear beer garden, which provides a reasonable amount of covered seating but not in play on a late afternoon on a cold and wet day. To the right of the internal wall is a carpeted area with plenty of regular tables and chairs and the main dining part of the venue. A few screens in the venue and a quiet pop soundtrack. I realised that on my previous visit just after we came out of lockdown in Spring 2021 that I had visited when I had to drink outside so many years since I had been inside this very fine cask establishment. It is a must visit in Cardiff and a superb beer venue.

On 21st February 2026 - rating: 8
[User has posted 1349 recommendations about 1332 pubs]

Just a quick pint, then I'm off left this review about The Pen & Wig

Slightly hidden away in a tree-shaded side street, this looks quite upmarket from the street but thankfully turns out to be appealing to a wider demographic than one might expect. Traditional-look, dark-wood, multi-room interior, but on a hot summer evening almost everyone was out in the rear courtyard garden. Unusually for a Stonegate pub, this one has an excellent choice of cask ales from the rank of ten handpumps, including three from Conwy, a pair from Grey Trees, another couple from Bragdy Twt Lol / Treforest Brewery - including my Pewin Ynfytyn / Crazy Peacock, (excellent, but expensive at £5.60) - along with a brace of Lilley's ciders.

On 13th July 2025 - rating: 7
[User has posted 9063 recommendations about 9063 pubs]

Tris C left this review about The Pen & Wig

As mentioned, this pub’s name may be a legal reference, so perhaps these grand neo-Gothic buildings constitute legal chambers, or is this, given the area, a ‘maindy’ (stone building)?
Either way, it would seem that this is a conversion of some sort, boasting that it’s been in the GBG for the last six years, now under the aegis of Heritage Pubs. Dark wood panelled, the interior is quite grand as mentioned, with affluent professional customers, many apparently drawn from the legal profession, though presumably not the criminal fraternity; what does let the place down though, are the TV screens which were showing adverts from the Food Channel on loop; how many times do I want to drink and watch a medium rare steak being turned over or a salad being tossed?
There were 10 pumps, about five dispensing Lilley’s ‘unreal’ cider, though half were sporting ‘Coming Soon’ tags, me going for a half of Glamorgan Jemimas Pitchfork (Google it) and in ok shape.
This place is an interesting addition to a crawl, but the TV dross, average beer and limited ale promised for a Thursday evening lets the side down a bit, but otherwise it’s a decent place for a prolonged stay.

On 1st June 2025 - rating: 7
[User has posted 2307 recommendations about 2251 pubs]

Bucking Fastard left this review about The Pen & Wig

Based in an upmarket suburb away from the circuit drinkers,this ornate building has the feel of a legal chambers with it's solid exterior. Inside there is a fine fireplace at the front,good wood panelling and some opulance.Opposite the bar is a wooden staircase ,while beyond is a seating area and then the beer garden,a real suntrap in good weather.A large Bass mirror adds to the interior decoration.
Real ale options on my trip were Goffs Pan -Asian IPA (NBSS 3.5) and Mango IPA,Tomas & Lilford Irreverent James,Mumbles Gold,Glamorgan Jemima's Pitchfork ,two Lilly ciders and three ales coming soon.Ales priced around £5.60 mark this out as expensive for the area but one I would return to given the range of real ales available.If crawling Cardiff,dont miss out on this one.

On 26th May 2025 - rating: 8
[User has posted 3126 recommendations about 3126 pubs]

Please Note: This review is over a year old.

Quinno _ left this review about The Pen & Wig

Pretty much the same as the last time - the wood panelling at the front remains and it's a mid-market venue straddling the students and staff of the Uni, local legal office workers and middle class locals. 10 pumps remain as per 2015 though once the ciders and ‘coming soons’ were stripped out we were down to five local ales. GBG listed, my Tomos & Lilford Nash Point was in fair shape (NBSS 3); advanced pricing at £5.45pp and I played the CAMRA discount to get it down to £4.95. The COVID enhanced garden with cast iron column seating area is impressive. 7.5

November 2015
Not far from the immediate city centre and worth putting on the crawl list. It’s a fairly traditional place in a large knocked-through Victorian terrace building (you can enter from either end). There are plenty of discrete seating areas with a large traditional bar area and back. Clean and tidy inside with a welcoming furnished feel. Busy on our late Saturday afternoon visit, with a pleasing mix of shoppers, locals and students though the music was over-loud and not really required. Ten pumps at the bar with eight ales and two ciders. A pretty good selection of micros and regionals to choose from. I stayed local and went for Cwm Rhondda and Otley O6; the Cwm Rhondda had seen better days but the Otley was much better. 10% CAMRA discount is offered and clearly advertised at the bar. Food available and we decided to eat; it’s mid-range pub grub but it must be said that the quality and service were a notch above what I expected and we all enjoyed our food (they even did Mrs Quinno’s steak properly medium as requested). Really enjoyed my visit here and would make sure I take it in again next time I’m in Cardiff. Rated 8

On 5th December 2024 - rating: 7
[User has posted 5992 recommendations about 5971 pubs]

Please Note: This review is over a year old.

Danny O'Revey left this review about The Pen & Wig

Looks like a terraced house, long thin room that is separated by a wall at the end. One side has high benches. Long bar on one side, picture gallery in bottom area. Dark wood panelling and a lot of real ale choice.

On 23rd November 2019 - rating: 8
[User has posted 1590 recommendations about 1567 pubs]