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Beer of the Week (w/e 27th April 2025) with Thuck Phat
on the Pub Forum

Image posted by Blackthorn _
Submitted on Wednesday, 20th December 2023
With picture contributions to 5578 other pubs
View all this pub's pictures (13 more images)
Detail Pages
The City Arms, Cardiff
Cardiff
CF10 1EA
Served areas

Reviews of The City Arms (Average Rating: 7½ of 10) see review guidelines
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Blackthorn _ left this review about The City Arms
A good sized pub located just a stone’s throw from the stadium, it occupies a large corner plot and was presumably at one time, two or three units that have been knocked together.
Internally it consists of a number of interconnected rooms arranged around a central wood panelled bar counter. Flooring was bare boards, whilst the ceiling was covered in embossed wallpaper in that nicotine colour of old, that you see less and less of these days. Walls were mostly a sort of maroon shade with pine wood panelling on the lower part, although I did note that one of the rear rooms had the walls entirely plastered in old Wales rugby photos. Other rugby memorabilia included a signed shirt and a Welsh flag on the ceiling. Seating was a mixture of chairs, stools, and some padded banquette seating off to one side. There were several TV screens dotted around showing sports fixtures, as well as a juke box and a fruit machine, which is normally the sort of thing that would put me off a pub somewhat, but here it somehow managed to blend in without being at all intrusive.
Beers on tap were all from Brains with their SA, SA Gold, Dark, Bitter and Rev James. Ciders were well represented with Rosie’s Pig in Strawberry, Rhubarb and Raspberry flavours, Old Rosie, Inch’s, Aspall’s, Strongbow regular and Dark Fruit, and Thatcher’s Gold and Haze. All in all, not a bad pub, and I’d happily stop by again if in the area.
On 21st December 2023
- rating: 7
[User has posted 2060 recommendations about 1962 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Danny O'Revey left this review about The City Arms
Large pub next to National Stadium. Lovely corner pub, stripped floor boards, central bar, nice leaded windows to street. Good choice of beers and ciders
On 23rd November 2019
- rating: 8
[User has posted 1542 recommendations about 1519 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Aqualung . left this review about The City Arms
What was a fairly run of the mill Brains pub is now run as a free house that also sells Brains beers. I didn't get the impression of a two room pub as the central bar counter just seems to have the furnishings wrapped around it. I didn't see any stillage either but I did count something like fourteen hand pumps.
I didn't note all the beers but I'm sure there was a full range of Brains beers and did see Milestone and Ascot represented. I went for the Vale Of Glamorgan Flying Hellfish (£3.45) which was in good nick.
Given the central location this is an obvious place to try Brains beers but I would return for the guests and save the Brains for the Goat Major and Old Arcade.
On 3rd December 2018
- rating: 7
[User has posted 2143 recommendations about 2143 pubs]
View more reviews of The City Arms (8)
No known official website for this pub.
- Facebook - City Arms, Cardiff
- Twitter - The City Arms
- CAMRA WhatPub :: The City Arms - whatpub.com
Cardiff Queen Street, 0.61 miles, 11 min walk (show)
Cathays, 0.81 miles, 15 min walk (show)
Pub Details
Pub details supplied by members of this site to the best of their knowledge. Please check with pub directly before making a special trip.
- Accommodation : No last updated 18 April 2015 by Pub SignMan
- Bar Billiards : No last updated 18 April 2015 by Pub SignMan
- Beer Festivals : No last updated 28 November 2018 by Aqualung .
- Beer Garden : No last updated 18 April 2015 by Pub SignMan
- CAMRA Discount : No last updated 28 November 2018 by Aqualung .
- Car Park : No last updated 18 April 2015 by Pub SignMan
- Child Friendly : No last updated 28 November 2018 by Aqualung .
- Dog Friendly : Yes last updated 18 April 2015 by Pub SignMan
- Function Room : No last updated 28 November 2018 by Aqualung .
- Hot Food : No last updated 18 April 2015 by Pub SignMan
- Jukebox : No last updated 18 April 2015 by Pub SignMan
- Karaoke : No last updated 28 November 2018 by Aqualung .
- Live Music : Yes last updated 18 April 2015 by Pub SignMan
- Live TV Sports : Yes last updated 18 April 2015 by Pub SignMan
- Micropub : No last updated 18 April 2015 by Pub SignMan
- Pinball : No last updated 18 April 2015 by Pub SignMan
- Pool Table : No last updated 18 April 2015 by Pub SignMan
- Quiz Night : Yes last updated 27 June 2014 by Dave McNally
- Real Ale : Yes last updated 29 July 2013 by Dave McNally
- Real Cider : Yes last updated 18 April 2015 by Pub SignMan
- Wheelchair Access : Yes last updated 18 April 2015 by Pub SignMan
- WiFi : Yes last updated 18 April 2015 by Pub SignMan