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Submitted on Tuesday, 29^th October 2024
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The Old Arcade, Cardiff

Church Street
Cardiff
CF10 1BG

Correct details

Served areas

Cardiff Central

Reviews of The Old Arcade (Average Rating: 6½ of 10) Add Review see review guidelines

Tris C left this review about The Old Arcade

As described below, the pub features much decent wood panelling, a modern boarded floor with an emphasis on sport.
I went for a half of the Brains SA, which hasn’t attracted a comment.
As mentioned: formulaic.

On 4^th June 2025 - rating: 5
[User has posted 2242 recommendations about 2199 pubs]

Bucking Fastard left this review about The Old Arcade

Brain's tied house with a strong rugby theme,there are lots of external seats on the pavement and folding windows to the front of the pub ,when opened give the interior an airy appearance.There is a bit of wood panelling and beyond the bar there is a more ornate back lounge which feels quite traditional.The framed rugby shirts recount significant players and events but the tourist nature of the customers give the pub a transient feel rather than a beloved local.
The handpumps were offering Brains SA (a pale imitation of the original brew),SA Gold,Bitter ,Reverend James and Dark in poor nick NBSS 2.All these ales are brewed by Marston's in Burton so lack local origin and I'm sad to say I also found the pub too formulaic.Not sure I would include it on a crawl and not sure how it has achieved a 2025 GBG listing.

On 26^th May 2025 - rating: 6
[User has posted 2971 recommendations about 2971 pubs]

Quinno _ left this review about The Old Arcade

Back in the GBG so thought I might as well have a look despite my sign-off back in 2015. It’d reached 5pm on a Saturday by the time I arrived and this place had turned into a full-on boyo pub to the extent that I was driven outside by the racket – best visited at a quieter time. The interior is not without charm however and it is * CAMRA NI listed. My Brains Dark had long ran its course (NBSS 2) and I decided to dump half of it and head off for the greener pastures.

October 2014
Another Brains outlet (there are so many in the area). This one has an unremarkable interior (bar the nice servery), reminiscent perhaps of an older JDW. Full Brains range plus one of their craft offerings. My Brains Dark was in fair condition but tasted tinny. Kudos to the barman who found us with a delayed drink order in a busy pub. Not one I’d make an effort to re-do, really. Rated 6

On 5^th December 2024 - rating: 6
[User has posted 5589 recommendations about 5570 pubs]

View more reviews of The Old Arcade (11)

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