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Chat about:
Beer of the Week (w/e 15th June 2025) with hondo
on the Pub Forum
Image posted by Blackthorn _
Submitted on Wednesday, 20th December 2023
With picture contributions to 5671 other pubs
View all this pub's pictures (8 more images)
Detail Pages
Rummer Tavern, Cardiff
Cardiff
CF10 1AY
Served areas
Reviews of Rummer Tavern (Average Rating: 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 2242 recommendations about 2199 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]
View more reviews of Rummer Tavern (5)
No known official website for this pub.
- CAMRA WhatPub :: Rummer Tavern - whatpub.com
Cardiff Central, 0.55 miles, 10 min walk (show)
Cathays, 0.63 miles, 12 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 23 November 2015 by Quinno _
- Bar Billiards : No last updated 23 November 2015 by Quinno _
- Beer Festivals : No last updated 23 November 2015 by Quinno _
- Beer Garden : No last updated 23 November 2015 by Quinno _
- CAMRA Discount : No last updated 23 November 2015 by Quinno _
- Car Park : No last updated 23 November 2015 by Quinno _
- Darts : Yes last updated 28 May 2025 by Tris C
- Function Room : Yes last updated 23 November 2015 by Quinno _
- Hot Food : Yes last updated 23 November 2015 by Quinno _
- Jukebox : No last updated 23 November 2015 by Quinno _
- Karaoke : No last updated 23 November 2015 by Quinno _
- Live Music : No last updated 31 May 2025 by Tris C
- Live TV Sports : No last updated 23 November 2015 by Quinno _
- Micropub : No last updated 23 November 2015 by Quinno _
- Pinball : No last updated 23 November 2015 by Quinno _
- Pool Table : Yes last updated 28 May 2025 by Tris C
- Quiz Night : No last updated 31 May 2025 by Tris C
- Real Ale : Yes last updated 23 November 2015 by Quinno _
- Real Cider : Yes last updated 18 April 2015 by Pub SignMan
- WiFi : Yes last updated 28 May 2025 by Tris C
