The Pilot, Penarth

David Walton left this review about The Pilot

Visited 01/10/25

Four hand pumps all dispensing and some excellent offerings of the Pocket Rocket session pale ale from Arbor, Independence a US pale from the Bristol Beer Factory, HPA from Wye Valley and Haymaker cider from Gwynt y Ddraig. Keg was contained and a reasonable selection of Staro, Estrella, Carling, Aspall, Thatchers Gold, Guinness, Fandango from Wye Valley, Barry Island IPA from Brains and the Shanghai-La session IPA from Arbor.

I wouldn't have guessed in a million years that this would be such a fantastic venue from the outside appearance and location. Before espying the beer offering, I was expecting to have a Guinness or John Smiths. I entered the right-hand side bar area where the counter was on the left-hand wall, tall stool seating at the bar counter in a bare boarded front part of the room with dark stone tiling towards the rear, which provided access also to the v popular outside seating at the front of the venue. Seating via regular tables and chairs, the odd sofa and almost all seating taken, the venue doing a roaring food trade. The other side has a similar bar counter offering the same beer range and of similar layout, equally rammed on my visit, with regular tables and chairs largely occupied by diners. This is what a successful pub looks like, not the only horse in town but great beer range and decent food offering has it a country mile ahead of the other horses in the Penarth pub race. I noticed an award at the side of the bar counter that the venue had won the CAMRA regional award for Vale of Glamorgan and Bridgend for 2024. No surprise based on my visit here, worth heading here as a destination.

On 8^th March 2026 - rating: 8
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