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Image posted by Just a quick pint, then I'm off
Submitted on Sunday, 5th October 2025
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Detail Pages
The Pen & Wig, Cardiff
Cardiff
CF10 3BJ
Served areas
Reviews of The Pen & Wig (Average Rating: 7½ of 10) 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]
View more reviews of The Pen & Wig (6)
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- Official site of The Pen & Wig - www.heritagepubs.co.uk
- CAMRA WhatPub :: The Pen & Wig - whatpub.com
Cardiff Queen Street, 0.41 miles, 7 min walk (show)
Cardiff Central, 0.98 miles, 18 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 05 December 2024 by Quinno _
- Bar Billiards : No last updated 05 December 2024 by Quinno _
- Beer Festivals : No last updated 05 December 2024 by Quinno _
- Beer Garden : Yes last updated 05 December 2024 by Quinno _
- CAMRA Discount : Yes - 10% with CAMRA vouchers. - last updated 30 May 2025 by Tris C
- Car Park : No last updated 05 December 2024 by Quinno _
- Child Friendly : Yes - Baby changing. - last updated 30 May 2025 by Tris C
- Darts : No last updated 05 December 2024 by Quinno _
- Dog Friendly : Yes last updated 05 December 2024 by Quinno _
- Function Room : No last updated 05 December 2024 by Quinno _
- Hot Food : Yes last updated 05 December 2024 by Quinno _
- Jukebox : No last updated 05 December 2024 by Quinno _
- Karaoke : No last updated 05 December 2024 by Quinno _
- Live Music : No last updated 05 December 2024 by Quinno _
- Live TV Sports : Yes - Selective, TNT/Viaplay. - last updated 30 May 2025 by Tris C
- Micropub : No last updated 05 December 2024 by Quinno _
- Pinball : No last updated 05 December 2024 by Quinno _
- Pool Table : No last updated 05 December 2024 by Quinno _
- Quiz Night : Yes - Tuesdays, 20.00. - last updated 30 May 2025 by Tris C
- Real Ale : Yes last updated 05 December 2024 by Quinno _
- Real Cider : No last updated 30 May 2025 by Tris C
- Wheelchair Access : Yes - Disabled WC. - last updated 30 May 2025 by Tris C
- WiFi : Yes last updated 05 December 2024 by Quinno _
