The Great Western (JD Wetherspoon), Cardiff

A JDW Lloyds variant housed in a lovely imposing building (as PSM notes below, originally built for GWR in the 1870’s). Not a huge amount of original features remain in large opened-out interior which is also curiously devoid of seating. Three guest ales with one off. My Rhymney Export was in decent form. Very busy given it was mid-Saturday afternoon and there were no sporting fixtures on nearby. Not a Spoons I’d make much effort to return to, I’ll leave it to the St Marys hoards next time.

The Wetherspoons chain is heavily represented in Cardiff with five or so outlets in the city centre and a few more, further out into the suburbs. This particular venue is just a few doors down from The Prince of Wales with a decent location on the St Mary Street drinking strip, next to Cardiff Central station. The impressive building was constructed for the Great Western railway company back in the 1870’s and the grand facade is worth taking in as you approach because there is nothing inside to match up to it. Part of the Lloyds No.1 brand, the place is set up more for vertical drinking, with the main bar area having plenty of open space with tables in areas opposite and to the right of the servery. On our Saturday night visit we found a DJ in full swing blasting tunes out across a dark dancefloor area to the left of the bar, with a few seats in an area behind a staircase providing us a bit of refuge from the onslaught. The pub seemed to extend further to the left and plenty of people were heading upstairs where I presume there is additional seating, but I failed to properly explore these areas. The whole place felt a bit tatty and neglected and this impression didn’t really alter when I popped in to meet some friends the following morning. I counted five hand pumps dispensing two ‘Spoons regulars and three guest ales, of which I tried the Ansell’s Moonshine which was pretty poor and served up by a very glum barmaid. Some bright spark decided to buy everyone a bottle of ‘Hooch’ so my over-riding memory of the pub is of trying to drink a lemon flavoured bottle of sugary syrup. I was disappointed with this place as I thought it took very little care of the way it presented itself or looked after its beer. If I was waiting for a train or just in need of a ‘Spoons fix, I’d rather walk a few doors further down and drink in the plush surrounds of the Prince of Wales instead.