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Disappointment of the week with Real Ale Ray
on the Pub Forum
Image posted by Will Larter
Submitted on Friday, 6th October 2017
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Detail Pages
The Queens Vaults, Cardiff
Cardiff
CF10 1DA
Served areas
Reviews of The Queens Vaults (Average Rating: 7 of 10) see review guidelines
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Danny O'Revey left this review about The Queens Vaults
Half pool bar, half trad pub, one large open space, lively vibrant and popular, high ceiling, velvet curtains and a couple of real ales
On 23rd November 2019
- rating: 7
[User has posted 1456 recommendations about 1434 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Pub SignMan left this review about The Queens Vaults
One of a series of good drinking venues along this stretch of Westgate Street, the Queen's Vaults is a smart, traditional pub set up to appeal to a wide range of customers. The pub's exterior is certainly worthy of comment, with a fine ceramic tile façade that gives the Golden Cross a run for its money. Entering through the corners doors, with quirky rugby ball shaped handles (in a nod to the neighbouring Millennium Stadium and Cardiff Arms Park), you emerge into a large bare boarded room with several distinctly different areas. The front space is a typical seating area with U-shaped banquette booths running down the right hand wall and a slightly raised carpeted area under the front windows with standard tables and chairs ideal for diners. A series of large pillars throughout the pub, each covered with patterned wallpaper, break the large space up very effectively. High tables and stools and high backed padded chairs fill the mid section of the room, with plenty of vertical drinking space further back, in front of the servery which runs in an L shape along the back wall and towards the rear. The dark wood counter and bar back has been covered in a healthy collection of pump clips which hints at a strong ale range. To the rear left there are no less than three pool tables plus a huge screen showing muted football highlights - with other smaller screens dotted around the rest of the pub. A shelf towards the rear has been decorated with all manner of unusual and unrelated items, with a French horn being the most memorable. The pub has been nicely decorated with various old pictures, cigarette cards, mirrors and bits of breweriana, which help give it a traditional feel.
A very good selection of predominantly Welsh beers was available at the bar, comprising Brains SA and Bitter, Grey Trees JPR Pale Ale, Kite Try Time, Vale of Glamorgan Fe Fi Fo Fum and one English interloper - Wadworth 6X. The barmaid was very friendly and offered me a taster of the Try Time when she realised I was dithering. It turned out to be a pretty good beer and in good condition.
I really liked the feel of this pub and thought it was exactly the sort of place you could find yourself losing several hours in. The pool tables and large screens could be viewed as unnecessary distractions, but I took a seat towards the front of the pub and didn't notice them at all. Well worth including on any crawl around the city centre.
On 19th April 2015
- rating: 7
[User has posted 3114 recommendations about 3114 pubs]
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- Official page of The Queens Vaults at the JW Bassett pubs site - jwbassettpubs.com
- Facebook - Queens Vaults
- CAMRA WhatPub :: The Queens Vaults - whatpub.com
Cardiff Queen Street, 0.56 miles, 10 min walk (show)
Cathays, 0.88 miles, 16 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 19 April 2015 by Pub SignMan
- Bar Billiards : No last updated 19 April 2015 by Pub SignMan
- Car Park : No last updated 19 April 2015 by Pub SignMan
- Darts : Yes last updated 19 April 2015 by Pub SignMan
- Hot Food : Yes last updated 19 April 2015 by Pub SignMan
- Jukebox : Yes last updated 19 April 2015 by Pub SignMan
- Live TV Sports : Yes last updated 19 April 2015 by Pub SignMan
- Micropub : No last updated 19 April 2015 by Pub SignMan
- Pinball : No last updated 19 April 2015 by Pub SignMan
- Pool Table : Yes last updated 19 April 2015 by Pub SignMan
- Real Ale : Yes last updated 09 May 2014 by Dave McNally
- Real Cider : Yes last updated 19 April 2015 by Pub SignMan
- Wheelchair Access : Yes last updated 19 April 2015 by Pub SignMan
