A TINY REBELLION IN NEWPORT

Having had a hissy fit last year when finding Newport closed on Sunday, it’s only fair I should tell you how good it is when it’s open.

Starting with the street art. Or, at least, the best suburban garden since Tunbridge Wells.

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The network of bridges and underpasses was as scary as ever, but this time I had a 15 year old to berate me for taking photos rather than moving. It’s not quite Miami, yet. Though the path under the railway into town is as horrific as ever.

Emerging from the station into Cambrian Road with its row of old fashioned night clubs and fun pubs is the worst possible introduction to Newport.  Most of the towns appeal is down by the Usk, but the Tiny Rebel Tap is literally the bright spot.

It may shut on Sunday, but by 5pm on Friday it was packed and serving probably as much cask as in the rest of Newport put together (based on a few other pints I might write about later).  We had to share a long trestle table with a cheery couple.  Again, plenty of space downstairs but no-one wants to be the first to go there.

I was surprised to see such a strong cask line-up; priced to sell fast and clearly the centrepiece of the Tap.

Compared to their Cardiff home, this Tiny Rebel was attracting one of the widest range of folk I’ve seen in a modern bar, and all of them except your author relatively normal.  Matt, without prompting, said the design looked like the B*** D*** we took him to in Glasgow last year, and certainly stylistically it will divide opinion.

We were both (pleasantly) surprised by an eclectic soundtrack that took in in Creedence and the Skynyrds, as well as newer Americana.

Matt had picked this over the nearer curry house  on the basis of the nachos menu (he’s a nachos expert), and we declare the comfort food here on a par with Aberdeen’s finest.

The only downside was the lack of Cwtch, but Snafu was cool,pale and full (NBSS 3.5).  I’ve no idea why they need guests, but seeing another chap enthusing over a Wylam Cascade,I had to follow him. Perhaps better even than the Wylam in the Bacchus (NBSS 4)

Fantastic loos too, particularly for fans of Dr Who and Star Trek.

Next door is the famed Sam Smiths. Think of the Tap as you would the Baker’s Arms in relation to the Boar’s Head, and you won’t go far wrong.

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Published by retiredmartin

Retired NHS, doing long walks around UK and the world to record the great bits. Focused on Good Beer Guide pubs and live music.

22 thoughts on “A TINY REBELLION IN NEWPORT”

  1. The post title excited me. It created an air of suspense as I wondered which Newport it would be. The post didn’t disappoint. I wonder if Newport is the most common place name in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Island. I can think of four without trying.

    There is a similar garden in Barrow upon Humber. It is the best thing in the whole of the new housing estate it is situated within. Such a display is hard to get right, it would be very easy to make it look like the outdoor area of a junk shop, similarly it would be very easy for it to be spartan. Credit to the householder that.

    Is the yellow dragon a part of a modern art trail of several of them?

    Curry house every time. I’m sure your son could educate me a great deal on nachos.

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  2. Good Stockport comparison there – although does the Tap score better than the Bakers on the “actually having some seats you’d want to sit on” front?

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      2. I had to go back and look at the photos. It really is quite a collection of styles, from school tables to tables for four to beer barrels with high seats. Quite like that.

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  3. I would comment on this. However, I am reluctant following my recent vilification by the Craftnoscenti when I publicly intimated that the brewery with the punky teddy bear logo were actually an excellent post modernist, progressive British brewer, rather than a craft brewery. Hence I am not going to post anything further about stuff like their excellent Fubar being contract brewed in God’s Own County and never graced the land of Our Fathers or heard The Voices of the Valley. Oops, done it again, haven’t I!

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  5. I hav’nt eat a burger for over 30 years apart from my wifes own made ones,i always wonder how you get a mouth round such a high looking thing,also the chips look anemic.

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      1. I noticed all the trendy hipsters and the like troughing their burgers when i went in Annies,i was not allowed on the left side that is for those with big mouths who seem to get the burgers down very quickly,i think i will abstain from burgers for another 30 years.although probably wont last until i am 84,most people who know me well think i have done well to last this long

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      1. When on pub crawls i never eat fish or chips anywhere South of Nottingham,if in Yorkshire or Lancashire i try my hardest to find a chip shop,i have had some good well cooked chips in Rochdale from chippys that look like they are a terraced house.

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  6. There are no really outstanding chippys close to us,the one in the middle of Stapleford opposite the Wetherspoons is the closest one to us and is sometimes half decent and others not so good,so if we have fish and chips it is from there,Sandiacre has a slightly better one and Andys at the East side of Stapleford is ok but too far to walk.
    If i lived in Barnsley or Selby i would be a right fat *astard by now as the fish and chips are top class there.

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