OK, there is no actual verb “to Taff” (is there ?) but I’m running out of inspiration and need to get a move on so I can bring you “Silver pubs” or whatever you expect over the Christmas period.
Anyway, after the Tim Horton timbits (am still awaiting the sponsorship deal) I fair flew back over the Taff into middling hotel land, passing slow people pushing unnecessarily large suitcases to their 3 star hotels on Cathedral Road.
The Cricketers joins the Cayo/Pontcanna as the closest pub to the location of The Miracle of Cardiff, but there’s a Brewhouse & Kitchen now so no doubt I’ll be back supping Panesar’s Pale next year.
It’s the sort of place you get in Southport Churchtown, or even Bournemouth. A civilised dining pub for locals from the upmarket suburbs of Llandaff. And a showcase for Evan Evans.
All the space at the bar was taken by grown men wearing “humorous” Christmas jumpers. All the seats were taken by “smart-casual” office workers on their Christmas meal, albeit at the odd time of 4pm. I could never pull off smart-casual.
I couldn’t pull off looking comfortable on a sofa either, and the Warrior was so dull (NBSS 2) I left it.
But after taking the outside shot I popped back in and finished it off. It was still NBSS 2.
Into Canton, and another of those m**** p****, this one called an Ale House because it’s in Canton.
It’s more middle-class Bournemouth-style drinking club than Sidcup Old Boys boozer.
Let me be honest; the seating is not going to feature in my “Top 10 bench seating of the year” awards.
It’s a bit serious, and far too quiet. And the beer selection is very “Coldwell”, which is a valid descriptor.
There’ll be a lot more of these Ale Houses, mark my words. And I bet they become card only before the SA Brains pubs do.
But the beer is a decent Pale (NBSS 3), and there’s some good “stuff” to look at.
And just for our American readers…
Two to go, and then I can check-in at Newport.
retiredmartin 
What is it with the used pallets? As I said before, we’ve got a stack of them, next to our car park at work, all in varying stages of decay (rusticity?), and free to a good home/ aspiring micro-pub.
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Just why ? Is it because the young middle-class don’t appreciate a proper pub with tables and chairs ?
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There’s a “proper pub” – Tetley’s – near my Yorkshire bolt hole. All its outdoor seating is now made of pallets.
In my main adopted home though, the pubs that you mention here are regular, easy-walking haunts for the Mrs. and me. It’s interesting, what you say, but I perhaps won’t post competing reviews here!
Did you learn “Cantonese”, by the way?
“Airf ‘n’ airf” etc.
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“Unpronounceable”
If you squint you could almost think the one on the left was a Welsh version of the Cockney ‘cor’ (as in; do us a favour darlin’). 🙂
“and the Warrior was so dull (NBSS 2) I left it.”
Obviously no potted plants nearby.
“Oh no”
That’s not very… palletable. 😉
“I had to sit in the sofa”
You sank into it that much?
“From the days before choice”
And you could still get a flagon.
“and then I can check-in at Newport.”
Aha! I’m guessing I was right two posts ago.
Cheers
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This Panesar Pale – is it the full Monty ?
( Just to confuse the hell out of our North American chums )
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Steady. You’ll ‘ave the septics in a right two-and-eight.
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I share your opinion of Mi*** P*** -,in my case mainly because of the lack of music or general hubbub (although we usually visit lunchtimes -they may be bouncing at night ) Surely a little light jazz (not Jazz Club ! ) or blues or even Radio in the background can’t hurt & It can be a talking point too
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Well done, Pauline, you go straight into My Top 100 blog comments for that. Lack of general hubbub is exactly what they lack. My notes say things like “too quiet” and “respectful”, even if like Cardiff they’re busy. And the “No WifI, we talk here” sign often means it’s a morgue.
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Yeah, you have to use up your 4G allowance 😦
Of course, “light jazz” is like Chinese water torture to some people.
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But everyone like early ’70s Jethro Tull 🙃
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Hard as it is to believe, I appreciate that a small minority of misguided people don’t.
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Funnily enough I heard Track One of Thick as a Brick on Radio Paradise the other day ( excellent free online radio station with an eclectic playlist,no ads and no DJs.I recommend it ) and I’d forgotten just how long it was.
And when did Ian Anderson transform from flamingo-legged wild-haired hippy to cuddly bank manager ?
I do like the music though.
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I’m actually listening to “Songs from the Wood”, “Ring Out Solstice Bells” and all, RIGHT NOW !
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What, you’re listening to Free?
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That Hancocks price list reminds me that I’ve got a ‘Five Five’ ashtray.
I struggle to think of anything less humorous than Christmas jumpers.
Those “smart-casual” office workers eating their Christmas meal on their annual daytime visit to a pub are the ones who drink two pints of a proper 8% winter beer and fall over such that a Titanic pub won’t have Wreckage on between 2nd and 24th December. Selfish twats.
Roll on 2nd January.
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Why can’t they realise what we well know, that a pub is for life not just Christmas ?
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Sorry, “really” should be “realise”.
They’ve wound me up such that I’m not thinking straight – and I risk being late for some proper North Wales pubs this lunchtime.
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Don’t be late !
I’m guessing this is Bangor, rather than Prestatyn ?. If the latter, don’t miss Halcyon Quest.
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Done it for you. If I could give Russ editing rights over my blog, so he could correct my typos, I would do.
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Yes, Bangor and Conwy most likely.
It’s 25 years since I was in Prestatyn and then I walked straight out towards Chepstow.
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There’s three pubs in Prestatyn I scored the beer NBSS 4 or 5, Paul, and the Halcyon is one of my Top 5 pubs. I just can’t bring myself to write about it in case you lot go there and ruin it by asking for tasters.
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Never mind Prestatyn, I was in Bangor’s Tap and Spile last evening and on my way home this afternoon I’ve used both Humphrey’s Chester pubs and drunk Draught Bass in the Hop Pole, Crewe.
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Bass in the Hop Pole ? Tempting.
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Amen to that brother.
The 12 pubs of Christmas wankers start showing their faces on Saturday.
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That selection is not ‘Coldwell’, I refuse to drink any Christmas novelty beer and I don’t care who makes it. It’s only something else rebadged or with a few handfuls of extra/diferent hops at the dry hopping stage.
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Don’t sue ! Don’t sue !
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I think pubs could do a good business serving a “Coldwell vs. RetiredMartin Flight”: a serving paddle with 3 sampler glasses on each side, one side curated by Martin and the other by Richard. Then punters could drink all the samplers and either declare a winner, or simply get a very, very nice buzz on. 😉
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Oh dear, Mark. Samplers. I would pour the 3 samplers into one pint glass, of course 😉
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I was thinking you’d agree in this one case to the sample idea, with the understanding that all 3 samplers would be filled with flat Bass.
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Mark ! I have principles to uphold ;-0
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“I would pour the 3 samplers into one pint glass, of course ”
Isn’t that how they found the recipe for Doom Bar? 😉
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Good point. Most beers are made by random experimentation and shaking.
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You might have jus hit the nail on the head. Unfortunately there aren’t many pubs where you can do that. Martin preferring pubs with a single or maybe choice of two beers, both old fashioned in style. He would have to come to Leeds, Sheffield or Manchester rather than these boring middle England places.
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I think panesars pale will be usurped by crofts craft ale 🍻
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Returning to your earlier comment about music -I love old Tull & Songs from the wood is usually permanently out in our house -Thick as a brick is also one of my favourites
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