From centuries-old taverns to funky new venues, Cardiff’s pub scene has the lot. While many historic watering holes have, tragically, been lost to the bulldozers or redevelopment projects over the years, we’re still spoilt for choice in the capital when it comes to finding a place to go for a pint or two.
I thought I knew Cardiff’s pub scene pretty well, having frequented spots across the city since moving here six years ago. That was until I was told about the ‘Canton Mile’, an allegedly famous pub crawl that I had never heard about, but was immediately hooked on.
As the name suggests, the epic crawl takes you on a mile-long route which largely follows the route of Cowbridge Road East, running through the middle of Canton. It includes some of the most historic pubs in the city, as well as some newer, perhaps trendier venues, providing those that brave to take it on with a well-rounded experience of the area’s pub life. Get more what's on news straight to your inbox by subscribing to our dedicated newsletter here.
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Of course, the only way to find out more about it was to take on the challenge ourselves, and so we drew up a plan of the pubs to hit, drawing on other first-hand experiences to learn the best route to take. Definitions of the Canton Mile will, of course, change from generation to generation, and with some of the suburb’s most beloved pubs, including The Maltings, The Duke of Clarence, The Insole and The Westgate closing down over the years, we ran the risk of upsetting the purists with our choice of rest stops.
Nevertheless, I, together with some other intrepid souls, settled on a list of 10 pubs within the mile that we felt was respectful to the ethos of the challenge, while also remaining doable on a weekday night. Almost immediately regretting choosing to do this on a Thursday, and with work in the morning, we set off on our journey.
Pub One: The King's Castle
There are a few raised eyebrows when I tell people that I'm starting this epic crawl at The King's Castle at the very eastern end of Cowbridge Road East. A few eyebrows, followed by a few murmurs and head shakes. The general consensus, it seems, is that it's a little rough.
But I don't give in to pub snobbery. Sure, craft beers and fairy lights and giant Jenga and sourdough are all well and good, but sometimes - in fact, more often than not, the best pubs are the ones that are a little bit sticky, a little bit rough around the edges.
Anyway, after some of us had finished judging the book by its cover, we began the first chapter of our crawl as we made our way into the Castle. First impressions? It was a little dingy, if I'm honest, but the whole place was given a splash of colour by the numerous Welsh flags adorning the walls, as well as the flashing bright lights of the fruit machines.
Despite it being just before 5pm on a Thursday, it was pretty busy, with a host of who I assume to be regulars sitting up at the bar, deep in conversation, while a group of men played pool in the corner. There was no music, but background noise was provided by the dulcet tones of Bradley Walsh on The Chase, as well as the pitter-patter of a dog's feet as it trotted between tables and the mumbling of a man getting more and more frustrated with one of the fruities.
People may disagree with me, but I was a fan. It had edge, it had character - and with Guinness (a questionable choice for my first drink, I know) at £3 a pint, you can't go wrong. No logo in the foam, of course.
Pub Two: The Admiral
With a rigid timetable enforced, it was onto the next one, and we ventured further up the road to the Admiral Napier. I'd been in here a few times before on a matchday and knew it was a safe bet.
A cosier affair than the King's Castle, a group of us sidled up to the unpopulated bar before settling on a table in the corner. Mine's a Madri this time, if you're asking. Again, it was pretty busy and there was a gentle hum of activity throughout the pub as friends and colleagues caught up over a drink and football fans settled in for Barcelona v Manchester United, which was being shown on the TV above our heads (although it was drowned out temporarily by Madonna's Like A Prayer playing on the stereo).
I thought I should open the analysis up to those who had joined me. "Surprisingly nice," was Anna's take, while Ffion, a die-hard City and Real Madrid fan, claimed the "vibe was ruined" by the football. But it was Beth who was most glowing in her praise, as she commented: "Nice lamps".
It had been a strong start to our epic journey but we were all painfully aware there were still eight pubs to go.
Pub Three: The Ivor Davies
'Spoons. Oh 'Spoons. Perhaps the most problematic love affair of my life. On the one hand, there's all the bad stuff. On the other, there's two quid pints. I don't particularly want to line the pockets of Tim Martin, a man who I completely disagree with in numerous ways, but, also, it's two quid pints. It's a real quandary for me and I assume many others.
But I had a job to do and a (two quid) pint to drink, so I put my morals to one side for the next half an hour. I didn't feel overly inspired, however, as at the end of the day it is just a run-of-the-mill 'Spoons, with the same furniture, decor and crazy carpets as hundreds of others across the country, albeit with a few nods - aside from the name - to local actor, songwriter and composer Ivor Novello.
I came in biased (what happened to being against pub snobbery?), but in fairness I could have quite easily hunkered down there for an evening sesh. It was cosy, service was friendly and, of course, there were two quid pints.
Pub Four: Canton Cross Vaults
We were flying through them by this point, with the Canton Cross Vaults next on our list. There was only one other party in there when we strolled in and, if I'm brutally honest, it was pretty dead. The gentle thudding melody of Shout by Tears for Fears was really the only thing you could hear when you closed your eyes.
But admittedly we weren't there at the best time and we still got a very friendly welcome, while the decor, complete with poetry and framed Wales football shirts, provided something more interesting to look at than the usual plain white walls. There was darts and a few quiz machines that time could regrettably not afford, but a chalkboard displaying the pub's sizeable and affordable matchday menu made me take a mental note to pop in again at the weekend
It wasn't the liveliest of pubs, but it still had character and was a good spot to take it easy and pace ourselves a bit as we approached the halfway mark.
Pub Five: The Butchers Arms
We were already behind schedule when we walked into the bright lights of the Butchers Arms and any hopes of making that time up again were quickly extinguished by the sheer friendliness of the locals. Intrigued to know what had brought us to their pub on a Thursday evening, we struck up conversation with one man in particular who swiftly treated us to another half-pint each, despite our assurances that we definitely, definitely didn't need it.
I don't know what it was, but it felt different to the other pubs that we'd been into so far. "I think it's the tables," said Ffion. "They remind me of school dinners".
But you can't judge a pub by its tables, and the Butchers was another watering hole where I could have quite happily settled in for the night. Darts, a quiz machine, a great selection of beers on tap, why go anywhere else? But, alas, duty called.
Pub Six: The Canton
Regrettably, we were already starting to flag when we made the short journey across the road from the Butchers to the Canton. We were tipsy and needed to take stock. Thankfully, the sixth pub on our list provided that safe haven.
If I'm honest, I don't have too much to say about The Canton, but certainly nothing bad. It's a solid choice, a real community pub with a strong drinks selection, plenty of seating and a warm, friendly atmosphere. There seemed to be a bit of an old boys club conducting a meeting in the back room, but in the front room, where we set up camp, people of all ages were busy chatting away over a pint or two. Put simply, you can't go wrong.
Pub Seven: The Corp
All it took was a few slightly wobbly steps to take us from The Canton into our next venue. I know this one will be a bone of contention for Cardiffians as, technically, it's not a 'proper' pub anymore. The historic building was given a new lease of life in 2021 after being left unoccupied for six years, re-opening as an independent market space, coffee shop and bar.
But while it might not be the local boozer it once was, no rebrand was going to stop us from adding it to the crawl. It was certainly unlike any other place we visited that night, with the venue awash with colour and greenery, with plants hanging from the ceiling and illuminated by funky purple lights.
Even before the live music broke out, there was a real energy about the place and, despite my earlier protestations about the gentrification of pub culture, I've got to say I was won over by the decor and the smoothest of smooth ales - while pricier than those I'd sampled so far - only added to the enjoyment.
Pub Eight: The Lansdowne
Outside, what had started as steady drizzle had intensified, making for a longer, soggier walk to our eighth pub, which was off the beaten track of Cowbridge Road East. But the imposing, red-brick home of the Lansdowne offered us safe refuge as we stumbled in to be greeted by more fairy lights and a glistening bar adorned with bunches of hops.
We took a comfortable if rather morbid seat in the front room, looking out the window at the headstone company across the road. It was approaching 10pm at this point, so it was pretty quiet, but there were still punters scattered about, with loose anecdotes and wholesome chuckles trailing around both sides of the central bar.
But as others began to call an end to their night and saw off what could be assumed to be their final drinks, we knew we still had two more boozers to go.
Pub Nine: The Clive Arms
There were just three of us left as we walked in stony silence to our penultimate watering hole of the night. The sense of fun and adventure we had all had at the start of the evening had slowly seeped away and completing this crawl now more than anything felt like another tedious chore. We were drunk, burpy and flagging and we needed reviving with some good cheer.
The Clive fitted the bill. The darts was on the big screen and a group of 10 or 12 were huddled around a table watching Welshman Jonny Clayton go to head to head with Michael Smith, while another group of men played poker on the table behind the booth that we took our seats in. While the belly of the pub was almost entirely empty by this time, there was still a mirth at the front of the venue that been missing in some of the other places we'd stopped at.
The pub itself was bright and colourful, with bunting from the World Cup still hanging proudly above the bar, while framed photos of some of Wales' greatest sporting heroes adorned the walls. As a huge sports fan, I questioned why we hadn't just stayed in here all night - but I couldn't dwell on it for long with the clock still ticking and one last pint to sink.
Pub Ten: The Victoria Park
We'd done it - a mile and nine other pubs later, we'd arrived at our final destination.
And the Victoria Park felt like a fitting end to our epic quest, with its cosy lighting, gorgeous lit-up bar and comfy booths helping pull us firmly out of the grim drizzle outside and into the warmth. The friendly faces behind the bar were sympathetic to the fact we looked slightly worse for wear, while the chuckling masses sat around the bar brought a smile to my face as I enjoyed my final, and perhaps most wholesome, drink of the night.
It had been quite the journey, starting shortly after finishing work at 5pm and finally wrapping up six hours later. Spending just over half an hour in each of the pubs we visited along the way may not have been the fairest way to judge them, but it was clear even from our short stops that each venue had its own unique charm and character that won all of us over by the end.
From sticky tables and booze soaked carpets to bars adorned with fairy lights and shrubbery, you see the full range of pub life on your travels along Cowbridge Road, and while it is a fairly knackering task by the end, it’s also an enlightening and highly enjoyable one. Now, to the kebab shop.
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