This is a very popular pub with an enviable location on the coast, opposite Sully Island (which is more of an islet but still scenic). There's an extensive garden with sea views, though (sadly) the access road and car parking sit between the pub and the sea front itself. The pub was originally a row of fishermen's cottages, and converted into the pub in 1977. The interior therefore has an appropriately rustic feel, although extensions and recent renovations have taken away from of its original atmosphere. It is named after the story of nearby Sully House, where its sea captain owner reputedly buried his wife in a nearby wood rather than declare her death at sea. They have a menu of standard pub grub with a couple of veggie options - starters range from £4.95 (garlic bread) to a whole baked Camembert (£13.25); mains are around £12 - £20 and include lasagne, beef casserole, fish & chips, gammon & chips, roast sea-bass, salmon with pesto, and roast lamb. There are also pizzas, burgers, salads and steaks. Puddings are around £6-£7. There's also a lunch menu with lighter options. There's a full bar available, but a couple of real ales on tap. The quality is okay but it's slightly formulaic - you can tell it's owned by a pub chain. (Vintage Inns.) Service on my recent visit was very good, but things can slow up in the summer when it gets very busy. A word of warning: if you decide to visit Sully Island, abide by the tide warnings. The causeway gets rapidly cut off by the rising tide and the currents make it too dangerous to wade or swim back. read more

5 stars for location 4 stars for the building 3 stars for the menu What is it with this health and safety ay? This gorgeous restaurant-pub used to make the kinda homemade food you'd expect of a seaside tavern steeped in history. But then along came a culture of suing and with that businesses became paranoid and food started to be brought in precooked, frozen and you can taste it. I mean it's ok, but far from special. All that aside it is a lovely spot, at low tide you can walk over to Sully Island, but be warned the tide will turn and you could well end up marooned! The interior of the Captains Wife was renovated a few years ago, well, but personally I think it lost a little of its rough around the edges charm, which I'm a sucker for. The place still has loads of character, an open fire, little cubby holes and exposed beams. The Captain's Wife's website has some interesting information about the pub's history which was apparently popular with pirates and smugglers: "The Captain's Wife was originally Sully House, a house originally owned by a captain. Legend has it that when his wife died, her body was kept in a box that was mistaken for treasure and stolen." Perfect for a lazy Sunday afternoon's beer supping and newspaper reading and perhaps a little walk on the beach to make you feel like you earned it. read more

The Captain's Wife - Outside the Captains Wife (from the Captains Wife's website) - British Near Me - Penarth, VGL

I live at the captains wife. I mean, not literally but I've been going there since I was a child. In the old days it was a terrifying old pub with a roaring fire and middle aged eccentric locals. It's rumored to be haunted, I once swore I saw a hooded man in the beer garden but I was 8 and heavily into watching things about beheading. (Mostly Anne Boleyn, don't worry my parents weren't horrible or anything) Then it was bought and for a few years it was 'Charlie Chalks' a horrible family pub with plastic food and soft play areas for the kiddies. Such a shame because it's in a truly beautiful setting. Luckily it's been bought again and the last few years have lead the reformation of the Captains Wife. It's back on form. It's a proper upmarket country pub. The food is fantastic and great value for money, the staff are friendly and not just because they know me and the chips are some of the best i've tasted. There isn't a huge selection of vegetarian food but there is always a daily special. On a Sunday the place is absolutely rammed. A sign of how far they've come from those horrible Charlie Chalks days. If you're a veggie, go and have the Spinach and Mushroom Lasagne that comes with cheesy ciabatta. If you're a carnivore make the most of it and have a huge juicy burger. You'll be surprised how good it is for pub food. read more

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I went yesterday evening for a meal I had cod and chips the flesh of the cod was grey and the chips which were supposed to be triple cooked were straight out of packet of frozen chips not very good at all had a voucher it makes you think you get this sort of food because they know you hot a vouchet read more

WOW, OMG, holey cow, insert you favorite exclamation here! The food at this place is amazing! I am not a great fan of roasts, seeing they usually are dry and lacking flavor. But the Sunday roasts here are wonderful! We had the roast trio which includes turkey, beef, and pork. I am normally a turkey fan, but on this review it was my least favorite but would kill it anywhere else. Moist, flavorful, and tasty. The beef was tender and well seasoned. The pork was amazing! Flavorful throughout and almost fork tender. Normally gravys are just a second thought to a meal, and you can take it or leave it.... Not so here! I had to get extra gravy seeing it added to everything on the plate! It paired well with all the meats and was very tasty with potatoes, parsnips, Yorkshire pudding, and don't get me started on the bacon wrapped stuffing! Stuffing is one thing, but this little roll was THE most tasty thing on the plate. All paired nicely with a Guinness or two. If you are looking for a place to come for a traditionally British meal, this is the one! You won't be disappointed. read more

The Captains Wife is a bar and restaurant that serves excellent food and drink whilst you can enjoy some of the most wonderful views of the ocean after you have eaten. It is tucked away somewhere in Sully and it takes a while to get to but it is entirely worth it once you get there. I have been there on numerous occasions with family and on dates. It's perfect for both of these. I had never heard of this wonderful place until I went there on a date with my girlfriend. We ended up having a lovely time. I made sure to book a table just so we wouldn't have to wait if it was full. The whole restaurant was very busy filled with people waiting for that delicious food they serve. It's not that expensive either; we spent around £30 for drinks, the main meal and dessert. There was excellent waiter service as well. It was delightful. My favourite part about the whole area is the views you get. After your meal you can walk along the pebble beach a minute away. This is great for family gatherings and for romantic for couples to be in. We struck some luck with the weather and watched the sunset before we left. The Captains Wife is an excellent restaurant with superb food and service located in a delightful area where you could have a walk and enjoy the scenery. Beautiful read more

The Captain's Wife is a charming pub on the outskirts of Cardiff, offering a selection of food in addition to the usual spirits, wines and lagers. If nothing else, stop by The Captain's Wife for the spectacular views of the ocean. Even as a temporary teetotaller, I find this seaside tavern provides a perfect setting for a lazy afternoon spent catching up with friends. Tourists, on the other hand, will enjoy spending a few hours in this quintessential British pub, with its exposed beams, open fireplace and traditional decor. read more

Bring a book. Because of its great location, this place tends to be busy -- especially on a Sunday afternoon or when the weather is nice. However, the service is incredibly slow. Partially this is because of the popularity of the place but I suspect it has much more to do with poor management structure. Captains Wife is a Vintage Inn and I've had similar experiences at other Vintage Inns. Food can take well over an hour to arrive. When it does it is OK, but clearly the sort of cuisine that should have arrived within 8 minutes. So, as I say, bring a book. And don't go there hungry. read more

the location is beautiful, with fantastic views. This is a great pub, lovely building but was a little let down by the food. Although very tasty i was a little suprised at the amount for the money.. maybe your paying for the view. I was just left feeling fairly hungry still, I last had scampy and chips and thats exasctly what i had. no side salad, or anything, just seemed a little odd, and wasn't at a bargain price. The car park also is a little confusing, as you aproach the pub there is all pay and display spaces, but i had a feeling that around the corner it was free parking for the pub. But not totaly sure about this, as i had already parked in the pay and display. this i felt was a little cheeky.. i may of put me off had i know prior to going. over all an ok pub, a lot of seating on large benches outside made up for it with its stunning views. read more

At the end of a long winding country lane overlooking Sully Island is The Captain's Wife pub and restaurant. This is a very pleasant, old-style pub bit due to it's location it is a bit difficult to get to without a car. It on two floors with a large garden with plenty of tables, and a play area for children and an active dovecote. Ypu can take your beer and wander across to the sea wall after your meal and watch the fishermen on the island. Or even walk there yourself (see Tourist Trap Tip). The Captain's Wife was apparently named after the body of a woman found behind a wall in the pub. The 'Captain' is said to have been a pirate, who disappeared one night never to be seen again. Beinf 'Brewers Fayre' the restaurant does great pub grub - - ranging in price from £6-£11 for a main dish. Also available are smaller , cheaper daytime meals, which are the same as the evening menu. There is a reasonable vegetarian choice. NNot to mention the beer which is also of a high standard. read more

This place has its charm and I have been going on and off for several years. Recent experience was ... It was not quiet or busy but there was no atmosphere. The place was cold. Very cold. I spent some time longingly looking at the carbon stained hole which should be a roaring log fire but was in fact a cold dirty hole. There was hardly any staff but those that were there were very pleasant. The food took ages to arrive. Bearing in mind it is a chain menu which involves a lot of building/warming of pre made ingredients rather than cooking from scratch, the time it took to knock out a burger and a pork n mash dinner was, in my view unacceptable. The menu has a lot of choice and the food is OK but it used to be better .... read more

This place gets all its stars for location; it' really, really good! Right on the seafront and with a massive outdoor garden area with tables, it's a fab place to go on a nice summer's evening. The food is standard pub grub, and nothing wrong with that. The caravan park next door has been recently closed (according to recent news reports) due to unruly and drunken behaviour, but i've never witnessed anything personally. If you want to go for a stroll after dinner, there's a lovely lane that leads you round by the beach (second highest tide after Nova Scotia - go figure!). It's off the beaten path and a bit out of the ordinary and worth a look, even if it's only the once! read more

Nice location, nice looking pub (though dark indoors), but we will not go again. Phoned up in advance to try and book a table and were told they do not take bookings. So we turn up, grab a low table not appropriate for eating, and then nab a proper table when it comes available only to told in a very rude manner that we can't sit there because we're not on the waiting list for a table. Shouldn't we have been told there was a waiting list? Isn't a waiting list a form of booking/reservation? VERY poor customer service, spoilt our meal entirely, not the way to treat customers. Avoid! read more

Lovely and friendly with lovely food and gorgeous views across flat holm and steep holm. Very much worth a visit.

Not a bad place, honest food

Visited the Captains Wife last Thursday (24th May 2012) with my sister and brother in law. We had to wait 1 hour 40 minutes for our food, and when it eventually arrived (9.40pm!) it looked as though it had been sat under the pass for that long. A lot of people gave up waiting for their food after having already waited up to an hour and 20 minutes. It also appeared, the next day, that whilst we were at the pub we all got severely bitten. Luckily my sister (who is pregnant) only got a few bites but unfortunately myself and my brother in law are covered in bites on both our legs. I visited the pub again on saturday to let the manager know and to show her my legs but she didnt seem that bothered. Disappointed as my parents used to bring my family to this pub all the time when we were small and it was Charlie Chalks. Will not be coming back. read more

My wife and I used to enjoy visiting The Captain's Wife to enjoy the beer, food, and the view across Sully Island and the Severn. However, after today's visit we won't be back. Arriving at 1pm with 3 kids in tow, we waited until 1.30pm to be seated and ordered a few minutes later. At 2.30pm I had to ask where our food was. After being assured it was on its way, food arrived at 2.45pm. I don't enjoy complaining, and would have been happy with a delay of over an hour if the food had been decent. I also appreciate that it was busy. However, my rib-eye steak, which was requested medium, was burned beyond well done, with rock hard chips to match. My brother-in-laws mixed grill was also overcooked to the point that most of it was inedible, and my wife's gammon steak was dripping with grease. Both came with overcooked rock hard chips. A damned shame, as this lovely pub used to be a quality place for a beer and a good meal. read more

Terrible service. Ordered main and dessert off the fixed price menu (sssh, it's a secret menu, you have to ask for it...) an HOUR later I was told my main was no longer available. The replacement beef meatballs were like chewy rubber band balls in both taste and texture. Ew. Then, to top it off, dessert arrived for some of my party, and 10 minutes later (oh yes folks, you don't all eat at the same time..) I was told my dessert was no longer available either. I don't recommend visiting this venue unless the management and staff are replaced. Clearly none of them have ever been on a Customer Service course during their waking hours. read more

I have fallen in love with this place!!! Its official!! The food is great, the setting is great. Right on the waters edge with a scenic view of the neighbouring areas. read more

This is a great pub in a scenic location right on the waters edge serving great food & ales. Friendly staff & good prices

This is a first rate pub. Have been for lunch 3 times in the past 3 weeks at The Captains Wife - each time the food has been perfect and with really good service too. Good varied menu at reasonable prices. I have no problem at all in recommending this one. read more

Nicely tucked away off the beaten track and a great place for a drinl with friends beside the sea. Brilliant to sit outside with a drink in the summer and inside with spectacular views on a stormy winter's evening. Friendly staff and a decent selection of wines and beers read more

Absolutely lovely food. Had a set menu meal here on Valentine's Day 2012. A great atmosphere and location. The beer garden is fab in the Summer! read more

Have taken a 90 year old lady to this pub several times in the last month to have lunch. Today will be our last visit. My companion had chicken goujons that were so tough they were nearly impossible to cut or chew. One goujon was so over fried that you could not even snap it in half. When this was pointed out to a member of staff there was just a half hearted apology and no offer of recompense. The food is far from cheap and we would have expected better. Added to that our table was laden with dirty dishes bearing half eaten food which was not cleared for the whole hour we were there. Poor show indeed. read more

My husband, mother-in law and i had very enjoyable roast lunch last Sunday. Although very busy due to the lovely late summer sunshine, we were welcomed to our table and despite my fears that we would have to wait some considerable time before other diners were served, this provide not to be the case. We were therefore delighted to note that as we had pre- booked a table it was waiter service for us. A very pleasant and friendly staff member took our orders and it was not long before we were tucking into our delicious Sunday roasts. My husband thoroughly enjoyed his Turkey meal and although the Roast Beef was slightly on the tough side, it didnt spoil our overall enjoyment of the lunch and the tasty vegetable side dishes. Good service is important to my family and its fair to say that's exactrly what we got. Other restaurants in the Vale -not mentioning any names - could do with takling a leaf out of the Captains Wife book. read more

we had lunch last Friday its a lovely setting very peaceful when being served I req no mayonnaise it was a chicken bacon open sandwich which didn't say mayo but as I said to lady in my experience it says NONE but usually has it on it she said she would tell them sadlyit came with it why cant anyone put it on the side it is on everything in uk !!!! pity as nice otherwise didn't send it back as we didn't have much time there sadly read more