Probably first went here in 1976 for a game of darts and have been back regularly since. Although…read morethere have been some changes over the years, the character of the place has remained and the beer always makes it well worth a return visit. Particularly nice to call in for a swift one whilst out shopping.

My friend and I went to Penarth to visit our chum who's emigrating to New Zealand. Everyone I know…read moreseems to be emigrating which isn't fair, but is about as fair as my maths is good (everyone I know translates as FIVE.) Anyway, after an afternoon of eating cake and snoozing on the sofa in front of a roaring fire and surrounded with cats, the idea of getting wrecked in Cardiff and Chippie Alley palled. So we went on a pub crawl in Penarth instead. The pub crawl drew to an abrupt halt when we got to the Lion, a favourite of my friend's during her teens, and it transpired that it was doing Fosters for £1.50 all through January. I bloody hate beer, but was turned into a purring kitten by the fact that the jukebox didn't play anything post-1995 all evening. I don't know anything about Davos, but hurrah! I STILL know all the words to Cast songs! This has the potential to be a great ID scheme: if you don't come in singing all the words to 'Two Princes' and going "CHOON!", you're out on your ear. There's a beer garden out the back which came in handy when one of our number got over-hot and felt like she was about to pass out. I hate beer, but I do like stars, and the lovely thing about being in Penarth rather than London means that you get a cracking view. Less cracking was the lack of loo roll in the ladies. After some annoying experiences elsewhere (Pix in Covent Garden, for shame), I've taken to carrying a packet of tissues around in my bag like somebody's grandmother, but just so you're warned. We didn't drink much until the emigrée decided she'd like some Sambuca: the Lion does eight flavours of Sambuca, if you please, including Chili, Apple, Raspberry, and Banana. Sounds rancid. They'd run out of original, so we had liquorice, which tasted practically the same. I'm going to draw this review to a halt now and reflect on the fact I'm 28 and still drinking flavoured sambuca. Oh dear.

what a great pub ! food excellent , Real ale excellent, and check the beer garden out fantastic…read morehouse! Penarth real ale pub of the year 2015

Okay, so by now we all pretty much know what a JD Wetherspoon's is going to be like, so I won't…read morebore you with too many details on the menu and cheap prices. But, this one is a little bit different, I think. The Bears Head is a literal translation of Pen (head) arth (bear), and this pub sticks to that mission of trying to keep local. As Penarth is a little way outside Cardiff, this pub does not get nearly as raucous as others. It's mainly locals - a wide mixture - who you'll find inside. Also, I need t give credit where credit is due. The service here is very polite, always. The food is also prepared and presented particularly well - a noticeable difference from some other pubs in the chain. So good in fact that this place is packed to bursting every Sunday lunchtime. Give it a try, just so long as you can get over the terrible lack of apostrophe...

It's pretty much what you'd expect from a Wetherspoon's pub, plain and simple…read more I've only been by for a weekday tipple, but from my experience, it's typically full of the usual men's men crowding around, pint in hand (which is a group that's close to my heart, don't get me wrong, but it can be a bit annoying nonetheless). Which brings me to my next point: My other Bear's Head encounters include running past the doors (literally, as this is my training route), where I've been greeted with stares, cat calls and laughter thrown in my direction. Saying that, the staff here are normally really friendly, which is a big deal to a Yank like me who values customer service. It's worth noting that it's cleaner than some of the Wetherspoon's pubs I've been to; even the bathrooms are kept to a standard higher than you'd find in most shopping malls or restaurants.

After change of ownership in 2023, this place is really sensational! Fabulous, extensive wine list,…read morevaried menu, and the best Sunday roast bar none. I've eaten in (teh two or three course Sunday roast is great value, and I am always SO grateful for lots of gravy!). Yesterday, I had the takeaway roast that is also incredibly good value and I got two meals out of it. The staff are fabulous - really friendly and SO polite and welcoming to everyone who comes through the door - and always thanking customers on the way out. So happy I live just three minutes' walk away! Thanks so much to Francois and Serge and all the bar staff - also, I might add, the cleaners! The place is spotless and has the feel of a lovely living room.

The Pilot, well I live close by to to the pilot so it's nice to have a walk down there on a Friday…read morenight when I'm not going out. The Pilot is quite a local pub and fairly close the Penarth town, so you can just walk down there, have a drink and walk back without leaving and dropping you car here, there, and everywhere, so that's brilliant if you don't want to drive. To be honest the pilot isn't really a 5 star rating for me, but you get what you pay for, its a little cosy pub. However they do make a conscious effort with the food, it's pub food so there's not a lot you can do with it, but what they do to it is nice. In summery the Pilot is a local cosy little public house, where even the non-locals feel welcome.

Cool cocktail spot with loungy, trendy vibes. Music is loud, so don't come here for meaningful…read moreconversation. Solid third date kind of a spot (dark & sexy) but also a cool place to hang with friends. Cocktails were good, though we went right after the Oasis gig so they had a reduced menu for the weekend. Still everything we had ranged from solid to great. Service was friendly and helpful.

I wish that I could give this place more than 5 stars. This is absolutely one of my favourite…read moreplaces that I have ever been - and certainly the best cocktails that I have ever had. My husband took me here as part of my birthday treat a few months ago and I will be forever grateful that he did. It is really quite difficult to put in to words just how good the cocktails are. The premise of this place is that they make 'molecular cocktails' - essentially cocktails that they have scientifically concocted so that all of the ingredients complement each other molecularly. For just £50 per person, you are treated to a 7-course cocktail menu. With each delicious cocktail you are brought a unique side dish that has been chosen specifically for that drink. We were given such unusual dishes (including slices of cured meats and filled pasta!) that oddly did enhance the taste of the cocktails. As well as the delicious cocktails, what this place also has going for it is the decor. It is very sleek, elegant and gothic. The service is also incredibly good as well. I would absolutely recommend going to this cocktail bar if you can. You would be stupid not to go here. It is absolutely worth visiting. I cannot wait to return.

Huge menu and open late. Went late and ordered dinner &…read moredrinks at the bar, for the family. All was fine until a short blonde female server from upstairs came downstairs and inserted herself into our situation as I was retrieving our drinks from the bar. I only asked if my sons' drinks were sugar free and her response was suddenly asking for ID and then telling us to leave (after paying) bc I said my 18 year old did not have his id (ended up that he actually did have it). The policy is fine but was not clearly stated. However, her handling of the incident was bizarre, abrupt and rude. I think she is anti Tourist or maybe has a Napoleon complex to conduct herself as she did - especially when the restaurant was so empty and we had already paid. customers beware of the short blonde. Everyone else working there was friendly. Food was fine. Will not return due to unbecoming behavior of short blonde female employee.

The service was slow. Very touristy. Never wiped the tables between seatings. Gum on the glass…read more Very dirty. Empty cans rolling on the ground nobody bothered to pick up. We were going to eat here but decided against it.

Looks like your typical British pub from the outside, but it seems The Oystercatcher makes a bit…read moremore of an effort than your run-of-the-mill Wetherspoons. It's worth mentioning that it's a drinking establishment that welcomes wee ones - I guess it fancies itself as more of a restaurant than a pub, but still (I guess I notice these things now that I've been spending a lot of time with my beloved and his two-year-old daughter). The outside sitting area is situated around a child's play area, so you can enjoy your food or drinks while keeping the kiddies entertained. Rugrats aside, I have to admit I'll always take notice (and remember) any place where a Slush Puppy is offered. I've never, ever in all my years seen a SP machine sitting behind a pub counter in all its glory, so major points for that. And there's an ice cream freezer and hot nuts container right by the bar (yeeeess!). To be fair, I haven't eaten here, but I'm a bit hesitant to do so, as the stench wafting from its outside walls smells like old frying oil that may not have been changed in a while.

The reason why I have given this pub full stars has a lot to do with location as well as the chain…read moreof pub that it is. The Oystercatcher is superbly situated with views of the Penarth marina. Although I do have to drive to this pub, it is worth it, it's nice to have a stroll around the marina and then end up at the pub for some food and drink. Now Hungry Horse pubs are somewhat of a favourite of mine anyway, I love their menu, it's pretty cheap, especially on weekdays when you can get two meals for £8. I get the roast chicken with potatoes and stuffing most of the time as I find this meal great value and very healthy, the rest of the menu gets a little of the fatty side, but this is all good, especially if you can stroll it off afterwards. I love this pub, I only wish I lived in Penarth so I could experience this pub a lot more, it is a nice family pub scattered with younger groups that never get too rowdy.

I admittedly walked past this place many times without actually realizing what it is. It looks half…read morelike a castle keep, with a super modern shell attached to the back. It wasn't until the summer when I noticed all the people drinking outside that I realized it was a bar and restaurant! The inside is an equally odd mix of old mixed with very new. It's a Samuel Smiths bar which means they offer up a unique mix of reasonably priced beers. My bloke was recommended a 'Man in a Box', which tasted better than its name would suggest. I opted for a lovely cider. The menu didn't temp us, especially being a little more expensive than we would normally pay. Nice enough place for a quiet, relaxing drink especially in the summer, but not really anything special.

If you want to avoid the more crowded bars of the bay (Salt and Terra Nova) then head towards the…read morecastle look-a-likee that happens to be a bar called The Waterguard. The upsides are: As I said can have a quite drink and get served hassle free. You can play board games as they have quite a few behind the bar including Monopoly and Scrabble. They have a lovely outside area where you can either sit at a table or on the lush grass in the summer. They have speciality beers. The downsides are: They have speciality beers - some people will see this a good thing but I can honestly say I have never tasted a beer I like here. It can be a bit pricey. It can lack a bit of atmosphere if its too empty.

They only have drinks and chips. Must visit, though. Yes, it is a oldest...so it's SAD they don't…read moreserve food...just relying upon people who want to have a drink at the oldest pub in the port area.

Just visited after a lovely few hours in Cardiff bay . Me…read moreand my husband waited at an empty bar , apart from one lady being served . After the lady was served he knew we were there and he served two other people that walked in after us . Obviously theses were regulars . Very disappointed with this service , from the outside it looked welcoming, but not inside . The barman was very tall , wearing a vest top and obviously thought the bar was making enough money by the regulars to ignore new customers . We left without a drink . Social & business skills needs approving in my opinion .

So glad found this place as met Mark. Although he 55 we 20 nothing wrong with 55 year old man being…read morewith younger girls ..im sure lots of grown men do it? drinks good too..obviously mixing from diffrent households while threw covid risky but we careful where else would you find staff like this

This place is great. The atmosphere and the ambiance is very nice. Paul the manager is polite and…read morevery knowledgeable on drinks. They have a bartender named Author, who is Cardiff Bartender of the year. The guy can make some serious drinks and is a great conversationalist.