81-83 St Mary Street, Cardiff [map]
The Prince of Wales is one of Cardiff's largest and most depressing pubs.
The building's exterior boasts an impressive gothic facade. But the cavernous interior (it used to be an adult cinema) is largely populated by old blokes who look as if they've been staring into the middle distance since the place opened in 1999.
It's one of four Wetherspoons in the city centre and, by some margin, the least inviting.
Sure, the large balcony area (which also houses a second bar) is a novelty but, despite the huge windows, there's an unshakeable glumness here, however sunny it is outside.
Even the promise of a pint of Foster's for £1.69 on Mondays isn't enough to make us want to return.
Aside from which, it's on a corner that's notorious for pedestrians being run over.
4 comments:
Never,ever,ever venture into this depressing and miserable barn which has all the charm and atmosphere of a cold war Ukranian potato silo. Without doubt the worst boozer in Cardiff if not the world. Mind you, I did see my first porn film in there when it was the Prince of Wales theatre. Not even the promise of heavily discounted ale would ever entice me to darken their doorstep again. Wetherspoons, I hate them, every single one. However, I was entertained in the Queen Street 'spoons when a dustcart rocked up outside and the binmen all jumped in for a quick beer. It ended up with them having a scrap cos one of them looked at the other ones pint. They all then drank up, shook hands and jumped back onto the dustcart. Quality entertainment.
We're actually fairly partial to a Wetherspoon from time to time, although even we've never been back to The Prince of Wales since specifically going there to cover it for the blog - and that was over three years ago.
The question remains though: how early in the day do you have to start drinking in order to witness brawling bin men?
In answer to your not unreasonable question, the brawling binmen were having their set to at about 11am on a Friday, just as myself and some like minded gentlemen friends were leaning into our first pint of the day. If I recall,we had just forced down a hearty 'spoons breakfast and had to swig a beer to get the taste out of our mouths!
Warateg to Wetherspoons, the fighting bin men was excellent entertainment and perhaps they could organise similar entertainment throughout their branches. It certainly makes the time pass quicker while you are waiting for the bar staff to serve you, who don't appear to be in much of a hurry to do anything.
Ah, the old "I had to start drinking at 11am to wash the taste of the 'Spoons breakfast out of my mouth" defence. It's an excuse we're profoundly familiar with.
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