The Splotlands

2-3 Meteor Street, Adamsdown [map]


Now here's a pub that's not taking any chances with its Sky Sports reception. It's satellite dish chic gone mad.


Those dual antennae certainly don't go to waste, though.

If you can't even be arsed to turn your head towards the big screen while waiting for your drink, they've helpfully installed a secondary monitor directly above the tills.


Ah, the old amber nectar. Lovely stuff.


There's a certain dilapidated charm to the place.

And look at that: having a chinwag over a pint of lager and a bag of dry roasted peanuts. Quality pubbery, right there.


It's physically impossible to be bored in The Splotlands.

If the readily available repartee or banks of TV screens aren't enough to keep you entertained, there's a dartboard, a pool table and even a test-your-punching-power boxing game.

Probably best to give that a miss if you've had more than, let's say, four pints.


This is also one of the few pubs in Cardiff to house a piano.

Although in our experience, if you're drunk enough to attempt to play a piano in public, you're also drunk enough that being able to operate any form of musical instrument is far, far beyond your capabilities.

The Vulcan Hotel

10 Adam Street, Adamsdown [map]


There aren't many Cardiff pubs left that can provide such resolutely old school thrills as The Vulcan.

But despite dating from 1853 - how many pints do you think have been downed here over the last 150 years? - it's only just been saved from being knocked down to make way for a car park for forthcoming mega-mall St David's 2.


Seriously, who could possibly opt for a car park over a slightly knackered old boozer with an enormous ship's wheel on the wall? Someone who clearly doesn't enjoy a pint.

Still, following a fund, a petition, a blog and plenty of local press, The Vulcan has been saved from extinction for at least another three years after the current landowner negotiated a new lease with Brains.


There's something of an unwritten rule that you have to have a shaved head in order to drink here.

Look at all those empties on the bar. It's only lunchtime but some serious boozing has clearly been taking place already. Not a massive array of drinks on offer but, between the session lagers, Stella, Brains and Guinness, you're not going to go thirsty.


Round the side to the 'lounge bar', where there's a more relaxed vibe afoot. So relaxed, in fact, that there's no one else in here. Nice Rowe-AMI jukebox though.


Those famous urinals in full. Marcel Duchamp would be proud.

Suffice to say, The Vulcan is not so much a pub as an institution. The ideal venue to absorb both some local history and a pint or six.