Pontcanna Inn

If you’ve ever been to Cardiff for a sports or music event, chances are you’ve stayed in a workaday B&B on Cathedral Road, about 15 minutes’ walk west of the city centre. It's a good base for the city centre, and we're pleased to see that of the many Victorian and Edwardian villas and townhouses that line this street ,one has been turned into a pub, The Pontcanna Inn, and named after its location, which is also the most fashionable residential area in the Welsh capital.

The Pontcanna Inn has ten bright rooms, decorated with florals and botanicals, and the iron beds give them a Steampunk vibe. The “Cosy” rooms are on the small side but are great value, while their 'Comfy' rooms offer slightly more space.  All the rooms come with comfy double beds, tea and coffee making facilities, en-suite bathrooms with toiletries – and there’s free onsite parking as well.

There's a great vibe at the pub downstairs,  which revolves around sports – matches are shown on big screens and the cricket, football and rugby grounds are within walking distance (indeed cricket fans might be intrigued to know they are the official pub partner of Glamorgan CC) . You could  easily find yourself at the bar next to a local media or sports celeb. Try a bottle of ale by Newport-based craft brewery Tiny Rebel – the only Welsh brewery to win Champion Beer of Britain at the Great British Beer Festival – before moving onto to dinner, which is good quality, hearty pub grub like burgers, sausage and mash and fish and chips, although vegetarians and vegans won’t go hungry either, and they also serve a choice of roasts on Sunday. You can eat in the airy, neo-Victorian lounge bar or head out to the sizeable beer garden in good weather. All in all, the Pontcanna is a proper pub, but with sporting bells on!