The Central Bar

Having visited other Weatherspoons Pubs on our recent visit to the UK I know that the food is reasonably priced and can be decent. Oh Man — this place was anything but. Overcooked fries and onion rings, dry food that looked like it had been kept under a heat lamp for too long and a daily special that was anything other than special.

This place is nice enough for a pint and a gathering. A simple meal is good too –standard pub grub. Nothing to write home about, but it can hit the spot when you’re just after a burger or something.

Went in there after a long day shopping with my friend. first appearance isn’t that good as its dark and dingy. no room downstairs so we went upstairs for food, upstairs interior is much nicer than downstairs. me and my friend ordered from the gourmet burger menu. him the brunch burger and me the Mexican burger. They did what my friend wanted and took one part of the burger on the side. Although my Mexican burger was lovely, don’t expect any heat from it, even the jalepeno’s wasn’t that hot. The only down fall i got was that our meals came out at different times, and i didn’t want to start without him. i defiantly come here for a meal again.

My opinion on this place very much depends on what time of the day it is. In the day it’s a decent enough pub that does average food and cheap drinks. I find it can be a vibrant enough atmosphere that can be a good place to meet and catch up with some friends.
On certain nights, such as the curry nights, the deals are really good. You can grab a really cheap meal and drink combo that will fill you up without emptying your wallet.
Though I am generally quite keen to vacate the premises before nightfall, particularly on a Friday or Saturday night as it becomes quite a busy stop off point for people heading out in Cardiff that want to grab some cheap drinks before they head to somewhere louder and more bafflingly busy. Maybe it’s the old man in me, but it tends to become a bit rowdy, and not the good rowdy where you’re amongst friends and being a bit of an idiot, but the bad rowdy where you feel confused, irritated and generally out of place. There are far better places to get a cheap drink that have a bit more personality, rather than the ever so slightly soulless character this place suffers from.

If you’ve ever frequented Buffalo and claim never to have ducked into this nearby Wetherspoon’s for one reason or another then you’re either made of cash, dumb or a liar. Or possibly some combination of the three. It’s perfect for a few pre-​Buffalo beers at a fraction of the price of your eventual destination or, if you’re on an eating budget as well, some crafty no-​frills food. Maybe there’s some weird correlation between hardened drinkers and their ability to navigate up a flight of steps, but much like a few other Wetherspoon’s in Cardiff, upstairs in The Central Bar is generally a much more relaxed, pleasant experience, with a handful of comfy booths. There’s a bar upstairs too, albeit sometimes so slowly staffed you’ll have to head downstairs before you expire from thirst/​hunger. If you fancy a genuinely oppressive cloud of nicotine with your beer, there’s a small rear patio/​smoking area too. Urban legend has it a drinker died after falling from a balcony in this building many years back, although that’s no longer a danger as the two floors are entirely separated nowadays.

I hate to admit it, but I’ve suggested meeting up with mates at this pretty uninspiring Weatherspoon’s on more than one occasion. Why? Well, it’s simple really… it serves as a good starting point to a night out, providing the opportunity to tank up on a couple of cheap pints before heading off to somewhere a bit more interesting. I should stop doing it really, as I can’t think of one thing that I like about Weatherspoons… they are a chain, serve naff food, create really dull interiors and seem to be all about making lots of money without having to do anything remotely inspiring… I would not be sad if the entire line of Weatherspoons fell off the map into complete and utter obscurity. It would suit it better to be preserved as a dim and distant memory deposited in the portion of my brain reserved for vaguely recollecting things that are not very good! I don’t use that bit of my brain very often, and I’m served with a modicum of vallium, by a butler with a frown, at the main entrance to this portal in my memory bank… and so it never hurts too much!

It’s a Wetherspoons, you know what to expect from the menu, it’s going to be cheap, especially the booze. Situated right next to Queen street, this bar can be the ideal Wetherspoons to choose for a spot of mid shopping lunch. This particular Wetherspoons never seems to get that busy, so can be a good choice if you are desperate to watch the footie when you’re out and about in the centre.
There are 2 floors to this pub and an outdoor seating area. The upstairs bar has the quirky touch of a transparent floor, rather the odd touch. It has a row of booths to sit by the window or to snuggle up with the one you love (bleurgh)
A good Wetherspoons, but not the best, I would recommend the Gatekeeper or the Prince of Wales.

Central Bar is a Whetherspoon’s pub located just off Queen Street in the centre of Cardiff.
As part of the Whetherspoon’s chain, it has early opening hours and serves cheap food and drink, but unlike most of other Whetherspoon’s pubs, this particular pub is tucked away up a side street and often goes unnoticed by most Cardiff residents. This makes it a great location to watch live sport as it is rarely packed on match day, even when Wales are playing in Cardiff.
With two floors and ample seating, it’s a great place to go to chill out with friends and enjoy a relaxing brewski without having to cry into a bare wallet after ordering. Also, the food here is surprisingly good, despite Whetherspoon’s pubs having a reputation for sub-​par grub.
Not a spectacular pub by any means, but worth a visit if you want to save a few extra quid.

I didn’t realise that poor Central Bar was so disliked among the populace until I read the reviews here. It came as quite a surprise to me, as I’ve had nothing but positive experiences in the place.
Situated across the road from The Promised Land on Windsor Place, the pub has two floors, each with its own bar. The downstairs is packed with many small, four seater tables and a small number of booths in the corner and is generally populated by the older gentlemen that frequent the place, sipping quietly on their ale and casting a scornful eye over the lairy activities of the students heading to or departing from Buffalo, just around the corner. It’s a gentle, relaxed atmosphere perfect for a quiet meet-​up and chat between a group of friends.
The upstairs bar is populated by more studenty fare. Filled with larger tables, comfy sofas and an array of 6-​person booths lining the back wall, this floor has an air of boisterous fun about it that the downstairs either lacks, or is blissfully free from, depending on your mood. Both bars are stocked with all the usual alcoholic beverages that you expect from Wetherspoons.
All in all, a nice place to quietly hang out or prepare for the debauchery of the evening. Nothing spectacular, but then, that’s Wetherspoons for you. If you want personality, you head somewhere else. If not, you know Wetherspoons is there for you.

Okay. Not awful. But not great.
It’s just a Wetherspoons, much like any other Wetherspoons that you could find anywhere else in the country. And there’s no real call to go in here when you have bars like Buffalo Bar and The Promised Land so close by.
On the other hand, the drinks are cheap and the music in the evenings is exactly what most people want to hear before starting the final leg of their big night out.
It might be a little sticky on the floor, and the clientele might be a little grabby but I would say that this is generally the case in whichever Wetherspoons you enter.
Personally, the cheap drinks aren’t quite enough to tempt me away from the independent bars. If they’re that expensive, I’ll pre-​drink.
But I understand why people go there on nights out, so if you like that kind of thing, it’s pretty good at what it does.

The food here is discusting. My partner and I went for a meal and I had to send it back and get a refund, so we didn’t stay for drinks. I ordered a ceasar salad. quite simple really, but the lettuce was way past the use by date as it was brown and stank! My partners chicken burger was still frozen in the middle. Bloody awful!

Central Bar is in a great location (as the name suggests). It’s just off the bottom of Queen Street, about 3 mimutes walk from Queen Street Station.
It’s popular with students, shoppers and office workers and can get quite busy on Friday nights with people popping in for a post-​work drink.
The food it the typical Wetherspoons fayre, cheap and cheerful — you know exactly what you’re getting.
It feels very spacious inside, but downstairs especially it can feel a bit like you’re on display towards the main doors — so I’d head for one of the booths towards the back or upstairs.

There’s nothing outstanding about Central Bar– it’s quite dark and dingy. It feels very familiar– probably because it’s just like any other Wetherspoons bar. The breakfasts are quite good value for money and the rest of the menu is ok priced– though nowhere near as cheap as Wetherspoons used to be. The drinks are nice and cheap though.

Awful.

As its name suggests, a very central watering hole offering the usual Wetherspoon deals and cheap drinks. Always busy, and nice glass front which is opened in the summer to sit and watch the world go by. Nice beer garden too.

It’s cheap, I’ll say that much for it. Oh, and it’s open late and serves food quite late. Other than that, there’s nothing remarkable about Central Bar. It’s a Wetherspoon’s, making it the least interesting place in the world. When I first walked in, I thought that every surface was dark wood panelling. It’s not, but boy is it dark and dingy.
There is a small outdoor seating area out back.

Good food and an excellent setting whether you want a spot of lunch and a catch up or you fancy a quiet lazy afternoon.
Excellent place to start a night out with cheap drink.
Good comfy sofas upstairs as well as spacious booths. I’ve used this place as a meeting base for friends or grabbing a few hours with my husband for lunch. Definitely recommend getting here early to order lunch as sometimes due to its popularity, waiting time for lunch can be 30 – 45 minutes.
What makes for an interesting bit of reading is the comparison board that they have upstairs. A selection of drinks in a round at Central Bar are compared with drinks in places near by like Buffalo, Windsor place etc. The difference is quite startling, making Central Bar the place to go to.

This place is great if you just want to chill back with a few friends and not spend a lot of money on beer. Week nights are usually quiet so it’s a good venue for a catch up, tends to fill up on weekends and have a more vibrant atmosphere. Not many people choose to come here because there’s nothing interesting going on and it just tends to be boring, but as I said, perfect conditions for a good old chat!