Llandaff (a village outside of Cardiff, population approximately 9,000). Established in 1792, it is located just down the road from Llandaff Cathedral, and is named for a black lion that appears as part of the Heraldic Shield of the Matthew family of Llandaff. Three of their tombs are in the cathedral. For a short time in the 19th century (beginning in 1817) the pub was known as The Romilly in honor of Sir Samuel Romilly MP, the Solicitor General and leading anti-slavery campaigner (I will post later about the Sir Samuel Romilly pub in Barry). It reverted back to the Black Lion in 1852.

I should take a second to note that besides hanging out at all of these cool old pubs, I also visit a lot of incredible museums, National Trust sites, and beautiful cathedrals like Llandaff. If you want to learn more about these check out bethanytravels.com.

This is a bright and warm pub with lots of rooms, lots of space, lots of light, and a nice bar. It is a Brains pub (a brewery in Cardiff founded in 1892). These are my favorite beers in Wales, with the SA Welsh Ale at the top of the list. I am usually glowing about all my pub visits, but I must say I would not recommend the food here (which is strange because in most pubs that serve food it is usually quite good).