Aberystwyth - Coopers Arms (Y Cwps)

Address: Northgate St, SY23 2JT. Tel: 01970 624050 [gmap]
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Last APG visit: 19/05/2012

Background: Small, narrow and pokey, and prior to my graduation the second home of Welsh-speakers, folk musicians and peeling, nicotine-stained posters, this place had a long-overdue refurb around 2006. The Welsh and the folk singers are still there, the posters and nicotine stains are gone. Exterior used to be green, now is pink!

 

Student factor: Some, but it has its share of locals (who get more rowdy as the evening progresses) - it's too far out of the centre for most inebriated fun-seekers. Though given it's comparatively small size, it gets busy quite easily. 

Atmosphere: Has changed somewhat - from peeling, nicotine-stained posters and a Trustafarian vibe, this is now cleaner and a bit more mainstream.

Drinks range: Average. Note to ale drinkers – don’t be fooled by the handpulls, only two of them work. If you order the Felinfoel Stout, they’ll try a Derren Brown sleight-of-hand on you, to sub a dirty nitrokeg in its place without a peep that the real ale version is unavailable and that the advertised handpull is blatantly misleading. Very poor form, especially from a pub that is owned by a real ale brewery!!! All three of the Felinfoel pumps now work and dispense the real deal. Whether you enjoy the output is another matter (I really dislike Feelin Foul ale on a personal level). Pub used to be the home of ‘proper Guinness’ brewed in Dublin, back in the day. If you could taste the difference you should have retrained as a sniffer dog.

TV/Music: Music and Sky Sports. Live music too - seems to host a Welsh Christian folk group intermittently. Used to be gigs played in the room upstairs (cracking gig by the long-departed Moriarty back in the day), but this seems to have dropped off in recent times. There's a working piano downstairs too.

Other stuff: Formerly huge and freezing bogs have had an overhaul, now smaller and considerably warmer. Rear section now has a working fire. Seems to now be the foremost nationalist pub in Aber, no 'Yes for Wales' flyers at the Llew Du, but there were here:

Quinno’s verdict: I've always struggled to feel any real love for the place outside the music nights. The demise of the misleading ale dispense is to be welcomed at least.

Its old green incarnation below, for posterity...