The Four Elms has recently been refurbished and reopened under its original name after years of being know as ‘Bar YK’ and before that as the ‘Yellow Kangaroo’. It once proudly boasted that it was ‘The only Yellow Kangaroo in the world’ although why that is something to boast about is not at all clear.
Above: Bar YK pictured in 2011The building dates back to 1859 when it had three bars, two public rooms and stabling for one horse, over the years all of these areas have been knocked through into the one open-plan pub we see today. The pub gets its name from four distinctive elms that were once local landmarks but were felled in 1901 in order to widen the road. The Four Elms was previously a Welsh Brewers pub and later owned by Scottish & Newcastle but is now owned by local pub company JW Bassett who have refurbished this old building to bring it into the twenty-first century.
Above: Plan of the Four Elms from 1899
Glamorgan Record Office
The two-storey street-corner pub is painted in black and white and features a colourful display of flowering plants in hanging baskets outside. The corner door leads to an open-plan bar area with the wood and red leather panelled bar counter on the left-hand side of the building. Four gleaming chrome handpumps serve Felinfoel Double Dragon, Sharps Doombar. A cider from Westons and a house beer, Four Elms IPA, also brewed by Felinfoel of Llanelli. This is a rare Cardiff outlet for Felinfoel Brewery and their beers are served in branded glasses. A premium lager, Peroni is also available, together with a selection of wines. To the side of the bar is a dartboard, with the awards the teams have won on display.There is plenty of seating in the Four Elms with high tables and stools towards the front and bench-seating and tables towards the rear. A pool table is also present in the pub. Towards the rear of the pub, a raised seating area in the former stables features embossed wallpaper and a large-flat screen television, used for major sporting events. Elsewhere in the pub it is decorated with old photographs of Cardiff, including one dating from 1897 which shows the four elm trees that gave the pub its name. Large mirrors with ornate golden frames help make the interior light and give the appearance of it being more spacious.
The smoking area is at the rear of the pub and this leads onto the huge pub garden which must be one of the biggest in the City with bench seats and parasols to allow the customers to make the most of this sun trap.
Food is served 12-2.30 and 4.30-9 from a menu that features a range of food from pasta and pizza and grills, including a 32oz mixed grill. Portions for children are also available. Sunday lunch from the carvery is available 12-5 with booking advisable for groups. Other meal deals include a pizza night on Thursdays, steak night Wednesdays and a curry night on Thursdays.
Free WiFi is available and the Four Elms also features a function room and skittle alley.
The Pub is still marked as Bar YK on Streetview
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