If you have never stepped inside the grand lodge at the city end of Bute Park, it is worth knowing what it has become. The building, the old West Lodge, was built after 1860 for castle employees and has spent decades as a quiet part of the park's fabric. After the park was gifted to the people of Cardiff in 1947, it served park and castle staff and later as a mess room for rangers. It reopened as the Pettigrew Tea Rooms in 2012, and since July 2025 it has been Brodies on the Wall, the third and final site for the family-run, independent Brodies Coffee Co., which has built its name around Cardiff's parks.
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The building itself is half the draw. The floor is laid with reclaimed Victorian tiles from the historic Blackfriars Friary, and a bespoke mural by local artist Matt Joyce celebrates the link between the architect William Burges and Brodies. Outside, the Animal Wall along Castle Street carries fifteen unique animal sculptures, and the lodge sits tucked between that wall and the bridge over the Taff at the park's west entrance. It is a dog-friendly and family-friendly spot, and the location is hard to beat for a central stop: two minutes from Cardiff Castle, two minutes from the Principality Stadium, and five from Cardiff Central Station, with a bus stop directly across the road and bike parking on hand. Sophia Gardens car park is just over the bridge via Castle Street or through the park.
At the counter, the coffee is the centrepiece. There is a full espresso menu using locally roasted speciality coffee, alongside iced drinks, seasonal filter coffee, rotating specials, soft drinks, kids cartons, and smoothies, with a homemade lemonade that comes out in the warmer months. The cakes and bakes are made in-house by Annie, who has complete creative control over the selection, which runs to brownies, loaf cakes, scones and Bara Brith. For something more substantial, there is a build-your-own breakfast bap, toasties, the chef's special sandwiches and a seasonal homemade soup, all available to eat in or take away.
It is built for regular use rather than a one-off visit. The loyalty card gives every tenth drink on the house and works across all three Brodies venues, there is a discount if you bring your own cup, and students get 10% off from September to June. The doors are open seven days a week, 52 weeks a year, with the exception of Christmas Day, and the hours shift with the seasons to match Bute Park's opening times: 8:30am to 5pm on weekdays and 9am to 5pm at the weekend. There is also a social side to the place, with board game evenings, sip and paints, coffee cuppings and kids craft clubs during the holidays.
For context, the park it sits in is one of the largest urban greenspaces in Wales, covering 56 hectares — roughly 75 football pitches — and it was presented to the city by the fifth Marquess of Bute in 1947. The castle overlooking it all began as a Roman fort around 50 AD, with a Norman keep added in 1093 before the third Marquess and William Burges turned it into the Gothic revival residence you see today. Entry is £14.50 for adults and £10 for children aged 5 to 16, and the castle is busy through the autumn with Halloween events and an underground cinema.
