An independent community pub in Cardiff has announced it will close its doors permanently at the end of the year, bringing an end to more than a century of pub history on North Road.
North Star, located at 131 North Road, Cardiff, CF14 3AE, confirmed it will close on New Year’s Eve, 31 December 2025. The decision ends more than five years of trading under the North Star name, following its opening in August 2020, and marks the closure of a site that has operated as a public house for well over 100 years.
The owners said the closure follows extensive efforts to continue trading but rising costs and ongoing cost of living pressures have made the decision unavoidable in the current economic climate.
Owner Tom Edwards described the decision as the hardest the team has faced.
“This is without question the hardest decision we’ve ever had to make, and it’s not what we wanted. We’ve explored every possible option to keep North Star going, but in the current climate we feel this is the only responsible choice left to us.”
North Star has been one of the few truly independent pubs in the area, not owned or leased by a brewery. Since opening, it has built a strong reputation as a welcoming and inclusive community space, particularly popular with students, local residents, creatives and musicians.
“North Star has never just been a pub — it’s been a community,” Tom Edwards added.
The venue became well known for its Sunday roasts, food offering, quiz nights, karaoke and its support of local independent music, while providing a consistent space for people to come together.
Manager David Rowlands said the closure would be deeply felt by those who used the pub.
“We’re immensely proud of what this pub has stood for. This place meant something to people — and that’s what hurts the most.”
The building at 131 North Road has a long and continuous history as a public house. Originally established as the Maindy Hotel, it received its first provisional licence in October 1888, meaning the site has operated as a pub for more than 135 years.
Over the decades, the venue has been known by several names, including the Maindy Hotel and later The College Tavern, before becoming North Star in 2020.
“From the Maindy Hotel to the College Tavern to North Star, this building has always been a place for people.”
Its long standing role as a community gathering place, spanning generations of locals, students and visitors, has led the owners to describe the closure as more than the loss of a single business.
“This isn’t just the loss of a business — it’s the end of a pub site that’s served Cardiff for more than a century.”
The pub holds a 4.9 out of 5 rating on Tripadvisor from more than 100 reviews, with consistent praise for its food, atmosphere and Sunday roasts. It has also been referenced in wider Cardiff food commentary connected to coverage by food critic Jay Rayner and has featured in national press including the Mirror.
North Star will continue trading through the festive period, with New Year’s Eve marking its final night of service.
