The Kingston Arms, Cambridge

10 pumps on the bar serving mostly non mainstream ales, but also yesterday another 6 in the rear yard as the pub was celebrating the Mill Rd Winter Fair by hosting its own Old Ale Festival. A gazebo affair was a good idea as the weather was particularly inclement. The bugbear is still the reserved table policy which results in a number of empty tables while punters stand in what is a very narrow space. We chose to ignore the reserved sign and sit down anyway. 27 January 2008 Fine backstreet local, ten real ales on tap, five each side of the bar, mainly from local or micro breweries. Busy in the early evening, unfortunately though the pub has a policy of reserving tables so it ended up a bit crowded. Garden to the rear took up some of the punters but it was a bit chilly after dark so we moved on, the pub has tough competition nearby! Still an essential stop on any Cambridge crawl and at 20 mins brisk walk, probably the best venue for a beer drinker's pre match pint before heading for The Abbey Stadium. The side area facing the bar is very narrow and can get almost impassible, especially if the strangely located computer terminals are in use.

Really good choice of real ales. Nice looking food. Gets very busy.