The Prince Albert, Ely

Down a quiet side street just a short stroll from the cathedral, this is an up-market, three room Greene King house. The front bar is comparatively basic, offering some traditional décor and seating options and a simple, plain servery opposite the entrance. You move through to a lounge-style area which offers access to the servery on the right hand side. Standard seating is arranged to the front of the room with long banquette booths further back down the left hand wall. A series of shelves here offer a selection of board games and books whilst the walls have a few interesting bits on display including some that hint at the pubs former use as an officer's mess. Moving further towards the rear, steps lead into a recently refurbished formal dining room with plenty of standard tables and chairs ideal for those wanting to sample the pub's high quality cuisine. From here you can reach the rear walled garden which is reputedly the biggest beer garden in Ely and offers glimpses of the cathedral. We stopped off here for a bite to eat having heard good things about the food. The menu is certainly not cheap, but then I think it's fair to say that the food is a cut above your normal pub-grub fayre and we both enjoyed our meals very much. Despite being a Greene King tied house, the pub has a reputation for excellent beer and the guest ale policy means that an interesting selection beyond the core GK range is likely to greet you. I found the following available on this visit - Greene King IPA, Abbot Ale and XX Mild, Wolf Golden Jackal, Milton Sparta and Truman Runner. Sadly the pint of Golden Jackal I sampled was a bit past it's best but I'm prepared to let that slide as one dubious pint does not make a bad pub. I quite enjoyed our visit here and whilst it's probably gone a bit too far down the gastro for many punters, I still found eating in the relaxed surrounds of the lounge was a pleasant experience. This is clearly one of the better ale houses in Ely and I'd happily return for food, drink or both.

Decent backstreet pub, retaining two bars and old fashioned furniture and decor. As a Greene King pub, IPA, Abbot and XX Dark (£3.00, and very good) were available on handpump, together with Holdens Buffalo Soldier and Nethergate Growler as guests. Overall, well worth seeking out. (NB - Review dates from August 2012.)