The Lamb, Ely

A hotel bar so you know what to expect, slow service if you can find any staff, over priced and usually poor quality. The staff weren’t that bad and the beer here was above (just) average although a choice of Abbot, OSH or a cider wasn’t great, obviously a prosaic keg choice was available. The public bar is in one corner of the hotel, furnished with a mix of high tables and stools and low tables and chairs. Laminate floor and old photo decor. Ok for a quick drink if you’re stopping in the hotel.

A good sized pub in a prime position at the top of the High Street, it looks as though it was probably an old coaching inn and still appears to offer accomodation. Internally it’s presumably been opened out at some point, and now has a rather bland, corporate feel to it with little in the way of any distinguishing features. Paintwork is the usual Farrow & Ball shades of grey and green, whilst the flooring was a mixture of some sort of wood strip and striped grey carpet. Seating was mostly wooden tables and chairs, with some being quite high, as well as some padded bench seating in places around the periphery. A few pictures were dotted around, including several old black and white ones of the locale. A clock made from gin bottles was perhaps a vaguely interesting feature, but overall there was really little of any note. A small TV was mounted up on the wall above a fireplace, but this was not in use on our visit. The only beer on tap was Deuchar’s IPA, although a further pump had the clip reversed and a third appeared unused, so there may on occasions be more choice. Ciders fared no better, with Aspall’s being the only option.