d'Arry's, Cambridge

Or d'Arry's Cookhouse and Wine Shop, to give it its cumbersome full title. Previously known as the Cambridge Arms, and more recently 'The Brewery' and 'Cambridge Rattle and Hum', this is a former Greene King pub now converted to a restaurant with a bar open to those wanting to pop in just for a drink. We ended up in here after friends recommended it as a good place to have lunch. The menu is pretty good, although certainly not cheap by pub standards, and the chicken dish I tried was really good quality. There is an emphasis on wine, with different wines recommended to match each dish and some of our party gave these a try, but for the beer drinker there is only Hardy and Hanson Olde Trip at £3.60 a pint, or Becks. Aspalls Cider was also on tap and there were a few more beers available in bottles. The pub itself is split into two halves with the entrance way in between. We sat in the right hand side which had a raised seating section to the front with the bar along the side wall further back. Additional seating is provided throughout and the room seemed to open up further beyond the bar. The decor was a little odd and included a surfboard hanging from the ceiling for no discernable reason. We didn't venture into the left hand side but we were able to admire an attractive courtyard that can be accessed for those wanting some al fresco dining. I enjoyed our meal here and would probably recommend the place as a good option for a bite to eat, but it's not a pub and certainly not the sort of place I would want to spend time just having a drink, hence the low score for the purposes of this website.