The Eagle, Cambridge

Claims to be the oldest pub in Cambridge and has been owned by owned by Corpus Christi College since 1525. Certainly one of the better places to get a beer in the area with a nice feel to the place inside, well-described elsewhere as “a warren of interconnecting different seating areas”. Plenty of history to be had; in his autobiography, Clive James claims to have had student rooms above the pub. Oh yeah, it was also the pub where Crick and Watson first announced that they'd discovered the structure of DNA! Also check out the back end and restaurant area is the famous RAF bar, where pilots and crew from WWII put their names and messages on the ceiling with candle flame and lipstick. Poignant. A couple of drawbacks: 1) Greene King beer. So bland, so lifeless and so ubiquitous in Cambridge. 2) Not much room a lot of the time. But that's just the way it is - a victim of its own success. Go when it’s quiet(er) It's also very close to the Corn Exchange, so good for pre-gig pint (assuming you can get to the bar). Worth a visit for the history value.