The Elm Tree, Cambridge

Rob from the Hobgoblin in Reading is still at the helm but Dom and Jo have moved on to manage the revitalised Milton Brewery owned Devonshire Arms. Still 10 draft ales from micro and regional breweries on the go, supported by over Belgium bottled beers. I had one of these that I had not had before, but don’t ask me what it was as it had been a long day and my notes were being written by a dyslexic spider by this stage. Anyway, top ale pub and one to visit when in Cambridge.

Formerly of the nationally-renowned Hobgoblin in Reading, this is Rob’s new venture and he has bought Dom and Jo with him so expect some ragging from behind the bar. The pub is tucked away (aren’t they all in Cambridge?) in the back streets. Wells and Youngs own the pub but Banks & Taylor have got the lease, so three W&Y beers appear along with three B&T ones. However there is room for four interesting guests along with an excellent selection of bottled beers and a couple of ciders. The pub interior is fairly straightforward, being a single room decorated in brewerania with a bar area that looks brand new. An eclectic soundtrack is provided by the bar staff’s choice in music. Board games are offered and there’s no sports shown here which many may find a blessed relief. One of the few ‘better’ Cambridge pubs to open all afternoon and a straightforward inclusion on any crawl of the city.

The Elm Tree is a back street pub that is in a nice area of Cambridge. When i went in this pub it was a Charles Wells tied house and once inside there was one room that was L shaped and it also had a bar billiards table in it. There were two real ales on the bar i had a drink of Eagle bitter and this was very nice the other beer was Bombadier. Pub visited 17/6/1989