Live & Let Live, Cambridge

Please note the pub opens at 5pm during the week. Well worth the wait as this is a cracking pub, serving great beer. The locals were also friendly and chatty. There was a choice of six ales on handpump and two ciders. We went for the Oakham Green Devil and Yubby beer from the Cotswolds.

Our first pub of a long day’s crawl and in my opinion the best. Made to wait an extra 10 minutes outside beyond the stated opening time but proved to be well-worth the wait as all the eight ales were pulled through and in top condition – I tried Brewdog Trashy Blonde, Oakley and Umbel Magna. A large collection Belgian bottles was also spotted but we were too besotted by the ale to try any. The extra 10 minutes outside allowed us to notice the unusual pub sign, which had a different illustration on both sides. The pub is located on a residential back street corner, just under 10 minutes stroll from the station. The interior is fairly basic, wood panelling along with wooden floor and furniture – no pretensions here! The atmosphere inside is very much centred around drinking and conversation; unashamedly old-fashioned. Plenty of things to read, including CAMRA mags from all round the UK. If it wasn’t for the fact we had other pubs to do, we would have stayed here for a good few hours. All in all, a little cracker in a city well-served by traditional ale houses.

This is my second visit to this pub and I am not disappointed. Blindly selected a brew from the bewildering selection on the bar, only to find it was a mild. But a mighty fine mild it was. Not as bad as last time however when one of our party blindly selected "Fruit Bat" you will know what i mean if you have tried it. Great decor, scrub top tables and loads of reading matter. I'll be back.