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Cambridge PuG Crawl, Friday 5th April 2024 with Gann on the Pub Forum

The Cambridge Blue, Cambridge

87 Gwydir Street
Cambridge
CB1 2LG
Phone: 01223471680

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Reviews (Current Rating Average: 8 of 10) Add Review see review guidelines


Will Larter left this review about The Cambridge Blue

The previous reviewers has it spot on, in my opinion. This is an overwhelming pub, doing everything for everybody on a huge scale. Yes, there's a great choice of drinks, but it feels like being at a beer festival. Maybe I should come back in the afternoon when it might be more congenial.

On 29th February 2024 - rating: 6
[User has posted 3699 recommendations about 3440 pubs]


Please Note: This review is over a year old.


Old Boots left this review about The Cambridge Blue

Multi pump and multiple Camra award winner in what I suppose to be a converted terrace house in a terraced street. There are 14 hand pumps, some double clipped with cider clips. Beers are sourced from smaller breweries nationally. Comprising a u shaped room at the front with two counter faces to the central servery, the front is occupied by fridges for a wealth of bottles and cans, one side of the u appears to be storage space for the off-licence part of the business. Decor here is mostly old enamelled advertising signs and US and European brewery signs. To the left is a long thinnish extension with refectory style tables and benches, the decor is an overwhelming mix of old brewery trays, mirrors, enamelled signs and whisky boxes stuck to the ceiling. Included is an ad for Dales whose brewery was at the other end of Gwydir St, the building is clearly recognisable. The pub has a large garden at the back with picnic benches under a marquee. The beer is well kept but the pub’s not going to be everyone’s cup of tea, Camra likes it and put it in their book: with 14 pulls you knew that didn’t you?

On 25th July 2022 - no rating submitted
[User has posted 3209 recommendations about 2920 pubs]


Please Note: This review is over a year old.


E TA left this review about The Cambridge Blue

As described by others, this is an ale lover’s destination, which also offers an excellent selection of craft beers, ciders and whiskies. It was originally called The Dew Drop. The name has changed, but I believe Israeli paratroopers are still welcome. It is let down by minor irritating details – the sneering barman who looked down his nose when I asked about CAMRA discount, the WiFi not working were the two most obvious. Craft beers were Heisenberg (though I’m not too certain about that one), Mosaic, Egyptian Cream, Sacristan and Hop Stash. Ales were Hop Kitty and Gazelle from Animal, Adnam’s Southwold, Nethergate Growling Dog, Burton Bridge Damn Dog and Bramble Stout, and Mad Squirrel Berkhopsted. The other handpumps were dry, and there were several foreign beers available in bottles plus Bitburger on tap and there was an excellent selection of real ciders. A definite crawl destination and I’d be happy to spend an evening here, though it does get busy, especially with once-a-year would-be ale drinkers and those CAMRA yoghurt-knitters who like a selfie while clogging the bar with their hour-long half.

On 18th February 2020 - rating: 8
[User has posted 3272 recommendations about 3237 pubs]


Please Note: This review is over a year old.


Rex Rattus left this review about The Cambridge Blue

One of my fellow drinkers told me that there were fourteen real ales on in here - he's probably right but I stopped counting after I ran out of fingers and thumbs. As you enter, the bank of fridges are still there facing you containing what appeared to be an impressive array of Belgian beers.

This looks it might be a house conversion; in any case it has the same look as the terrace of house in which it sits. Inside it's essentially two rooms, with the room on the left stretching back a long way, leading to the garden at the back. It didn't have the same homely welcoming "locals" feel as the Elm Tree, but rather a functional pub where you can drink a range of well kept real ales. I can see that such a place would be some real ale enthusiasts dream pub, and it was certainly doing a good trade late Saturday afternoon even without the CAMRA pub crawl participants that admittedly swelled the numbers.

If you appreciate good real ale (and who doesn't?) then this is yet another destination pub in Cambridge.

On 20th October 2019 - rating: 8
[User has posted 2606 recommendations about 2520 pubs]


Please Note: This review is over a year old.


Graham Coombs left this review about The Cambridge Blue

A remarkable permanent beer and cider exhibition with a huge range of each. The large extended back room has the feel of a German beer hall, and the large outdoor area under canvas even more so. Great when quiet but can get over-busy.

On 6th August 2018 - rating: 8
[User has posted 3322 recommendations about 3259 pubs]


Please Note: This review is over a year old.


Real Ale Ray left this review about The Cambridge Blue

It's been a good few years since I was here last. I did notice that there had been a few changes, the most considerable was the large rear extension, plus a marquee and the banks of bottle coolers near the front entrance. One thing that hasn't changed was the good flow of customers around the place. There was a selection of eight ales on handpump on our visit. So we went for the Nene Valley Australian Pale and Pot Belly Lager Bran.

On 11th March 2016 - rating: 8
[User has posted 3376 recommendations about 3376 pubs]


Please Note: This review is over a year old.


Just a quick pint, then I'm off left this review about The Cambridge Blue

Justifiably famous back-street alehouse, with an extended 'J'-shaped bar area now supplemented by a marquee in the rear beer garden. As you would expect, the furniture is fairly rustic and the decor mostly breweriana, but you'd want your money back if it wasn't... Only slightly odd feature is the line of bottle fridges that face you on entry. Busy early on an otherwise quiet evening between Christmas and New Year, with an appropriately convivial atmosphere. Splendid selection of nine real ales - including the Santa's Claws from Colchester Brewery (£3.60) - and five ciders from the 14 handpumps. Top drawer!

On 16th January 2016 - rating: 8
[User has posted 8061 recommendations about 8061 pubs]


Please Note: This review is over a year old.


Aqualung . left this review about The Cambridge Blue

For over twenty five years this had been the "must visit" pub for beer in Cambridge. Note the use of the word "had" in the previous sentence as on my day in Cambridge this was the least attractive pub visited. I remember when this was a Nethergate pub in the days when they were a revered brewery and I also recall how they made the smaller bar on the right a No Smoking room long before the smoking ban was introduced.
On this occasion as I entered I was faced with a wall of fridges containing bottles as though I had walked into a supermarket or off licence.
Gone are the two bars as it's all one room and on an early Saturday evening it was rammed. It was far too busy to note down all the beers so I just went for the Burton Bridge Dam Dog (£3.60) which was in good nick.
To me it's been ruined and is a victim of its own success. It's gone from being a popular back street pub with great beers to a crowded madhouse. It's lucky that there are other better options nearby.

On 23rd December 2014 - rating: 5
[User has posted 2143 recommendations about 2143 pubs]


Please Note: This review is over a year old.


Pub SignMan left this review about The Cambridge Blue

This is a well revered ale house, tucked away in a residential back street, but within easy reach of the station and city centre. The pub is set in a row of Victorian terraced housing and was originally known as the Dewdrop Inn before changing to it's present name which refers to the colour worn by Cambridge University's sporting teams and their famous rowing crew in particular. On entering the pub a huge statement of intent is laid out immediately before you, with a set of huge fridges packed full of exciting bottled beers dominating the entrance space. To the right is a reasonable sized seating area with limited access to the bar and décor similar to that seen in the main part of the pub which is to the left of the entrance. Here you will find the main bar running down the right with pews under the front windows and small tables with low stools opposite the bar. There are lots of brewery signs on display including a number from continental breweries on the ceiling. The room extends some way to the rear, into what looks like a relatively new extension. Long tables are arranged down the left side and standard tables and chairs fill in the gaps on the right created by a series of structural pillars. The room is bare boarded and a set of doors at the rear lead out to a very nice and surprisingly large garden which is part paving, part astro-turf and lined with several large trees. Picnic benches and modern metal chairs with tables under parasols comprise most of the seating options, although there is a nice little summerhouse in the far corner. Steps allow patrons to climb a low stone wall to the rear which seemingly leads into the adjacent cemetery and judging by the frequency with which it is used, I can only assume that this either acts as some sort of short-cut to the pub or that I spent the evening drinking with the undead.
On the bar, a strong cask line up comprising Moonshine Blueberry Ale, Redemption Fellowship Porter, Dark Star Hophead, Brew Co Citra, Black Hill Three Quarters, Great Heck Voodoo Mild, Langton Angler, FILO Gold, Woodfordes Wherry and Six Bells Cloud Nine. Thirty real ciders were also available as part of their ongoing cider festival and the staff were doing a good job at promoting these to any customer showing a bit of indecision at the bar. I opted for a beer from a brewery I'd not tried before - the Black Hill Three Quarters - but found it was pretty flat and not really up to much, which was a shame as this pub clearly knows how to keep good beer.
An interesting first visit to what appears to be something of an institution among the city's beer drinkers. The poor pint was unfortunate but I'm prepared to file that under bad luck and I would be very keen to return and spend a bit more time working through the ale range.

On 18th September 2014 - rating: 8
[User has posted 3102 recommendations about 3102 pubs]


Please Note: This review is over a year old.


paulof horsham left this review about The Cambridge Blue

Approaching the smart yet unexceptional exterior down a quiet back street, you get no impression of the wonders within the Cambridge Blue. That all changes as soon as you open the door: instead of a bar sporting handpumps and a few lager fonts, you're faced with a couple of fridges packed full of the world's best bottled beers. The actual bar is round to the left, offering a dozen or so quality ales and real ciders - Oakham had a couple of representatives when I visited.

Further back, the room has been much extended - it may lack great character, but they obviously need the room to accommodate lucky locals and awe-struck beer tourists. As if that were not enough, there's a sizeable garden beyond.

While Cambridge has many quality pubs, you could be forgiven for simply coming here and not moving on.

On 18th September 2012 - rating: 9
[User has posted 446 recommendations about 418 pubs]

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