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Detail Pages
The Free Press, Cambridge
Cambridge
CB1 1DU
Reviews (Current Rating Average: 7½ of 10) see review guidelines
Steve of N21 left this review about The Free Press
Ah, if only all Greene King tied houses had this level of guest ales. Another fine visit to The Free Press and very good to see a Leeds Brewery beer this far south. It had just gone, but the barman offered to change the barrel if I was prepared to wait, which I was.
This gave me the opportunity to engage in conversation with some of the locals who were vertical drinking in the front bar. I had followed a push chair into the pub and normally frown on this, but as the small child had been pushed in by her grandad, who was clearly a regular, I went with the flow. Especially when it was spotted that grandad and granddaughter were wearing matching green farming jackets and after some ribbing this ex-farmer came clean on what they cost, prompting a conversation on perhaps Jeremy Clarkson was pulling the wool to how much farmers earn.
Anyway back to the beer. Very good guest line up as detailed below and my Leeds Pale was spot on. No need to modify my historical rating.
On 14th April 2024
- no rating submitted
[User has posted 2110 recommendations about 1992 pubs]
Steve C left this review about The Free Press
The Free Press is a J-shaped pub with wood paneled bar area to the left where the serving counter faces standing room and a log fireplace to the left. At the rear is a snug which seemed to generate much interest, especially as it’s claimed that an unbelievable amount of people had crammed themselves into this small space. The right-hand side of the pub is used for seating that is served by a hatch on the back bar. Out the back is covered decking and a beer shelf that leads to a paved area with café tables and a summerhouse that was closed.
The seven hand pumps were drawing Rudgate’s Ruby, Bass, Leeds Pale, GK Abbot and IPA, Twickenham Ales Spring Ale and TT Landlord. I went for the Bass which was well served by the polite barman. I liked it in here and would stop off again if passing.
On 11th April 2024
- rating: 7
[User has posted 5249 recommendations about 5217 pubs]
Tris C left this review about The Free Press
Late Georgian in origin with lovely exterior door and window casings, this is a very foodie pub with much history, such as the remains of Cambridge’s doomed 1984 boat and pumps which date from the 1940s; it’s noted for its ‘microsnug’ mentioned below.
I had a half of Twickenham’s Spring Ale which was nice enough but nothing special, unlike the pub.
On 8th April 2024
- rating: 7
[User has posted 1985 recommendations about 1951 pubs]
Graham Coombs left this review about The Free Press
An excellent backstreet pub with a good selection of beers. The layout is one room either side of the central servery, with a lovely little snug at the end which several of us wedged into (but nowhere near the claimed record of 59!). The beer range was a couple from GK plus 5 guest ales.
On 7th April 2024
- rating: 8
[User has posted 3339 recommendations about 3276 pubs]
Will Larter left this review about The Free Press
It was quite busy in here soon after leaving the Elm Tree, which had been quiet. It's probably just a matter of timing, but the crowd in this pub seemed a lot younger than the other, and it could be they're attracted by the food offering. My photo of the beer blackboard shows seven beers, mostly well known brands, but my notes made at the time say only four beers were on. Could I have missed some more hand pumps among the crowd? Anyway, I went for Tom Cat from Norwich's Fat Cat brewery, which was in very good condition (NBSS 3.5). On the wall, a series of photos in a frame showed how this used to be a corner pub on a terrace of cottages but is now a stand-alone double-cottage, having extended into the next door house. The glazed extension on the front of the pub has been there since before the rest of the row was demolished and new housing built. Some might find the beer offering here a bit humdrum, but I enjoyed being here even though it was a bit busier than I am comfortable with.
Date of visit: 28th February 2024
On 3rd April 2024
- rating: 7
[User has posted 3745 recommendations about 3482 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Old Boots left this review about The Free Press
Nestling between the backs of old houses and some new builds it could fool you that there’s no pub up that road. Once found it is a splendid multi room back street pub, don’t be put off by the Greene King signage only Abbot and IPA on sale and clipped with the ancient ceramic clips of yore. The other five pulls have a selection from across the kingdom, Five Points, Butcombe, Oakham, and two from Timothy Taylors. Double clipping with ciders in operation as well. Two bars; one with a hatch the other with a counter and the pumps. The hatch room was being used by diners, the other mainly by drinkers, there’s a tiny cubby hole or snug at the end of the counter used by some diners who looked most put out when I looked in there. No seats available so I stood up resting my pint on a handy mantelpiece, sadly some amateur drinkers thought I was in some sort of queue, to be fair it’s a small pub and queuing in pubs seems to be a thing in Cambridge. I won’t add to the descriptions or opinions already given - they’re still accurate.
On 25th July 2022
- no rating submitted
[User has posted 3269 recommendations about 2978 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Rex Rattus left this review about The Free Press
The ale selection in here was pretty good - Greene King Abbot; GK XX (a rarely seen mild); Skinner's Cornish Knocker; St Austell Tribute; Woodford Wherry; and something from Redemption. Food is clearly a major player in here, as most people were eating during our Saturday afternoon visit. Ham, egg & chips is £8, fish & chips is £12, and a new one on me was the pulled jackfruit pie (topped with mash) at £12. The barman said that I wouldn't be able to tell the jackfruit from chicken pie - I didn't believe him and went for the cheese & chutney sandwich at a reasonable £4.50.
This is also on CAMRA's Regional Inventory of pubs with historic interiors. Even though most of the fittings aren't original, it still retains the tiny snug at the back on the left. All over the pub there are are small shelving units (old print trays according to the Pub Heritage Group) in which customers place messages, business cards, and the like. I've never seen that before. There were also framed WWII newspapers as decor. It's also clearly dog friendly. At one stage a dog hurled itself at the door to open it, ran to the bar counter and placed his paws on it as an indication that the barman should reward him with a doggy treat. The barman duly obliged whereupon the furry missile sat in the middle of floor to devour his treat, until his breathless owner eventually made his way to the pub to reclaim his hairy chum.
Even though this pub appears to be food led (at least on Saturday afternoon) it still apears to be a traditional pub. I would be very happy to visit this one again.
On 20th October 2019
- rating: 8
[User has posted 2606 recommendations about 2520 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Real Ale Ray left this review about The Free Press
On our visit we met a friendly local, along with his dog sitting by the coal fire in the main front bar. The student barmaid was also friendly and chatty and what with a choice of eight pumps including one cider, this was a difficult one to leave. There is a tiny snug leading off the main room, which has a record of holding 64 people in it at one time. Goodards Fuggle De Dum was our choice on the day.
On 11th March 2016
- rating: 8
[User has posted 3382 recommendations about 3381 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Just a quick pint, then I'm off left this review about The Free Press
Another one of Cambridge's excellent back-street locals - this one retaining a multi-room layout (including a tiny snug at the back of the compact bar area, and a slightly larger room at the back). Very traditional furniture and decor, as you would expect, and an excellent atmosphere on an otherwise quiet evening between Christmas and New Year. Although a Greene King house, there are several guest beers on the eight handpumps, but I opted for a decent pint of the XX Mild (£3.30).
On 16th January 2016
- rating: 8
[User has posted 8117 recommendations about 8117 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Aqualung . left this review about The Free Press
This is actually a Greene King tied house so I approached it with a Bible in one hand, a candle in the other and a bell hanging from my neck. Joking aside, this is actually quite a decent pub and one I'm sure I'd been to before Greene King turned into a national brewer. It retains two separate bars, the one I entered was small with wooden floorboards and benches. One interesting feature is that they still have what is essentially an outdoor toilet, there is only plastic corrugated sheeting keeping the elements at bay.
Seven beers were on offer, Abbot, IPA and the rare XX Mild from Greene King, Black Sheep Bitter, St Austell Tribute, Moorhouse Ice Witch and Woodforde Nelson's Revenge. As I had already tried the Ice Witch for just £1.99 in the Tivoli a few hours earlier I went for the Nelson's Revenge which was in superb condition.
This was the second Greene King GBG listed pub I had visited at the tail end of the year. If they allowed more of their houses to have a less restricted beer choice it wouldn't harm their reputation at all.
On 23rd December 2014
- rating: 8
[User has posted 2143 recommendations about 2143 pubs]