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Detail Pages
The Geldart, Cambridge
Cambridge
CB1 2PF
Reviews (Current Rating Average: 7½ of 10) see review guidelines
Steve of N21 left this review about The Geldart
Of all the side-street corner pubs in this eastern part of the city this is my personal favourite. As a self confessed jazz head, anywhere that is musically themed with reliably good ales,dispensed by brass instruments instead of your standard hand pumps, and pictures of Miles Davis and other Jazz greats adorning its walls firmly has me by the short and curlies.
Another good visit here. Eight ales on the go with a good mix of styles and the Vale Brewery’s Black Beauty Porter I went for was in good condition.
This is still right up there for me, so no need to modify my previous rating.
On 14th April 2024
- no rating submitted
[User has posted 2110 recommendations about 1992 pubs]
Steve C left this review about The Geldart
The Geldart is a music themed pub cum exhibition of musical instruments, including a very impressive glass topped piano that is being used as a table. Lots of stuff to look at, the musically inclined people in our group were very excited, and rightly so. Even the eight hand pump handles are made of cut down musical instruments! Salopian’s Lemon Dream, St Austell’s Tribute, Adnams Ghost Ship, Vocation’s Bread & Butter, Oakham’s Citra, St Ives Meor and Vale Brewery’s Black Beauty Porter were the cask options. I went for the Vocation which was well served by a very friendly barmaid. This place is well worth a look.
On 12th April 2024
- rating: 8
[User has posted 5238 recommendations about 5206 pubs]
Just a quick pint, then I'm off left this review about The Geldart
One of the many side-street corner pubs in this eastern part of the city near the railway line, but this one is a recent local Camra-award winner. Attractive twin-bar interior, with both parts semi-traditionally decorated with a musical theme, and the link between them having a glass-topped grand piano as a table! Good selection of eight cask beers on handpumps with handles created from small instruments, with the Vale Black Beauty (£5.20) being in great shape. Notably efficient and personable staff too, so that's always worth an extra point.
On 8th April 2024
- rating: 8
[User has posted 8117 recommendations about 8117 pubs]
Tris C left this review about The Geldart
Serving ‘innovative food’, this is very much a music-themed pub; museum wouldn’t be off the mark, with musical instruments and radiophonic paraphernalia aplenty; it’s also a Cambridge CAMRA pub 2023. Lots of the tables were reserved and laid for dining, no doubt for those looking to munch on innovation.
There are nine pumps, suitably with pump handles fashioned from bits of musical instruments. I went for the Oakham Citra which I’ve marked as ‘nice’, the experience dented by having to part with £2.85 for the pleasure.
On 8th April 2024
- rating: 7
[User has posted 1985 recommendations about 1951 pubs]
Will Larter left this review about The Geldart
If navigating to this pub using a map on your phone, make sure it hasn't sent you to Geldart Street instead. Using your glasses even though it's raining might save you an extra half mile walk. I had arranged to meet a friend here, a GBG completist, and when I arrived - only 10 minutes late - and said in reply to his question that I would have a half of Hanlon's Yellow Hammer, he failed to mention that he had drunk this beer before and it is pretty boring. So much for revenge being a dish best served cold. To be fair, I scored it NBSS 3.5 because it was in very good condition, but if a friend said he was thinking of drinking it I would certainly advise against. Despite all this I had a good time in this pub, with its quirky hand pumps fashioned from musical instruments distinguishing it from any other pub I have visited or been told about. Unfortunately I had reached the point in this day's pub research where making notes had become beyond me, so that's all you get.
Date of visit: 29th February 2024
On 3rd April 2024
- rating: 7
[User has posted 3734 recommendations about 3471 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Old Boots left this review about The Geldart
As described before a corner pub with two distinct bars, the sign in the entrance lobby is still there, I chose left for the bare board, hard seats real ale experience. Eight pulls here, each with a disused musical instrument as a handle - I had a pint of coronet, sorry Burton Bridge Damson Porter excellent but sadly in a bloody handled jug. Other instruments, sorry brewers included Hopback, Oakham, Adnams, St Austell, New River and Electric Bear. The staff are spot on although it wasn’t too busy on my Saturday night visit which is worrying. Constant music of course but my catholic tastes weren’t offended. The main dining room, the bar and indeed the rear corridor between the two all have very different vibes and different decor styles but all musically themed. Well worth a visit and it’s yet another GBG 2022 listed pub in this small area.
On 25th July 2022
- no rating submitted
[User has posted 3269 recommendations about 2978 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Bucking Fastard left this review about The Geldart
Yet another street corner pub in these back streets north away from the station ,but larger than several others and with a strong music themed interior worthy of inspection.There is even an opening window for off sales but no sign that drinking in this residential street is tolerated.
Entering via a side door,the rear room has a series of dining tables ,each with a candle and a bit poncey.A back room has an upright piano with assosiated skeleton and then a mini grand piano picked out in lights.The larger tap room has fewer tables than usual,a bit bare,a real firplace and any number of guitars around the picture shelf.Four beer engines have musical instruments as pulls,while bakelite radios and tv's can also be spotted.THe wooden floor gives an ale house feel.It is clear that booking is essential ,although empty at 5.15pm,my table and lots of others were needed by 6pm.Food may well be a draw here,home cooking at work.
There were 4 ales to choose from Moonshine Cellermans Stout,Adnams Ghost Ship,New River London Tap and Oakham Citra (NBSS 3.5),justifying it's 2021 GBG listing.
One not to miss,I enjoyed my visit and would happily reappear.There is a good sized garden to boot.
On 22nd October 2020
- rating: 8
[User has posted 2727 recommendations about 2727 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Rex Rattus left this review about The Geldart
I found this quite an interesting pub, and unlike the previous reviewer I didn't think it was soulless, although perhaps a bit clinical in places. But as you enter into the small vestibe you know where to go - a sign to the room on the right says go here for keg, and a sign to the room on the left is for the real ale. The room on the left is the smaller of the two and is of course where the eight handpumps are located. There were "only" six ales on when we visited, but we managed quite nicely with the Oakham Citra. The blackboard on the wall mentioned by Ray is still there, advertising several exotic animals as food. Luckily we weren't looking for anything to eat. The room on the right - the "keg" room - is clearly where diners were more likely to eat as all tables were laid for diners.
Music is clearly important in here. They have live music on Wednesdays and Thursdays, an old jukebox sits in the short passageway between the rooms; an old tapedeck is on the end of the bar counter and musical instruments are all over the pub as decor. The light shades in the real ale room are old drumkits, and the menus on the counter in the keg beer room are stuck on old vinyil records, but perhaps the most interesting feature is that the pump handles are actually musical instruments. Also, a big box next to the jukebox contained old vinyl records - obviously unwanted as there was a "help yourself" sign next to it. There was nothing to my taste, but if you were a Billie Jo Spears fan then your luck was in.
This is another pub worth including on any crawl of Cambridge.
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 Geldart
A large corner pub, consisting of a main corner bar, with a lit log fire on our visit. There was an open hatch in the far corner which led into the kitchen area. This gave a good view of the chef preparing that evening's fayre. The menu on the wall near the bar, advertising Kangaroo, Zebra, Buffalo and Horse was a bit too obscure for me. There was a large rear restaurant area and another small room in blue, with an old baby grand piano converted into a table. I found the main bar to be quite bare and soulless. Eight pumps on our visit, so we went for the Adnams Mosaic and Orkney Brewery Red McGregor.
On 12th March 2016
- rating: 7
[User has posted 3382 recommendations about 3381 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Aqualung . left this review about The Geldart
This was one of the less attractive pubs for me on my day out in Cambridge but it's still worth a look. It's yet another wooden floored pub where food seems to be a major factor. The tables were adorned with lighted candles but at least it was dark. The bar had eight hand pumps but far too many of these were taken up by mainstream beers (Deuchar's IPA, Young's Special and the like). I spotted Rooster's Yankee (£3.50) so went for that and it was in excellent condition.
On 23rd December 2014
- rating: 7
[User has posted 2143 recommendations about 2143 pubs]