Best Bars in Cambridge
Hungry in Cambridge? Explore top-rated bars with menus, reviews, and local recommendations. Open the free web guide or Evendo app.
The best bars in Cambridge
- Top rated
- Closest to the centre
- Price level: low to high
- Time to spend: shortest first
- A–Z
20 bars
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Pub4.4★6,230 reviews
Eagle
A 17th-century coaching inn on Bene’t Street, The Eagle stands opposite St Bene’t’s Church in central Cambridge. Visitors enter a Grade II listed building where Francis Crick announced the DNA double-helix structure in 1953 and where RAF airmen left preserved ceiling graffiti during WWII. The pub serves traditional British food and Greene King ales in a series of intimate rooms plus a beer garden. It attracts a steady mix of university staff, locals and tourists who combine a meal or drink with reading the plaques and examining the historic markings. The atmosphere remains characterful and busy throughout the year.
Price level $$Time to spend 0.5–3 hrs
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Bar4.4★4,363 reviews
Revolution Cambridge
Revolution Cambridge occupies a multi-floor building on Downing Place in the city centre, combining a ground-floor restaurant and bar, upper clubroom with DJs, vodka lounge, karaoke booths and a heated rooftop terrace with retractable roof. The venue serves American-style bar food and vodka cocktails by day before shifting to louder music and dancing after dark. It draws a mix of students, tourists and local groups for meals, after-work drinks and weekend nights out. Capacity reaches around 960 across the spaces. Entry is free during daytime hours with possible late cover at weekends. The site sits steps from the Grand Arcade and main college streets, making it a convenient stop within the compact central district.
Price level $$Time to spend 0.8–5 hrs
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Pub4.5★2,180 reviews
The Cambridge Blue
The Cambridge Blue occupies two Victorian railway workers’ cottages on a side street east of Cambridge station. This independent freehouse maintains up to fourteen cask ales, a broad cider list and an extensive whisky range in a single-bar room that opens onto a large rear garden with picnic tables and a heated marquee. The pub draws locals, CAMRA members and visitors seeking straightforward real-ale drinking rather than themed or chain surroundings.
Mon–Sat 12:00–23:00 · Sun 12:00–22:30Price level $$Time to spend 0.8–3 hrs
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Pub4.2★2,415 reviews
The Cambridge Brew House
The King Street Brewhouse stands at 1 King Street in central Cambridge. This brewpub operates an on-site microbrewery that has produced beer since 2013. Visible tanks sit behind the bar alongside a craft beer wall. The menu focuses on smoked dishes and beer-led preparations. Separate rooms screen live sport while upstairs spaces handle private events. Owned by Young’s, the venue combines brewing activity with standard pub service in a compact city-centre setting.
Price level $$Time to spend 1–3 hrs
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Pub4.1★1,808 reviews
The Anchor
The Anchor stands on Silver Street beside the River Cam, offering terrace views of the Mathematical Bridge and Queens’ College. This 1843 Greene King pub serves cask ales and British meals to visitors combining a riverside stop with punting or college walks. The multi-level interior includes a lower Riverside Bar opening to the water and an upper Riverview dining room. Terrace seating cannot be reserved and fills quickly on sunny days. Indoor tables are bookable for meals lasting one to two hours.
Mon–Sat 12:00–23:00 · Sun 12:00–22:00Price level $$Time to spend 0.5–3 hrs
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Pub4.1★1,294 reviews
Bath House
A Grade II listed 17th-century pub on Bene’t Street in central Cambridge, the Bath House combines historic timber framing with a standard Greene King menu of cask ales and pub classics. Visitors use it as a convenient stop between colleges, the market and King’s Parade, for a pint, quick meal or sports screening. The compact interior features exposed beams, panelling and modern seating after a 2021 refurbishment. It suits casual breaks rather than extended stays, with lively evening trade from students, tourists and locals. No large garden exists despite some listings; expect a small rear courtyard at best. The location places it steps from St Bene’t’s Church and The Eagle.
Price level $$Time to spend 0.5–3 hrs
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Pub4.3★1,165 reviews
The Mill
The Mill occupies a Grade II listed late-18th-century building at 14 Mill Lane beside the Mill Pond and Silver Street Bridge. This traditional British pub serves cask ales from eight handpumps, keg beers and straightforward British food including Sunday roast. Visitors order at the bar then carry drinks outside onto the adjacent public common of Laundress Green, where punts pass the weir and college buildings form the backdrop. The compact interior includes a main bar and a bookable wood-panelled snug. The site once formed part of Cambridge's milling and wharf quarter, and the pub has operated under various names since at least the mid-19th century. It remains a year-round stop for walkers, punters and locals seeking a pint in a riverside setting.
Mon–Sat 12:00–23:00 · Sun 12:00–21:00Price level $$Time to spend 0.5–4 hrs
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Pub4.6★1,015 reviews
The Free Press
Independent backstreet pub in central Cambridge with a preserved 1940s interior, a tiny historic snug, cask ales and seasonal locally sourced food served by Cambridge-born siblings.
Tue–Sat 12:00–23:00 · Sun 12:00–21:00Price level $$Time to spend 1–2 hrs
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Pub4.5★656 reviews
Town and Gown
Town and Gown occupies a restored 1866 building in central Cambridge's Market Passage, functioning as a multi-level gastropub with McMullen ales, British food and an upstairs Black Box Theatre. The venue blends downstairs bar and dining areas with an intimate fringe performance space that hosts comedy, live music and events. Visitors move between casual meals, drinks and ticketed shows in a setting that draws both locals and university crowds. The pedestrianised location places it steps from Market Square, making it a practical stop during a city-centre day or evening.
Price level $$Time to spend 0.5–4 hrs
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Bar4.3★655 reviews
The Tivoli
The Tivoli occupies a 1925 art-deco cinema building on Chesterton Road beside the River Cam. Inside the four-floor venue are two neon-lit 9-hole crazy-golf courses, three 22-foot shuffleboard tables, AR darts, multiple bars and street-food counters serving pizza and burgers. Groups gather for games and drinks on the roof terrace or riverside deck, while the ground-floor hall hosts live sport. The site is a 15- to 25-minute walk or short bus ride from central Cambridge and stays busy from mid-afternoon into late evening, especially at weekends.
Price level $$Time to spend 1–4 hrs
The Orator
Nestled in the heart of Cambridge, The Orator offers a delightful culinary experience with its British cuisine, vibrant beer garden, and cozy cocktail bar atmosphere. It's the perfect spot for tourists seeking a taste of local flavors and a lively ambiance.
BrewDog Cambridge
BrewDog Cambridge is a vibrant craft beer bar and restaurant located at 15 Bene't Street, in the heart of Cambridge. Known for its innovative brews and elevated food menu featuring burgers, pizzas, wings, and vegan options, it offers a lively atmosphere on historic cobbled streets. With a spacious beer garden and a commitment to quality, BrewDog Cambridge blends contemporary craft culture with the city’s rich intellectual heritage.
Mon–Fri 12:00–24:00 · Sat–Sun 11:00–24:00Price level $$Time to spend 1–3 hrs
The Alma
Nestled in the heart of Cambridge, The Alma is a charming pub that offers a unique blend of great food, live music, and a welcoming atmosphere. Perfect for tourists looking to unwind after a day of exploration, this venue captures the essence of British pub culture while providing a lively space for socializing and entertainment.
Mon–Tue 16:00–24:00 · Wed–Sun 12:00–24:00
196 cocktail bar
An unmarked independent cocktail bar on Cambridge's Mill Road, 196 occupies a compact corner unit with a dark-grey facade and minimal signage. Inside, the dimly lit space features candlelight, tight seating, framed photographs and a small heated terrace. Visitors settle in for owner-crafted cocktails, wine, bottled beer and sharing boards of charcuterie or cheese. The atmosphere stays neighbourhood-focused and unhurried, attracting couples, small groups and enthusiasts rather than large parties or tourists seeking loud nightlife. Established around 2012 by mixologist Darren Brooks, the bar maintains a low-profile presence on a diverse Victorian-era street of independent shops and housing.
Price level $$Time to spend 0.8–3 hrs
Ta Bouche
Ta Bouche occupies a compact indoor space with a large outdoor terrace on the narrow pedestrian Market Passage in central Cambridge. The independent bar serves cocktails, draught beer and wine from the mid-afternoon onward, with extended happy-hour pricing that draws students and locals for casual drinks before later crowds arrive. The setting mixes a historic city-centre passage with modern bar fit-out; outdoor tables fill quickly in mild weather while indoor nooks and the bar counter handle overflow. Visits suit groups seeking affordable rounds rather than refined lounge seating or full meals, as the current offer focuses on drinks and light snacks. Service and noise levels vary with the evening, and the venue forms part of Cambridge's compact late-night cluster alongside neighbouring spots.
Price level $$Time to spend 0.5–4 hrs
The Cambridge Tap
The Cambridge Tap occupies a former bank building at 32 St Andrew's Street in central Cambridge. Opened by McMullen & Sons in December 2021, it serves as a two-level city-centre bar focused on burgers, handmade cocktails, craft beers and McMullen cask ales. Ground floor hosts the main bar and dining area while the upstairs room overlooks Emmanuel College and suits groups or private hire. The modern fit-out with exposed brick and high ceilings creates a lively, music-forward atmosphere suited to after-work drinks, casual meals and events such as Monday quizzes and monthly karaoke. Visitors typically spend one to three hours here as part of a city-centre visit.
Price level $$Time to spend 0.5–3 hrs
Bar -OH
Bar -OH occupies a compact ground-floor unit beside the Hilton Cambridge City Centre at 20 Downing Place. It serves house cocktails in novelty vessels such as shark, parrot, bathtub and games-console glassware, alongside classics and low-alcohol options. Free retro consoles and board games sit at tables, a robot doorman greets arrivals, and a small stage hosts scheduled live music. The venue runs daily from 16:00 to 01:00 with table service only. Walk-ins are accepted but reservations secure a slot for groups wanting to play games or stay for performances.
Daily 16:00–1:00Price level $$Time to spend 1–4 hrs
2648 Cambridge
2648 Cambridge is a stylish cocktail bar located at 14A Trinity Street, Cambridge. Known for its nostalgic ambiance filled with vinyl records and cozy private rooms, it offers a unique setting for enjoying expertly crafted cocktails. The bar operates primarily on Friday and Saturday evenings, providing a lively yet intimate atmosphere ideal for social gatherings and special occasions.
Fri 18:00–1:30 · Sat 16:00–1:30Price level $$Time to spend 1–3 hrs
The LAB
The LAB is a cocktail bar at 90 Regent Street in central Cambridge. It serves mixed drinks from late afternoon into the early hours on weekends. The venue occupies a compact indoor space suited to evening visits.
Price level $$Time to spend 1–3 hrs
Hidden Rooms
Hidden Rooms occupies a compact space on Jesus Lane in central Cambridge. The venue operates primarily as a cocktail bar with live music and events on select evenings. Opening is limited to Tuesday evenings plus Friday and Saturday nights, creating a focused schedule that concentrates activity into those windows.
Price level $$Time to spend 1.5–4 hrs
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