please note - reviews on this site are purely the opinion of site visitors, so don't take them too seriously.
Nicholson's pub in the main tourist area of Cambridge, not far from the River Cam. It was predictably busy. There is a front and a rear bar, with a dining room further beyond down a couple of steps. Diners were occupying tables throughout the pub. St Austell Nicholson's Pale Ale & Adnams Bitter are the regular ales. Guests were St Austell January Blues, Adnams Broadside & Ghost Ship, Sharp's Doom Bar, Inveralmond Fionnar & Hogs Back TEA. I opted for the Fionnar, a coffee stout. I've certainly had better and am not sure that was the beer itself, or just its condition.
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Stopped in for one at the end of the evening. Ale tasted fine and enjoyed a couple of games on the quiz machine while we had our pint.
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Usual Nicholson's high standards. Good range of beers but clearly a food based operation,not much space for customers who are not in a group and eating.
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not a bad pub. as others say, with not a lot of nicholson's pubs around- i think this is the only one in the east of england ...? it's a bit of a standout.
tends to keep a good range of beers. food is reasonable and with cambridge having a particularly cruddy selection of restaurants, the mitre is not a bad choice for lunch. a lot of locals eat here.
sometimes attracts a bit of a gay crowd toward the back, in the evenings.
...which may explain the comments about the puzzling phenomena of people watching eurovision!
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Decent selection of beers on tap when we visited yesterday, including some interesting selections from Somerset to Yorkshire. However, as I was driving was on the soft stuff. Two soft drinks came to almost £6 so not the cheapest place.
Not the biggest bar area, although more seating at the back which was taken up by people eating. Can imagine it getting pretty crowded on a Friday or Saturday night. And then, not sure if the TVs would be tuned to something different to the BBC News Channel playing silently.
Clean, bar staff were friendly and works well to a formula but nothing spectacular.
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TWG's review speaks for me too - nothing especially wonderful about this and stiff competition from established multi-ale freehouses - not least the nearby Maypole. Still a welcome addition to north of the city centre
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This is a Nicholson's establishment which ticks the usual boxes one comes to expect if one frequents the capital - broad range of quality cask ales, engaging menu of classic pub grub, traditional Victorian-leaning fixtures and fittings, and an efficient yet not-too-branded feel. Any Londoner would probably say this is something of a by-numbers formula which has nothing to set it apart, but for a city where Nicholson's venues do not proliferate, perhaps there is a little more novelty about the Mitre. Saying that, it is hardly the first pub in Cambridge to excel in providing a decent array of handpumped beer or sound meals - indeed, competition on these fronts is strong here, and because of it, the Mitre might not be the initial port of call for maiden pub crawlers keen to sample the wares of the city.
Nevertheless, it certainly has a firm berth on a decent crawl, and given that many of the better pubs in Cambridge lie out of the centre towards the Mill Road end of things, if one is needing to stay more central, this is a must if good beer and cheer is on the list of preferences.
Busy on a Saturday night, with a mixed but congennial crowd, this pub has far more to commend it all-told than its neighbour, the Baron of Beef, and shows GK up against a more free-of-tie model.
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I don't know if we saw this place at the wrong time. some good ales but everyone was watching Eurovision in the back room which we all found very odd behaviour! not as good an environment as other pubs in the area in my opinion.
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First cambridge pub. Stopped after a walk around Jesus College. Lots of choice - on the left were the regular adnams on the right were some wacky unknown beers. Had lunch. It was OK.
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Standard Nicholson's chain establishment - clean, tidy and busy on this visit. Okay but not somewhere you'd want to spend the evening. The pint of Ptarmigan was quite nice.
anonymous - 27 Nov 2011 00:32 |
Popped in on Tuesday late afternoon. Pub was not very busy, but still took ages to be served as the staff were busy cleaning tables, removing glasses and getting ready to go home - a shift change was imminent I think. Place was nice enough, very new looking interior decor from refurb.
Beer was ok, new staff were helpful but as mentioned below, watch out for short measures - when paying �3.95 a pint you want a whole pint!
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The Mitre, which was a decent pub beforehand, has been updated to some extent, but it is not too different.
However, beware short measures, even in half glasses.......
Regis - 28 Jul 2011 11:55 |
The Mitre has recently undergone a fantastic makeover. It has gone from being a drab old boozer to an upmarket pub and restaurant. The beer is excellent [choice of 8 real ales to choose from] and the food is fantastic. A lot of time and effort has gone into making this the pub that Cambridge has been crying out for. Give it a go, you'll get a warm welcome and an excellent pint - make it your local - I have.
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Nicholson's pub in central Cambridge. Decent range of unusual ales in reasonable condition. Prices not too bad given the location.
Fairly soul-less inside. Lots of tourists and students, as to be expected. Bar staff efficient but not particularly welcoming.
OK for a non Greene King pint in the town centre, but there are far better places around the Mill Road area.
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Much improved over the last year or so. Now eight or so ales on and well-priced. Food is a bit corporate but it tasted good. It's now back on my radar after a gap of several years when I fancy a pint or two on a weekend afternoon.
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Completely average chainesque pub. Good for cheap fast food. Nice cider selection
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Great service, professional without being slick. Music probably too loud, given the clientele. Superb beer, superbly kept. Quite clean; sandpiper clearly has a chip on his shoulder!
Regis - 26 Oct 2009 14:13 |
slow and unfriendly service, no hand dryer in the smelly toliets, wondered where all the flies wer coming from.found out when went to toilet as rubbish bins overflowing out the back and flies swarming. range of ales unimpressive and flat and lukewarm.
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Popped in for a late lunch while sighseeing with family in Cambridge.
A very good choice of ales on offer, too many to try on a lunchtime visit so will have to visit again when I have more time
The food was good value offering 2 for one on some main meals.
Not a very large pub so can fill up quickly especially at lunchtime.
One of the better pubs in this part of Cambridge.
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What? Of course y ou can take dogs into places that serve food, hundreds of pubs permit it every day.
I can understand you taking exception to a poor review from someone who never even tried it, but not with rubbish about a law that doesn't exist.
By the way, the Mitre isn't that traditional in my book, it's been refurbished (with a heavily different theme) at least 3 times in the past 15 or so years that I can remember so there's a touch of the ersatz about it. It's no Free Press, Champion or Maypole, that's for sure
Doesn't mean I don't like it, in fact it's a pretty decent city centre pub - I even gave it a 7 - but they're not an unchanging traditional joint gallantly upholding environemntal law
dodgy - 16 Jan 2009 20:41 |
Just a quick note to the earlier reviewer that complained that he was not allowed in due to his dog............ You can't take a dog or any other pet/animal into a food handling enviroment BY LAW. Also if you weren't allowed in then how can you possibly have a balanced view??
I have always had an excellent time at the Mitre, one of the last traditional pubs left in Cambridge. Good food,good beer, great service. FACT.
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Fantastic Pub. Not to sure what an earlier reviewer was banging on about. The food here is always excellent, the Steak & Ale pie is a particular favourite and the selection of beer..........Can you name another Pub in the centre of Cambridge that always has 8 Real Ales on??
The staff have always been exteemly friendly and welcoming and nothing seems to be a problem, on my last vist they allowed me to try 3 different ales (for free) so I could decide which one to purchase. They call it Sip before you Sup. Great service, Always
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Christmas is a time for meeting up with friends and relatives. So therefore in the run-up to the holiday I arranged to meet an old friend in Cambridge, a mutually convenient place for us both. Usually we go to a restaurant but on the way we walked past the Mitre. The chalk board outside had an appealing selection of food so we went in. The menu described a range of tasty dishes so we ordered our drinks, from a good selection, and food, and sat down. A short time later the food was dumped (I cannot think of a more appropriate term) in front of us. Appealing it was not. We had been expecting freshly cooked food but it was obviously mircowaved. The pies were individual and paler than cadavers! They were also unevenly heated � my friend�s so badly that it still had cold spots! He returned it and it was brought back �nuked� five minutes later. I cannot imagine any of the staff have any idea about the basics of food preparation. Do not eat here!
The beer was fine but I did overhear a comment that most were actually unavailable. Add to this staff that were polite but neither particularly friendly nor welcoming, some very strange customers (we are not talking local characters here) and the overall atmosphere, and I can see no reason to ever return or recommend this pub to anyone
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Fantastic traditional pub with traditional food, real ales, pub quizzes and lots more. Great ambience and seems to attract all ages from young to old. Def one to come back to again and again!
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Refused entry on account of my dog what a complete dive this pub is I wont go there again.
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Busy at lunchtime but that would be because the food was good. So was my pint and the service was good too. No complaints.
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Always pop in here most times I'm in Cambridge. Used to have a nice, almost gothic interior, since changed, which is a shame. Expensive but nice food. Very nice atmos, view of the main street is nice if you can grab a seat.
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Oh, and two(!) quizzers! So a bonus point there.
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Unremarkable, save the labels of recently-shoplifted goods that had been discarded in the gents.
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I once went into the gents in this pub and found two men in a threatening manner making fun of my inability to urinate while these two were hanging about. Due to my increasing anger at this situation I waited until they had left and then broke the mirror.
This was a long time ago but it gives you some idea of the kind of boghole this is.
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Rude staff, bad beer. I'm not going back there.
I ordered 2 pints, which were undrinkable. When I took them back to the bar the woman told me that "people had been drinking it all night and no one had complained". She refused to replace or refund the offending pints and told me I was clueless. I am not a beer expert, but I know a bad pint, and this pub seems happy to serve them.
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One of the worst-managed pubs that I have been in for many a year.
The barman was very uninterested in what he was doing, which was not surprising as there was only him trying to serve, take food orders and, at times, clear up. There was only one person working in the kitchen, with the result that they wouldn't even take any food orders for half an hour as the poor devil couldn't cope with it. When the food came, half an hour after we eventually ordered it and an hour after we we walked in, it was only so-so. The pasta, for example, was undercooked. The harassed barman was constantly coming out and telling people waiting for food that they'd already ordered, that actually, that dish ahd run out, so would they like something else.
In the middle of this the supposed manager dragged the barman out into the public seating area and got him to fill out and sign some forms. Then, instead of helping out his harrassed staff, he swanned off with a drink in his hand.
The bar staff eventually pulled the plug on doing any more food well before they should have, and I can't blame them.
The pub itself is a horrible mismatch of styles and colours and there was a lot of refuse outside the (public) back door.
Oh, and the beer - Deuchars IPA and Adnams Bitter was also only so-so. Not cared for enough to make me want another pint of either.
I'm unlikely to ever go there again - and neither should you.
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Good, clean open place with lots of light from the large front windows. A warm, buzzing, relaxed place. Play cards at the back or drink and chat at the front. Attractive music, not too loud, adds to the general ambiance. Beer is good, with a choice of Bass, Bombardier and Deuchars - though perhaps lacking in coolness. Overall, simply a pleasant place.
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shapeless pub with half-decent beers and half-decent food. half-decent
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It's an OK place, with OK beer, you know the kind of thing. Better than most of the Regent St offerings but not a patch on the Maypole which is just round the corner
The "dark wood" thing was a refit, for what it's worth, so the "new" look is just another in the line of changes
dodgy - 17 Apr 2006 21:34 |
Used to be excellent, dark-wood, old candles, atmospheric, one of the best in town - now trashed to be a faux edwardian pseudo-chain pub. A travesty, quite.
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Another OKish pub in the historical centre of Cambridge, next to The Baron of Beef. I think 3 real ales were on, sampled the Black Sheep Best Bitter. Decent.
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A fantastic pub. Hopefully they will get addlestones cider back pretty soon rather than the fizzy rubbish. You know what brand I mean
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Used to be unique, dark, and fun. Now a fairly bland standard pub. Simply ok.
Mike - 2 Nov 2004 17:48 |
Used to be an excellent, dark-wood, atmospheric little bolt-hole and one of the best in town - now trashed to be a white panelled pseudo-chain pub. A travesty.
wpjh - 13 Oct 2004 16:55 |
Fairly okay pub. Not the best in Cambridge - fairly boring really but quiet most of the time (eg busy but not loud) and has decent amount of beer to choose from. Okay atmosphere but not the most interesting or popular in Cambridge.
Lucy - 20 Feb 2004 14:00 |
Not a bad pub to visit during the week. The weekends are always busy and the place gets a bit packed, but it has music, friendly staff, and a fairly decent amount of beer on tap.
Matt - 5 Jan 2004 16:23 |
