The Kite and King Street

Once called the Baker's Arms, after an internal refurbishment in 1998 it became the Baker's Yard. The exterior was repainted in 2004, and the name was shortened to The Bakers. It is a large pub, with an apt bread and bakery theme. Towards the front of the pub is a dark, public bar which is home to a pool table. The rear of the pub is much brighter, with a pleasant conservatory-style extension laeding to a beer garden. The walls are decorated with old advertising signs, breadboards, loaves and wheet. On one of the bare brick walls is a large oven door. Since our last visit, the menu has expanded to include jacket potatoes (£2.75-£4), quick meals (£4-£5.50), omlettes (£3.50), snacks (£1.50-£4), house salads (£4.25-£4.75) and baguettes (£2.75-£3). Food is served from 12pm until 2pm, and 6pm until 9pm.

" This pub is currently closed for renovations. "

This Greene King pub has recently had a change of management, with the new occupants coming from the Town & Gown. Much of the previous publican's decorations have been removed, and a water bubble lamp has appeared on the bar. Above the fire place are some cacti and herons. The Victorian interior is carpatted, with bench seating (which is much in need of replacement) and some tables to the rear of the pub. The walls are dark blue below the chair rail, cream above, and caramel above the picture rail. The menu, which includes baguettes (£2.50), jacket potatoes (£2.50), side orders (£1.50), deserts (£2.20) and main courses (£2.25-£5), we found to be particulary good value.

" The landlord has left the Bird in Hand, the pub is being refurbished, and the quiz night has stopped (at least for the moment). "

A small Greene King pub, the Champion of the Thames serves between 11am and 3pm a selection of sandwiches and baguettes, with a choice of fillings including sausage, bacon, cheese, tuna, ham, egg. A one-filling baguette, served with a small salad, is competitively priced at two pounds, with a charge of 25 pence for additional fillings. From the exterior, pictures of scullers can be seen etched in the semi-frosted glass windows. The front door has a doorbell. The interior is divided into two sections, both wood panelled, with lino on the floor and low ceilings. Around the walls hang pictures with a rowing theme, and numerous photos of regulars to the pub. There is a real coal fire, and seating arranged in small alcoves with benches. Many of the chairs were leather upholstered, although they have seen better days. Stools surround the bar. In the evenings, it doesn't take a large crowd of students to make this cozy pub cramped. Quiet music plays in the background, and there are two tables where the locals play cribbage.

This small Greene King pub has changed little over the years. The locals sitting round bar give it a cosy, friendly atmosphere. Traditional pub plates site on a high shelf above wood frame walls, and pictures with a golfing and motoring theme adorn the lower sections. A small pleasant courtyard beer garden to the rear is decorated with roses covered trestles. Plastic and wooden furniture and a barbecue make this sheltered sun-trap cramped. There is a small eating area at the front, though food can be served anywhere. The menu includes: light snacks (£2.50 - £4.25), sandwiches (£2.00 - £4.25), meat and fish (£4.50 - £8.95), vegetarian (£4.50 - £8.95), sweets (£1.50 - £2.75) and tea and coffee (£1.20). On our lunchtime visit it was busy, and football was being shown on the TV. This pub also does bed and breakfast accommodation and has quiz nights on Thursdays (if enough people turn up). Watch out for the dangerous steps leading to the beer garden.

The smallest pub in Cambridge, the St. Radegund does not serve food. Its dimly lit interior has wooden furniture around the walls, with candles in decorated jars on the tables. The walls are covered in small photos of locomotives and old maps of Cambridge, and the windows are half covered by low hessian curtians. The ceiling, from which paraffin lamps hang, is covered in graffiti burnt onto its surface. Also suspended are pot plants, which climb along oars. A sign reads "No Gooses Sausaged". London Pride, Spitfire and Bateman beers are served, each in their own named glasses. Four pint jugs can be purchased at a slightly reduced rate. Vera Lynn cocktails are a speciality. The pub is popular with Jesus college sport teams, whose photos can also be seen around the walls.

The pub is named after Radegund, a sixth century saint. Jesus College was founded on the site of the twelfth century Benedictine nunnery of St. Mary and St. Radegund. See the history of Jesus College for more information.

Source: Jesus College website

Formerly the up-market Bar Citrus, and before that the Ancient Druids, this pub has dropped its unusual menu in favour of traditional pub food, served between 12pm and 8pm (12pm to 2pm on Sundays). Gone are the ciabatta sandwiches, chargrilled and pan fried dishes, noodles and rice meals, pasta and Mexican dishes. In place are soups (£2.95), Potatoe Skins (£3.25), nachos (£3.50-£4.60), salads (£5.20) and burgers (£4.50-£5.20). Also included are main meals (£5-£5.50), Jacket Potatoes (£3.75-£4.20), baguettes (£3.50), side orders (£1.50-£2.50) and desserts (£2.30). Further options are available on the specials board. It remains a Charles Wells establishment, and serves beers such as Eagle and Bombadeer, although coffee and other hot drinks can also be purchased. The interior has changed little (if at all) since its Bar Citrus days, although on our visit it did seem darker than we remembered. With glass walls on two sides, it can be a little cold. Two fruit machines compete with a TV projection screen for your attention. On our visit, rugby was being shown, and the volume level was causing audio distortion.

Formerly The Boat Race, The Vine opened in August 2004 after extensive renovation, and it is difficult to imagine how a pub could change more in character. The dark, drab music venue which only opened for gigs is now a modern gastro-pub which opens all day. What once were small boarded windows now have glass in them and their enlargement is only a small part of the extensive exterior renovation, which includes a patio beer garden to the rear. Other than its location there is little to remind former clientele of the original building. The interior has a contemporary atmosphere defined by decor and music. The brushed steel bar, the big coffee machine on bar, the open kitchen, the colour scheme of deep red, olive and white, the leather upholstery, the wood and brick floor and the uniformed staff add to the effect. The menu (complete with its metallic plastic cover) contains: main meals (£6.50-£9.50), sandwiches (£5.50-£6.50), desserts (£4.50) and the deli selection (3 items for £4.50, 5 for £7.50 or 7 for £10.50). Our sandwiches (although expensive) were large and came with both chips and salad. The back half of the pub is a no smoking area, and the decking beer garden beyond contains all-wood furniture. Several bike racks have also been added.

" From cam.misc: A bit of local history ends 31 Jan when The Boat Race, a major Cambridge pub music venue, shuts its doors. The squat building with green faade has given local musicians and upcoming bands a place to perform for over a decade. Since the pub got serious about music in 1992, upgrading its facilities on East Road, everyone from home-grown star Ezio to big names (before they drew public attention) like Oasis have graced its stage. Closure leaves Cambridge bereft in more than one sense, as its gentle owner for the past six years and able promoter of so much talent, Stan Engle, moves on for personal reasons and will be leaving for California. The site passes into the hands of a large pub management company, Enterprise Inns, some sort of renovation and no certainty that music would continue to be part of the picture. "

When the Bun Shop was transformed from its previous incarnation as the King's Arms, some of the formerly large pub became a wine bar and Spanish Tapas is served upstairs. The pub now only takes up a small part of the building. It has a student theme with old pictures of Cambridge on the walls, and a small boat and a bicycle suspended from the ceiling. Although a modern building, it has old-world all-wood interior, with wood panelled walls, wooden floors, wooden partitions (divided the pub into compartments) and wooden (upholstered) furniture. The look is completed by antique objects scattered on high shelves. Newspapers are scattered around for customers to read. Only the all glass frontage gives away the building's real age. The menu consists of snacks and starters, from garlic bread (£1.75) to chilli nachos (£5.25), salads (such as kiwi and avocado for £4.25), pasta dishes such as chicken and chorizo (£5.25-£6.95), "classics" such as burgers (from £5.50) to full roasts (£8.50), "cheap and chearful" dishes such as the full English breakfase (£5.50) or the chilli (£3.75) and tradional pub meals including doorstep sandwiches (£1.50-£3.75) and jacket potatoes (£2.45-£4.50). The pub was doing brisk trade on our Saturday lunchtime visit.

" The Bun Shop does a quiz on Tuesdays. "

When it was taken over by new management in 2000, the Burleigh Arms changed considerably. After another redecoration, the interior's wood panelled is now cream which, together with new furniture,and wooden floors, gives a smart, modern feel. A plasma and LCD screen hang on the walls. Because of its proximity to the Grafton shopping centre, this pub is often busy with shoppers on a Saturday lunchtime. There is a wide range of food available, including a range of burgers (£3.50-£4.50), pies (£4.50), ploughmans lunches (£4.50), pizzas (from £4.80), omelettes (£4.25), salads (£4.50), pasta (££4.50), soup (£2.20), sandwiches (£2.60) and jacket potatoes (£3.50). Hot drinks duch as coffee, tea or hot chocolate are available as well as real ales, lagers and wine. Puddings such as chocolate fudge cake range from £2.50 to £2.75. English (£4.50) or vegetarian (£4.50) brunches are also on offer. Sunday lunch is served from 2.30pm, ranging from a children's roast (£3.50) to a 'super' roast (£6.50). A Sunday salas is offered as an alternative.

After a brief spell as The Brewery, and before that the Cambridge Rattle and Hum, 2004 saw this pub revert to The Cambridge Arms, heralding yet another renovaion. The interior now has a traditional pub style, with some wood panelling around the walls. Gone are the plasma screens with their flashy advertising, and the brushed steel bar has been replaced with a long wooden bar, over which is situated the piping of what seems to be an air conditioning/extractor unit. The structure of the pub remains intact; to the rear, brick arches and pillars enclose a cosy, more compact seating area. The walls display artwork of old Cambridge. Fruit and quiz machines provide entertainment. The floor covering is a mixture of carpet and dark wood, and furniture is stylish with some high stools and benches. A courtyard, providing outdoor seating when the weather permits, gives access to the toilets. Another significant change is the menu. The Brewery specialised in pizza and pasta dishes. The menu, presented on large blackboards, includes starters (£1-£5), main courses (£3.50-£9), burgers (£3-£5), desserts (£2-£3) and specials such as omelette and chips (£3-£6).

Established in 1838, this Greene King pub was extended and refurbished in 2001, much improving the interior with more seating, more light from a number of new skylights, a heated beer garden a larger kitchen and new decor. The pub is divided into two bars. The front bar is dominated by a pool table. The rear consists of a lower no-smoking area, and a room formerly known as the Hayward Room, which was named after the brothers Hayward, famous Victorian cricketers from Cambridge. Recently, the furniture has been rearranged, and the cricket memorabilia of the Hayward family, who kept the pub for 42 years from 1883-1925, has now been moved into the no-smoking area. The ex-Hayward room has lost the high bar which ran around the edge of the room, and is now filled with tables. Sky sports events are shown on a front-projection TV. The menu is suitable cricket-themed, with courses being referred to as "Tests". Diners can choose from starters and snacks (£1.50-£3), 'wide' sandwiches (£2.50-£3.25), burgers (£4.95-£5.50), main courses (which will leave you 'stumped' - £6-£7), This pub also offers bed and breakfast.

This is a small Charles Wells pub, notable for its strange lighting, reminiscent of Christmas tree lights. The interior is quite dimly lit, with carpeted floors, regency wallpaper, small tables and wooden furniture. Around the palls hang mirrors and photos, with plates above the picture rail. On one wall hangs specimens of lepidoptery and entomology, and a guide to beetles. The gents is tiled blue, while the ladies' toilet is pink, which is handy if you find yourself lost. Decorations include pot plants, a couple of kitch optical fibre plants and a well stocked aquarium. Entertainments include a TV and a piano - the pub has live jazz nights on Thursdays. On other nights, the background music is jazz. Near the fish tank is a video and book library, boardgames, and a computer providing internet access. The pub does not serve food.

Once the site of a local newspaper, this small Greene King pub has a small beer garden to the rear. It is most notable for being one of two non-smoking pubs in Cambridge. Since being taken over by new landlords, it also has a no-mobile-phone policy, and there is no background music. The walls of the cosy interior are now adorned by framed old newspapers, and some locally-drawn artwork. Home cooked food is well priced, with main dishes costing around six pounds. The range is interesting, including game pie, tortellini, ciabatta sandwiches and plenty of vegetarian dishes. Most meals are accompanied by a choice of salads. To the rear is a small beer garden. The pub has changed very little since our last review three years ago, not that it needed to!

This is a spacious Greene King pub, and is handy if you find yourself in need of lunch while in the Grafton Centre area. Under new management since January 2005, the Thai food menu been replaced with fairly typical pub fayre e.g. ham, egg and chips, all day breakfast, lasagne, shepherds pie for £4.00-£5.00. The front of the large interior contains a pool table and drinking area while towards the back is seating for diners. This area is no smoking and small vases of flowers adorn the tables. Wood panelling covers the lower half of all the walls while the upper half is painted yellow/cream wallpaper, upon which are hung various pictures , cartoons and large oriental fans. The floors are partly carpeted and partly bare-board and pot plants and stain glass partitions add to the decoration. No music was playing on our visit although there are a number of speakers. only superficial changes have been made to the decor. The pictures of american aircraft have been replace by "old england" scenes and a variety of games are arranged on tables e.g. chess, draughts, playing cards.

Over the past few years, the King Street Run has changed significantly, briefly being named the Horse and Groom. It is now notable for its strange interior, with upside down shelves. Upstairs is modelled on a junk yard, with a fake corrugated iron roof. The full effect has to be seen to be believed. It does not serve food.

The Man on the Moon was briefly renamed The Office after a major refurbishment. It has now reverted to its original name and style. There are two bars, one with Sky TV, a pool table, dart board, fruit machine, quiz machine and juke box. The interior has a wooden floor and salmon-pink walls on which are hung river scenes and pictures of classic cars. A couple of pot plants sit near the window. Live music has made a return to the other bar. Traditional pub food is available, including sandwiches, baguettes, all-day breakfast, fish & chips, jacket potatoes, omelettes, and kebabs. The food is good value, with all dishes under £5. On our Sunday visit, we had the Sunday Roast option, which we can heartily recommend.

Enlarged in 2000, The Tram Depot has a modern feel. The interior hsa wood panelled walls with large glass mirrors, and a wood-beamed ceiling. The flooring is a mix of wood and tiled areas, with some raised sections which have wheelchair access. There is a large carpark outside the pub, which also has some tables which serves as the beer garden. We were surprised to find the pub rather quiet on our Saturday lunchtime visit - we had expected it to pick up a healthy trade from shoppers in the area, following the move of Robert Sayle's to nearby Burleigh Street. To the rear of the pub, away from the central bar, is a non-smoking section, with fierce extractor fans to clear the air. Along the large bar are pumps for a wide selection of beers. The menu, available until 8:45pm, includes burgers (£4.50-£5.50), salads and pasta dishes (£4.50-£5.30), main courses (£4.60-£5.60), side orders (£1.50-£2). Further options are available on blackboards around the pub, such as sandwiches, baguettes and jacket potatoes. Non-alcoholic beverages are also available (£1-£2).

Close to the Grafton Centre, the Zebra is a large Greene King pub. On our Saturday lunchtime visit, it soon became busy with shoppers and locals taking advantage of its food. The interior of the pub is very bright, with pale olive walls, large mirros, pot plants and a parque floor. On the walls hang black and white photographs of the film stars of yesteryear, and near the bar hangs a large barometer. The pub is divided by the bar into two areas, one of which is laid out for dining with large wooden tables with padded bench seating. The pub also provides some outdoor seating. The menu includes pizzas (large £6.95; and small £5.45;, also available to take away), sandwiches (£1.75-£2.50), traditional pub food such as fish and chips (£5-£6), specials (£1.75-£7.95), side dishes (£1.25-£1.95) and Sunday lunch (£5.45). This pub was the Greene King community pub of the year 2001 and 2002.