South Cambridgeshire
The Poacher

The Poacher

1 Brockley Road, South Cambridgeshire, United Kingdom, CB23 4EY

Steak • Cheese • Salads • Chicken


"Staying in Ellsworth this week and decided to try The Poacher for our dinner (4 adults) . Well what a treat. The home cooked food was absolutely delicious. Home cooked , is such an over used term, but this was just that. The 2 chaps went for Wagu burgers , which they said were juicy and lean and delicious. My friend , a super cook and foodie herself, had Scampi , which she said was the best she ever tasted and in 30 years I have never heard her say that about anything we have eaten away from home . I had a wonderful childhood memory lane comfort meal. A beautifully prepared and cooked, meaty real Smoked Haddock fillet on proper mash with perfectly cooked cabbage and cauliflower, topped with creamy parsley sauce. My tastebuds were transported to my grandmother’s kitchen from many decades gone . Strangely the landlord said the dish was in memory of his grandfather. We were definitely full after main course but couldn’t resist a peak at the desert menu. Oh my poor waist band. I thought I made a great sponge but wow the sticky ginger sponge with juicy chunks of stem ginger and perfect custard sauce accompaniment really was the icing on the comfort food cake. Great, super friendly service and bar . All in all a damn good find . I have never written a review for a pub restaurant before but I felt compelled. If you like good honest, well sourced, local unpretentious food , then this place will definitely not let you down."

The Blue Ball Inn

The Blue Ball Inn

57 Broadway, CB3 9NQ, South Cambridgeshire, United Kingdom

Pub • Drinks • Coffee • British


"recently traveled my partner and I after grantchester uk to visit friends and stayed in the blue ball inn. fans of masterpiece will know that grantchester is the setting for the PBS series of the same name. a beautiful village, just a walk over the meadows of the city cambridge, in grantchester you can enjoy the architectural beauty of the colleges of the cambridge university, visit the muses, and tour to their hearts 's joy, but back every night to a local pub. the blue ball has a traditional pub in the ground floor and has a beer garden on the back with fairy-lights and comfortable sitting opportunities, including the shed with books and cricket photos, they should stay out of the rain or during an hour or two in the relaxation. in the upper floor are three bedrooms with their own bathroom and a beautiful living room, from which they can overlook the meadows to the river. the rooms have all modern amenities, including Wi-Fi, new and very comfortable beds and excellent showers. the rooms are well soundproofed. on Thursday our visit organized the pub live music (supermusic! . we went to bed before the pub closed at 23:00 clock, and did not hear anything in our room of festivities below. Every morning we were served, what honestly was the best breakfast we ever had. fresh house baked brot, a sortiment of artisan cheese and meat, seasonal fruits, Greek yogurt and French coffee were the causes of continental breakfast. that was so good that we never tried the complete breakfast, but this is definitiw on the list for our next visit. there is a very nice restaurant in Grantchester (the rupert brooke as well as great food that can be found both in red lion and in the green man pubs. but don't forget to eat a night in the blue ball, because her evening fare is fabulous! the owners of the inn are charming and they can count on making new friends among the regular customers of the pubs. I can't recommend the blue ball very much. the best breakfast experience we've ever had! just don't book it for years in advance, because we count to stay there soon!"

The Golden Ball

The Golden Ball

High Street, CB23 4LY, South Cambridgeshire, United Kingdom

Cafe • Steak • Delis • Coffee


"This charming inn located in a small village offers separate accommodation in an annex. Don't let the address on the 'high street' deter you, as the rooms are situated at the back of the hotel, providing a quiet and peaceful atmosphere. The spacious rooms feature incredibly comfy beds, tea/coffee making facilities, an AC unit for heating and cooling, and beautiful bathrooms stocked with complimentary toiletries. It's advisable to make a reservation for the restaurant in advance, as it tends to fill up quickly. The menu offers a wide variety of classic dishes along with a few specials, without any trendy components like jus or foam. We thoroughly enjoyed our meals, which were hot, well-presented, and delicious. I started with the butternut squash soup, followed by a homemade shepherds pie with a side of green vegetables. My husband opted for cod goujons as a starter and the Katsu chicken burger from the specials. Sadly, we were too full for dessert, but we paired our meal with a reasonably priced bottle of Albariño. The next morning, we indulged in a delightful breakfast at the hotel, which featured a selection of juices, cereals, fresh fruit, a full English breakfast, and toast. The staff was friendly and welcoming, and we look forward to returning in the future. One small suggestion would be to provide a bottle of drinking water in each room, although we were able to request it at the bar."

Willow Tree

Willow Tree

29 High St, Bourn CB23 2SQ, South Cambridgeshire, United Kingdom

Pubs • Meat • Steak • Drinks


"Booked a pod especially for a surprise birthday celebration after looking at the lovely pictures on the website. It was an hours drive away as half way point between us and other guests. Management suggested on arrival if we got too hot we could sit elsewhere but as it was cloudy we thought we would be okay....urm, no, it was like sitting in a greenhouse, but as we traveled for this, we toughed it out. They need to have a weather temp recommendation when booking. When I saw the pod I was bitterly disappointed at the rickety furniture, decor and overall cleanliness. Pod looked like it needed a good scrub. Had to wipe down the table as looked like hadn't been cleaned in a while, even though staff assured me it had been done twice before arrival. Table was pealing terribly and had dirty sheepskin throws on the chairs. I love shabby chic but this was more shabby than chic. Sitting on large, dusty, gravel, it was not great. Staff were polight and helpful but clueless. Handing out the wrong dish, missing some food off a plate and arrived cold, however it did taste okay but way over priced and definitely not worth the money. Wished we eat in the restaurant as it looked nicer. Pods may work in the dark as you wouldn't see the failings but still looked very amateur for the cost. I dined in a pod locally to me last year and it was sooo much better for a fraction of the cost. I Wouldn't recommend this for special occasions."

Bridge Cambridge

Bridge Cambridge

Clayhithe Road, CB25 9HZ, South Cambridgeshire, United Kingdom

Steak • Vegan • British • Vegetarian


"We came here on Friday with a voucher as due to the reviews from friends I would not have volunteered to eat here. However, you have to try these things. I just wish I hadn't. We booked a table, this was an automated impersonal process but it was efficient. We ended up sitting outside and the location is perfect, the setting is really beautiful. We ordered our food and the starters arrived promptly. However, shortly after the mains arrived as well which was then taken back agan. Service was average but friendly. The food was absolutely shocking. I had three starters, salad drowned in dressing, chips and seasonal vegetables. Presenation was distinctly average. The vegetables were clearly overcooked and microwaved. My boyfriend had the Korean Chicken which was actually cremated. It looked awful. As it was getting late and the taste was ok ish we didn't send it back. We really just wanted to use the voucher. So all in all a very below average experience but the worst part is that we have both not been feeling well. My boyfriend has been feeling quite ill all weekend which can only be due to the food. We have no proof so I will just say be careful as the food is definitely not freshly cooked. I will for sure not be back and I feel people need to be aware as the setting of the pub can be misleading. Plenty of other good pubs in the area (Horningsea) where food is of a different calibre. When we paid we used the voucher and got told that we had to forfeit the £2 left on the voucher. Again, not a massive deal, but not very professional either."