The Castle Bar

You're walking down St Andrew's Street towards the city centre when you duck into The Castle—a proper old-school pub that feels like it's been absorbing Cambridge stories since forever. The kind of place where the bar staff know what you're drinking before you order, where the wood panelling has seen countless student unions, exam celebrations, and Tuesday night arguments about college politics. It's unpretentious in the best way: no craft cocktail nonsense, just honest beer, decent spirits, and a crowd that ranges from regulars nursing their pints to groups escaping the polish of newer venues. The 3.7 rating speaks to what you get—solid, reliable, sometimes rough around the edges, but genuinely Cambridge.