A family-run pub, the Maypole has turned in the last few years into one of the best ale pubs in Cambridge. Found just down the road from the ADC, The bar boasts 9 regularly changing ales on handpump, with breweries such as Buntingford, Fellows and Nethergate frequently on and difficult to find elsewhere. It also has a small selection of bottled Belgian and American beers. The beer is expensive (although not majorly by Cambridge standards), but the beer is universally well-kept – in fact, a Ringwood 49er I had here was better than most in Hampshire, the county where it’s brewed. Home-cooked food is served with an Italian bent, and the staff are quick with a joke, which makes for a comfortable atmosphere. The pub is often busy, especially after 11pm with its late license or when football or rugby is on terrestrial television (the Maypole no longer has Sky), but does have a bookable upstairs for occasions. All in all, a difficult pub to beat in the University heart of Cambridge.

Reviewed by Jon