The Elm Tree is a Marmite pub - if you're looking for a pre-club drink it's best avoided, but if you're after simple pleasures then look no further.

The Venue
The Elm Tree is located between the Grafton Centre and Parker’s Piece, in a mostly residential area. A sign outside the pub states that it is a football-free pub. There are no TV screens and music is played very quietly so the atmosphere is very sedate.

Inside, the walls are covered in old adverts for beers and ales, and bottles run around the top of the wall and, strangely, a bat hangs from the ceiling. As the music is very quiet you don’t have to raise your voice to be heard. Mobile phone use is discouraged and if you use yours don't be surprised if you're asked to go outside.

The People
It's a relaxed pub and this is the kind of place where people will happily come in to read a book and have a drink. There are also a selection of board games which are regularly used including Scrabble, Risk, Trivial Pursuit, Cluedo, Monopoly and chess. They sometimes host live music.

The staff, aside from being prescriptive, are friendly and very knowledgeable about their beer and they have a clear idea of what a pub should be like. The Elm Tree is a popular place and it has its loyal customers. There is a real mix of ages and this isn’t just a locals pub as people come from all around Cambridge.

The Food and Drink
The choice of beer and ale is outstanding. There's a drinks menu with descriptions of the different beers along with recommendations. This menu is essential reading because there are 65 different Belgian beers, along with 10 real ales on draught which change regularly.

Three of the real ale pumps always have something from the Banks and Taylor line of 10 real ales, another three pumps are from Wells and Youngs, and the remaining four pumps are ales from independent brewers around the UK.

If you fancy a light refreshing beer try Le Cuvee des Trolls. Because it is sweet this is a beer that could get sickly if you had more than one. The great thing about The Elm Tree is that if you aren’t sure then the staff are always happy to help.

A pint of the draught ales costs around £2.70 to £3.10, while the price of a 33cl bottle of Belgian beer varies between £3.50 and £5.10. These are beers that you won’t find in the vast majority of other pubs.

Despite the sign proclaiming there is no food, there are some snacks available. You can get a cheese or nibbling platter for £5, and they do have some snacks like crisps and nuts.

The Last Word
If you think pubs (and life in general) were better before TVs and mobiles were invented, this is the place for you.

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