The Castle Inn

The Castle Inn in Cambridge is a proper old-school pub with history in its bones, dating back to the 1740s, and dogs are welcome inside and in the beer garden. It's the sort of place that's seen everything come and go around it and just kept doing what it does best — settling in with a pint and not overthinking it.

Inside, it's split across levels with that classic cosy tavern energy — a mix of nooks, corners and spaces that suit anything from a quiet drink to a livelier catch-up. Food leans hearty and satisfying, with pub classics alongside their well-known hot rock steaks and burgers, the kind of menu built for showing up hungry. Outside, there's a proper beer garden that comes into its own when the weather behaves, making it easy to stretch out a visit.

It's welcoming, unfussy and quietly reliable — the kind of pub you don't need to plan around, but end up staying in longer than expected once you've got a drink in hand and a settled dog at your feet.