Geldart, Cambridgeback to pub details please note - reviews on this site are purely the opinion of site visitors, so don't take them too seriously.
Wonderfully hidden away in seemingly forlorn backstreets of Cambridge close to real ale trail that includes the Cambs Blue and Kingston this is perhaps the most understated and best. Now up to 8 real ales , always changing, stunning whisky selection, & the most properly lit ale pub (eg nice and dark with candles only) and excellent Landlord and staff.
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A great pub for a drink. But worth a special trip for the food. The Hot Rocks may seem like a gimmick, but... the cut of meat served is typically excellent, and you can just like you like it. And every mouthful is hot.
They served the best oryx I've ever tasted. (Actually, it was the only oryx...)
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Interesting and very good in most respects, would not be out of place on a Manchester N/4 crawl. Tribute was excellent, justifying the new GBG listing; food looked expensive but interesting, decor was great. Not the most comfortable pub round here though.
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Excellent pub with nice locals, top landlord, pretty barmaids (sorry but it's true!), six real ales and food. The menu does have restaurant prices for some of the food but it is very very good. A great place to drink away a weekend afternoon. Also lots of rums and whiskies. Closed Mondays, not open all day weekdays.
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Elvis' transformation of this place was total, the pool table has been replaced by a sofa, no drum and bass, only his eclectic mix of vinyls played at a comfortable volume. The Geldart seems to have built up a good regular crowd and can get very busy. As it's a food pub you might want to book a table to eat. Last time I was there, the reserved tables were already laid so I felt I could not sit down and have a few beers before the reservation arrived as at the Kingston. The food is fantastic, as mentioned, the range of exotic meats is very nice although I'm not personally a fan of this hot-rock thing it does allow you to cook your meat exactly how you want it! Bit pricey for me but the food is great so that's just a personal thing. Ale is kept well and there is always a decent range of at least 4 including a darker one in the winter. All-round good atmosphere.
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The Geldart used to be notorious as a dirty, dodgy, awful after-hours refuge for alcoholics and excitable students in the fays before relaxed pub hours. As soon as everyone else was allowed to serve after 11 too, its only selling point disappeared and it shut. You could stay in the White Swan and get til 1 am instead, legally. Nobody missed it, and it could easily have been lost as a pub.
It has since been re-opened by the charismatic Elvis, who used to work at the nearby (and well respected beer and food pub) The Kingston Arms. It has been completely refitted with tasteful, modern, restrained decor - leather, dark wood, low lighting, you get the idea. It aims for a similar clientelle to the Kingston, and the other quality beer/food pubs in the area (which are numerous and intimidating rivals for such a venture). But the Geldart holds up very well.
The beer quality and range is good - at least 4 handpulls from largely Anglian brewers (e.g the excellent Woodforde's Wherry). The food menu is limited but also good. The gimmick is the 'hot rocks', whereby your food arrives still cooking on a hot...rock. They had steak, venison and kangaroo when I visited, for about £13-16 including chips and salad - about standard for the area. There are starters like a plate of pitta and houmous, and deserts. It's somewhat better value than the Kingston these days, which has been trading on a faded food reputation involving high prices and cheap ingredients for some time (10 quid for mackerel!).
Certainly worth seeking out if you're in the area, fitting in well with the Cambridge Blue, Kingston Arms, Empress, Live & Let Live and Salisbury, but still enough below the radar to not be packed.
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