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Local Secrets is a guide to what's on Cambridge Restaurants, Cambridge Pubs and Bars.

Review

what we thought

Maypole, The (Cambridge)

There are few words that can describe The Maypole: excellent springs to mind. So does unusual, inimitable and versatile. Cambridge is very lucky to have such a pub and I'm just peeved that I never discovered it several years ago. Secreted away behind one of Cambridge's less attractive car parks, near the Round Church, it isn't the most obvious hostelry in a town full of riverside terraces and antique courtyards. But it is one of the best, both for the large student population and for those who have long outgrown their youth.

There are few words that can describe The Maypole: excellent springs to mind.

It is a student pub and yet it's not, it is a cocktail bar and yet not, it is a great place for food but to go there just for the food would be to miss the point. I thoroughly enjoyed my Melanzane ai Formaggi, a huge portion of fresh aubergines cooked with fresh tomatoes and herbs, thickly covered with various cheeses and served with crusty bread and I'd certainly return to try the rest of the (very reasonably-priced) menu. But I'd also go back for a coffee: they use Illy which is excellent stuff and serve proper Italian coffees like espressos, cappuccinos and lattes, none of this filtered rubbish. Then there's the cocktails, made by the landlords Mario and Vincent Castiglione, who have both won Championships with their shaking and stirring skills. Reduced to £3 for the whole evening, the list covers classics like bloody marys and margheritas as well as individual mixes such as the Maypole Leaf and seasonal ones like Salad Days created to coincide with the nearby ADC Theatre's production of the same name. To their credit there are five non-alcoholic choices, all of which are significantly cheaper.

Nothing is done by halves here. And that, I believe, is because this is a family business not some corporate link in a chain. The Castigliones have been behind this bar for 22 years and their Sicilian roots show through: real Italian food (no pesto ciabatta here, thanks), a real welcome to anyone, with no attempt to pander to any particular clientele (yes, there are a lot of students but you'll still find something to love about this place if you're not) and a real sense of atmosphere, whether it's supporting the football or the theatre.