Clarendon Arms in Cambridge

Awful meal accompanied by Flat pint, Bolognese ragu was slightly undercooked pasta combined with greyish mince, utterly bland, like black and white English cuisine from about 1974. Pint of Lager dead flat on arrival. I’d avoid eating here if you can. Massive dissapointment, I think under new ownership since I ate here last a year or so ago.

Came here for Sunday lunch, been trying to get a table for a couple of years as walking ins due to the reviews. The reviews don't reflect the quality of the food, its small, bland and appears to be oven ready supermarket stuff. Seems the place may be under new management so all those historic reviews could be meaningless. First time I have ever seen a price tag on horseradish and apple sauce - novel. Service was top notch though. For Sunday roast there are far better options nearby, can't comment on their other dishes.

Sunday roast was average at best, the beef was so tough and almost inedible. cauliflower was very undercooked. Every single glass and utensil had white watermarks which was just so off putting

We had a roast dinner, veg was cold and bland, Yorkshire was cold and soggy, potatoes weren’t real roast potatoes the only nice thing was the meat and gravy. To be honest I don’t know why they have a 4.5 on reviews as it’s no where near that standard!!!They also add 12.5% service charge but you have to go to the bar and order food and drinks! We choose not to pay

Finally a pub run by Italian. Probably the best Cocktail in town by far on my point of view served by Giancarlo. Prove me wrong, have a go..

Clarendon Arms, with their italiano management, great predisposition, good pizza, and good fish and chips, remains one of the most affordable, consistent, and cozy pubs in the centre of town.

Worse pizza ever, very disappointed had to send it back twice as not cooked properly. Will not go back, the waiters and chef do not seem to know what they are doing. Avoid.

Great place to eat Sunday roast. I recommend to reserve before.

Very lack lustre Sunday roast. Bar staff didn’t seem to know what were lagers or beers. No atmosphere in the ‘beer garden’ at all. Service fee applied was £10, just to bring out 3 plates, which we had to go into the pub to order. Summary: below average food and now nearly £100 worse off! Not worth it..

A really nice place, excellent typical Sunday lunch

Great meal the price paid was very good service at very good will visit again thanks

Very average Sunday Roast. i asked if the pork belly was crispy and the staff said yes the top is. Then when it came up, it didnot look promising at all. Yorkshire pudding wasnt light and puffy either. I had high expectations after looking at google review but oh well.

This pub, is definitely not a gastro pub. My wife and i had a Sunday roast. I had the pork belly and all i can say about my meat is, im glad i have my own teeth.

The Clarendon Arms was a Cambridge institution. A real old fashioned city pub. Under new management it is now branded as an Italian Gastropub. Oh dear. It’s a miserable place now. Cheap tables and chairs and a sterile and on our visit very hot outside space. The staff were ok. Sunday is just roasts plus a few sad looking tapas and a lasagne. What is unforgivable is the state of the ladies loo. Can’t recommend it.

We recently visit the Clarendon Arms and wanna share some amazing experiences. On Thursday they have 2-for-1 cocktail deal and we love it!!! We tried some Tapas and it was fantastic!! Shoult out to Giancarlo, the bartender and co-manager who prepared the restaurant for us!! Excellent service provided super friendly guy!! We will be coming back!!!

Great tapas, amazing relaxed place for food and drinks with friends. Nice outdoor sitting area, clean, nice staff. Fair priced too.

The Pub changed hands, when I came today I thought the menu looked a little tacky. But turned out the food is really tasty. Simple but tasty.

Booked lunch for 1230. At 1220 place still locked and in darkness. Meant to open at 1200. Not a good start.

The pub was nice and the bar staff were very friendly and welcoming

Visited the pub on a Sunday for the typical Sunday roast, and had an amazing experience. The Pork Sunday roast I had at Clarendon was the perfect treat for myself. Juicy meat, crispy potatoes, whole soft vegetable and loooads of gravy🤤. The new NapolEat management is doing a great job to bring the pub back to old days. Defenitely coming back!

We had a very disappointing experience. We were looking for a place to try scotch eggs and we came here because, according to Google information, they had them on the menu, as well as other British dishes like fish and chips. When we arrived we found a completely different menu in which they only offered us three dishes to choose from, which turned out to be the same with different types of meat. To make matters worse, they brought us the wrong dishes from the table next to us and when ours finally arrived the cooked vegetables were raw... In short, a service that left a lot to be desired at prices that were not worth it.

Changed the ownership… the worst Sunday roast I’ve ever had… the veggies were hard and difficult to eat, the beef was overcooked, Yorkshire pudding was clearly from a cheap supermarket.. gravy was tasteless. Big disappointment… not bad service tho, friendly and open. Hope can improve in the future.

It's an authentic traditional English pub with an Italian touch. They have an Italian cook and the pizzas are fantastic. The service is also excellent.

We waited for quite a while for the food. And the primavera pizza and the carbonara were way below average. The fries were nice though

Delicious food, real Italian cuisine, pleasant atmosphere, I recommend it to anyone who wants to eat and drink well.

Difficult to give a rating. I loved the Clarendon Arms before, I went back for fish and chips but I found out there is a new owner since early 2024 and they mostly do pasta and pizza which I didn't have tested

We all ( My sister and myself) her best friend from secondary school and a friend of his, met up at the best friend's flat and from there we all walked to the venue for a Sunday roast on Sunday 23 June 2024, we left the best friend's flat at around noon and got to the venue for 12.30 When we arrived, we were greeted by the landlord, who was very friendly, the best friend told the landlord that we had a table reserved under their name, and so the landlord showed us to our table, and we all thanked him, and he went in to go back behind the bar, at which point a friendly young waiter soon arrived to hand us our drinks menus, a short time later, he returned to take our drinks orders, which were a bottle of Italian Primitivo Red Wine, for my sister, her best friend, and and his friend, and a bottle of Harogate Spring Still Mineral Water for myself. A short time later, the landlord returned to take our Lunch order, we had a choice of Beef, Lamb or Pork, My sister, her best friend, and myself chose Beef Roasts, and his friend chose Lamb. For Dessert, My sister, her best friend, and myself had Tiramisu, and his friend had a slice of Strawberry Cheesecake with Whipped Cream. Afterwards the landlord returned to ask us about the courses and service which we all said was very good, we all said that we would be back, and we spoke briefly to two other patrons a couple, who asked us about our meal, and we said to them, that it was very good, as it was their first time there, and the best friend paid the bill, and we said goodbye to the landlord, telling him that we will be back.

Fair price, fair meals. Probably better than in the touristic more central streets

My wife and son had dined here a couple of times with great experiences, so we were looking forward to our Sunday lunch together. The start didn’t bode well: the bread portion was just that - four small slices of baguette on a plate. No butter, although we did get olive oil after asking. The main courses were very disappointing - my chicken was alright in terms of taste and quantity but the others’ beef was “just small and dreary”, all of the vegetables looked and tasted as if they had just emerged from the freezer and the roast potatoes and Yorkshire puddings were small, tasteless and very probably courtesy of Aunt Bessie. All in all, the saddest plate of food I had seen in a long while. I don’t think the positioning of our table next to both an incredibly loud family and the toilets helped our mood. The young waiter was doing his best but was clearly inexperienced. We didn’t feel any desire to linger for dessert. We would have left feedback directly but no-one asked us whether we had enjoyed our meal. I understand the pub recently changed hands, which may explain the change in food, but we certainly won’t be heading back again.

I would come back for drinks, the food was ok but nothing special! (I had a roast). Service was friendly, which makes the experience nice!

Fish and chips was a little tasteless. Service was very slow.

This used to be one of our favourite pubs. The food was always great, especially the fish and chips. This is now mostly Italian food. We waited 40 mins for our mains, the battered fish was soggy and half the usual size. The pizza tasted fine but the dough was dense and not cooked enough. A real let down.

Used to be my favourite pub in cambridge but it has been taken over by an italian restaurant and the menu has changed entirely, and for the worse. Came last sunday for the sunday roast (i used to love the sunday roast here) and it was absolutely dreadful. We were told at 12.30 that it would be ready in a few minutes and only got our roast an hour later. Roast itself was hard, grey, and tasteless and the trimmings were all clearly supermarket bought (including the very sad yorkshire pudding). A massive disappointment because i used to love this pub but will not be returning again under the new management.

Good traditional food in a typical atmosphere

not too bad a meal. It was a nice approach to a Sunday roast having the smoked brisket. Roast potatoes were gorgeous. Overall presentation did lack a bit and you could feel a kitchen wasn’t on form that day but the overall food on the plate was not bad at all, just a shame as you can see the dish could of been stunning. Only a star away from five stars as I prefer my beef rare, and my vegetables a bit more forthcoming. lovely staff who opened up about their story. good luck to you all.

We ate very well - excellent Sunday roast - typical restaurant and very friendly staff

Lovely little pub with very friendly staff (thank you Karla). One of the most tasty Sunday roasts I have ever tried!

Made a booking for 6 adults and a child for Sunday lunch knowing that work such a big party we would struggle to find somewhere to accommodate us. They confirmed they could do half an hour later than we asked for not when we turned up they apologised but said they didn't confirm the booking in their diary and didn't have a table for us. Sorry didn't cut it. They didn't even seam bothered

Shabby. We booked for a party of 7 for Sunday lunch. Email from pub stated they couldn't do 2pm as asked but could do 2:30pm. We arrived to be told they hadn't confirmed the booking their end and therefore we didn't have a table. Very poor service wouldn't recommend. Very small cramped pub. We eventually got fitted in at The Chop House which turned out to be our out this world for food and service.

We arranged a family gathering for a Sunday roast at the Clarendon. We started with 10, ended up with 24 of us - pretty much taking over the whole pub. Caleb was brilliant helping us arrange everything, preordering made it run smoothly and we were all served in good time. Everyone said how delicious the food was, a really outstanding dinner and a very memorable occasion. Thank you!

Lovely pub with friendly staff and yummy food. Spent an afternoon here. We both had great food and felt so welcomed and looked after in a relaxed environment. It’s small and friendly.

Went because of the good reviews. It was the worst Sunday roast I think I’ve ever had. Rick hard potatoes, watery sweet potato, burnt dry cauliflower with no cheese, aunt bessy Yorkshire, and soft beef but weird taste. Never again, at least I won’t be wondering what it’s like there anymore I suppose.

Had heard really good things about the Sunday roasts at the Clarendon Arms, so was looking forward to eating there today. Booked online a few days ago, and then phoned to confirm as I didn't receive a response to the online booking. Today, I phoned at 2.30 (at the time of our booking) to advise the staff that we were going to be five or ten minutes late. "Don't worry," said the guy on the phone. "That's no problem." Still not sure why he didn't tell me then that they'd overbooked and didn't have a table for us, whatever time we arrived. When we got there we were offered the opportunity to eat our lunch sitting in a row at a shelf and facing a wall, but that wasn't exactly the convivial atmosphere we had in mind for Sunday lunch. We were also offer free 'half pints' as compensation. We declined that offer as well. By all means book, but make sure you have a back-up.

Not the best roast. It was ok. But a bit underwhelming. We were all left hungry by the small portion. Meat was good but the veg wasn’t great. Better spend your money elsewhere or cook your own. The dessert was overpriced and small portion.

Lovely small pub with a charming atmosphere. The Sunday roast was delicious with soft beef. The staff were warm and friendly. Highly recommend but book in advance as it will be full on Sunday probably.

He gently and lovingly took my clarry virginity. What a gentleman. I love JT! <3

Excellent place for late night Sunday meal. Brilliant cooking and very friendly service. The dogs loved it too

We went there for the Sunday roast and it did not disappoint. Although it was different from the beef roast we had from other place, it was more like braised beef but delicious. The portion’s huge, there’s small portion available and that was already big.

Cool place to pass by for drinks and snacks!

Popped in last night after doing a quick Google search for a decent fish and chips. I was not disappointed. Fish was beautiful, light and crispy batter, beautifully flakey fish with nice thick-cut chips.

A nice neighbourhood pub and good food at reasonable prices, with friendly staff and a warm welcome. However, it is impossible to check availability for tables on the day as every time I have called (on three or four separate days, during opening hours) nobody answers the phone! The booking system online is fine, but relies on the pub responding to an email (typically the following afternoon) so isn't much use for last minute tables. A real shame, as there have been a number of occasions recently when we would have popped across town for dinner on a relative whim, but ended up going elsewhere as we didn't want to go out of our way and then find they were fully booked/weren't serving. Please either answer the phone or get a live online booking system!

Lovely small pub. So busy we had to sit outside.

Brilliant kind staff who didn’t mind us being late and holding out food for us. Lovely atmosphere. Definitely worth a visit.

Had a brilliant Sunday lunch in this charming pub. The food was delicious, especially the roasts of which there were several to choose from. The staff were friendly and attentive.

Sampled beautiful smoked salmon whilst popping in for a drink. Every Tuesday is a delicious Tuesday fish menu!

Don't judge a book by its cover. The food was great and really well priced. Be ready for a bit of banter - we loved it. Really dog friendly. All in all an unusual experience for Cambridge.

The lunch was very dissappointing especially as the price was £16.50! The dinner w3as luke warm and the set vegetables were uninspiring, butternut squash puree a tablespoon of broad beans and peas and braised fennel. Would have been far better to have had carrots or broccoli. The potatoes were miniscule. Only options for lunch were a vegetarian choice or Lamb or Pork. Will find somewhere else in future,

Great local pub atmosphere with authentic British food and beer.

Booked a Sunday lunch here because the reviews are so good. Found it very disappointing! There are only 6 tables and they do timed sittings, so with only 3 roast choices it should have been pretty quick. They seated us on time and then everyone else got their food. I kept reassuring the family that they must have a system, but after 45 mins and having watched all the other tables get and eat their food, I asked the waiter to take our order. They were pleasant enough but offered no apology for the fact that we’d been forgotten. There’s only 6 tables, and they are wedged into a tiny room so he had regularly walked past to deliver the other food! Started to feel like they were giving us poor service intentionally! The food was ok when we finally got it. Just ate it and left quickly because the room is so noisy and small and we’d had enough by then. Ruined my son’s birthday, won’t be back.

Food good but the 2 men were 1 scruffy and 2 v slow .

We visited this pub to try their sunday roast and were very pleased. The roast was quite large and really delicious. The staff were also so helpful and friendly. I would also like to point out that they are dog-friendly. I will definitely visit again!

Marvellous pub for Sunday lunch and more besides. Small and cozy boozer in a quiet Cambridge side street. Photo is Smoked beef brisket lunch…

A deceptively simple pub that serves excellent food at pretty reasonable prices. Service was good and the wine was good, what more can you ask. My only feedback would be that the decor was a little patchy and could probably do with some attention but not too bad and apart from that I would absolutely recommend.

Was really disappointed. I booked due to the good reviews, which did not reflect my experience at all. The service was slow to see us to our table and take our order. The roast choices were limited and the one I wanted out of stock. The Wellington had too much potato and did not meet the description. The pudding choice was limited. I was looking forward to a great pub Sunday roast and did not enjoy any aspect. I would not go back and surprised I had to pay a deposit to secure the table as I thought that meant it would be good. I'm not even sure they took the deposit off the bill. We couldn't get out of there quick enough so just paid and left.

Food presented beautifully, hot and tasty. Staff were all very pleasant. Wil return

First visit even though ive been living locally all my life. Came here with family for a spot of lunch and ended up enjoying aa sunday roast. Very small menu with only a few Roasts available but makes choosing much easier. Food was presented beautifully, tasty and hot and very speedily arrived at the table. Staff were all very friendly and cheery

An absolute gem! The freshest seafood I've ever had as it arrived the same time we did. The seabream was delicate and perfectly cooked and the dressed crab was fantastic! Oysters were sweet and delicious... and a great pint too! We will definitely come back when we travel through Cambridge again. The staff were so accommodating and friendly and really went the extra mile, I felt like I was at home.

Really friendly. Just called in for one as killing time for the bus. Will certainly return

The Clarendon has always been popular and you can see why. Locals know this to be a gem. On my most recent visit the food and the service was exceptional, so give it a try, book early though. A big well done to all

I’ll keep it short and sweet. That was the best Sunday Roast I’ve ever had in Cambridge, and I’ve lived here for 42 years. See you next Sunday.

Lovely staff, great pints and a cozy atmosphere. What more could you ask for? Edit: I absolutely devoured this Espresso martini ma’ashallah Edit 2: just tried out the new fish menu, simply divine, worth a visit!!

Decided to call in after reading online reviews, and more than lived up to it. We arrived on the first night of their 2 week fish menu residency and the mussels and ceviche were incredible. Lovely staff. Great locals. Will come back

The food at The Clarendon Arms is superb! The staff are very friendly.. not to mention their dog that just gives you a warm homely feeling. Highly recommend.

Very good service and food quality

Hearty Sunday roast and delicious desserts. The lamb was maybe a little tough.

Great little pub relaxed and made welcomed

Most of the restaurants are pitched toward students or tourists, with predictable results. This pub is more authentic and off the beaten path, with surprisingly good food and excellent service.

We had family who was working in Cambridge and went out to get take out for the family to enjoy. We asked if they would do fish and chips for take out and they said yes but the chef was worried that the fish would get ruined in transport. He went above and beyond to ensure our meal was amazing and it was! It is some of the best fish and chips we have had and we will definitely be going back to enjoy a pint.

Starving Americans staying in Cambridge, who spent the day touring around London, and craved fish and chips.when we got back to Cambridge, we found Clarendon Arms online and it was very close to where we were staying. Tired from the trip to London we wanted take out. So we headed to Clarendon Arms. There we encountered Rook who went above and beyond and provided service and a meal that I will never forget. The fish was a whole piece of fish that was the best I have ever had (no kidding) and the French fries ranked right there with the fish. Rook packaged the fish and chips with such care that we got back to the flat it was as if it had just come out of the kitchen. Many thanks for the Clarendon staff for making an unforgettable meal. Don’t miss this gem in Cambridge. PS: they have a fabulous menu.

We just had a lovely Sunday Roast. Befor we take the Ferry back to Holland. The smoked beef was delicilous, as was the veggie roast. The dessert was fingerlicking.....

Great place for food and the staff are very attentive. I'll be going back soon. Thank-you.

Superb Sunday Roast. Melt in the mouth beef. It was so good we're booking again for next Sunday.

A small cosy pub but the food was excellent as was the service.

A very friendly and casual pub with great staff and outgoing clientele. Food is both delicious and inexpensive. Give it a try!

Popped in for a drink one afternoon before dinner out and service was so good we came back the next day for lunch. Food was amazing and service from Caleb was 6 star. We rolled out with full stomachs and a big smile on our faces! Would be amazing if I could pick this place up and take it back to Australia with me.

Super Service, witzige Karte, gutes Essen und sehr nette Leute! Preis-Leistung: perfekt!

Lovely local pub, very nice staff and great food, a little bit different to ordinary pub grub

Lovely backstreet pub with great staff and good range of drinks.

A friendly, low key pub with great food and a quiet setting. Amber was an excellent host and a friendly soul!

This was without doubt the most disgusting meal I've ever had the displeasure to encounter. There were only 3 options one of which was veggie (my daughter said it was revolting) and two mains. None of us had the pork so can't comment on that but the beef brisket, despite being really tender, was completely tasteless, the roasties were soggy as were the yorkshire puddings. The spring greens were rubbery and the peas hard - how can you get peas wrong? The only nice thing was the horseradish sauce which came out of a jar. I had one mouthful of each and paid and left in high dudgeon. We went because the internet said it was the best sunday lunch in Cambridge. Obviously this was not true. Shame really as the staff were lovely. Also their weekday menu has a lot of variety and was really tasty. I can only assume the good reviews were written by people with no tastebuds. Needless to say I will not be eating there again

I love the Clarendon. Nice beer, good food. What's not to like.

This remains one of the best pubs in Cambridge great beers and pub food. We had the fish and chips and the Ham both excellent and chips great.

Buen servicio. Buena comida. Local informal y bonito. Típicamente británico. Lo aconsejo 100%

Visited several times over recent years for food often with a group. Always welcoming, always good food, great specials and good Vege options. Very reasonable prices especially for central Cambridge.

Friendly service and great food.

We were looking for an authentic pub experience and of course fish and chips and we were not disappointed. The meal was delicious, with very fresh ingredients! On top of that the service was friendly. Definitely recommend!

The staff were friendly. We enjoyed our roast meal ( belly pork), unfortunately the dessert was disappointing .

My partner and I recently visited Cambridge for a short weekend break. We used Tripadvisor to seek out a place for Sunday lunch and found the Clarendon Arms. When we arrived it looked like a back street pub which it was for all intents and...

Nice staff Drinks: 7/10 Atmosphere: 7/10 Prices: 6/10

Popped in for a late lunch after we arrived for an overnight break in Cambridge. The food was absolutely fantastic, as was the service and atmosphere. I really want to come back for Sunday lunch, but get the feeling you'd need to book!! I made a doggy friend, which made my day!