The Poacher in South Cambridgeshire

Really lovely cosy place to eat. All our food cooked to order. Very welcoming and friendly owners. Highly recommend- puddings are delicious as were our mains! Will absolutely be returning.

Just got back to our holiday lodge after a very pleasurable evening with great food at The Poacher. This was our first time here and I'm sure it won't be the last! David was very hospitable making us feel very welcome. A great selection of vegetarian options in comparison to another pub locally which is why we went to the poacher. We certainly wasn't disappointed. Thank you David and Coleen, keep up your good work and hope to see you again soon, Craig & Cheryl

Run by a couple (no staff). One front of house & one chef. Great selection on menu. Burger recommended as is the vegan curry pie. Only one ale on offer. All tables booked (32 covers) & all went smoothly.

3 of us from work went to the Poachers for our evening meal whilst working away. The pub is picturesque with a well kept garden, however the food and drink was below average. We had to collect our own food from the bar despite there being less than 10 people in the restaurant. The on tap lager tasted and appeared to be flat. Between us, two had the Poachers surf and turf and one had the very dirty wagyu burger. Both rated the surf and turf 2/5, tasted a lot like freezer products deep fat fried or microwaved. The burger was rated 3/5, average at best. However, value for money was good compared to the surrounding area despite the food being poorer. Overall the experience wasn't terrible but in my opinion there are better options around.

Disappointing - very average food & not cheap.Was expecting homemade food in this old pub but both dishes were simply ‘supermarket’ food put in the oven.

We ate two evening meals at the Poacher during our stay in Elsworth. Our meals were well cooked and the service from Dave was excellent. We also had a good bottle of wine to accompany it.

Absolutely amazing. Lovely caring people great food and service. We were rescued from a terrible hotel experience at the near by Stay In. We had a lovely meal in a lovely welcoming and relaxing atmosphere while we found an alternative place to stay. We will be back for sunday roast soon even though we live in Norwich. 😊😊

Fabulous meal, service and atmosgphere. Very caring and lovely people. We will be returning soon from Norwich. They made a difficult situation bareable as we had a very bad experience at the near by Stay In at Papworth. Thank you for your caring attitude and amazing food.

The fishcakes were poor quality

Great food, friendly staff, perfect service

Great Sunday dinner, nice and hot, good selection of veg and very good desserts

Lovely pub and team, but the food seemed overpriced for its quality

Great pub. Had a Sunday roast, run by husband and wife, David and Colleen, had beef and pork, 9 different veggies sourced straight from the farms I highly recommend a visit

Small village pub. Food and hospitality was excellent definitely recommend the proper pie !!

Great loal pub and Dave the landlord is very accommodating.

Went for an impromptu lunch today. I had the wagyu burger (very dirty) have to say it was the best burger I have had in a blooming long time. Will be back again soon. Feeling sad I don't live closer as they do takeaways and that would definitely be a lovely Friday treat.

Beautiful little place. The dirty Wagu burger was amazing.

Nice little pub. All food home cooked. recommend the steak and kidney pie it was a delicious .

Excellent food and genial hosts.

What a unique find, a delightful pub run by husband and wife, David and Colleen, offering truly wonderful food. They source all their food seasonally from carefully selected suppliers and cook each dish beautifully. They are both so dedicated to what they do, I highly recommend a visit… Wagyu dirty burger, slow cooked chilli and salmon Wellington tried and all given 5* !!!

A small English pub. With a family atmosphere. With a beautiful Christmas decoration. There were few. The food is nicely served and very tasty A large selection of beer, tea and soft drinks. Attentive, precise service. The room was a bit cold.

I love this quaint, warm pub. Very welcoming owner and absolutely delicious, home made food.

One of the best pub with great food 🍲

I've only visited early on a Monday and the place has barely opened, but the landlord is always friendly and it is so quiet and relaxing. I imagine it gets hopping at times.

Food was really good, definitely worth visiting it, thank you David 👍

Fabulous home cooked food. Three courses. Dog friendly and a fantastic place. Well worth a visit. Elsworth for those who don't know.

Great pub with fantastic food! Best roast dinner ever!

Came across The Poacher by chance, so glad we did. Lovely little pub, David looked after us really well and the food was great. Definitely recommend

Fantastic service with five delicious main courses pie, surf and turf, sausages and two chilli, and desserts. Thoroughly enjoyed!

Lovely setting, great good and friendly staff. Sunday roast wonderful

They're absolutely fantastic at accommodating dietary restrictions. They had a choice of two dairy free/vegan hot deserts, which is unreal for a village pub. Good beer, and there's an indoor dog zone for eating so good for both dog and non-dog people.

Very enjoyable evening you must try it

Staying in Ellsworth this week and decided to try The Poacher for our dinner (4 adults) . Well what a treat. The home cooked food was absolutely delicious. Home cooked , is such an over used term, but this was just that. The 2 chaps went for Wagu burgers , which they said were juicy and lean and delicious. My friend , a super cook and foodie herself, had Scampi , which she said was the best she ever tasted and in 30 years I have never heard her say that about anything we have eaten away from home . I had a wonderful childhood memory lane comfort meal. A beautifully prepared and cooked, meaty real Smoked Haddock fillet on proper mash with perfectly cooked cabbage and cauliflower, topped with creamy parsley sauce. My tastebuds were transported to my grandmother’s kitchen from many decades gone . Strangely the landlord said the dish was in memory of his grandfather. We were definitely full after main course but couldn’t resist a peak at the desert menu. Oh my poor waist band. I thought I made a great sponge but wow the sticky ginger sponge with juicy chunks of stem ginger and perfect custard sauce accompaniment really was the icing on the comfort food cake. Great, super friendly service and bar . All in all a damn good find . I have never written a review for a pub / restaurant before but I felt compelled. If you like good honest, well sourced, local unpretentious food , then this place will definitely not let you down.

Amazing food and very friendly service. Highly recommend!

Great pie, generous filling, I do enjoy short crust pastry and this was terrific, I’m am not a critic just an ordinary customer

Very nice and quiet location for a relaxing drink. Bar man was fantastic and very polite! All I have to say is thank you!

What a great little find. Really lovely welcome and food was amazing. All home cooked and fresh. Good size portions and so tasty. Two of us out the four are picky and fussy but we were catered for here without a problem. The chap running the place was so friendly and knew his stuff. Thanks and if we are in the area again then we will be back.

Cannot praise this village pub enough. Food off the scale good, super service from two peeps that love what they do. Thank you very much. Loved it. 👌💪

Wonderful little pub with a beautiful outdoor space. Delicious food, great service. Came here with a friend as it was halfway between us both. Dog friendly and lovely place to go for a walk after dinner. Would definitely visit again. Thank you!

Nice food and nice friendly atmosphere. Great welcome will definitely recommend to anyone.

What a lovely pub, beautiful place and location. We took my brothers dog and the landlord was fantastic with her as the 1st time she was very barks. The Sunday lunch I have to say was the best we have ever had, and the welcome was brilliant. Definitely go again we come to visit again.

Been here tonight with my family and partner for my birthday meal and it's the friendliest pub I've ever been to. The owners are fantastic people with kind hearts who also feed you up with good grub! What more could you want. Thanks again and we shall be returning soon :)

I’ve been coming to this pub for a few years now and have always found the food to be very good but todays visit on a Sunday was really disappointing. The pub was empty when we arrived and normally on a Sunday it’s extremely busy. Thought this was strange. I had a burger and there was a strange after taste to it - almost as if it had been cooked in fat. My sister’s fish cakes were heavy and greasy. My mum’s chicken Kiev was fine but not juicy with garlic sauce inside as you would expect. We did not complain at the time because the food was edible but certainly nowhere need your usual standard. Have you changed chef I wonder?

it was a quiet night but absolutely nothing wrong with that as we had a little one with us ...no complaints what's so ever 😊

Lovely pub and owners, delicious food - menu is seasonal. You actually get a decent portion of properly cooked veggies with things like pie, sausages and lamb. Burger and chips are good too!

Sarah Mason, I think you should explain the 1 star you gave us. Maybe due to the fact you turned up with 11 of your work colleagues having not booked with us so we couldn’t accommodate you??? Think if you go onto our website it clearly states that bookings of 6 or more people requires a pre order. Thank you anyway.

Fantastic food, great vegetarian options. wonderful service. highly recommend

Super food. Went for my birthday and had a lovely evening..

Had a lovely evening here. We were so well looked after, food was great, service exceptional. Can't wait to go back

The parking off to the side is a little snug and is the only thing I didn't like - everything else was fantastic. The food was fresh, delicious and homemade. The staff were friendly, welcoming and made for an enjoyable evening. We were able to bring our dog and there is a little section specifically for diners with dogs. The barman absolutely loved our dog, providing our pooch with plenty of treats throughout. There was a few local ales on tap and a variety of the usual stuff too. Must visit.

Good amazing including the owners.

Very heavy on the pepper seasoning, vegetables were like a mixed frozen bag and the fish cake was a potato cake - but the beer was good!

Fantastic food, great atmosphere and very friendly owners. Will definitely be back 🎉

Mushroom cheeseburger was okay.

Genuinely the best pie - and possibly the best meal - I've ever had. The pub is run by a husband and wife, both chefs, and both absolutely warm and welcoming! I will be back later this year - next time with more friends in tow!

Best meal we have had in a long time fantastic service good wine & beer . Lovely atmosphere will be back

Excellent service and good food at reasonable rates 👍

Great food! Good portions. Great service! Was a family weekend out in the village and they were gracious enough to accomodate the 7 of us despite having no prior booking. Loved the cider.

Lovely pub, lovely people. Went to clean the beer lines for them and they gave me a coffee and a bacon roll, delicious thankyou again.

Lovely home made food. Enjoyable relaxed atmosphere

Booked meal for three and asked to bring our dog. Sat in dog area of the pub which was very pleasant. We are vegetarians and were delighted by the choice of five main dishes. Glamorgan sausages were delicious and served with beautiful selection of vegetables. Our meat eating son was also impressed. Service was excellent and we were made to feel very welcome. We will be back

Delicious lamb shank and chicken festive pie with crumble and custard as dessert. Lovely owners of the pub too, can’t wait to visit again.

Exceptional food and service. Was there for an Xmas meal, my partner sadly couldn’t make it due to illness but they very kindly packaged her food for her to enjoy at home. Very polite staff who made us all feel welcome and well looked after. Outstanding

Our first visit and we will definitely come again when we are in the area. A great choice of food. Two of us had the pie which was absolutely delicious. Others in our group had the lamb shank and vegan wellington which they said was equally delicious. Decent portion sizes too! We didn't have time for dessert but saw some come out of the kitchen and looked like they'd be good! Service was brilliant from start to finish, very warm and friendly.

Sunday roast delicious, veggie properly cooked not overdone, beef ok, horseradish sauce delicious, wine I had from France Montaignan carignan accomplished meals, totally recommend

My friend who lives in the village has gone to the pub before and enjoyed it so when her family came to visit she decided to take them to the pub. Some of her family black and when they arrived, the owners of the pub were extremely rude and racist not allowing them to even come into the pub. A while ago I had lunch with my friend outside in the garden. When my partner tried to join us he was strictly told he could not walk from the parking lot into the garden and had to come through the front door when we were sitting about 20 feet from the car park outside. If they had some manners maybe they’d have a more successful business.

Had a lovely evening meal here. Great menu. Recommend the pie 😋

Very good food and very friendly ☺️

We had a lovely meal here last night and it didn’t disappoint. David is a perfect host, very attentive & rightfully proud of the service & quality of their menu too. The price of our meal ( bottle of Pinot, coronation chicken, pie of the week & a shared dessert ) was great value. We only moved to the area late summer & this was our first visit to this little gem .. and we’ll be back … loads ! Thankyou 🥰😎

We had a lovely stop off at the pub. On our way home. The home-made vegan pie and sausages were both great, plenty of veg and gravy on both. The host was lovely. Well worth a visit.

Good Quality Home Prepared Food. Seasonal Reasonably Priced Excellent Customer Service Friendly Village Pub

Fantastic little pub with a beautiful setting as well as excellent, friendly and prompt service from the staff. Had a lovely time with my family 😊

Charming old English pub. Only stopped for a beer, but think we'll be back to sample their menu

First time we've been to this pub and we had one of the best meals we'd ever had. The pie of the day was absolutely delicious - piping hot from start to finish, with perfectly cooked vegetables, chunky chips and amazingly tasty, rich gravy. Husband and wife team very well organized. She is the excellent chef while he takes food orders, manages the bar as well as brings out the food, clears away and gives a few courtesy calls to see if the meal is satisfactory. Very impressed with the food, service and reasonable price. Can see why you have to book up ,- we will mist definitely be going again. Patricia Law

Table booked for 3, ordered main and puddings. Food was fantastic. Can throughly recommend the homemade pie, sausages weren’t too bad either and the gravy- yummy! Serving size was just right.

Erratic, opening times. Such a shame as a really nice pub.

Brilliant 👏 a fantastic choice on the menu not only for meat eaters BUT a selection of really tempting and unusual meals for us veggies 😋 None of which was the usual token 'nod to being a vegetarian. All of the meals were imaginative and inspired, oh and did I say delicious. Along with the cheery landlord Dave who was happy to answer all of our questions about the delightful pub, you are all set for a wonderful evening....We will surely be back when next in the area...Thanks guys for two superb meals, we really appreciated your Service.

Pretty great menu. I had the sausages, they were really good, but the gravy was out of this world.

I don't use this term lightly.... The BEST sausage and mash I've had!!!! Owner is so kind and welcoming!! amazing atmosphere, great beer on tap 100% worth a visit!! Well done poacher deffo a date night visit on the cards 👏👏👏

Rang for a last minute table for 2 and owner was just lovely and accommodating. The food was absolutely sublime,home cooked,full of flavour. We thoroughly enjoyed our meal,service was friendly and professional. We shall definitely return,thank you for a lovely evening.

Rang last minute for a table for 2 and the owner was most helpful. We had a superb meal, service was fast and attentive. The food was just sublime. Definitely will return.

My husband and I were staying in a nearby hotel and decided to venture out for a meal.We arrived at the Poacher by pure chance and were totally glad we did.From entering the premises we were met by David the host and he found us a table to eat after a short wait although we had not booked.We spent the time waiting for our table sitting in the beautiful garden which was landscaped and resembled a fairies grotto. Upon dining I can only say the food was absolutely lovely-freshly cooked-very well presented and above all very tasty. If you are near this area please call in and enjoy some of the tastiest food I have experienced for ages and a very hospitable landlord. Its good to see that the tradition of the country pub lives on!!

Enjoyed a relaxed and delicious evening meal at The Poacher. David is an excellent host, attentive and friendly without being intrusive, and Colleen is a whiz in the kitchen! A good and varied menu with quality ingredients, generous portions, beautifully cooked and presented, all in a delightful setting. Thank you David and Colleen for a pleasant evening.

A fantastic little gem, highly recommended. Nothing too much trouble, dog friendly and a good choice of gluten free meals. (I can't ask for more than that!). This is a small pub operated by the owners. As such I would suggest that you book in advance. They have an area of the pub dedicated to customers with dogs. This works really well because there is a good amount of space between tables allowing dogs to get used to each other. The owners are very knowledge about gluten free and even on a Sunday there is a good selection of dishes other than the ubiquitous roasts. (That said, they even have gluten free gravy and Yorkshire puddings if that floats your boat). We will be back!

Great food everything was spot on drinks food .went on a Thursday evening and just had to go back next day it was that good.

My Dad and I arrived at the pub for dinner where we were told that there would be a 45 min wait for food, even though the pub was virtually empty. We were then told to come back in 20 mins to order? I’m sorry but on what planet do you to have an allocated time slot to order in a pub? We sat outside and had to collect our own food! Absolutely ridiculous. We even noticed that the chef had his top off in the kitchen while cooking. I’m sure that goes against healthy and safety, and also food hygiene practices! If you want to feel like being back in a school dinner hall again then the Poacher is for you!

We booked an evening meal for a Saturday, while visiting the area. Booking made by phone 2 days before and we were lucky to get a table! Superb choice. Mine host, David, was charming and sociable. The food was first class - better than most...

Lovely Pub/Venue. Set in a little village but not too far from the M11. What I would describe as a traditional English Pub. It used to be abandoned, till it was restored to the lovely state it is now. Dog friendly too!

Really lovely and friendly local pub.....check opening times on their website.

Nice staff good food dog friendly great pub loved it

Unfortunately the real ale was off but the food was excellent.

First time visit to The Poacher, received a very warm welcome, great food. A great pub!

Delicious kitchen! Nice atmosphere! Strongly recommend!

Met some friends here on a Thursday evening. It is worth booking in advance as the place was full (always a good sign). David looked after us superbly, he was very friendly and also willing to have a laugh with us. The food was superb,...

Beautiful little pub, friendly staff and great food. Sat in the back garden, which was newly landscaped and looks really good, being my first time in being there, I would definitely go again, if it was closer to my location would go more often.

Great food and company provided by David who isa great host .Cannot speak highly enough of the food and service !

Good quality food. Relaxing and great service. Will strongly recommend.

Food was wonderful and pie of week was amazing. Friendly landlord. Was a bit slow service but as we weren't in a rush it was fine.

Great food and wonderful atmosphere. Not only was the food delicious but it was also great value.

Great pub for a Sunday roast... Good value for money, very friendly and accommodating staff.