The Yard - by Silver Oak in East Cambridgeshire

To be fair you don’t really know what you’re doing when you get there as no staff about, however we found our table, had to find where to order food then had to go get drinks separately, a long queue but just made it in time before buzzer went off for our food. It was stone cold, I think because it’s served up on what felt like cold tin plates. Quite tasteless, you couldn’t cut the black pudding so I had to pick it up! Bacon was rubbery and they buttered the toast, I don’t like butter so couldn’t eat that. Overall disappointing. Not for us.

Lovely set up but food not great. Avoid the honey harissa haloumi listed as a salad/ light bite but was neither. Nice environment and bar

Paid £7 for a bacon sandwich that had one bit of bacon in it. When I suggested that was a bit cheeky, the lady looked at me like I was an idiot and asked ‘well what do you want me to do?’ I got two bits of bacon after that. It’s a shame, as the coffee is great and the setting is lovely. But it puts me off going back. EDIT: So quick update. My complaint has been dealt with in what I can only say is a very fair and proportionate way, and I am grateful. Further experiences have been positive and I’ve revised my rating as a result. I am trusting my previous experience was a one off blip!

I couldn’t recommend The Yard more. There’s delicious food, a great atmosphere, and the staff are incredibly helpful and friendly. It’s pet friendly and there’s a plenty of seating, inside and outside.

Great place, nice food, excellent coffee and great atmosphere. We come here as a family regularly.

Very good place for breakfast/brunch.

Excellent place made special by Andi and The Team x

The Yard has got to be one of the best additions to Ely. It has a really lovely relaxing vibe about it. The team is always so friendly and attentive, too. We quite often pop in for coffee. We've enjoyed breakfast, lunch, and dinner on many occasions. The menu has a good selection for everyone to enjoy. It's been really good to see The Yard evolve from when it first opened. The addition of roller doors has made it a great place to escape bad weather. The Nordic Pods are fabulous. We were lucky enough to book a pod for Boxing Day. They are warm, comfortable and so cosy on a cold day. The Yard hosts plenty of events and themed evenings. We especially like the silent speed quiz on Wednesdays. Looking forward to the Mamma Mia themed silent disco, it should be a lot of fun. Well done to at The Yard for creating such a wonderful place that is enjoyed by all in the community.

Another fantastic evening at The Yard! So many brilliant events here. Comedy nights, Silent Disco and tonight wine tasting. Always brilliant service from Adam and Andi. Can't wait for the next event!

Brilliant! What a fab venue! Whether you want a (best ever) coffee while on a dog walk or a lovely meal and few drinks, this is the place to do it. Great atmosphere, can’t wait to spend many spring and summer evenings here :-)

Great little venue, local(ish) offer on the beer, street food & good local coffee. Great vibes and good atmosphere. Friendly staff, I can imagine this place is lively in the summer

Did the coffee roasting course on Saturday, excellent experience very enjoyable learned a lot thoroughly recommend.

Fantastic concept and amazing food. Plenty of choices for whatever you fancy, from coffee and drinks to light food, full lunches and desserts. Well worth the cost and with a clear focus on the sustainability and celebration of the local produce. There's outdoor seating with plenty of shade, an indoor area and even a small play area for children too. This is no doubt the first of many trips to the Yard.

Great fun dancing the night away!

Excellent food, with only a short wait. Very comfortable in one of the pods. Staff very friendly and courteous as usual. Well priced.

I only put 4 stars for service because it isn't table service here. This in no way takes away from what a lovely experience it was! We booked a nordic pod: this is sort of a cross between a booth, a mini shed and a tent (with a see-through zip panel at the front) complete with overhead heater and blankets. We went on a very cold day (5°) and our feet got very cold so I would advise thick socks or boots. The food is lovely, freshly cooked in good time, There is much more on offer than I imagined; so much choice I will need to go back to try some of the other delicious items on the menu. Nothing is as expensive as you'd think considering how 'trendy' and unique it is.

The Yard is becoming our favourite place to eat/drink in Ely! The food is always amazing, there is always lots of Vegan options available and the Gluten free options are second to none! The staff are absolutely lovely! I think this place is probably the most dog friendly in the area, even having blankets for your dog to use. We keep bringing friends and family to show them what a great place it is, whether you’re there for a coffee, beer, lunch or dinner, The Yard really does have it all!

Great fun! We had such a good time at the silent disco! And added perk of coming out in our pjs and slippers!! Reasonable prices booze and yummy food too!

Wine tasting at the yard is always a really enjoyable evening , lovely to hear and try different wines , the venue is a lovely place to visit

Such a great experience and our neighbours were the best!! Love meeting new people and having lovely wine 🍷(wine tasting event)

Fantastic time at the wine tasting. Fabulous food and allegies catered for. We will be back

This place looked great but failed us miserably. Very poor value for the money spent over £60 for 4 of us plus a further £15 on coffees. The eggs undercooked pale yellow, terrible quality ‘meat’ the sausage was particularly unappealing and child size bites of what I think was the hash brown. Too much back and forth with ordering getting food getting drinks. By the time we fetched our food it was cold. All in all terribly disappointing and do not recommend.

Great place for a coffee and/or food. Area is mostly outside, but is well heated and covered.

Fab pie night - very tasty and good value! Was so full!

Such a nice venue to enjoy a coffee and meet with friends.

Had the best time celebrating NYE with my girls at the Yard. It was the most perfect, chilled way to see out the year and bring in 2025 but there was still a definite buzz about the place. Staff were friendly and fun as always. Great idea, hope you do it again next year!

Great breakfast bagel and dreamy hash browns. Best atmosphere in Ely

Came for the new year's eve celebration event. The food and cocktails were good but on the tickets it said speak to someone when you arrive to get sorted. There was noone available as they were all behind the bar serving so it wasn't really clear how you get your drinks or food with your tickets. There was no music - this might be due to a license but it did say on the website that we would "bring in the new year at 9pm!" Nothing happened at all. No count down/celebration/music etc. It just felt a bit flat. Not quite a new year's eve celebration.

We had a lovely time but it would have been good if there had been someone to meet and greet and show you how the evening was being organised. The cocktails were lovely, and made very quickly, considering there weren't many staff on the bar, but it would been good to have a soft drink option incuded in the price as it cost an extra £30 for soft drinks on top of the £160 I had paid for food and drink. The food was very good, as always. It was a shame that there was no music playing - because of this, there wasn't a party atmosphere created and it didn't really feel like a New Year's celebration night as there wasn't the 'celebration' at 9pm as advertised on your social media.

I always have a great time at the yard with great service by all the team especially Ana who is great and polite. Jack and Lily are also very good.

Good food. Have GF and Vegan options. Cozy and dog friendly.

I especially love the coffee shops outside. They really make great coffee. 🫶🏻❤️

Even on a chilly day, this place is buzzing. Perfect for a cheeky coffee or mulled wine.

First time here, had a superb lunch and sat indoors... Very clean, very friendly and the self service aspect is easy, as is ordering. Menu choices are excellent and I'll be back to taste more!

Great visit - booked a pod and it was fab.

Had a lovely time in one of your pods having drinks Easily booked online, and great venue

Took mum and dad for brunch and booked out one of those Viking pods. Was amazing and gave us a lovely Christmas Eve atmosphere. Also eat and drink there regularly, do the quizzes etc… never disappointed

Booked one of the new Nordic cabins which were lovely and cosy,. Although, we ordered through the QR code on the table and were left waiting 30 minutes for 2 drinks, which on a night where it isn’t especially busy, isn’t great, especially when we didn’t even order food! Nobody around to ask and my partner had to hunt out the bar area in order to ask for our drinks, only to then have to wait for them to be made at the bar in front of her. If we’d have known, we would’ve ordered at the bar in the first place. The bar staff didn’t even seem particularly apologetic. There also isn’t particularly good signage or instructions around the cabins or their use when you get to The Yard. We ended up asking at the coffee shop on the way in and they didn’t seem too sure. Overall a nice place to visit but I’d order at the bar if you don’t want to be waiting over. 1/4 of your time slot just for a drink! The experience is lovely but the place needs just a touch more customer service. (Also I received my Espresso Martini without espresso in it. Safe to say a mix of JUST Kahlua and Vodka has quite a kick to it 😂)

I absolutely love the yard. Always excellent food, drinks and service. The events they host are incredible and of a huge variety. Super dog friendly, I'd recommend it to everyone. My favourite place in Ely, a real gem.

We had our Zumba Christmas Party at the Yard and we all had a lovely time. We booked the buffet menu - it was yummy 😋 & lots of food. The staff were very helpful and friendly. We love the Yard and we meet there every Saturday after Zumba to catch up while having the best coffee ☕️ Thank you Nella

Come here constantly, super friendly bunch of people ☺️ food is great and coffee is the best around

The Nordic Pods were really cosy. The fur throws on the back of the benches were lovely but it would be even better if there was also a bench cushion or a throw covering the seats as the wood is a little hard and also cold on a miserable night.

We recently dropped into The Yard for a quick coffee but ended up staying much longer because of the wonderful Christmas atmosphere. They even had a Santa’s Grotto and although we didn’t have tickets, the staff were so kind and accommodating, letting us visit, which absolutely made our kids’ day! We shared a delicious pizza, enjoyed mulled wine, and ordered a burger from the kids’ menu—all of which were fantastic. The entire experience was warm, festive, and so welcoming. Thank you for creating such a magical experience for our family. Merry Christmas to everyone at The Yard!

As always a great evening, thank you Kevin for making it so much fun with your stories and knowledge and thank you to the Yard for the great food an service

We enjoyed our food and drinks here. Food is okay but nothing crazily special, but they have a good selection of drinks. The atmosphere is good too, so a nice place to visit if you are out in Ely!

The staff are always friendly, the food and drinks are great and the atmosphere is spot on! Love it!

What a lovely venue! So thoughtfully put together and flexible. Great food and coffee!

We have booked on the monthly wine tasting for the second time. Staff are always really attentive, especially Adam, and the food is always great. Will definitely book another wine night soon!

We had a great late night meeting here in the Nordic pods. The food looked great and the drinks were refreshing

We are so lucky in Ely, we have wonderful independent shops. I thought we had everything you could want. We needed the Yard we just didn't know it. Well done Susie, Bruce and the fab team. It is lovely, food, drink and lots of space for meeting friends.

More than artisan coffee. This is an independent hub. Buy the best coffee in Ely and have a nose around the indoor independents market. There is a little cafe at the back too serving seasonal “street food”. I bet it’s a hidden gem.

Booked one of the Nordic Pods. Was a lovely experience… warm and cosy ❤️ Also very private. Will definitely book again!

The food took a long time to arrive. When it arrived it was cold. The mulled wine was good. Cool, informal, well decorated atmosphere. In the back there is free city hall parking for 2 hours. It has a play room for young children (up to 5/6 years old).

My friends and I are such big fans of The Yard. The breakfast is our favourite in the city, and tonight we had their Christmas dinner which was wonderful and at SUCH a good price. The staff are funny and friendly and the venue is beautiful - we're obsessed with the new Nordic Pods which are super cosy in winter! The Yard ALWAYS delivers.

We booked a table for 25 for our u13 girls cricket team Christmas get together. We were given plenty of space indoors and were very well catered for. The food was excellent and reasonably priced.

Absolutely fantastic! Coffee the best (silver oak) venue stunning and creative, food divine and the most wonderful atmosphere - very happy to return x and Jack is just lovely!!! (He served me today)

Great service from Jack and the rest of the team. Perfect cappuccino (the best in town!) & tasty food. The Nordic pods are a great idea, too. Thank you.

We tried the new pods for something different Just for drinks Was really lovely and toasty in there Good system using the board to show which was yours and others when they were free Will use again for food The only thing missing from the yard, is fire Either a fire bowl or the ethanol pyramid style fires Would really complete a winter yard

Love the Nordic Pods. Food great and good value. Will definitely return when next in Ely.

Always a fun experience at The Yard! Super dog friendly and lovely staff!

We visited to celebrate my daughters’ birthday and placed an order using the online menu, which clearly stated that the kids’ meals came with a soft serve. However, when we collected our order, the ice cream was missing. Upon asking the staff, we were told it was no longer provided. This was inconsistent with the menu and felt very misleading. We even showed the online menu to a second group of staff, who awkwardly confirmed it was unavailable. When we asked if there was any substitute, they said no. If the menu has changed, shouldn’t the online menu be updated to avoid misleading customers? Once an order is confirmed, it should reflect the agreed menu, but this experience made us feel deceived. My daughters were excited about their birthday meal but ended up deeply disappointed. This truly soured what should have been a special occasion for us.

My mother has a myriad of food allergies such aa all types of pepper, including black pepper and citrus, which includes tomato. The staff, specifically a kind waiter named Sean, were extremely amicable, and went above and beyond to serve her something she could eat.

Loved the cosy bookable Nordic Pod!

Absolutely loved visiting the new Nordic pods

I meet here with my friend regularly for coffee. It's relaxed, dog friendly, and the perfect combination of inside and outside. Ana, who served me today, was exemplary in her service, being helpful, friendly, and professional. Thank you 😊

Absolutely outstanding food from these guys. I had nothing to complain about. The fish was moist, and the batter crispy. The Churros was the best I've ever eaten, so much flavour, and lovely and crisp. The Arancini was bursting with flavour and cheese, and had a nice crisp coating. As for their Cajun onion rings, WoW!, WoW!, WoW!, they are a must have, if you're into those. Their delivery service is second to none for sure. I will definitely order from them again soon. They should be very proud of them selves.

Easily one of the best places to go in Ely, with a great selection of food and drinks. The team have obviously put a lot of thought and effort into the venue too, catering for all people no matter the season/weather. The range of events hosted at The Yard are fantastic and well worth looking out for.

Really friendly staff, food was excellent and really nice atmosphere. We went for breakfast and lots of choice and very nice coffee! Would thoroughly recommend.

The team at the Yard never fail ! Enjoyed another fab wine tasting evening with excellent food ! Service always perfect So so lucky to have this place on our doorstep .

This is my local, go to place for absolutely everything. Superb food. Coffee you just can't get anywhere else and such a great atmosphere. Ely are lucky to have such an amazing place

I really love the little beans area because it’s so fun!!!!!

Love going to The Yard, service, atmosphere & food is great. You can go just for a coffee to having a full meal with drinks. They have thought of everything from hooks on tables for dog leads to children’s toilet seats built in. The tables are been cleaned constantly and there is no mess or rubbish in sight. I can’t recommend enough. Keep up the great work everyone.

I had roast beef and it was tasty (good quality of the meat) but it was really tough... Yorkshire pudding and gravy were amazing!!

Great evening at pie night and also painting. Great food and fab entertainment, a lovely way to spend a week night!

Didn’t eat today but always lovely atmosphere, good service and great coffee (and the yummy cake!!). Love this place greatest little asset to Ely, highly recommend, our regular coffee stop. Thank you all at The Yard 😊 xx

I came to The Yard for the Taylor Swift quiz & it was great fun, although we didn't win (there were over 30 teams though, in our defence!). Anyway, I ordered the vegan mushroom pizza, some skin on fries & mulled wine. The pizza was amazing, I'd love to know what vegan cheese they use because it was delicious. Later on, my partner went to the bar to ask if they could do a vegan hot chocolate & returned with one that also had vegan squirty cream on the top - I definitely wasn't expecting that. It was super yummy & just what I needed to warm me up. The Yard does have a good amount of heaters dotted around but if you're a cold person like me, you'll need to layer up in the evening if you're outside 🥶 (or buy lots of hot chocolates!) Current vegan food options: Hummus bowl, mediterranean toastie, vege burger, mushroom pizza, margarita pizza (vegan available*), fries, salt & pepper fries, apple slaw, side salad, & kids margarita (vegan available*). There is also a brunch menu which is served until 3pm everyday with more vegan options.

Perfect for a small childrens party. The food is excellent for both children and adults. It takes away all the stress of planning a party! The staff were really accomdatibg and we had a really good time

Great party venue for a bunch of 2-3 year olds in the soft play area! We had half an hour for set up and the food and event support were helpful and punctual (and so so delicious!).

Regular stop with my son's dogs..

Lovely place for food. Also good coffee and soft play if you have youngsters. With a clean changing area with toilet. Always friendly staff. Any issues they always resolve. Good for daytime.

Hidden gem in the middle of Ely. Great food and drink, with the added bonus of Silver Oak coffee. Check out the monthly comedy nights too

Fantastic place. A real gem for Ely. Lovely owners and a great atmosphere. When the weather is shining, it’s like we are on holiday. My go to place for coffee, drinks and food!

Been here a couple of times for brunch and coffee, both times the food has been delicious and the coffee is amazing quality and great tasting. I love that you can bring the dog, it’s such a relaxed environment and is becoming a favourite place to visit!

An experience to be had both in a group and alone. Unusual formula that is more reminiscent of a fair than a venue. Try the Benedictine egg where the hollandaise sauce needs to be improved and the solutions to share such as the carafe of beer.

Had high hopes that ‘the bagel bar’ I’ve missed so much was back (in part) at the yard. But sadly left disappointed ☹️ I don’t want an ‘open bagel’, I want to eat it with my hands like a sandwich and devour it! Not awkwardly saw away with my knife and fork. The Big Phil was particularly disappointing, a burnt on the outside but mushy in the middle onion bhaji and impractical lumps of halloumi that fell out no matter how tightly I held the bagel (thinner, more sandwich friendly slices would be better). It made for a bitter and texturally unpleasant eat...it just tasted cheap. Sadly the quality isn’t the same as the good old days. I still love the yard. The decor, staff and drinks are brilliant in every way. The food however, is a bit ‘meh’

Really impressed by this place. Easy to navigate ordering & getting served, nice attention to detail with outside heaters & blankets and lovely food with unexpectedly huge portions... Next time will be careful not to over order but it was all so delicious. Friendly team and locals too.

Shared some plates and enjoyed all the food. Great atmosphere.

A nice concept; clean, spacious and an uncluttered. Decent range of drinks however (on this occasion) the food was the weakest link.

Love this place!!! We visited family and called in for refreshments, although we didn't eat the food it looked and smelled amazing, there was a good choice of draft drinks and we loved the General vibe of the place. Wish we had somewhere like this near us.

There didnt seem to be much beef on my toastie, but there was on another one. Was a long wait. But a good place to be.

Ely is a serene and lovely ancient British town. Service at The Yard was warm and it seems an overrall lovely community.

Just enjoyed a delicious brunch. The Yard gets better & better. Ely is very lucky to have them.

Came for food & drinks. Fantastic chicken wings & quite possibly the best sausage rolls I've ever had. Staff very friendly Overall a very enjoyable afternoon Will definitely visit The Yard again

This was my first visit to The Yard. Came for food and drinks. Homemade food was exceptional, special mention for the chicken wings & sausage rolls. Staff could not have been more helpful, it was a really hot day & getting extra ice was never a problem. Speaking of which the ice cream machine & frozen cocktails were terrific. Will 100% be coming again

Fab food fab staff fab weather will be back banging sausage rolls good cakes good service friendly owners very hands on amazing afternoon

Fantastic wine tasting event at the Yard on Thursday 8th Aug. Great choice of wine, the host really knew his stuff, and the team at the Yard really looked after us. Will be back for another round soon!

The Yard has the potential to be an excellent place to entertain family and friends. The appearance and location are great. As for the customer service and food. Customer service is completely missing. The first step of quality customer service is that we would like to be greeted into the facility and explained how and what the procedures are. This would assist and prevent walk outs, which was noticed. Now for the food: I feel is one of the most important things to remember about food and this is that most people will usually first eat with their eyes by means of presentation, then we taste. With my meal, both categories were lacking.

The best coffee in Ely by far. The food is very good too. My only criticism is for some reason (as it's dog friendly) they seem to bark a lot whilst they're there. So ambience isn't the best.

Thank you for opting to be completely closed to the public tonight for a “drag bingo” event but not bothering to tell anybody you were closed for that until we wandered across Ely to your chained and padlocked front gate and discovered the sign. Luckily we were able to spend the money you would have got, at Piccolo’s for excellent cocktails, and Ely Turkish for a superb dinner. So thank you for sending us to those other excellent local businesses instead. (Next time you decide to be closed on a lovely Saturday night, maybe put something to that effect on your socials?)

Great place to have a drink and relax.