The Black Bull Inn

The positives: An attractive thatched historic building set in a smart village near to Cambridge. The negatives: We stayed for two nights, paying £144 per night bed and breakfast, which proved very expensive compared to other better alternatives we have previously stayed in close to Cambridge - sadly our preferred option was fully booked. Total we paid, including 2 dinners, was over £400. The room, in a very plain building to the side of the inn, was a good size, but poorly lit and very plain and basic. Most things were there, but no nice extras you might expect at the price and which would show that somebody cared about their guests. The over bath shower was of the weedy variety. Dinner on the first night was disappointing. I chose fish and chips, which was frankly terrible, and the first meal I have sent back for a long time. Burnt, and chips which I suspect were reheated from a day or two previously. A replacement was offered, I ordered a starter which I would describe as ok but not worth the price.My wife's ceasar salad was deeply ordinary but edible. Deserts however, were very nice. Second night dinner was ok, my wife's burger not very nice, mostly uneaten, and my salt fish fritters again nothing special. Again, desserts were very good. The most recent hygiene rating May 2025 is 4, but a sticker outside was still displaying a 5 rating. Generally, the building feels unloved. We only had breakfast on one day, which was probably the poorest we have had for a long time, having stayed at many different pubs and inns over the years, and not appropriate for accommodation at this price point. My poached eggs and bacon were ok, but served on burnt black toast. My wife's porridge was ok. There were no extras, no juices, no croissants, very basic cereal options. Will we be visiting next time we need to stay near Cambridge? Sorry but that's a definite no.

Many thanks to Luke and his colleagues for making the six of us so comfortable and welcome at The Black Bull last week. My wife had spotted a review of this pub in 'Country Living' and we decided to use it as a base for exploring Cambridge. Definitely an excellent choice. Great breakfast and dinner for the six of us over three nights. Thanks to the ladies who cooked our breakfasts and the chef for the dinners! Luke was full of good advice as to where to park our cars when travelling into Cambridge - on his advice the Park and Ride at Babraham was a wise choice (parking is free and the bus fare a very modest few £s to get into the centre of the town). Many thanks from the Bath Six!

Room was a bit dark everything else good