The Punter Reviews Summary

Atmosphere & Ambiance

Pros:

• "Charming little pub with a good outdoor area."
• "Lovely place with a nice atmosphere."
• "Local and independent gastropub with a cosy vibe."
• "The moment you enter by the door, you feel the nice ambiance."
• "Warmly welcoming staff and we can sit next to the road...An amazing place to chill with friends and family."
• "Delightful pub with an old world charm."
• "Lovely place...very good drinks and good food."

Cons:

• "was put in the barn out the back as front full, quiet and lacking atmosphere."
• "The space has been changed, with tables crammed in everywhere, unappealing and tacky art has been posted all over the walls."
• "It tends to get very noisy in the evening if you sit inside because of the acoustics."
• "The Barn is great for large groups but gets a bit noisy, so don't expect meaningful conversations."
• "It's not too great with kids as it gets a bit claustrophobic."
• "Only drawback was noise. We could barely hear each other speak as large table (20+) of students behind us."
• "This used to be a proper atmospheric and bustlingly local pub... but it’s sad to see an old friend so changed."

Food Quality

Pros:

• "The food in itself was gorgeous, but when it comes to taste and seasoning, it unfortunately lacked."
• "Food is very nice and reasonable value."
• "Very good food - try the nutloaf! - warm atmosphere and friendly, efficient staff."
• "The food was very good, and not expensive considering where it is in Cambridge."
• "Fantastic fresh and well presented food."
• "The food is lovely, kind of pub food, but with a haute cuisine touch."
• "Some of the best fish and chips I’ve had in ages - delicious light batter and chips."

Cons:

• "Nice place but disappointing food."
• "The lamb... was so tough and chewy large pieces had to be left on the plate."
• "But the food was a major disappointment. Our fish and chips were very over-cooked and the chips were borderline inedible."
• "Disappointing crab starter-which was like the tuna mayonnaise mixture in the sandwich."
• "The vegetable that come with the roast are boiled and not so good."
• "The burgers had stale buns, the patties were overcooked and the chips had clearly been cooked several hours before."
• "Hospital food - school dinner level now... terrible taste."

Service

Pros:

• "The owners of the pub are very friendly couple, and fantastic Customer service."
• "Very professional, friendly and attentive staff."
• "Lovely pub and the staff are always very friendly and efficient."
• "Great service superb food."
• "Manageress always has a smile on her face."
• "Staff are always cheerful and happy."
• "The young woman who served us couldn't have been more helpful."

Cons:

• "Absolutely worst service ever. Booked for 8, apparently couldn't accommodate an extra two people...in an EMPTY pub."
• "After 50 min we had no appetiser while all other people around us had main courses already."
• "Food was great, but the attitude of one of the waiting staff was absolutely atrocious."
• "Rude, slightly passive aggressive staff."
• "Staff routinely forget things and are slow to bring food."
• "Service was not great- didn't bring us to the table that we had made reservation until everyone arrived."
• "The staff are not helpful, welcome nor friendly, superficial in fact."

Value

Pros:

• "Food is very nice and reasonable value."
• "The food was very good, and not expensive considering where it is in Cambridge."
• "Reasonably priced."
• "Prices were reasonable (in consideration of recent inflation): some £14 for the burger and £5 or so for the cheesecake."
• "Not expensive considering where it is in Cambridge."
• "Reasonable prices."
• "Lovely food, not cheap pub grub, but standard gastro pub prices."

Cons:

• "Overpriced for what was a very limited menu."
• "Food feels a little but pricey for a pub—for that price, I'd want restaurant quality+selection."
• "Just too expensive, with most of the mains £13--£15."
• "Food and beers are a little pricey, but like everyone knows you pay for what you get."
• "Really overcooked bland food for the premium price."
• "Nice drinks selection, but on the pricier side of pubs for drinks."
• "The pub also adds a service charge of about 10% onto the bill."

Drinks Selection

Pros:

• "Good beer and wine to enjoy."
• "Lovely ales, too."
• "Suffolk Ale was really nice."
• "It has a good drinks selection and the food is alright."
• "Great outdoor seating area. Good selection of beers wines and spirits."
• "Good selection available for a pub."
• "The pub always has a limited range of decent beer and the food is reliably good."

Cons:

• "Beer choices could be a little more dynamic."
• "Not a great beer selection."
• "I was a little disappointed in the drinks options - which is strange for a pub!"
• "Not very knowledgeable on their own drinks."
• "Overpriced for what was a very limited menu."
• "The flavour its missing cumin powder and gherkins."
• "No table service for drinks."