The vast array of of pubs, bars, clubs and restaurants in Cambridge, coupled with a vibrant music and theatre scene, is bound to keep your nights full and/or your hangovers heavy throughout the year.
Ok, so maybe Cambridge doesn't have a reputation for the best club scene in the world, but if you set out to have a good night, you're bound to find it somewhere. Here's a run down of the five main clubs.
Ballare (aka to every Uni student, Cindies) - Renowned for its cheesy music, Cindies attracts a very large crowd on both Tuesday and Wednesday nights, often with mammoth queues, but always worth the wait. The club attracts a surprisingly diverse bunch week-in, week-out, which makes it one of the most entertaining locations for an en-masse trip. Something happens to a student in Cindies causing them to adore the cheesy tunes they would normally scoff at, admire the decidedly frosty demeanours of the bouncers, and be in awe of the frankly unsavoury nature of the toilets. Loved by many, despised by a few, Cindies must be tried.
The Fez Club - Compact and vibrant, with its quirky Moroccan interior, wide variety of music and its regular guest DJs, Fez is widely considered the coolest club in Cambridge. It is especially popular on Sunday nights, where it plays Indie music at its 'Oasis' night. If you don't like the sweaty, packed dance floors, there's plenty of seating and really good cocktails (and a lot of mirrors that can make things very confusing when you've had a few). Top quality for massive groups - they are happy for free entry and queue jump if you can guarantee a large enough group and arrange a couple of days before, making it an ideal end of birthday celebrations destination.
Revolution - 'Revs' is the place to be on a Thursday night, when it hosts it Shut Up and Dance (S.U.A.D.) nights. Great drinks, a big dancefloor (which nevertheless gets packed very quickly) and good music, Revs would be my choice. Every time. Also does food in the downstairs bar/restaurant area.
Soul Tree - The most impressive Cambridge club in terms of interior, straddled as it is across three floors with an open central column overlooking the central dance floor. Soul Tree’s music is much more akin to that of Fez than Cindies, with its dance night on a Wednesday, and live music every week, making it increasingly popular among students.
The Place – Recently renamed, and generally known as 'Life', this contemporary club tends to attract a dedicated core of regulars, which can make it a less obvious choice for a night out to others. However, it tends to be a ‘love it or hate’ it club, and if you find it to your taste then your Sunday nights are sorted!
Bella Italia - Monday night is Bella Italia night if you miss Buttery and are too lazy to knock up something yourself. Main meals are 2-for-1 - so you can eat twice as much. Or spend half as much. Whatever you want!
Wagamama - Lightning fast service, food freshly prepared to the side and electronically-taken orders, this place makes me think of a Minority Report-esque canteen. However the food is excellent, with a wide array of Asian dishes on offer. Occasional queues diminish quickly thanks to the headless-chicken style of service, but they somehow pull it off. A very good choice for vegetarians, with a huge selection of veggie dishes. If you're lucky you might even find two-for-one meal vouchers, they spring up all over the place.
The Copper Kettle - Serves excellent all-day breakfasts, for vegetarians too, for only £4.95. The Copper Kettle also serves a good variety of lunchtime meals and Turkish evening meals, for fairly reasonable prices. A good place to go with the family.
The Rainbow Cafe - The place to eat for vegans and vegetarians, and indeed anyone who likes vegan or vegetarian food. Sneak down the narrow alley leading to its entrance and you'll find a very homely restaurant serving freshly prepared food, much of which is gluten free as well. Main meals are about £8-10.
Fitzbillies - Somewhat of a Cambridge institution, if you like sweet and sticky, you will like their famous Chelsea Buns. This bakery, with its excellent tea-room/restaurant next door, is conveniently situated at the top of Silver Street. Its not cheap, but its not ridiculously-priced either, making it perfect for an occasional treat, or a meal with the parents.
Benets - There's two of these small cafes in Cambridge, one on King's Parade, the other just round the corner. Good if you just want a sandwich, or a coffee, or, in summer, an ice-cream. Stays open until 8pm everyday - later than most other cafes in Cambridge. Relatively expensive, but its worth it - especially for the ice-cream on a hot summer's day. Bliss.
The Bombay Brasserie (aka The Mahal) - the Cindies of the Cambridge restaurant scene. It is very likely you’ll come here in your first week or two, and, like some, you will return frequently, like others, you’ll never, ever, go back. £10 gets you a soft drink, pint or glass of wine, poppadom, naan, rice and curry. On certain nights, they allow ‘diners’ to bring their own bottle of wine. A recipe for disaster. I speak from experience. The general feeling is that the food is suited to being launched across the room than digested. Expect poppadoms smashed in faces, curry-soaked naans being slapped into the walls and your clothes to get mucky. Definitely not a classy place, and not somewhere to take your parents - I always feel quite sorry for the couple dining in the corner as the chaos reigns.
Gardies and the Vans – Picture the scene: Its 2am, you’ve just left Cindies (or wherever), you’ve had a bit to drink, and you get the munchies…where do you go? The answer is Gardies! Officially called Gardenia, and situated just off Market Square, this late night kebab/burger house always has a queue in the small hours. Admittedly not the healthiest of choices, but if the Gardies scene gets a bit much, you can always totter over to Market square where you’ll have the choice of 2 burger vans – the van of life or the van of death…which will you choose!?
Theatre in Cambridge comes, for the most part, from the Amateur Dramatic Club (ADC) Theatre. Host to a massive variety of performances, from original, up-and-coming drama, Shakespeare and of course the famous Footlights, there is bound to be something at the ADC to capture your imagination. The Lent Term musical always attracts large crowds, and the 'late shows', which begin at 11pm, after the end of the 'main show', are often worth seeing. Smaller locations around town and at colleges, including the Corpus Playroom, Pembroke New Cellars and Queens’ Fitzpat also play host to some top quality student-produced drama.
The live music scene in Cambridge comes through two well-renowned main venues. The Junction and the Corn Exchange. The Junction, is situated outside the city centre, and hosts live music spanning many genres as well as big-name comedy performers. The Corn Exchange is only 10 minutes from Newnham and continues to bring big acts to Cambridge. A quick look down the “what’s on” section of their website shows Dizzee Rascal, Simon Amstell, Jools Holland - could it get any more diverse?! And all this in your first term. Imagine three years of it!
If you’re up for something a little more ‘sophisticated’ then there’s nowhere better than Cambridge to find the very best in classical music performance, both in various Colleges and courtesy of the professional-standard University societies. If jazz is more your thing, there are plenty of gigs around and about, some offering you the chance to get involved yourself. Keep an eye out for posters advertising events around St Mary’s Church near King’s College.
Of course the best way to decide upon your favourite places in Cambridge is to get out there and try them for yourselves. Whether your preference is fine dining, full English breakfasts, or greasy greasy burgers and chips, there really is something for everyone wherever you look in Cambridge. Such an array of pubs, bars, restaurants and shows will help to make your time at Newnham an unforgettable experience.