THE HANDSOME PRINCE, CAMBRIDGE

November 2025. Cambridge.

Forgive the dull blog title; I’m just back in Sheffield from Rye (via Waterbeach) and a bit brain dead after the UK’s slowest rail journey, in which the train seems to be subject to weird gravitational pulls either side of Grantham.

Mrs RM seemed a bit worried about me as I left Rye Harbour on Thursday. “How you going to cope now you’ve caught up on your blog ?“. Well, get some more blog material, I guess.

And so it’s straight into Cambridge’s King Street, probably the defining lane of my youth due to two (2) record shops (Parrot and Garon), a kebab shop, and a literal run of pubs that was once a classic crawl.

Not now, with the legendary St Radegund closed, replaced with a very short-lived craft bar that was not a Mrs RM favourite despite good beer. Goodness knows what Stafford Paul would have made of the seating.

Cambridge still has many great pubs, and Thirsty is a decent craft bar, but there’s clearly a gap in the market for 8% TIPAs and 10% Impy Stouts.

And the Handsome Prince have picked a prime site, between Jesus College and Christ’s Pieces,

though I acknowledge that four long trestle tables and some high stools at the window isn’t going to appeal to some readers of this blog.

No cask, and plenty of lesser seen names on a board that looks like it’s been poached from Multi-Coloured Swap Shop.

A half of Baron Fuzz, a local pale, and a third of Beak’s rich and silky 10% Impy Stout, perhaps the beer of the year.

I let CAMRA know I couldn’t score the beer, but if I was supposed to “Ask if any of the beers are Key Keg” you’ve got another think coming.

Great ambient music (David Holmes), nice staff, reasonable prices, no indication as to who the Handsome Prince was.

But I’m taking a punt on Charles (Trinity, 1967). He was a fan of the Tolly, I suspect.

Unknown's avatar

Published by retiredmartin

Retired NHS, doing long walks around UK and the world to record the great bits. Focused on Good Beer Guide pubs and live music.

34 thoughts on “THE HANDSOME PRINCE, CAMBRIDGE”

    1. And yet that’s something CAMRA suggests you do in the craft bars where all the taps are on the back wall.

      I don’t have any philosophical problem with keg or key keg or anything. I don’t like over carbonated beer though.

      Like

      Reply

      2. Beer drinkers who don’t like overcarbonation should avoid craft bars. This puts the decision about leaving CAMRA in the hands of the organisation rather than the member. I’d be happy to be thrown out for criticising beers for being cold and fizzy, but I’ve been doing it for some time now and I’m still a member.

        Liked by 1 person

      4. Funnily enough Will, I detest overcarbonation and avoid craft bars like the plague.
        I think a member has to describe one of Tim Webb’s favourites as “fizz” to be thrown out !

        Liked by 1 person

  3. What was on the site before it became the Handsome Prince? PS. Great to see “gentleman’s outfitters” Flannels stoll going. I bought what was then (for me) a very expensive navy suit on King Street prior to starting work for Ond Coope in (gulp) 1981.

    Like

    Reply

      1. Sunday Times. Article in magazine by Pete Brown, the ‘Beer’ correspondent.
        Coopers is his favourite pub ‘in the world’ although some locals argue the Elms is the best place for Bass based on volume sold. Perhaps a pint in each..?

        Liked by 1 person

      2. Oh yes, sorry !

        Bit confused by a link to someone’s LinkedIn and I never press links I don’t know.

        There’s not much between the Bass in quite a few of the pubs there, but the Coopers has the advantage of being able to take your pints into the Apne for a curry !

        What’s your closest Bass pub ?

        Like

      2. OK, that worked but yours didn’t, and neither did my first one replying to yours (see below).

        This is what you can do to occupy your time now the blog is up to date.

        Liked by 1 person

  7. I only ever met serious CAMRA guys one time – catching the bus to Gornal Wood in the spring. They had CAMRA teeshirts on and invited me along to their next pub but I didn’t want to cramp their style.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

    1. I doubt you’d have cramped their style, Lana. My wife is much more confident about returning the occasional duff pint, she quite enjoys it !

      The pubs in the Gornals and around are some of the friendliest anywhere, Paul will be along in a minute to recommend the Beacon in Sedgley.

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply

    2. Lana, It’s over fifty years since Simpkiss’s Jolly Crispin at Upper Gornal was one of four pubs on a coach trip I organised. For whenever you’re next near Gornal I would recommend not only Bathams’s Britannia but also the Beacon Hotel in Sedgley which was where nearly thirty-four years ago I proposed to my wife who grew up just round the corner. I think Martin can confirm that, in a bid to remain “just an ordinary bloke”, I NEVER wear tee-shirts, CAMRA or otherwise, and NEVER ask for a taster or about discounts.

      Liked by 2 people

      Reply

      1. Thanks for these Paul. Now on my list. I will return at some stage as I liked Gornal a lot on my first visit (have a blog on it). Some local guys turned up to the town pub on their horses. Loved that 😀

        Liked by 1 person

  8. ““How you going to cope now you’ve caught up on your blog ?“. Well, get some more blog material, I guess.”

    Albeit with little stress one hopes.

    “Goodness knows what Stafford Paul would have made of the seating.”

    I can’t barely make a paper airplane with a piece of paper. I haven’t got a clue what I’d make with some seating.

    “but there’s clearly a gap in the market for 8% TIPAs and 10% Impy Stouts.”

    Too many of those and there’d be a gap in one’s memory.

    “though I acknowledge that four long trestle tables and some high stools at the window isn’t going to appeal to some readers of this blog.”

    Maybe Stafford Paul could make something of it?

    “and a third of Beak’s rich and silky 10% Impy Stout, perhaps the beer of the year.”

    Blimey.

    “but if I was supposed to “Ask if any of the beers are Key Keg” you’ve got another think coming.”

    Had to double check that ‘think’ thing. Turns out, of course, that ‘think’ is correct but over here us less cultured peeps usually use ‘thing’. Apparently it’s partly due to the fact that ‘think’ is widely used as a noun in the UK but not so much on this side of the pond. 😉

    “no indication as to who the Handsome Prince was.”

    (looks down)

    Does the word ‘handsome’ have a different meaning over there?
    (kinda like Si using ‘homely’ which, over here, means not, um, handsome)

    Cheers

    Like

    Reply

Leave a reply to AP Cancel reply