The Watering Hole: Best College Bars

Bored of the same old bars? DAISY MITCHELL takes a drink for the team to discover the very best in college bars.

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Whether you’ve hit the bottom of your overdraft following a festive financial splurge, or just fancy having a drink somewhere new in Cambridge, why not check out one of our chart-topping college bars? It will definitely save you money and provides an excellent opportunity for the nosier amongst us to have a snoop around previously unexplored colleges…

Best for… Style
1. Caius: Highly aesthetically pleasing lounge décor, with carpeted floors, comfy armchairs, some nice paintings, and a lot of wood.
2. Clare: Spacious cellar bar with vaulted ceilings. Home of the infamous Friday night “Clare Cellars”.
3. Peterhouse: Attractive wooden beams and great leather sofas. Benefits from a wide-screen television and a lively atmosphere.
4. Jesus: Pretty pumping most days of the week. Has an interesting multi-level layout and does well to avoid the classic college bar error of heinously bright lighting.
5. Corpus Christi: We really liked the snack selection. Nice pistachios.

Best for… A pint of lager
1. Sidney Sussex: £1.30
2. Emmanuel: £1.35
3. Newnham: £1.50 (for a bottle, no pints)
4. Robinson: £1.60
5. Queen’s and Girton: £1. 80

Best for… Hot bar staff
1. Corpus Christi: Anyone willing to strike a pose like the one pictured at 9pm on a weeknight is fine by me.
2. Newnham: Lots of girls.
3. Peterhouse: Two dashing characters with shaved heads.
4. Queen’s: Slightly grumpy, but rocking a pretty edgy haircut and cheekbones.
5. Jesus: My friend fancied the bar man.

Best for… A single vodka mixer
1. Emmanuel: £1.10 (!)
2. Sidney Sussex: £1.20
3. Girton: £1.30
4. Gonville & Caius: £1.50
5. St. Catherine’s and Downing: £1.60

Overall, I managed to get pretty boozy, pay for club entry, and still have change left over from a £20 note. Great success.

A few final words of the wise
· Christ’s college bar should get a special mention for being (terrifyingly) close to Cindies. I reckon you could probably hear Katy Perry’s dulcet tones from a room overlooking St. Andrew’s Street.
· I didn’t go to Girton. I’m sorry. But judging by the highly competitive prices, maybe we all should.
· Trinity wouldn’t let me in to their bar without college ID. Boring. Apologies if it has a really pumping atmosphere and 50p pints.