The Pickerell Inn in Cambridge is on the main thoroughfare in the center of the city. (Charlie Reed / Stars and Stripes)
CAMBRIDGE — From the outside, The Pickerel Inn looks like any other pub in town.
Understated and basic, there’s nothing particularly distinctive about this watering hole upon first look. Dark wooden furniture, candlelight and pints are the bread and butter of the British pub scene throughout the country. And The Pickerel fits the bill perfectly.
But it’s got genuine charm, a feeling not easily re-created though many a pub try.
With its picture-perfect view of the University of Cambridge’s Magdalene College and the River Cam across the street, The Pickerel is an ideal place for people-watching or a lazy springtime chat with friends. Bikes zing by the front window and a healthy combination of students, tourists and locals tucked away in the pub’s nooks and crannies gives it a vibrancy missing similar establishments.
That and its Old World charm make it what many British would call a "proper boozer."
Allegedly Cambridge’s oldest pub, it dates to the 16th century and was purchased by the university in the 19th century.
For literature and history buffs, The Pickerel is noteworthy because it was a favorite haunt of C.S. Lewis, the Irish author behind "The Chronicles of Narnia."
After nearly 30 years at Magdalene College at Oxford University, Lewis became the chair of medieval and renaissance history at Cambridge. The college’s chapel, fellow’s garden and living quarters all still show signs of the writer’s presence there from 1954 to 1963.
And when you pony up to the bar for a pint, it’s easy to imagine Lewis with his fellow authors and Christian apologists of the time engaged in conversations about art, science, literature and relifygion.
The Pickerel serves a decent variety of pub grub, from fish and chips to burgers. But this is not the kind of place you come for the food. No, this place is for those who truly want to appreciate the rich history held by pubs throughout Cambridge.
Address: 30 Magdalene St. (pronounced maud-lin if you don’t want to sound like a tourist), Cambridge CB3
Hours: Noon to midnight Tuesday through Saturday, noon to 11 p.m. Sunday and Monday.
Phone: 01223 355 068
