Ely – The Minster Tavern

This Stonegate pub is located near to Ely Cathedral and the building looks interesting and well presented. It seems that the pub was formerly known as the Greyhound in the nineteenth century, but it hasn’t retained any of its historic interior.

I didn’t sense any ghosts or hauntings during my visit…

There was nothing particularly interesting in terms of real ale, but there was a choice of four different ales, which is a reasonable number. The Hobgoblin was the darkest they had during my visit and it tasted well-kept and was at the appropriate temperature.

The bar was organised, the staff were serving customers in turn and it all looked clean and tidy.

I had intended to get food, but there were signs for their Friday special offer of a meal and a drink, but few menus actually available to explain what was on that offer. Indeed, I found the menu too late, otherwise I’d have ordered from it.

The main menu was quite reliant on their two meals for £9.49 or £10.49 and all their desserts were two for one. This inspired thinking makes the menu mostly useless for one person, so I abandoned my plans to eat there which was a little frustrating. The entire menu, especially the breakfast selection, does though seem rather dated and tired, similar to what Wetherspoons were doing fifteen years ago. Having said that, I didn’t notice anyone seeming to be unhappy with their food, so it seemed to be meeting expectations.

The pub was advertising its music quiz.

There was a quieter area to the rear of the pub, which was extremely hot during my visit, but this was during the summer heatwave and so wasn’t really the pub’s fault.

Overall, the location was pleasant and the prices were towards the lower end of the scale for pints. They also offer a discount for CAMRA members which makes the pricing even more acceptable. The staff were also friendly and helpful, so there was a welcoming feel to the whole pub.