There are some fairly comprehensive guides to the pubs of Cambridge around. This isn't one of them. Nor does it attempt to compete with them, it's just some notes of mine on a few pubs in Cambridge; the selection criteria is that I can think of something worth saying about them, not necessarily that they're any good.
It's also rather out of date, as I wrote it when I was a student. I haven't been to many Cambridge pubs since then (naturally I've spent lots of time in pubs round here, so maybe I'll write them up one day) so don't actually rely on it for anything. I'm only leaving it up because I spent a while writing it and don't want to lose it.
It says "The Tap and Spile" on the sign, but is universally known as the Mill. In summer, it is packed with people buying pints to take out and drink on Lammas Land, a grassy area by the river. I don't particularly recommend it then. In winter however, it's a lovely little pub, friendly and quiet enough that you can have a conversation even on friday or saturday night. The beer tends to be good too---Nethergate brews are often on offer, among others---and in top condition.
This is not my favourite pub. On friday and saturday nights it is worth steering well clear of, as it's packed and noisy, and has bouncers on the door (always a bad sign). The rest of the week it's better, but doesn't really have much atmosphere, and although the range of beers looks OK (nothing from interesting small breweries, but some from decent regionals such as Marstons) it isn't generally in terribly good condition. Castle Eden is probably the best of the beers on offer. It also does food; the cooked food is reasonable but the ploughman's isn't, and what's the point of pub food if you can't get a decent ploughman's?
Another that's not too good. Has a large selection of beers, generally all very similar to each other (very strong bitters) and rarely in good condition. Tends to be busy and noisy at weekends and lacking atmosphere the rest of the time---all too common in town centre pubs of course.
Thought I'd get all the bad ones out the way together! The Boar can't decide if it's a pub or a club, and fails dismally at being either. The one mitigating factor would be that it serves Broadside, but that was in very bad condition the one time I've been in
This had had two recent renovations, each of which has made it worse; it now looks like a town centre bar, although fortunately the atmosphere is still that of a proper pub with regulars etc. It has a good range of beers in good condition.
The only non-smoking pub I've seen, this is surprisingly busy, although normally quiet enough to sit down and talk during the week. Only the normal Greene King beers, which are generally hated in Cambridge, mostly just because of their ubiquity, but in good condition----as is normal in the Free Press---the Abbot Ale is a nice beer. Worth the walk out to Kite.
A small friendly pub; only Greene King beers, but in good condition. Although most of the customers are students, they're students who want a quiet drink in a nice pub, so aren't a problem!
An unexceptional Greene King pub, which used to be worth a visit for the bar billiards table, but that's gone now (there's a pool table instead, but that's nothing special). On the other hand, the food is great: nice, large ploughman's or home cooked hot dishes
It's a long way out to Grantchester, but it's quite a nice walk on a Sunday lunchtime, and they do an above average ploughman's.
There are two pubs in Cambridge called The Castle. I'm talking here about by far the better one, the one up Castle Hill. It's owned by Adnams and so obviously has their excellent beers, as well as lots of guests. Considering it was midweek when I last went there and it still had quite a few people in, it's obviously a popular place and may be worth avoiding on weekends.
An Everards pub, this has quite a few beers on, but unfortunately they're not in perfect condition. No worse than many other pubs though. The Tram Depot is worth a visit because of the interesting building: it's very modern but still has a pub feel.