This old coaching house in the centre of Cambridge may have been rebranded as The Punter, but don’t expect to see the river nearby. Inside, however, it has bags of character with low beams in the original pub and a quirkily decorated barn conversion across the intimate courtyard. The menu shows plenty of ambition, serving ox tongue croquettes with horseradish and elderflower dressing as a starter, ahead of a warm pressing of pork shoulder or seared fillet of bream with broccoli, turnips and peanut dressing. Whilst the chefs try hard, the execution can be rather “pubby”, so it might be better to stick to classics such as burgers or beer-battered fish and chips with one of the cask ales. The relaxed, friendly vibe is now a long way from the pub’s former incarnation as the divisively named Town & Gown.