The Boathouse fortunately survived the recent fire that caused major damage to the adjoining pub The Tivoli and has now fully reopened.

Last Saturday the pub was buzzing: free-of-charge downstairs were four musical acts, mainly acoustic troubadours but also a full electric performance from highly-regarded Cambridge band The Motortapes. There was music upstairs too as this pub has an excellent function room, discretely hidden away but easily accessible and bookable for parties, events or sometimes used as part of multi-venue music festivals. In my experience the arrangement of bookings, food and additional bar provision is all very well organised.

Back in the main pub downstairs it is very much a Greene King standard food and drink venue, with a modernised interior but retaining some interesting features such as ends of boat-race type boats hanging from the ceiling, a small snug room and an excellent stepped terrace down to the river Cam out the back, perfect for early summer evenings. The bar area is quite small but the friendly staff work it efficiently, finding their way around the forest of beer dispensing machinery that seems to grow in height in pubs such as this with every refurbishment. It would not be a prime beer destination pub for me, but in amongst the high-rise high-tech taps was the more traditional and very drinkable Belhaven Grand Slam, a 4% amber beer brewed for six nations rugby watching.

I will continue to visit, especially as they seem to be showing a big commitment to live music.

http://www.gkflamegrill.co.uk/locations/boathouse-cambridge