The Elm Tree
A backstreet ale pub with a Belgian bottle list and a ceiling of foreign flags.
The Elm Tree is a backstreet pub at 16A Orchard Street, known for Belgian bottled beer and an eclectic interior. Brewery signs, odds and ends and snapshots of regulars cover the walls, and overhead the ceiling is hung with flags and crests from a range of Belgian places.
Beer and cider
Seven handpumps line the bar. One carries the latest Brewpoint special; up to three belong to the free-of-tie category and rotate guest ales, frequently brewed by small makers, local ones among them. A dark beer and a golden beer are permanent fixtures. On top of that, a printed list names about forty Belgian bottles, extended with seasonal specials in winter. Cider drinkers get Weston's Rosie on handpump and one more from a nearby producer. The Cambridge & District branch of CAMRA awarded the pub City Community Pub for 2022 and City Locale Pub for 2023.
Practical notes
Inside, a short bar stands by the door and a narrow run of seating extends toward the rear; there are tables outside as well. Live music is a regular feature, above all on Sundays. The bar can be reached without steps, but the toilet is not wheelchair accessible. A new licensee took over in January 2026. The pub's own website could not be reached when checked, so opening hours are not listed.
Nearby
Within a few minutes' walk
