Several of my coworkers had suggested this place and 3 of us headed out to find an amazing dinner!…read more The bar is a small and cozy English style pub and they have a modern dining room towards the back. Both the food and the service were amazing! The waitress had a great sense of humor and was very kind to us. Two of my coworkers had the pie of the day and I had the rack of lamb special. All the dishes were extremely flavorful and more than ample portions. The location is quaint and something out of a movie or a book with thatched roofs and a beautiful church and church yard nearby. I would highly recommend the experience of dining here!

My wife and I decided to eat out tonight and wanted to go somewhere we have not been before. After…read morefinding The Axe & Compass online we decided to eat there. My first impression was that the place was an awesome local pub. The staff was extremely friendly and the food was great. I will be back here again.

Local pub in St. Ives. Great service and assistance with brew selection from the young man tending…read morebar. Thanks to Elliot for his hospitality!

Kim and I stopped in for a couple of pints. Elliott, the bartender, made us feel welcome and gave…read moreus tips on places to visit. Oh, they have taco Tuesday!

The Old Ferry Boat Inn was a lovely place to stay. My daughter and I enjoyed the atmosphere very…read moremuch. We were able to check in after hours and had a very nice breakfast and conversation with our host. Very scenic and delightful! I would most definitely recommend!

Okay, so my Ferry Boat review deserves another update, I think…read more We've been there twice again in the last couple of months and, on both occasions, the experience was a marked improvement on what'd gone on before: we put it down to new management. The Ferry Boat enjoys a lovely setting - quite remote really in the hamlet of Holywell, itself within the lovely Fenland countryside right next to the River Great Ouse. (Activities on the river no doubt giving the pub its name, and the reason for its very existance, I'd guess). The pub was as popular as last time - we had trouble finding a table - but unlike on previous occasions there was No queueing to order and The meal was brought to us in a decent time. Unfortunately we didn't spot the separate Midweek Specials menu until we were leaving (why wasn't there one on every table?) but it seems that they were trying hard to offer a good variety. That said, rice dishes seem very out-of fashion anywhere at the moment, and the only pasta dish was vegetarian (not that THAT matters to me, but worth noting.) On a positive note, they have installed another pump to offer a guest ale - a good pub is notable by the variety of ales on offer, as far as I'm concerned. And, on both recent visits, the staff were concerned to court our opinion - both in asking us how our meal was (fairly standard, I know) but also asking us to go online and fill out a survey. That's got to be a good sign of a will to improve, So yeah. The Ferry Boat Inn is on the way up, for us. We'll be back again soon.

We haven't been to the Cock for a while but it's just as we remembered - it never fails to impress…read more Our welcome was warm and the menu was tempting. I went for the lamb and the other half couldn't resist the temptation of sausages with Hemingford mash (mustard and horseradish) and onion gravy. We shared a delicious, warm and oozy chocolate fondant and a bottle of warming red. All in all a prefect meal to set us up for ghostly storytelling by candlelight just down the road at The Manor.

Q: Can I write an entire review in childish innuendo?…read more A: Probably not, but I will certainly try. I love The Cock. (heh heh) We entered The Cock on a Saturday evening, so that its delicious sausages might enter us; the sausages come highly recommended. I had the herbed sausage and my wife had a different kind I don't recall. The herbed sausages are packed with huge flavor, so if you're someone who likes a bit more subtlety to their food, probably not the choice for you. I went even bigger by getting the Hemingford mash, which is seasoned with mustard and horseradish; two things I don't normally go for but with the bold peppercorn sauce was fantastic. The whole juicy platter was flavor overload and I loved it. What was possibly even more impressive was the wine list. I have not seen a better wine list at a pub in England -- and it's even better than most restaurants. The pub owners love the Languedoc-Roussillon region, and the wine list is a tour of the area. The list has several dozen wines, and really showcases the diversity of Languedoc. I learned a lot by just looking through the list. The bottle prices are very reasonable as well with minimal markup over retail. The bottle we ordered was on the menu for 25 Pounds, but retails for about 12, a very very reasonable markup. The wine was fantastic as well. If there is one downside, it's that I think this place falls squarely into the restaurant pub category. As a local drinking pub, it's far from the best. Only 4 ales on tap and not a great choice for lager as an alternative. The "pub" side of the house was a bit small as well, and not terribly conducive to stand-up drinking since the bar itself is pretty small. It will do, but come here for the food in the restaurant, not the drinking atmosphere. We can't wait to come back and get some more of The Cock!

Great pub, plenty going on credit to Steve the landlord and his team who create an excellent…read moreenvironment, friendly, regulars decent people and no riff raff in there. Quiz is excellently a Monday, Jam nights. Tuesday for up and coming musicians. Prices are fair, best venue for sport, food exceptional cooked nicely, great steaks. For a local pub 10/10 or 5 stars to have a successful pub you got to have character the people and the staff have that in masses. Ever in St Ives pop in well worth it

I went to watch England v Croatia at The Haywain, St Ives…read more(http://www.yell.com/b/The+Haywain-Pubs-St.+Ives-PE273EP-1637499/index.html) I had been there a few times before for their quiz night (which is always good fun), but we have a friend that lives in St Ives and he suggested this pub for 'the match'. I love it there as they do great cocktails (so I was over the moon to not be driving), and the food is cheap too (not great, but you get what you pay for, fried or microwaved lol). To see more of what I thought go to: http://hazellcottrell.com/2012/06/20/england-game-preparation/

We've just enjoyed our first visit to The Merchant House. It's situated a little way from the town…read morecentre but that worked for us. Not so crowded so a choice if where to sit and a perfect venue for a girlie catch up over a bottle of Sauvignon. The food was great. We ate a burger, fish and chips and lamb stew with Parmesan dumplings. Everything was tasty and well presented. So much so that we shared a pear and walnut eton mess ...one bowl and three spoons! Overall, a good addition to St Ives.

It lacks a bit in atmosphere, could be a bit more done up. But still this pub deserves a four star…read morerating because of the people that work there are always very welcoming. It is a good place to go for a drink with friends.

If you've never been to St. Ives you're missing out. Three Jolly Butchers strikes me as a "local's…read moreplace", but the staff and patrons made our group feel welcome. The interior is surprisingly large, as is the expansive garden.

This dog friendly pub has a great beer garden with kids play area and a partially covered patio…read more Inside there is a great selection of real ales and the food is reasonably priced. This is one of the best pubs in the local area.

Did not eat or drink here, so my review is about the entryway. There is a slight rise from the…read moresidewalk that is not marked or graduated. My left shoe caught the lip of the rise and I fell very hard - actually face planted. They say Americans are considered babies because of so many safety laws, but this is a potential serious injury and lawsuit waiting to happen.

The Liver & Bacon seemed like a good idea, but when my meal arrived, everything had been cooked to…read moredeath - barely identifiable liver pieces crumbling to a mush, and the vegetables badly over-boiled.

Best breakfast ever! Super friendly staff and lovely ambiance…read more Great to see that all ages (and dogs) are catered for. Would thoroughly recommend it.

The Tap Room is basically the hot spot of St Ives; growing up here there was very little around…read moreother than old man pubs/old lady tea rooms and nothing much for the younger generation. Then the Tap Room came along and changed it all. Now the wine bar cum restaurant is always full to the rafters with a combination of mummy's with prams, students skiving from school, students returning from university and grasping at city life in the middle of a town, and lads/ladies on 'big nights out.' Everyone is comfortable here. There's an outside seating area, a range of indoor seating, and a good food selection which ranges from Mexican quesadillas to American burgers. On my last visit I happily tucked away a chorizo & cheese quesadilla which, despite being a bit drippy due to the oil of the sausage, was tasty and filled me up for the afternoon. Service can be a bit lacking due to the somewhat tight-knit community of St Ives but this hits the younger generation more than anyone else. The centre of St Ives both geographically and socially.