The Black Bull Inn

4.0

14 Reviews

£25 and under

British

Make a reservation

2 people

Dec 23, 2024

7:00 PM

Kid-friendly
Great for craft beers
Innovative

COVID update - please see website for latest food opening hours.

Welcome to The Black Bull Inn, a privately owned free house pub restaurant with bed & breakfast accommodation that has resided at the heart of the tranquil historic village of Balsham, Cambridgeshire since the 16th Century. More recently it has been the focus of a stunning transformation, whilst remaining sensitive to many of its charming Grade II Listed features.

Pub Restaurant

A beautiful new dining area has been lovingly restored from the listed barn, created with an oak-panelled, high-vaulted ceiling that is awash with natural light, making it the perfect setting to enjoy The Black Bull’s AA Rosette menu.The bar area has also been lightened and given a new lease of life under the guidance of our Nofolk interior designer, Annie Lambert.

Additional information

Dining style
Casual Elegant
Price
£25 and under
Cuisines
British
Hours of operation
Lunch Wed–Fri 12:00 pm–2:00 pm Sat 12:00 pm–2:30 pm Sun 12:00 pm–3:00 pm Dinner Wed, Thu 6:00 pm–8:30 pm Fri, Sat 6:00 pm–9:00 pm
Phone number
01223 893844
Website
http://blackbull-balsham.co.uk/
Payment options
AMEX, Mastercard, Visa
Dress code
Smart Casual

Location
27 High Street, East Cambridge, Balsham, Cambridgeshire CB21 4DJ
Neighborhood
Cambridge
Parking details
Plenty of parking onsite
Additional
Bar/Lounge, Beer, Corkage Fee, Full Bar, Gluten-free Options, Indoor Fireplace, Patio/Outdoor Dining, Patio/Outdoor Dining, Private Room, Weekend Brunch, Wheelchair Access, Wine

Pumpkin Soup£5.50
pumpkin seeds, cinnamon, home-made bread; poss gluten free
Chicken Liver Pate£6.50
raisins, toasted brioche; poss gluten free
Tempura Tiger Prawns£6.50
sweet chilli red wine reduction, black sesame; poss gluten free
Marinated Beetroot & Caramelised Goats' Cheese*£6.50
pine nut, rocket

Main Courses

Breast of Duck*£18.00
lime leaf & orange sauce, five spice boulangère, wilted spinach with soy
Fillet of Pork*£16.00
braised chicory, cep cider cream, parmentier potato
Baked Fillet of Cod*£15.00
minted mash potato, pancetta, pea purée
Butternut Squash & Sage Risotto£14.00
roasted salsify, mustard mascarpone

Pub Classics, Pie Board and Specials Board

Mixed Leaf Salad£3.00
Rocket, Parmesan & Truffle salad£3.50
Seasonal Vegetables£3.00
Hand-cut chips£3.00
New Potatoes£3.00
Cheesy Chips£3.50

What 14 people are saying

Overall ratings and reviews

Reviews can only be made by diners who have eaten at this restaurant

4.0

4 based on all time ratings

4.2Food
4.2Service
3.8Ambience
4Value

Noise • Energetic

14 Reviews

E
Elaine
Norfolk/Suffolk
1 review
5.0
1 review
Dined on December 15, 2024
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
A delicious Sunday roast. Highly recommended. A charming old inn with character.
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C
Colxxxx
London
13 reviews
4.0
13 reviews
Dined on February 14, 2024
1. Overall 4
2. Food 4
3. Service 4
4. Ambience 3
A creative and delicious Taster menu with good Flight of wine. Attentive, pleasant service and very good value for money. A most enjoyable evening.
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DX
DefX1
London
5 reviews
5.0
5 reviews
Dined on January 30, 2022
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 2
Great Sunday lunch, food and service was excellent the only negative was we had to eat with our coats on, the restaurant was really cold
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m
maggies
London
5 reviews
5.0
5 reviews
Dined on October 11, 2020
1. Overall 5
2. Food 4
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 4
Great food, service and friendly ambience
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OT
OpenTable Diner
London
1 review
5.0
1 review
Dined on August 19, 2020
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 4
Fantastic food and friendly service. Would recommend
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RK
RussellK
Norfolk/Suffolk
1 review
4.0
1 review
Dined on August 16, 2019
1. Overall 4
2. Food 5
3. Service 4
4. Ambience 4
Good service and location. Loverly building and excellent food.
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G
Gracie99
London
9 reviews
2.0
9 reviews
Dined on June 29, 2019
1. Overall 2
2. Food 2
3. Service 3
4. Ambience 2
My husband and I were disappointed with our meals, especially after reading such good reviews. We chose to eat outside as it was a warm evening and we had our dog with us. We were then told we'd have to pay as we go! Not a problem but it is a service more familiar with the likes of a Wetherspoons pub! The food arrived within 10 minutes of ordering, this was rather quick given that I'd ordered pork belly and my husband had ordered a pie. The beef in the pie was a little tough & lacked flavour, the base was soggy and the mashed potatoes were lumpy. The pork was incredibly salty, presumably in a bid to 'puff' the crackling. Sadly, this just resulted in over seasoned, chewy pork fat and well done meat. The apple sauce was also a concerning vibrant green! However, the dauphinoise potatoes were quite nice, although not the best I've eaten. The kale on both dishes was the tastiest part of the meal! We decided to pass on dessert! There was little ambience for a Saturday evening and although the staff were friendly & helpful, it wasn't enough to convince us to return again.
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TW
TamsinW
Cambridge
2 reviews
5.0
2 reviews
Dined on May 18, 2019
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
Lovely friendly gastro pub. Great food. We had a perfect lunch there. Even allowed me to bring our dog inside too!
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PS
PeterS
London
3 reviews
3.0
3 reviews
Dined on March 31, 2019
1. Overall 3
2. Food 4
3. Service 3
4. Ambience 3
Nice location food was nice but atmosphere was lacking a little. Service was good but not brilliant All that said I would go again for a nice Sunday lunch
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AW
AndrewW
London
1 review
2.0
1 review
Dined on December 28, 2018
1. Overall 2
2. Food 2
3. Service 4
4. Ambience 3
Food was very disappointing. Egg on smoked haddock was hard boiled, pizzas were luke warm and the BBQ chicken pizza was chicken with BBQ sauce _ which left my son very disappointed. He was quite reasonably expecting BBQ chicken. Service and venue were good just the poor food. A real shame on my mother's birthday! Needless to say she is very unlikely to go back.
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FAQs

The Black Bull Inn is rated 4 stars by 14 OpenTable diners.

Yes, you can generally book this restaurant by choosing the date, time and party size on OpenTable.

Make a reservation

2 people

Dec 23, 2024

7:00 PM

27 High Street, East Cambridge, Balsham, Cambridgeshire CB21 4DJ

Additional information

Neighborhood
Cambridge
Hours of operation
Lunch Wed–Fri 12:00 pm–2:00 pm Sat 12:00 pm–2:30 pm Sun 12:00 pm–3:00 pm Dinner Wed, Thu 6:00 pm–8:30 pm Fri, Sat 6:00 pm–9:00 pm
Price
£25 and under
Cuisines
British
Dining style
Casual Elegant
Dress code
Smart Casual
Parking details
Plenty of parking onsite
Payment options
AMEX, Mastercard, Visa
Additional
Bar/Lounge, Beer, Corkage Fee, Full Bar, Gluten-free Options, Indoor Fireplace, Patio/Outdoor Dining, Patio/Outdoor Dining, Private Room, Weekend Brunch, Wheelchair Access, Wine

Website
http://blackbull-balsham.co.uk/
Phone number
01223 893844

The Black Bull Inn

Make a reservation

Additional information

Menu

Starters

Pumpkin Soup£5.50

Chicken Liver Pate£6.50

Tempura Tiger Prawns£6.50

Marinated Beetroot & Caramelised Goats' Cheese*£6.50

Main Courses

Breast of Duck*£18.00

Fillet of Pork*£16.00

Baked Fillet of Cod*£15.00

Butternut Squash & Sage Risotto£14.00

Pub Classics, Pie Board and Specials Board

Mixed Leaf Salad£3.00

Rocket, Parmesan & Truffle salad£3.50

Seasonal Vegetables£3.00

Hand-cut chips£3.00

New Potatoes£3.00

Cheesy Chips£3.50

What 14 people are saying

Overall ratings and reviews

FAQs

How is The Black Bull Inn restaurant rated?

Is The Black Bull Inn currently accepting reservations?

Make a reservation

Additional information