oPENING HOURS
Bar
Monday – closed
Tuesday - Friday: 12:00 - 22:00
Saturday: 12:00 - 22:00
Sunday: 12:00 - 21:00
Kitchen
Monday – closed
Tuesday - Friday: 12:00 - 14:30 & 17:00 - 20:30
Saturday: 12:00 - 20:30
Sunday: 12:00 - 17:00
We don't take bookings so just swing by and check us out. If you have a specific question though feel free to give us a bell on
Opening hours
We don't take bookings so just swing by and check us out. If you have a specific question though feel free to give us a bell on
Bar
Kitchen
Monday
Closed
Closed
Tuesday
12:00 - 22:00
12:00 - 14:30
17:00 - 20:30
Wednesday
12:00 - 22:00
12:00 - 14:30
17:00 - 20:30
Thursday
12:00 - 22:00
12:00 - 14:30
17:00 - 20:30
Friday
12:00 - 22:00
12:00 - 14:30
17:00 - 20:30
Saturday
12:00 - 22:00
12:00 - 20:30
Sunday
12:00 - 21:00
12:00 - 17:00
Best Pubs 2026
Named in the newspaper's annual selection of the fifty best pubs in Britain.
Real Heritage Pub
Listed for its historic interior by CAMRA.
Five Star Rating
Full marks on food hygiene from South Cambridgeshire District Council.
Independent
Just us doing our thing.
We hope you like it.
Food, real ale and a sun-trap garden
Welcome to The Blue Ball Inn! Right alongside the meadows, the Blue Ball Inn has been Grantchester's local 'proper pub' for centuries. Great homemade food, traditional real ales, a sun-trap garden in summer and a proper fire in winter. We are dog friendly and if you ask us, we're the perfect place to stop on your walk from (or to) Cambridge, or just if you're visitng Grantchester.
Our Food
Fresh, home-made comfort food served daily. Our quiche is legendary and our chilli keeps flying out the door. We use local suppliers wherever we can. The menu is deliberately short (we're only small after all) and we have daily specials too.
Take a look at our sample pub menu.
Inside our historic pub
Inside you'll find the traditional two-bar layout the pub has kept for generations, with a historic interior and log fires through the winter. We're listed on CAMRA's Real Heritage Pub register for a reason!
Make sure you don't miss miss our weekly live music either.
We also do a full venue hire, so if you're planning something special we'd love to hear from you.
Our Garden
Our back garden is a real sun trap (and we have heaters and blankets in the cooler months)! It's a great spot for a slow afternoon, a pint after a walk, or a long lunch that runs into the evening. Dogs are very welcome, in the garden and inside the pub!
We're happy to take large group bookings out here, and we have 'The Shed' which seats 25 people.
Get in touch!
Our Drinks
We keep a proper cellar and take our real ale seriously, pulled by hand through the pub's original Victorian beer taps. We stock local and regional ales from Adnams, Cranes cider from just down the road, and Bass, brewed since 1777. Alongside them, a short, well-chosen wine list, spirits and soft drinks.
If you're not sure what to order, ask at the bar and someone will happily talk you through what's on.
About THE BLUE BALL INN
Dating back to 1767, The Blue Ball Inn is the oldest pub in Grantchester and still a free house. It takes its name, we think, from an early hot air balloon that came down in the meadow nearby in the 1780s.
The original building burned down in the late 19th century and was rebuilt on the same spot in 1893, keeping its historic cellars and foundations. That two-bar layout has survived ever since, which is why CAMRA lists our interior on its Regional Inventory of Historic Pub Interiors for East Anglia (and why the series Grantchester has chosen to film here).
In over 250 years, fewer than 25 landlords have pulled pints here. Very little has changed, and that's rather the point.
We're almost at the Grantchester end of the meadows, so we get a lot of people who've walked out from Cambridge along the river. Muddy boots and wet dogs entirely welcome.
Reviews
Don't just take our word for it, here'a a few words from our customers or you can have a look (or add your own) at our most recent reviews on our Trip Advisor page here or our Google reviews here.
"Beautiful location, absolutely delicious home cooked meals, friendly staff, excellent pints, charming building and peaceful garden. Yes, this is basically the perfect pub. Might move to Grantchester just so I can visit every day."
"What a lovely pub! Traditional ales and food, it is welcoming, the bar staff were so friendly, and the interior is just lovely and not modernised like the other pubs in the village. Lovely home made food and not a chip in sight! Perfect view if you sit outside, and they also have a lovely garden. Couldn't ask for more really!"
LondonHeather
"I consider this to be one of the best pubs in Cambridge and always take anyone visiting the city here. I love the relatively simple yet varied menu with generous portions, plus the staff are very friendly and always welcoming to dogs!"
Monkelaxy
We're looking forward to your visit
Whether it’s a quick coffee, a post walk pint or your evening meal sorted, you can find us here:
Call us: 01223 846004
Email us: hello@grantchesterblueball.co.uk
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