Thirsty – Chesterton Rd

I’ve only gone and made it!

Thirsty is one of the most popular places for craft beer on the Craft Beer In Cambridgeshire group. Unfortunately, if you don’t live in Cambridge, it can be quite a challenge to get too. So it’s been longer than I had hoped before finally visiting this iconic proprietor.

I decided to take the plunge however and make the effort to visit to see what all the fuss was about. After wrestling with one of those god forsaken parking meters out the front, I managed to pop in and take a look around.

For those of you on the Cambridge Foodies, Thirsty has a selection of food trucks who visit from Tuesday-Saturday, such as Al Chile, Scotties, Taco Man, and the Wandering Yak. This means you can soak up the craft beer with some great food and make an entire night of your visit.

The place is small but they’ve done great with the space available. They have an almost Bavarian Beer Hall feel with the long benches, which makes it easy to fit in large crowds but also encourages people to socialise between themselves too. I can see this really gaining a lovely atmosphere in the evenings with people sharing tables and getting to know each other.

The bar was glorious. Look at all those taps! There were 22 in total, ranging from IPA’s to, sours, to stout’s. I noticed some familiar names on the board, including Verdant, The Kernel London, and Cloudwater. It was great to see a local beer by Pastore, based on my home village of Waterbeach.

If you can’t find something you like on draught then their fridge selection is monstrous too. Filled with mostly craft beer and wine. As if four large fridges weren’t enough, they were even stocking beer on top!

I went for a half pint of ‘Lightbulb’ by Verdant. I’ve always been a big fan of fruity sessionable pale ales. The chap who served me really knew his stuff and was kind enough to let me sample the ‘Il Tramonto Del Sol’ by Pastore & Cloudwater. This is a raspberry and lime sour which was right up my street, as I love sour food and drink. What I love about Thirsty is the little details, as the sample was served in a micro pint glass.

He also recommended me an IPA I had not tried before. I had seen it absolutely everywhere on my travels but I had never got round to trying ‘Bop’ by the Beak Brewery. Located near Brighton, this was an absolutely superb IPA. This stuff absolutely rocked my socks off and was so good I even decided to buy myself an extra can to take home.

I must admit, I’m a huge fan of Thirsty. I can see why it gets the hype it does. It’s such a shame that it is impossible for me to catch public transport here otherwise I would visit more often. I really want to come back again and take a punt at the food van and make an evening of it. I can really see this being a good place to bring a group of people and spending an entire evening here, especially since there are other great places close by too.

Thanks for reading!

  • Le Spice, Ely – Consistent quality.

    Le Spice, Ely – Consistent quality.
  • Big Grill Mediterranean opens on Mill Road

    Big Grill Mediterranean opens on Mill Road
  • Exploring Cambridge Food & Drink Week (9th-17th May)

    Exploring Cambridge Food & Drink Week (9th-17th May)
  • My Experience @ Ely Eel Festival 2026

    My Experience @ Ely Eel Festival 2026
  • Xiao Spots: Hong Kong Fusion, St John’s Street

    Xiao Spots: Hong Kong Fusion, St John’s Street
  • Pizza maths: Why Pizza Size is Deceptively Exponential (The Pizza Company, Cambridge)

    Pizza maths: Why Pizza Size is Deceptively Exponential (The Pizza Company, Cambridge)
  • A Second chance: We’re Back in the Finals!

    A Second chance: We’re Back in the Finals!
  • Grill Plug Food Van on Cherry Hinton Road

    Grill Plug Food Van on Cherry Hinton Road
  • JWD Hand Pulled Noodle Bar comes to Cambridge

    JWD Hand Pulled Noodle Bar comes to Cambridge
  • Limora, Ely’s brand new restaurant!

    Limora, Ely’s brand new restaurant!
  • Restaurant 22: The Very Essence of Cambridge

    Restaurant 22: The Very Essence of Cambridge
  • Taj Tandoori – Pan-Asian fusion in Cambridge

    Taj Tandoori – Pan-Asian fusion in Cambridge
  • Borshch Time: A Taste of Ukraine in the Heart of Cambridge 🇺🇦

    Borshch Time: A Taste of Ukraine in the Heart of Cambridge 🇺🇦
  • ​A long-awaited return to the Shilpa Indian Restaurant, Papworth Everard

    ​A long-awaited return to the Shilpa Indian Restaurant, Papworth Everard
  • Bagel Or Beigel @ Ely Market (Foodie Friday)

    Bagel Or Beigel @ Ely Market (Foodie Friday)
  • Cambridge Food Hunter 5: The 1 meter pizza from Deli Chef by Divino

    Cambridge Food Hunter 5: The 1 meter pizza from Deli Chef by Divino
  • Burleigh Arms: An end and a new beginning

    Burleigh Arms: An end and a new beginning
  • Taste From Hungary, the only Hungarian restaurant in Cambridge

    Taste From Hungary, the only Hungarian restaurant in Cambridge

Discover more from The Cambridge Foodies

Subscribe now to keep reading and get access to the full archive.

Continue reading