I know it was flu and not a cold because I did the £50 test - if there was a £50 note in the back garden would you go out and get it? Sadly, in my weakened state I would not have been able to retrieve it, so it was flu; that and the high temperature I had for three days!
Anyway, before I succumbed to the lurgy, I visited Cambridge and popped into The Eagle. The Eagle is a chain pub, but with a difference. Owned by Greene King, it's got serious history - it was here that Crick & Watson announced 'We have discovered the secret of life' (i.e. DNA), and it also has an RAF bar at the back, where WWII pilots wrote their names and squadron numbers on the ceiling. Very poignant, and worth a visit for that alone.
Unsurprisingly it's popular with tourists, and I wish I could say the food was good and it provided visitors with an accurate reflection of what English cuisine is like, but it really wasn't, sadly.
As it was a Sunday, we plumped for the roast dinner - my beef was so tough I had a job to cut it. The highlight of the plate was two small florets of cauliflower cheese; the gravy was fine, the roast potatoes acceptable, the Yorkshire pudding adequate. However the veg - carrots and a chunk of hispi cabbage - were distinctly al dente, verging on raw.
Husband had the same, and concurred that it was just about edible. He wanted to complain, but it's the sort of place where you give your table number and pay in advance (and tip!) when ordering, so we felt there was little point.
On the plus side, the meals arrived quickly, the service was good and staff were polite and helpful. But cheap and cheerful it definitely wasn't - the Sunday roast beef cost £16.75, a non-alch Guinness £5.35, and a 250ml glass of NZ Savvy B a hefty £10.30! I guess these are 'city' prices.
It's such a shame, because it could be so much better. Disappointing is the word. I would still recommend a visit for the history - have a drink and a bag of crisps or a plate of chips instead.
NB - prices correct at time of writing. Meals were paid for in full, without disclosing this was for a review.