The Cambridge Public House climbed a meteoric 19 spots in the recent ranking of The World’s 50 Best Bars 2024 to claim the Nikka Highest Climber Award. From B Corp status and French-made pub grub to innovative cocktail mash-ups, here are 10 things propelling them to the top
1. Creating its own genre
Not quite a cocktail den, not quite a fully rendered copy of an archetypal British boozer, The Cambridge Public House reimagined the bar experience when it opened in 2019 by blending the very best bits of both establishments – think dark wood paneling, leather banquettes and proper pub grub – with a chic French touch in the form of golden-hued lighting and local natural wine. Plus, rare outside of English shores, it opens early afternoon at 3pm, making it the perfect pitstop for a pre-supper cocktail, or the place to be for an afternoon of pies and pints.
2. The friendly vibe is perpetuated from the top down
Hugo Gallou & Hyacinthe Lescoët opened The Cambridge Public House in 2019
The Cambridge Public House was founded by two friends, Hyacinthe Lescoët (formerly 69 Colebrooke Row in London and Paris’ Mary Celeste) and Hugo Gallou, who lived and worked in London together before opening their Paris pub. Two of the most relaxed bartenders you’re likely to meet, their laid-back vibes permeate the atmosphere of the bar, which in turn makes it one of the chillest spots in which to while away an evening.
3. Switching up the serve
The cocktail menu is an ever-changing feast of inventive seasonal creations, newly minted staff connections and playful takes on traditional English classics, such as the Pimms 6.0 comprising vermouth, rosé, gin and a dash of bitters. Can’t choose? Try the bar’s trio of Tiny Bevs — miniature cocktails in sippable form designed to help guests try more from the menu.
4. Keeping the ingredients intriguing
Agua de Jamaica, sloe gin and mezcal are combined to create the smoky Cigarette After Sex
The bar’s menu balances creativity and quality and includes some unusual ingredients like mustard (used alongside golden turnips, resiling, cognac and honey to spice up its smoky Silent Sky cocktail) and cream cheese, which is shaken with carrot cake cordial, cognac and whisky to deliver, you’ve guessed it, carrot cake in a glass. Plus, staff take turns coming up with ideas based on seasonal ingredients in weekly creativity sessions. The best cocktail created makes its way onto the menu as the drink of the day.
5. Offering more than cocktails
The bar also offers hot drinks, craft beers, a very good selection of champagne and kombucha (which you have the option of boozing up with some sweet potato shochu), as well as homemade sodas in fun flavours like pomegranate & cacao nibs or banana & tonka. It’s also renowned for cracking British-inspired bar snacks, including flaky, golden sausage rolls and puff pastry-topped meat or vegetable pies made with locally sourced ingredients.
6. Maintaining a sustainability mission
The Pan Con Cassouhuète cocktail uses leftover bread to help reduce waste
That exacting approach to local sourcing is mirrored in the bar’s overarching zero-waste ethos, which has meant the team behind it is working on every aspect of bar waste, from minimising imported citrus to using edible garnishes only.
7. Setting up a Community Plan
This sense of social responsibility is integral to the bar’s 2023-published Community Plan, which integrates sustainability into operations around waste reduction, organic sourcing, and 100 per cent green energy. Partnerships with NGOs and carbon offset strategies take a global view, such as its work with The Seychelles Bar Sustainability Project that saw the team lead workshops on environmentally conscious practices, addressing challenges unique to remote regions and island nations and promoting responsible bartending worldwide.
8. Ensuring not everything is a one-off
For the second edition of the Community Plan, the bar will continue its trips abroad to places such as Mexico and South Korea to host different bartending schools and masterclasses. Previously, the trips were just one-offs, but the team believes it can make a longer-lasting impact by returning to these countries every six months to refine the process from the previous visit.
9. Pioneering B Corp status
The Cambridge is the only bar in the world to hold B Corp status
Thanks in part to its Community Plan, The Cambridge Public House made history as the first bar to achieve B Corp certification – a prestigious designation given to companies that meet high standards of performance, accountability and transparency in social and environmental spaces. As part of this, the team publicly shared its ESG (Environmental, Social and Governance) report, detailing past progress on six of the 17 United Nations sustainable development goals and inviting peers and patrons to join the journey.
10. Expanding thoughtfully
Gallou and Lescoët took over nearby Parisian bar Little Red Door in July 2024
Recently, the founders acquired Paris bar Little Red Door, introducing a new sustainability-focused menu there to further their eco-conscious mission. This expansion underscores their commitment to innovation and community impact. Through this slow, steady and consistent approach to expansion, and sharing their practices with the wider bar industry, they hope to create enduring global change.
Forest Collins, The World’s 50 Best Bars Academy Chair for France, tragically passed away in November 2024. Her commitment to the bars of Paris and the development of the cocktail scene in France and beyond is evidenced in work such as this article.
