The Cambridge pub that houses BAFTA award winning games studio and doesn’t open on weekends

The Bird or Worm in Cambridge
-Credit: (Image: Google)


As the saying goes, the early bird catches the worm. To 'catch' a table at The Bird or Worm in Cambridge, timing is everything.

This smart bar on Newmarket Road, at the spot where one of the city's queer pubs used to be, does not open on weekends. Its opening hours are not shown on the business' website, but Google lists them as: 11am to 7pm, Monday to Wednesday; 11am to 9pm on Thursdays and 11am to 11pm on Fridays.

Given the fact this bar shuts on the day when most put on extra members of staff, it may be unsurprising to discover that the building is used for more than pulling pints. It houses Ninja Theory, a games studio under Xbox Games Studio that created the multi-BAFTA award-winning Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice.

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The company describes itself as being "extremely fortunate" to be based in the city. Its website states: "Based in the historic city of Cambridge, with its sandstone colleges and punts pushing down-river, it is in these surroundings that we’ve produced all of our critically acclaimed titles, from the multi-BAFTA winning Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice to DmC: Devil May Cry and Bleeding Edge."

The Bird or Worm has just 34 Google reviews, perhaps due to the lack of self-promotion. Its website is just one page that shows the menu, while the anonymous-looking brick building could easily be an office block.

Nonetheless, these reviews suggest that the quality of food and drink is not overlooked in favour of the virtual world. The spot has an average rating of 4.8/5, with all but one review awarding either four or five stars. Some reviewers described drinks in the theme of Ninja Theory games, while others praised "great' hosts and "delicious" food.

The menu at The Bird or Worm includes eight mains, three snacks and three sides. The cuisines are eclectic: there's a gochujang pork belly rice bowl, salami focaccia, a Caribbean jerk pattie with fried plantain and a Mexican burger.