Novi

The space

Novi is a narrow room on Market Hill, two minutes from the market square, with the kind of interior that suggests careful decisions rather than expensive ones. Low ceiling, dark wood, a bar that runs most of the length of the space. The lighting is amber throughout, which is either exactly right or slightly oppressive depending on your tolerance for cocktail-bar atmosphere. Most people find it exactly right.

What to drink

The menu changes every few months and runs to about twelve cocktails, each with a clear logic to it - spirit, modifier, acid, aromatic - without being written in a way that makes you feel as if you need a qualification to order. The bartenders know what they are doing and can talk through the menu if you want them to, or leave you to make your own decision if you do not.

Spirits range is serious - a particular focus on agave and whisky, with a rotating selection of niche gins that reflects genuine interest rather than commercial arrangement. Beer and wine are available for those not in a cocktail frame of mind.

The verdict

Novi is the bar Cambridge needed and nearly did not get. The pricing is London-level, which will deter some, but the quality justifies it. Book ahead on Fridays and Saturdays; arrive early midweek and you will probably get a seat at the bar without any difficulty. Closed Sunday and Monday.