You’ve just finished for the day and are in a state of post-stress euphoria; long lost friends emerge from the library in similar quasi-delirious moods, but shockingly everyone’s free and wants to go out – not just a quick pub trip, but the rare ‘out-out’.

You check your phone – it’s Wednesday. That means pres at nine, Spoons at 11 and one of Cambridge’s holy trinity of clubs at midnight. Tried and tested, there’s nothing wrong with this sequence, but you did it three times a week last term and it all begins to melt into one. Rather than enduring this Sisyphean ordeal, here are some ‘third spaces’ in Cambridge’s nightlife for when you aren’t quite feeling the pub or the club.

Cambridge Wine Merchants, Bridge Street

Quietly loud on the Cambridge streetscape, Cambridge Wine Merchants feels like stepping off the pavement into a roman crypt. It’s cavernous with enough bottles lining the wall to keep Bacchus resolutely out of action, and huge windows letting in the setting sun. There is the distinct feeling of being in a wine cellar, but with a clear escape route if a sommelier spins too long a spiel.

“We are all there for the same reason […] to pretend we know more about wine than we do”

I drank the zingy ‘Tête-à-Tête’, while my companion chose the more subdued ‘Domaine Castelnou’, enjoyed with hummus and a thick cabezola spread on warm pitta bread. Although lacking in traditional pub atmosphere, there is something fizzy in the air: a cork is popped and flies across the room to fractious laughter, and the staff wear shirts bearing the motto ’veni vedi bibi’ (I came, I saw, I drank). One gets the impression that we are all there for the same reason – to not shout over music, to gaze out of the window at the moving street, and to pretend we know more about wine than we do (muttering about the ethics of old world vs new world wines isn’t compulsory, but strongly encouraged).

Hot Numbers, Gwdyir Street

When I used to think of Hot Numbers the following came to mind: nearly (but not quite) justifiably expensive coffee, pear and mascarpone french toast, steamy windows and needing God’s favour to find a table. Now I think of Latin vinyl, mirror balls and dramatic archways. Hot Numbers’ second location is just off Mill Road, and making the most of the larger premises, they frequently host gigs and events. Some are free and some are ticketed – we went to ‘Freedom sound! ’, paying nothing upon entry, but it is recommended to book a table as a party.

“Think of Latin vinyl, mirror balls and dramatic archways”

We made an incongruous group, multi-generational and with different aims; some wanted to imbibe, some were more drawn to the vinyl-only set. After a misunderstanding at the till, I’m still not sure what drink I ended up with – some sort of grapefruit margarita, a cross between a paloma and a mojito. The setup was like being in someone’s living room. We meandered outside and found an impromptu smoking area, which consisted of three stools on the road nestled behind a food truck. This offered a new al-fresco listening point which was very well-received on the warm May night.

Cambridge House Collective, NCI Centre

While Cambridge House Collective has found a new home in Junction, I want to pay homage to the NCI Centre as the ultimate third space. I’m certain everybody loves house music, or will at least throw themselves around when a strong beat is playing. Smacking of a secondary school house party, what we unknowingly walked into was the perfect mix of church hall and frenzied dance-a-thon. We were initially self-conscious of our comparatively young age (the median was closer to my grandmother’s) and glaring ‘student-y’ appearances, but were eventually stripped of our inhibitions and in tune with the multigenerational groove. The dance floor was more hoedown than mosh pit – people of all ages and persuasions were careering in place to the cool Chicago beats.

“People of all ages and persuasions were careering in place to the cool Chicago beats”

If thirsty: a drink from the bar in the corner with the same heavily-poured measures as pre-recession, if tired of dancing: a room with a pool table and huge sofas, if too warm: a smoking area doubling as the quiet residential street, a sign asking in vain ’Please be quiet, we have neighbours! ’. While I will be making the pilgrimage to Junction for the House Collective’s next set (and implore you to join me), there are loads of music events in Cambridge which take place in similarly unassuming venues – one only needs to look on the Instagram (@cambridge.sound) for the programme. Don’t let unfamiliarity put you off – the next time you’re craving an escape from college walls and the usual clubs, put your trust into the unknown and see what’s out there!