The Eagle on Bene't Street is Cambridge's most historically significant pub. It was a regular haunt of Francis Crick and James Watson during the years they were working on the structure of DNA, and it is where Crick famously announced their discovery of the double helix in February 1953. A plaque in the pub marks the table where they usually sat.
The pub dates to 1667 and has a well-preserved interior with several distinct rooms, including a courtyard. The RAF Bar at the back has signatures and insignia burnt and scratched into the ceiling by British and American airmen stationed in Cambridgeshire during the Second World War — they used candles, lighters, and lipstick to leave their marks before deploying. It is a remarkable and sobering record. The Eagle serves a solid range of ales and reasonable pub food; it gets crowded at lunchtimes and on weekend evenings.