Best restaurants in Cambridge Published 07 December 2024
Cambridge, renowned for its academic prestige and picturesque scenery, is equally celebrated for its thriving food scene. The best restaurants in Cambridge reflect the city’s unique blend of tradition and innovation, offering an impressive variety of culinary experiences. From establishments that champion local, seasonal ingredients to those that bring a modern twist to classic dishes, the dining options here are as inspiring as the city itself. Whether you’re visiting for the history or simply exploring its cultural charm, the best restaurants in Cambridge ensure there’s always a memorable meal to be enjoyed. This guide is your doorway to discovering the finest culinary delights Cambridge has to offer.
An artfully simple proposition amid the demanding retail decisions of Cambridge's pre-eminent mall, Amélie's spot at the Grafton Centre is marked by its yellow Citroën van. The Crépy family's shop-stop USP is cr… Read more
An artfully simple proposition amid the demanding retail decisions of Cambridge's pre-eminent mall, Amélie's spot at the Grafton Centre is marked by its yellow Citroën van. The Crépy family's shop-stop USP is crisp Alsatian flammekueche topped either with classic crème fraîche, bacon, onions and Gruyère or a host of less trad toppings, but with interest across the menu (sardine bruschetta to start, tarte tatin to finish and a neat wine list), there's plenty here for a longer lunch.
Excellent-value French bistro on Cambridge's lively Mill Road
You can eat your way round the world, it seems, on Mill Road, such is the diversity of independent restaurants, food shops, bars and cafés along this lively street. Flying the flag for – or at least inspired by &ndash… Read more
You can eat your way round the world, it seems, on Mill Road, such is the diversity of independent restaurants, food shops, bars and cafés along this lively street. Flying the flag for – or at least inspired by – the French bistro is Fancett’s. It’s a warm-hearted spot for excellent, unfussy food and the sort of value for money that has kept people beating a path to its unassuming door ever since Dan Fancett opened the place in 2021.
A set menu is tweaked daily and served in its simplest form at lunch (two choices per course) and with a few more options at dinner. It fits the bistro vibe, though the repertoire strays deliciously beyond predictability. Open a summer lunch with mackerel tartare accompanied by oyster mayo and a briny scattering of sea vegetables balanced by sweet pops of grape and bright pickled cucumber. Pork cutlet – beautifully, tenderly cooked – comes with charred broccoli, the chilli nudge of ‘nduja butter and a smoky romesco sauce in a plate of satisfying layers of flavour.
There might also be battered pollack with vivid-green crushed peas and homemade tartare sauce – or come in the evening when the ambition is upped and you might find (for a small supplement) a fillet of wild bass on a pile of saffron orzo with crab, fennel and samphire. Finish perhaps with cherry clafoutis – we’re in bistro territory, remember – or apricot frangipane tart.
Restaurant manager Theo Armyras is an engaging enthusiast of all things drinkable; he steered us towards a delicious Spanish rosado from Rioja’s family-owned Bodegas Perica (at £10 a glass). Selections by the 500ml carafe keep proceedings true to bistro-dom, but there’s plenty to explore, from minerally Chablis Premier Cru, Thomas Labille ‘Montmains’ 2020 to big hitters from Bordeaux and the Rhône Valley.
Creative, sustainable seafood cookery in a relaxed setting
Diners are spoilt for choice along Cambridge’s food-rich Mill Road, but if you’re in the mood for fish, Fin Boys is the address to know. Its purpose is clear: to buy seasonal seafood from sustainable sources, and deplo… Read more
Diners are spoilt for choice along Cambridge’s food-rich Mill Road, but if you’re in the mood for fish, Fin Boys is the address to know. Its purpose is clear: to buy seasonal seafood from sustainable sources, and deploy it for ever-changing menus with care, flair (often inspired by Japan) and minimal waste. There’s also chef-chat if you choose the counter seating, and plenty of people-watching from the bright window seats.
The kitchen's take on prawn toast involving fried milk bread layered generously with chopped prawns, oyster sauce and furikake (for seaweed-sesame savouriness) has a deserved fan club – although bouncy hot crumpets, loaded richly with crab cacio e pepe, are a deliciously substantial alternative (especially when paired with an Old Vines Chenin Blanc blend from South Africa's Mullineux Winery that features on the fish-friendly drinks list).
Follow, perhaps, with bluefin tuna, dry-aged on-site to perfect firmness, in a puddle of blood-orange ponzu, where the flavours surf vigorously through deep umami, citrus-sweetness and lip-tingling togarashi chilli-heat, before a spoonful of labneh calms everything down. There's also beautiful balance in a bowl of creamy sushi rice with diced poached squid, agretti and angel-hair nori, with puffed rice for texture and squid-seaweed broth as an anchor.
Among the bigger plates, line-caught Cornish monkfish might come with cauliflower purée and sea beets in midwinter, or make a summer outing alongside zucchini (from nearby Flourish Farm) with shiitake and kelp XO sauce. If you're after fishy comfort food, you might get lucky with clam risotto, a classic fish soup with garlicky rouille and plenty of Gruyère or rigatoni with a velvet-crab sauce. Finish with the enduringly popular Basque cheesecake or a simple affogato involving locally made Jack’s Gelato.
More than a century since it first opened, Fitzbillies unites Cambridge's town and gown over a shared love of a good brunch or afternoon tea. Behind the gorgeous restored facade is a simple, stylish café aesthetic and a lot… Read more
More than a century since it first opened, Fitzbillies unites Cambridge's town and gown over a shared love of a good brunch or afternoon tea. Behind the gorgeous restored facade is a simple, stylish café aesthetic and a lot of house-baked goodies, including the famous Chelsea buns. Elsewhere in town, fans can take a punt on the newer Bridge Street branch, which serves a shorter menu with equal vigour.
The verdant expanses of Midsummer Common are within sight of this idyllically situated Victorian villa, while university rowers go through their strokes on the nearby river Cam. Inside, much of the serious gastronomic business tak… Read more
The verdant expanses of Midsummer Common are within sight of this idyllically situated Victorian villa, while university rowers go through their strokes on the nearby river Cam. Inside, much of the serious gastronomic business takes place in a glass-roofed conservatory dining room, done out shades of grey with pastoral paintings on the walls, pretty posies on the tables and views of the walled garden from its windows – lovely when the sun is streaming through. Despite the unashamed Englishness of the setting, it feels very French, with a theatrical Champagne trolley doing the rounds and a brigade of ultra-formal staff taking care of the niceties. Meanwhile, a framed window gives diners tantalising glimpses of the kitchen in action. Chef-patron Daniel Clifford’s cooking resides in the loftier regions of modern haute cuisine, and his repertoire of dishes is delivered with such painstaking skill, artistry and precision – every tiny detail given full consideration. Meals now revolve around an expensive tasting menu (around half price at lunchtime) that reads like a roll call of Europe’s finest: a sorbet of Provence tomato with aged Parmesan, olive, pepper and speck ham; sautéed duck liver with Comté cheese and verjus; roasted Anjou pigeon alongside mushroom and chocolate purée, endive and sour cherry. There’s Alpine Tête de Moine cheese, too, with celeriac custard, grapefruit sorbet and truffle honey. Native British ingredients have their say, although the results generally come with luxurious embellishments – white chocolate and caviar sauce adding richness to a dish of slow-cooked Loch Duart salmon, for example. Clifford is also attuned to the seasons, which means strawberries in midsummer, naturally – perhaps in the ‘plant pot’ amuse-bouche offered with a complimentary glass of Krug Champagne or in a dessert with yet more fizz and creamy, summery elderflowers. France is also the main player on the 300-bin wine list; sommeliers will help you navigate its pages, although suggested wine flights are a failsafe option. Either way, expect to pay handsomely – even at the lower end.
There is something appealingly understated about MJP@TheShepherds. Mark J Poynton’s style has been shaped by the classical rigour of ‘fine dining’ (he previously fronted Alimentum in Cambridge), but in this conve… Read more
There is something appealingly understated about MJP@TheShepherds. Mark J Poynton’s style has been shaped by the classical rigour of ‘fine dining’ (he previously fronted Alimentum in Cambridge), but in this converted roadside village pub – yes, there’s beer on tap and a separate bar area – he shows a more free-form, accessible side. Guests are encouraged to build their own tasting experience (dishes are available small or large), or let the chefs surprise with a seven-course ‘best of’ menu. The lunchtime two- or three-course set deal (with choice) is remarkably good value. No wonder the people of Fen Ditton rejoice: ‘friendly and casual,’ thought one; ‘a regular haunt for us,’ said another; while a third applauded the ‘innovative cooking at a reasonable price’. Informal it may be, but Poynton’s gastronomic polish shines. A little gougère sets the tone, a truffly, crisp-coated one-bite wonder – it could be two, but beware the river of gloriously molten cheese. Salmon, soft as butter, is dosed with minerally vigour from a seaweed cure, a refreshing flavour that’s amplified by caviar and a dill-flecked buttermilk sauce – it’s a pretty plate, too. A dish of onion seed-crusted bream doesn’t match for looks, but there’s a gentle sweetness to the fish that makes it a pleasure to eat, and there’s a welcome flash of greens from the spinach running through a chickpea ragù. Elsewhere, a spoonful of pork cheek delivers deep piggy joy, so too its accompanying belly; scooped through a burnt apple purée and a beautifully sweet-sharp choucroute, it's perfectly of the season. Creamy Beauvale blue cheese is a sublime partner for the mini apple tarte tatin that’s perched on top, its warmth nudging the cheese to slump, ripe and relaxed, on the plate. Finish with a classic – a dark chocolate fondant performs just as it should, although it’s the miso and the brown-butter ice cream that really shine, perfectly offsetting the richness. The wine list avoids overwhelming descriptions, unfamiliar territories and off-putting pricing; it's compact and easy to navigate, with 125ml pours around £6 and plenty of bottles in the £25-£35 bracket.
* Lee Clarke and head chef Sam Nash have moved on. The kitchen is now run by Rikki Hughes (former head chef at 263 Preston, before it morphed into Aven). Watch for a new review coming soon.*
During 2021, Lee Clarke moved his rest… Read more
* Lee Clarke and head chef Sam Nash have moved on. The kitchen is now run by Rikki Hughes (former head chef at 263 Preston, before it morphed into Aven). Watch for a new review coming soon.*
During 2021, Lee Clarke moved his restaurant from Peterborough city centre to Wansford, an exceedingly well-kept village just off the A1 near Burghley House. In its new home, the 16th-century Haycock Manor hotel, Prévost has gone up a gear and is quickly attracting plaudits. One fan was ‘blown away by the slickness of it all’, while another concluded ‘this place is extremely exciting’ – Clarke’s head chef, Sam Nash (ex-L'Enclume), has certainly made his presence felt. The Haycock’s stone-walled, softly lit interior leads to a light-filled orangery dining area where French windows look out on to gardens and there’s a birdcage theme to the decorations. The centrepiece, though, is an olive tree sporting myriad fairylights. This setting provides a suitable backdrop for notably accomplished cooking. Choose from three courses or a more elaborate tasting menu – all seasonally adjusted. At inspection, the three-course option offered remarkably good value, given all the extras brought to table. These began with three ‘snacks’, including a standout runner bean and elderflower consommé offering an evocative taste of summer in a little cup. Similarly impressive was a little bowl of buttery smoked Alsace (bacon) custard, dotted with nuggets of toasted sweetcorn and smoked eel – excellent with the first-rate sourdough bread and butter (from Oxfordshire’s Ampersand Dairy), which was freely provided and replenished. Mains offer a choice of two dishes: a brilliant-white portion of salty, succulent cod arrived in a strongly seaweedy kombu dashi sauce dotted with little brown King’s Lynn shrimps, complemented by tiny Jersey Royals and lightly pickled cucumber. The meat option, Longhorn short rib, was almost as good – the generous, tender portion might have been pinker, but the piquant pickled walnut, the little blob of puréed potato and, above all, the roast-beef jus made for a highly savoury treat. After a pre-dessert of whisky fudge (an intensely sweet morsel), the meal ended with an expertly presented pudding of strawberry segments matched with diced apple, offset by tangy sorrel granita (spooned on top at the table) and creamy sheep's curd – another unequivocal success. Abundant service from young, eager staff enlivens proceedings, and the lengthy drinks list offers ample choice by the glass; otherwise, the whistle-stop tour of global vineyards is best left to seasoned drinkers (there's little in the way of annotation).
A fresh take on fine dining that's not to be missed
A walk or perhaps a cycle-ride from the city centre, across Jesus Green and over the river Cam, Restaurant Twenty-Two is one half of a Victorian semi on a busy road. But that’s where any ordinariness ends. Chef Sam Cart… Read more
A walk or perhaps a cycle-ride from the city centre, across Jesus Green and over the river Cam, Restaurant Twenty-Two is one half of a Victorian semi on a busy road. But that’s where any ordinariness ends. Chef Sam Carter, his wife Alex Olivier and their top-class team have built something exceptional here since arriving in 2018. The culinary roots are resolutely classical, but contemporary flair sparks in all directions, whether you’re there for the three-course set lunch (£60 well spent, Thursdays only) or are lingering over a tasting menu with paired drinks.
Gougères, boxed and picture-perfect, set the tone with a wallop of aged Parmesan and sweet lick of black garlic honey. A charcoal croustade brims with minerally venison tartare, the chopped loin bound with Kea plum jam and topped with grated, cured egg yolk and dainty pickled shimeji. That so much care should be taken over a down-in-one morsel is remarkable, but details matter – it’s not surprising that bread is 24 gloriously butter-rich brioche layers served with a silken threesome of (more) butters. A ‘shroomy little chawanmushi is full with ceps and girolles, Wiltshire truffle and a cep dashi.
Similarly luxurious ingredients define the rest of the menu. Yorkshire wagyu is braised for a patient 48 hours till spoonably soft. There’s a flighty puff of beef tendon – a Quaver but not as you know it – and knockout umami from caramelised onions, white miso emulsion, and a limpid beef and bone-marrow consommé. A full-bodied Cà dei Frati 'Ronchedone' 2020 from Italy’s Lake Garda holds its own alongside this punchy standout creation. A fish course might deliver wild bass with seaweed tartare, pumpkin and ginger, enhanced by the freshness of yuzu, trout roe and finger lime in a glorious beurre blanc.
To follow? Maybe Anjou squab, a dish of two parts that fully honours the bird: first up, pigeon-liver parfait piped into a pine salt-dusted croustade, then its glistening breast and confit leg (best eaten with fingers) served with tempura-battered enoki mushroom, mini choux-farci, celeriac purée and blackberry sauce. Try it with a glass of Nuala, a berry-packed wine alternative from Muri in Copenhagen. The soft pairings are notable here – most of the cordials, juices and infusions are created in-house.
Finish with a toffee-apple flourish: fudge-dotted torched Swiss meringue hiding a bay-leaf parfait and Bramley apple compôte, everything contained in a sablé pastry case and surrounded by a moat of caramel. It’s a sweet finale in an exceptional restaurant.
Run by former Alimentum chef Leo Riethoff and his wife Charley, Steak & Honour opened back in 2012 but really took off in the pandemic as a takeaway. The American-style burgers are magnificent and can be sourced at the bricks-… Read more
Run by former Alimentum chef Leo Riethoff and his wife Charley, Steak & Honour opened back in 2012 but really took off in the pandemic as a takeaway. The American-style burgers are magnificent and can be sourced at the bricks-and-mortar base on Wheeler Street, at The Tivoli pub, or from one of their two vans that pop up in and around Cambridge.
Having worked alongside some of London's finest (Gordon Ramsay, Marcus Wareing, Philip Howard), Adebola Adeshina's latest venture finds him holed up at the Fitzwilliam Arms – an immaculately thatched, Grade II-listed village… Read more
Having worked alongside some of London's finest (Gordon Ramsay, Marcus Wareing, Philip Howard), Adebola Adeshina's latest venture finds him holed up at the Fitzwilliam Arms – an immaculately thatched, Grade II-listed village pub some four miles from Peterborough. Inside, starched, white-clothed tables and a slick-looking kitchen opening onto the pristine dining room speak of ambition. Seasonal produce (some from the garden) is given an impressive workout, with an excellent sense of balance and pin-sharp presentation showing off the chef's pedigree. Openers including a 'swirl' of tomato bread with herb butter and a trio of dainty amuse-bouches set the tone, and there is much more to follow: our top pick was a brilliantly cohesive pairing of scallop, polenta and wild rice with a fabulous corn velouté – ‘comforting and moreish but still light and airy’. Main courses prove that the kitchen can handle the heavy-hitting flavours of an exemplary tournedos Rossini as well as more delicate contemporary ideas. A tranche of Loch Duart salmon, cooked in the simplest way possible, is elevated by its companions: a prawn raviolo in a foamy prawn sauce, some asparagus spears, and a sauce gribiche topped with tiny florets of romanesco and edible flowers. Classically inclined expertise continues right to the end, witness an impressively risen, light-as-air strawberry soufflé offset by a basil sorbet and crème de cassis. Relaxed service (easy-going but always on-point) ensures that proceedings never descend into stuffy formality, while the globetrotting wine list offers a decent spread including some tasty Coravin selections. The big open space at the back of the place now functions as the Yard – a summertime alfresco venue with its own menu.
Bastion of traditional English cooking in a cathedral town
The term ‘old fashioned’, applied to our native cuisine, is rarely a compliment. But this cherished Ely stalwart, launched in 1968 and a regular Guide listing for more than three decades back in the day, is a reminder … Read more
The term ‘old fashioned’, applied to our native cuisine, is rarely a compliment. But this cherished Ely stalwart, launched in 1968 and a regular Guide listing for more than three decades back in the day, is a reminder that decent English cooking did exist before Gary Rhodes and his cohorts arrived on the scene.
More than 50 years down the line, original owner Ann Jarman still runs the show (with plenty of family support), and the setting is everything you might expect: a handsomely proportioned Georgian building a mere mitre’s throw from the cathedral, with weathered floorboards, a log fire in the bar, a sedate dining room with windows overlooking a lush walled garden, and artworks for sale throughout (there’s a gallery/sitting room on the first floor). Kindly, if leisurely, service and a host of appreciative regulars also make for a relaxing experience.
The menu changes each day and the food is as reassuringly comforting as your favourite armchair. Local ingredients feature regularly: perhaps Norfolk crab, game or Cambridgeshire honey (with the afternoon teas). Mitton of pork – a full-flavoured, garlicky meat loaf – got our lunch off to a flying start, matching well with a sweet-pickled red onion relish. To follow, whole roast pigeon in white wine was tender if a tad dry, while a casserole of slow-cooked shoulder of lamb was a plateful of fall-off-the-bone gratification. Trenchermen (and women) take note: the offer of ‘seconds’ is an esteemed tradition here.
Unabashed generosity also characterised the portions of accompanying vegetables (puréed swede, shredded leeks and cabbage, cauliflower cheese, all on a separate plate), ditto a large slice of tangy lemon tart with fresh strawberries and (of course) piped cream. The 100-strong wine list offers a moderately priced selection from established, mostly French, regions.
Scoring a table at Vanderlyle should trigger triumphant fanfares through the streets of Cambridge. This plant-led restaurant on independently minded Mill Road has the most ardent admirers, who are quick on the Tock reservation sit… Read more
Scoring a table at Vanderlyle should trigger triumphant fanfares through the streets of Cambridge. This plant-led restaurant on independently minded Mill Road has the most ardent admirers, who are quick on the Tock reservation site every month to book their fix of Alex Rushmer’s thoughtful cooking. They’re drawn by the chef’s flavour-packed, vividly creative vegetarian cuisine, which defies ‘hungry gap’ privations to celebrate what’s available and hint at what’s to come. A mixed seed cracker snaps the six-course dinner into action with brio, a vehicle for cashew parfait (who needs the livery stuff tonight?) brightened with the tiniest dots of clementine gel; a mini doughnut bounces to the table too, bringing happy 'cheese toastie' vibes thanks to a Sussex camembert custard and homemade chutney. Squash takes its seasonal bow in one delightful little cup of golden-orange soup swirled with coriander oil and scattered with soy-toasted pumpkin seeds. If you haven’t eaten all that malty wholegrain focaccia, now’s the time to mop. Charred gem lettuce with a caviar-freckled seaweed butter sauce and a little heap of batter scraps follows, sea herbs and bitter leaves sweeping in to balance the richness with living, spring-like minerality. A glass of Auxerrois from Davenport’s Sussex vineyards keeps the brightness going, so too the oceanic pep of an alcohol-free Pentire and tonic. The care taken with alcohol-free pairings and seasonal cordials is notable – witness the house-made apple kombucha with soda water, brimful with the spirit of farmhouse cider and a brilliant match for butter-roasted, soused and puréed turnip with turnip-top gremolata, Granny Smith apple and hazelnut-butter vinaigrette. Parsnip and vanilla ice cream heralds dessert, the earthy savouriness of the root veg lifted by prettily pink sweet-sharp rhubarb; it’s followed by a Pump Street chocolate crémeux – a silky finale with griottine cherries and a little agrodolce giving their fruity acidity, a chocolate feuilletine and spelt streusel their texture, and a glass of velvety, caramelly cream sherry slipping down a treat.
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