It seems only natural in a city as varied as Cambridge to be spoilt for choice in cuisine. Cambridge offers something for everyone, from fine eateries to contemporary arty venues and tiny, family-run haunts. These five eateries showcase the finest of Cambridge eating, from student nibbles to lavish feasts. So, what better place to seek than Cambridge, a favorite staycation destination? Cambridge is known for its picture-perfect restaurants selling a variety of delectable cuisine, as well as its magnificent old-school architecture, tiny coffee shops, and lovely lawns.
Best Restaurants Cambridge – Top 10 Restaurants
So, if you were seeking the best restaurants in Cambridge, here are our top 10 best picks.
1. The Pint Shop
Despite the enticing chalkboard list of cask and keg beers, it is more of a gastropub than a pub. It professes to be inspired by 1830s beerhouses.
Yet the cuisine is very modern, as are the parquet floors, green fronds put in beer bottles, and trendy hanging lights (watch your head). The non-smoking garden is open all year.
2. Michaelhouse Café
You could miss this tucked-away jewel as you traverse the cobblestone streets of Cambridge, admiring the spires of Gonville and Caius, but it’s a great treat to locate.
The menus of Michaelhouse Café vary daily, and the meals are fresh, flavorful, and reasonably priced, emphasizing essential cooking dishes correctly. The menus include delectable cooked breakfasts and excellent lunches that often have a variety of the cafe’s famed quiches and casseroles. Aside from the unquestionably delicious cuisine, the Michaelhouse Café is fantastic for its environment.
3. Trinity
The elegantly designed space sets the tone for a simplified culinary experience in the heart of Cambridge. The racing green walls and furniture offer a relaxing atmosphere, while the dimly lighted basement is a little more raunchy.
The cuisine is dominated by fish, from glistening tiny Mersea oysters to melt-in-your-mouth roasted octopus. A little wakame here and lemongrass there liven up a mostly French approach. The portions are large (do seabream come that big?), and the presentation is simple. The varied wine selection of New and Old World wines contains informative descriptions rather than pretentious, and the service is the same.
4. The Eagle
The Eagle, located in the center of town, is one of Cambridge’s oldest inns, dating back to the early 14th century. This location is notable for being the site where Watson and Crick declared to the world that they had found ‘the secret of life,’ that is, DNA.
Look up to see the infamous RAF ceiling, which has the signatures of RAF pilots from all over the globe who inscribed their names on the ceiling using only cigarette lighters, candle smoke upon their return from the Second World War, and lipstick. This pub has a very British homey atmosphere, with classic pub fare (the sausage and mash are delicious, and the burgers are stuffed full and piled high) and cask ales.
5. Tu Casa
Conversation echoes off the bare walls of this very traditional tapas tavern. The rustic-chic pallet shelving does not detract from the cuisine and friendliness.
Classic patatas bravas, tortilla, and Jamon Iberico are joined with carpaccio de pulpo, dusted with coarse salt, pimento Picante, and olive oil, served in Galicia, the chef’s native region. Salmorejo, the bright and delicious cold soup, is made with essential peasant ingredients like tomatoes, garlic, and olive oil, and it’s best served with a Rioja or a strong Galician amber beer like Estrella 1906 Reserva. It is how neighborhood eateries should be.
6. Don Pasquale
Don Pasquale, located on the outskirts of Market Square, is perhaps one of the best restaurants in Cambridge. Many consider it the most outstanding Italian restaurant in town since it is one of the city’s most respected and long-standing enterprises.
The meal quality here is usually superb, although a family owns it. With substantial serving sizes and freshly produced pizza dough, customers are sure to leave satisfied yet eager to return for more.
7. Vanderlyle
A former Subway location has been turned into a beautiful but casual canteen-style eating establishment. Although not technically a vegetarian restaurant, menus have been limited to plant foods delivered in unique and mouth-watering combinations.
Such as wild garlic and turnip top risotto or semifreddo of white chocolate, dark chocolate, and celeriac with a celery and lovage granita.
8. The Fountain Inn
This beautifully attractive Victorian public house has been a frequent getaway for many of Cambridge’s local inhabitants and tourists over the years, having stood at the heart of the city for almost two centuries.
The Fountain Inn, more of a late-night pub than a typical restaurant, is an essential visit for anybody looking to experience the variety of Cambridge. The updated bar has a distinct, industrial air that contrasts with the beautiful outside, and it is easy to imagine yourself at a hip London warehouse party.
9. Cotto
Cotto’s relocation to a purpose-built glassed-in room at the front of the Gonville Hotel has been a success. The minimum three-course set menu, costs £70 on weekdays.
And £75 on weekends, features superb food, from house-made pieces of bread and truffle butter to the chef’s famous dessert, ‘Chocolate Time,’ a clock with Roman numbers stenciled in gold leaf. Because menu titles don’t reveal everything, anticipate lots of palate surprises from each meal, such as venison with toasted cocoa.
10. The Rainbow Café
The Rainbow Café, which serves solely vegetarian cuisine and specializes in vegan and gluten-free options, has become one of Cambridge’s most popular alternative eateries.
It is a one-stop store for boosting your mood since it is independent and has a refreshing individuality. Everything is freshly created every day using natural ingredients devoid of colorants, additives, and flavorings and is fully certified by the vegetarian society.
Conclusion
If there is one thing that Cambridge residents excel at, it is eating and drinking. We still have one of the top restaurants in the world, casually located in a home on Midsummer Common. There are undoubtedly many fantastic eateries missing from our list, but the list above has got the best reviews and is loved by the visitors.
