A Food Lover’s Guide to Cambridge: eight must-try restaurants
- Guest Contributor
- Mar 19
- 4 min read
Cambridge and the surrounding villages are packed with fantastic places to eat, but with so
many options it can be hard to know where to go next. Whether you're after a cosy pub, a top-notch tapas or a Michelin guide restaurant, there's always something new to discover.
In this blog, a resident (anonymous!) gastronome shares eight standout spots that are well
worth a visit. From longtime favourites to hidden gems, these restaurants showcase some of
the best of Cambridge’s food scene. So, if you're looking for your next great meal, read on and get ready to add a few new places to your list!
The Oak Bistro
Philip has run The Oak Bistro since 2009 and serves consistently good fresh English food. The menu has reliable staple choices of meat and fish dishes. Starters and desserts are varied and good, too. The set lunch (Tuesday to Friday) is £16, £22 and £27 for one, two or three courses respectively, while you are likely to spend £45 or £55 on the à la carte. He has a moderate-sized wine list that spans a range of wine by the glass, carafe and some tempting bottles of higher quality wine. The house champagne, Drappier Carte D’Or, is good value by the glass or bottle.
Fancetts
Run by Dan Fancett who serves French-influenced food in the bistro style: Dan has a light,
modern touch with his cooking. Informal, good quality and reasonably priced: lunch £30.50
for two courses or £36 for three. Dinner £44.50 or £58. Theo runs the bar and he makes
good cocktails, especially Negroni. Fancetts is one of two Michelin guide restaurants located
on Mill Road.
Fin Boys
Don’t get confused: the chefs are The Fin Boys, the establishment is named “Fish Butchery”
– first shop on the right along Mill Road. This is a specialist fish restaurant for everyone who enjoys top-quality fish and seafood. On Friday and Saturday evenings (and the first Wednesday evening of the month) dinner is a multi-course tasting menu at £85 per head. At all other times the à la carte is around £45 for two courses or £55 for three. They have about five tables for up to six per table and about sixteen individual comfortable stools around a long bar counter—sit here if you like to see the chefs at work and enjoy the atmosphere. The wine list has a choice of good wines by the glass and reaching up to fine wines if not famous names: As you would expect, the whites are good with fish. The environment is minimalist trendy eatery, as if you were in London. The fish is superb.
Mercado Central
Good quality tapas cooked by Spanish chefs. Good service and a wine list that spans the range - their best Albariño (they have three) is lovely. Downstairs tables afford a view of the chefs behind their counter with a buzzy atmosphere. The tables upstairs - a quieter room than downstairs - have windows overlooking Green Street. Set lunch £32 and £35 for two or
three courses and à la carte has a list of tapas at around £15 each, so a choice of four will
come to about £60.
Sticks ‘n’ Sushi
Yes, it is a chain, but this one is pretty good: it has a busy feel and it is not quiet but the
menu has very nice fresh seafood and Wagyu beef. And the good bottles of Saké, choose
cold or warm, slip down all too quickly. A fun night out in the middle of Cambridge.
The Carpenters Arms
Don’t go to The Carpenters Arms pub in Victoria Road by mistake—this one is in Great Wilbraham, about 20 minutes’ drive away. This is a good level of pub -restaurant, more restaurant than pub. It was re-opened in May 2022 after a complete re-fit, which they have done well with modern colours, materials and style. A small bar has been retained, which is liked by the locals. It offers a young, modern atmosphere and cooking style with a good
selection of food and a wine list at reasonable prices. It is owned by The Chestnut Group.
The Three Blackbirds
Also owned by The Chestnut Group, The Three Blackbirds in Woodditton is more in a
country pub style with beamed ceilings. It’s not identical to The Carpenters Arms but of
similar level, with a good breadth of menu and wines. Given its location, it tends to attract
some clientele from the Newmarket horsey set, which may recommend it or not! The
Chestnut Group (www.chestnutgroup.co.uk) has grown to about 19 pub-restaurants in East
Anglia. As in any group, the style, standards and clientele will vary from one establishment to
another.
The Plough Bolnhurst
This one is further afield but is well worth the journey. The Plough at Bolnhurst (30 miles or
50 minutes’ drive away) has been privately run for 20 years by knowledgeable and
experienced people. It is a comfortable restaurant offering excellent food and a wine list with
a Reserve section. The small bar area has leather armchairs and an open log fire, but the
dining room has a more contemporary oak-beamed décor with windows onto their outdoor
patio—lovely in warm weather. The menu offers a good range and service is attentive. A
conventional, good quality, pleasant restaurant. Bolnhurst is a village 15 minutes beyond St
Neots; roadworks (as at spring 2025) on the A428 cause delays, so use the A14 north and
west and the A1 south as a better route.
Great blog! I’ll certainly be adding to my gastronomy list and the pubs are new to me ( surprisingly!).