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Top 5 quirky luxury restaurants in Cambridge, UK

Just a hop, skip and a jump up the tracks from Kings Cross, the university town of Cambridge is a perfect luxury destination for an overnight escape – or you can just visit for the day for a great cultural getaway. It’s a foodie haven, but don’t just stick to the touristy city centre; here are our top five quirky luxury dining spots: The Varsity Roof Terrace Take a seat high above the city’s winding, bustling streets at this hidden-away rooftop hotspot, situated atop The Varsity Hotel off Bridge Street. A favourite with locals, it’s one that’s often missed by the tourists, but well worth a visit for the stunning panoramic views of the historic city centre. Kick back with a Pimm’s or try one of the hotel’s signature cocktails, then sink your teeth into a salt beef fire-toasted bagel or 28-day aged fillet steak and cheese sandwich, served with their own red barbecue sauce and melted Swiss cheese. The Varsity Roof Terrace, Cambridge Restaurant 22 A ten minute riverside walk away from the centre, Restaurant 22 presents something entirely different: a dining establishment situated in an elegant, traditional suburban townhouse. Inside, the Victorian property seats just 26 in its cosy yet refined parlour, and its monthly-changing fixed price menu centres on seasonal produce and is always of the utmost quality. Alimentum Though unassuming at a first glance from the street, this modern fine-dining restaurant recently earned itself a Michelin Star for chef Mark Poynton’s innovative, adventurous offerings. This is contemporary British cuisine, smartly delivered, with flavour combinations like blue cheese ice cream which give diners something new to try and lots to talk about afterwards. Alimentum Orchard Tea Gardens ‘Stands the church clock at ten to three?/ And is there honey still for tea?’ Relax in a deckchair under the apple trees down the road in Grantchester, a leafy, affluent village just two miles from town. 100 years ago, it became the subject of a poem written by a homesick Rupert Brooke, who had lived in the Old Vicarage before being called up to war. Today, this idyllic corner of England remains largely unchanged, and the Orchard Tea Gardens, serving fresh, fluffy, homemade scones and clotted cream, offer a chance to escape into a world that time forgot. The Willow Tree If you’re in the car, it’s well worth a visit to The Willow Tree in Bourn, where what looks like a quaint, quiet village pub puts on lavish cabaret-themed supperclubs once a month. Be entertained by burlesque duo Cherry and Ruby while enjoying a specially-designed menu, with a different theme each time (Hawaiian, Shore Leave, Mad Hatter’s Tea Party…). Or, choose from their regular menu, which focuses on local, seasonal produce, served in their decadent, vintage-inspired dining room. The Willow Tree

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3 Comments

  1. I am looking for some nice restaurants in Cambridge. I was disappointed and annoyed with the response from Midsummer House which smacked of ARROGANCE and said they do not take reservations by email but by phone, and they wanted my credit card details so if I did not cancel my reservation 24 hours before the date, they would charge me 120 pounds per person!!! What the hell! I think I shall not support them or dine there. I have dined in the world’s finest restaurants from Le Cinq in Paris to La Pergola in Rome and this is just deplorable! YUCKS! Asinine and moronic! Some of the restaurants on your site are very interesting and I shall try some of them. Thank you!

  2. I agree! I will not go to this restaurant either b/c that is a horrible business ethos! They are NOT as good as they r in their own mind. Arrogant, self serving & disrespectful!

  3. My niece has recently started at Cambridge University and I’ve promised her a visit in the summer. I’ve not been to Cambridge before but I’m glad I’ve had the push I need to go. The Orchard Tea Gardens sound like my cuppa tea (excuse the pun) but if it’s a nice day I imagine the Varsity’s roof terrace would be fantastic for lunch and a few drinks. I’m daydreaming about the spring and summer already. Sounds like people haven’t had a good experience with a place not named in the post so I’ll probably steer clear of that one. I’ll have to do a little more investigating to see what’s new for this year but I might have to make a note of these so I know where’s good to try, providing they’re still around, so thank you for the recommendations.

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