Tag: chesterton road cambridge

Three favourite places to eat in Cambridge

Cambridge News recently asked me to contribute to a piece in which I, along with a couple of other bloggers, shared a few of my favourite places to eat in the city.  It was difficult to choose as there are so many I love and I had a tight word limit but here’s what I wrote!

The Locker Cafe King Street Cambridge
Image credit: John Hodges

The Locker Café in King Street is close to my heart (and not only because of their amazing Chocolate Guinness cake, which is my current obsession!).  It opened just as I started writing my blog at the end of last summer and was the subject of my first post.  Co-owned by father and son John and Adam Hodges, the café is light and spacious with a balcony for sunny days.  Ceramics made by John are in daily use while art on the walls is curated by Adam’s mother and there’s live music on Sunday afternoons.  The Locker is a favourite spot for brunch with my husband and I often interview for the blog here, over tea and cake.

www.thelockercafe.co.uk

The Copper Kettle Kings Parade Cambridge

The Copper Kettle on King’s Parade is one of Cambridge’s oldest restaurants and it has one of the best views too, overlooking the historic buildings of King’s College and its world famous chapel.  It’s open all day, serving breakfast, brunch, lunch and cakes but in the evening the menu switches to Mediterranean cuisine with fish and vegetarian options alongside grilled meat dishes and salads.  I like to meet friends here in the early evening to catch up on news over a glass or two of chilled white wine and a selection of delicious meze that we share as we chat.

www.thecopperkettle.weebly.com

Restaurant Twenty-Two Cambridge

Restaurant Twenty-Two on Chesterton Road has recently reopened with chef Sam Carter and partner Alexandra Olivier offering creative modern British food with a twist, using seasonal ingredients from local suppliers.  Their 7 Course Tasting Menu quite simply blew us away.  Sam creates delectable flavours and presents every dish so beautifully but it’s also the textures in each plate of his food which constantly surprise and excite.  Returning last weekend with family, we enjoyed the set lunch menu which is exceptional value at £20 for three courses.  Once again, Sam had our taste buds dancing until the very last bite.

www.restaurant22.co.uk

For the full version of this article, published in Cambridge News on 28 April 2018, and to see where my fellow bloggers like to eat, just click on the link below.

https://www.cambridge-news.co.uk/whats-on/food-drink-news/cambridge-food-bloggers-restaurant-reviews-14573223

Restaurant Twenty-Two Cambridge

Sam Carter and Alexandra Olivier are partners in life and business who’ve just realised a long held ambition to open a restaurant of their own.  Chef Sam is in charge of the kitchen while Alex takes care of front of house and they both bring many years of experience at leading dining establishments to their new venture.

Restaurant Twenty-Two sign

Restaurant Twenty-Two windowThey’ve spent the past couple of months refurbishing this twenty two cover restaurant in Chesterton Road into a sophisticated and restful space, decorated in tones of grey with flickering tea lights and simple flowers on each table.  Upstairs, there’s a cosy private dining room which seats fourteen people.  Sam and his team serve a seven and a five course tasting menu, alongside an a la carte option and there’s a set lunch menu too.

My husband, Johnny, and I were lucky enough to bag a table for the restaurant’s soft opening at which they served their 7 Course Tasting Menu.  It wasn’t long before I decided that this is a great way to eat … no indecisive scanning of menus, no food envy, just people bringing you plate after plate of fabulous food!  Sam’s style is creative modern British food with a twist, using seasonal ingredients from local suppliers.  But it’s not just the flavours that Sam creates (always delectable) or the presentation of his dishes (always immaculate, as you can see from the photos through this post), it’s also the textures in each plate of his food which constantly surprise and excite.

Every course was wonderful but highlight dishes for me included

….  blow torched mackerel, the rich, oily fish perfectly paired with tangy buttermilk, wafer thin disks of stripey pickled beetroot, dotted with dill oil

Restaurant Twenty-Two mackerel

….  a meltingly tender piece of braised lamb shoulder, almost like a confit, with sheep’s yoghurt, velvety carrot puree, tiny cubes of punchy mint jelly, topped with crispy carrot

Restaurant Twenty-Two lamb

….  rich, sweet, malty Guinness bread served with light whipped Guinness butter

Restaurant Twenty-Two Guinness bread

….  the bright flavours of the palate cleansing pre-dessert, a lime and yoghurt panna cotta topped with a Yorkshire rhubarb jelly, hibiscus and refreshing cucumber sorbet

Restaurant Twenty-Two pre dessert

Sommelier Dan Smith is creating a really interesting wine list full of unusual finds.  Johnny decided to go with Dan’s recommendations for the wine flight matched to the menu and was happy to discover new pairings, including

….  Dafni, a dry herbaceous white wine from Crete, with the mackerel

….  Tio Diego, a deep amber, bone dry amontillado sherry with the lamb

….  Le Barral, Rivesaltes Ambre, a sweet fortified wine from the South of France which was an excellent match for the chocolate, peanut and salted caramel dessert.

By the end of the evening, we were feeling pretty full (understatement!) but we squeezed in a Hot Numbers coffee for him and a green tea from The Kandula Tea Company for me, along with homemade whisky truffles and smooth vanilla fudge dotted with a sharp lemon sauce … Sam had our taste buds dancing until the very last bite.

Restaurant Twenty-Two petits fours

As we tottered home, we agreed that we’re extremely lucky to have such exciting and superb cooking happening pretty much on our doorstep.  Sam, Alex and their team have all the enthusiasm, skill and passion to make a huge success of Restaurant Twenty-Two and I have no doubt they will do just that.  I only hope we can still get a table once the word gets out!

http://www.restaurant22.co.uk

22 Chesterton Road, Cambridge CB4 3AX

Sam and Alex kindly invited me to join them at their opening party.  The following evening, we ate and drank at Restaurant Twenty-Two at our own expense.