22 Chesterton Road, Cambridge, CB4 3AX
Harden's says
Shake-up at “Cambridge's best-kept secret” as former Ramsay chef Sam Carter and fiancée Alex Oliver take over this elegant 22 cover restaurant, which also vaunts 14 seat private dining room, offers a lunch time set and evening taster menu alongside an à la carte menu.
Harden's survey result
Summary
“Wow, the food is the real winner here. So many flavours leave you begging for more” – Sam Carter and Alexandra Oliver’s “very intimate Victorian terrace house” sits a short walk outside the city centre. “Electrified by young and clever passion”, “it has been on excellent form for years and seems to get better on each visit”, was “the deserved recipient of a Michelin star in the latest 2023 guide” and has a “warm, friendly unpretentious feel” to it that is in contrast to many foodie temples. “One relaxes into a small array of sensational snacks on arrival”: “sophisticated and bursting with flavour”. “This is followed by a sublime, unforgettable malty light bread that signals you are in for a great taste sensation of an evening” – a “seriously complex”, but “well thought out” set menu with “superb and exciting flavour combinations”. Service is “highly professional and knowledgeable” and “you’re allowed to eat at your own pace with no interruption”. “Pity it’s really difficult to get a table!” Top Menu Tip – the “flight of soft drinks is a riot of whacky creativity”.
Summary
“Much better value than its main local competitor Midsummer House” – you will need to book two months ahead if you want to visit Sam Carter and Alexandra Oliver’s “very enjoyable” venue, “located in a Victorian terraced house with small cosy rooms” a short walk from the city centre (near the Cam and Jesus Green). One central London reporter acclaimed it as “worth the trip to Cambridge” thanks to its “very enjoyable” combination of personable service and very accomplished cuisine (all served – except at lunch and on certain evenings – via the now-obligatory tasting menu format).
Summary
Sam Carter and Alexandra Olivier’s “charming restaurant in a converted Victorian house” a little outside the city centre (near the Cam and Jesus Green) is the setting for some of the best cooking in the town. “Top quality seasonal ingredients are skilfully and imaginatively presented through five- or seven-course tasting menus, while service is unobtrusive but helpful, friendly and efficient”. There’s a “lovely, well-priced range of wines”, too.
Summary
A “top foodie spot in Cambridge” that’s going places – in early 2018, Gordon Ramsay protégé Sam Carter and his wife Alexandra (FOH) took over this long-established Victorian townhouse restaurant on the fringes of the town centre, and the “new chef has revitalised the site” to the extent one or two local foodies prefer it to nearby Midsummer House. Even those who poke fun at its “modish rough, scratchy, plates” say its “fabulous and imaginative, local and seasonal set menu” (from three to seven courses as well as the à la carte) is “excellent and comes at a good price”.
For 33 years we've been curating reviews of the UK's most notable restaurant. In a typical year, diners submit over 50,000 reviews to create the most authoritative restaurant guide in the UK. Each year, the guide is re-written from scratch based on this survey (although for the 2021 edition, reviews are little changed from 2020 as no survey could run for that year).
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Prices
| Availability | 2 courses | 3 courses |  |
 |
 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Always | £75.00 |  |
|
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| Drinks |
|
|---|---|
| Wine per bottle | £45.00 |
| Filter Coffee | £6.00 |
| Extras |
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|---|---|
| Bread | £0.00 |
| Service | 12.50% |
Restaurant details
22 Chesterton Road, Cambridge, CB4 3AX
Opening hours
| Monday | CLOSED |
| Tuesday | CLOSED |
| Wednesday | 12 pm‑1:30 pm, 6 pm‑8:30 pm |
| Thursday | 12 pm‑1:30 pm, 6 pm‑8:30 pm |
| Friday | 12 pm‑1:30 pm, 6 pm‑8:30 pm |
| Saturday | 12 pm‑1:30 pm, 6 pm‑8:30 pm |
| Sunday | CLOSED |
