Best Restaurants in Cambridge
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The best restaurants in Cambridge
Cambridge offers a diverse dining scene that caters to all tastes and budgets. From traditional British pubs serving hearty meals to upscale restaurants offering fine dining experiences, visitors can indulge in a variety of cuisines including Italian, Indian, Chinese, and more. The city is also known for its charming cafes and bakeries, where you can enjoy a leisurely afternoon tea or grab a quick bite to eat. With many restaurants located in historic buildings and picturesque settings, dining in Cambridge is not just about the food but also about the unique atmosphere and ambiance that each establishment offers.
- Top rated
- Closest to the centre
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- Time to spend: shortest first
- A–Z
36 restaurants
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Brasserie4.3★2,261 reviews
Browns Cambridge
Browns Cambridge occupies the early twentieth-century Outpatients wing of the old Addenbrooke’s Hospital on Trumpington Street, directly opposite the Fitzwilliam Museum. The grand pillared entrance still carries the word “Outpatients” above the columns. Inside, the high-ceilinged brasserie serves all-day British classics with table service. Visitors use it for breakfast, lunch between museum and college visits, afternoon tea, Sunday roasts, and dinner. The large bar and occasional live piano create a bright, polished atmosphere rather than an intimate one. An outdoor terrace operates in warmer weather.
Mon–Sat 10:00–23:00 · Sun 10:00–18:00Price level $$Time to spend 1.5–2.5 hrs
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British4.4★1,914 reviews
The Ivy Cambridge Brasserie
An all-day British brasserie on Trinity Street serving breakfast, lunch, afternoon tea and dinner in a polished Art-Deco interior. The Cambridge branch of the Ivy Collection occupies a former retail unit between college buildings and shops. Visitors sit at banquettes or bar stools for contemporary British dishes and cocktails. The room suits graduations, shopper lunches and city-centre meals rather than extended stays. Service follows standard restaurant pacing with table allocation on arrival.
Mon–Sat 8:30–23:00 · Sun 8:30–22:00Price level $$Time to spend 0.8–3 hrs
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Gastropub4.2★2,032 reviews
Green Man Cambridge
The Green Man occupies a Grade II listed 15th-century timber-framed hall-house on Trumpington High Street, three miles south of Cambridge city centre. This working gastropub serves seasonal British dishes and real ales in a mix of historic rooms and a large garden. Visitors arrive mainly for lunch, dinner or Sunday roasts rather than sightseeing, with table service in a smart-casual village-pub atmosphere.
Daily 11:00–23:00Price level $$Time to spend 0.5–3 hrs
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Restaurant4.3★1,901 reviews
Côte Cambridge
Côte Cambridge occupies a central position on Bridge Street in the historic university quarter, between St John’s and Jesus Colleges. This branch of the UK chain serves modern French brasserie dishes from breakfast through dinner in a contemporary indoor setting with limited outdoor seating. The menu covers steak frites, moules, grass-fed steaks, French onion soup and chocolate mousse, alongside gluten-free, vegetarian, vegan and children’s options. Visitors use the restaurant for quick breakfasts before sightseeing, lunches between college visits, or evening meals with wine. Table service allows diners to linger in a warm, sociable atmosphere suited to couples, families, groups and solo travellers on a Cambridge city-centre day.
Mon–Sat 9:00–22:00 · Sun 9:00–21:30Price level $$Time to spend 0.5–3 hrs
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Steak4.4★1,771 reviews
The Cambridge Chop House
A steak-focused restaurant at 1 King's Parade in central Cambridge serving British classics alongside breakfast and lunch options. The venue occupies a central position on the main street opposite historic college buildings and operates daily from late morning into the evening with moderate pricing.
Price level $$Time to spend 1–2 hrs
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Gastropub4.4★1,695 reviews
Pint Shop
Pint Shop occupies a central spot at 10 Peas Hill in Cambridge. This gastropub combines bar and restaurant functions in one venue. It opens at midday each day and remains available until 23:00 on Sunday to Thursday and until midnight on Friday and Saturday. The setting suits travellers seeking straightforward pub meals alongside drinks in a city-centre location.
Price level $$Time to spend 1–3 hrs
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Brasserie4.3★1,669 reviews
MillWorks
MillWorks occupies the 19th-century Newnham Mill on the River Granta in Cambridge. The brasserie serves charcoal-grilled steaks, fish and Sunday roasts in a restored industrial space centred on a working waterwheel. Indoor tables overlook the millpond and punts; a seasonal terrace sits directly on the water. Visitors arrive mainly for booked meals lasting one to two and a half hours, often combined with punting at adjacent Granta Moorings or walks along The Backs. The setting is suburban-riverside rather than countryside, with flat paved access from central Cambridge.
Price level $$Time to spend 0.8–3 hrs
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Gastropub4.1★1,778 reviews
The Old Bicycle Shop
The Old Bicycle Shop occupies the former Howes Cycles premises at 104 Regent Street in Cambridge. This gastropub conversion retains cycling memorabilia as lamps, wall art and ornaments across ground-floor bar, dining room and covered courtyard. It serves all-day brunch, lunch, dinner and drinks with labelled vegetarian and vegan options. The venue sits on the direct route between the historic centre, Parker’s Piece and Cambridge station, functioning as a practical meal or drinks stop rather than a standalone attraction.
Price level $$Time to spend 0.5–3 hrs
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Greek4.4★1,493 reviews
The Olive Grove
The Olive Grove occupies a central spot on Regent Street in Cambridge, serving Greek and Mediterranean dishes rooted in the Kontakos family heritage from Elafonisos in Laconia. Opened in 2013, the restaurant combines traditional recipes with some contemporary presentations, offering meze starters, souvlaki, gyros, mixed grills, kleftiko and peinirli alongside deli products. Ground-floor dining provides table service in an air-conditioned interior with background music, while takeaway and delivery form a steady stream of activity. The site suits casual lunches, dinners, groups and pre-theatre meals within an eight-to-fifteen-minute walk of the historic centre.
Daily 12:00–22:00Price level $$Time to spend 0.8–2.5 hrs
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Pub4.5★1,413 reviews
Salisbury Arms, Cambridge
A Victorian neighbourhood pub on Tenison Road, five minutes from Cambridge station, offering wood-fired pizzas, cask ales and a small courtyard garden. The interior retains a worn-in local feel with mixed seating and a visible pizza oven. Visitors arrive mainly for meals and drinks rather than sightseeing, with weekday afternoons quieter and evenings busier. It draws station arrivals, nearby residents and those seeking a non-touristy option away from the city centre. Monday pizza deals and Sunday roasts are popular.
Mon–Sat 12:00–23:00 · Sun 12:00–22:00Price level $$Time to spend 0.5–3 hrs
Bread & Meat
Bread & Meat occupies a compact ground-floor unit at 4 Bene’t Street in Cambridge’s pedestrian historic core. The independent restaurant focuses on oven-roasted British meats served in sourdough ciabatta, poutine, or plated bowls alongside craft beers and coffee. Walk-in counter service means visitors order, collect metal trays, and eat at window tables or a long communal table before moving on. The short menu changes little, with consistent favourites such as porchetta with crackling and rare roast topside. The setting suits a quick, high-quality lunch stop between King’s Parade, the market, and nearby colleges rather than a long meal.
Daily 11:30–20:00Price level $$Time to spend 0.2–1.5 hrs
Bedouin
Bedouin occupies 98-100 Mill Road in Cambridge's Petersfield district, serving Maghreb dishes in a dining room styled as a Bedouin tent. Opened in 2011, the restaurant seats around 60 guests at low tables beneath a canopy and Sahara wall rugs. The menu focuses on Algerian and wider North African cooking including tagines, couscous, brik pastry and chekchouka, with vegetarian and vegan options marked. All food is treated as halal and the drinks list is entirely alcohol-free, featuring bespoke non-alcoholic cocktails. The atmosphere is dim, colourful and intimate rather than loud, suiting couples and small groups who book ahead, particularly at weekends. Early-bird set menus are available on weekdays.
Mon 12:00–15:00, 17:00–22:30 · Wed–Sun 12:00–15:00, 17:00–22:30Price level $$Time to spend 0.8–2.5 hrs
The Punter
The Punter occupies a historic former coaching inn at 3 Pound Hill in Cambridge. This independent gastropub blends traditional pub character with unpretentious British food and real ales. The irregular layout features low beams, nooks and a planted courtyard garden plus a high-vaulted former stables space called The Barn. Popular with locals, academics, students and visitors, it serves as a relaxed spot for meals, drinks or a pause near the River Cam and punting on Magdalene Street. The atmosphere stays cheerfully lived-in rather than polished.
Daily 12:00–23:00Price level $$Time to spend 1–4 hrs
Aromi
Independent Sicilian café, bakery and pizzeria at 1 Bene't Street in central Cambridge. Counter-service slices, focaccia, arancini and gelato by day give way to whole sourdough pizzas and table service after 18:00. The compact two-floor space sits on a short historic lane beside St Bene't's Church, drawing students, locals and visitors for quick lunches or relaxed evening meals. Visible stone-oven work and long-fermented dough set it apart from generic Italian spots.
Daily 9:00–22:00Price level $$Time to spend 0.2–2 hrs
Sticks'n'Sushi - Cambridge
Sticks'n'Sushi Cambridge occupies a listed historic building on Wheeler Street in the city centre. The Danish-Japanese restaurant serves sushi, nigiri, maki and yakitori-style grilled sticks alongside salads and desserts. Diners sit at tables, the counter or bar in a space that retains original iron staircases and walkways from its former library use. The open kitchen and paper lamps create a warm, social atmosphere suitable for couples, groups and solo visitors. It lies opposite the Corn Exchange and within a few minutes' walk of Market Square and the main colleges.
Price level $$Time to spend 45–180 hrs
La Pergola
La Pergola is an Italian restaurant located on Cambridge Road in the village of Harlton, a short distance from Cambridge. It specialises in Italian dishes with a dedicated pizza menu. The premises operate lunch and dinner services on most days of the week, closing entirely on Mondays. The setting is a typical village restaurant with moderate pricing and a focus on standard Italian fare rather than elaborate fine dining.
Price level $$Time to spend 1–2 hrs
Navadhanya
Navadhanya occupies a compact site on Newmarket Road east of central Cambridge. The restaurant serves regional Indian dishes through à la carte and multi-course tasting menus in a contemporary indoor setting. Diners book for evening meals that run from early-bird three-course options to longer seven-course sequences with wine pairings. Presentation follows a plated fine-dining style rather than casual curry-house service. The venue suits couples and small celebrations more than large groups or daytime visits.
Daily 17:00–23:00Price level $$Time to spend 1–3.5 hrs
The Oak Bistro
The Oak Bistro occupies a Grade II listed 18th-century former coaching inn at 6 Lensfield Road in Cambridge. This independent restaurant serves classic British and European dishes from a compact indoor dining room and a covered rear courtyard known as the Secret Garden. Signature items include individually wrapped Beef Wellington, confit duck, and pan-fried scallops alongside a list of over 100 wines. Open Tuesday to Saturday for lunch and dinner with no service on Sundays, the venue attracts local university staff, professionals, and residents for unhurried meals rather than quick visits or sightseeing.
Mon 17:30–21:30 · Tue–Sat 12:00–14:30, 17:30–21:30Price level $$Time to spend 1–3 hrs
The Architect
The Architect occupies a 1937 mock-Tudor building on Castle Street, the historic ridge leading up from central Cambridge. It functions as a neighbourhood gastropub centred on a build-your-own fish-and-chip and pie-and-mash menu. Diners select fish or pie, batter or pastry style, side, and sauce before settling at indoor tables or the small rear courtyard. Real ales, gins, and ciders accompany the plates. The setting sits outside the main college tourist circuit yet remains a short uphill walk from Magdalene Street and the Round Church. Service runs Tuesday to Sunday with Monday closure. The atmosphere stays casual and often lively once the room fills with locals, students, and visitors.
Price level $$Time to spend 0.5–3 hrs
d'Arry's Restaurant, Liquor Loft & Cheesemonger
An independent Cambridge venue occupying former brewery buildings on King Street, combining a ground-floor restaurant and wine bar with an upstairs cocktail loft and a climate-controlled British artisan cheese room. The setting retains warehouse character from the 1866 Scales Brewery while focusing on seasonal British produce, d'Arenberg wines, barrel-aged cocktails and cheese tastings. Visitors sit for unhurried meals, browse the cheese counter or move upstairs for evening drinks on the heated terrace. The multi-level layout suits couples, small groups and Sunday carvery lunches more than quick tourist stops. Central location places it an eight-to-ten-minute walk from the historic core.
Price level $$Time to spend 0.5–3 hrs
The Old Spring
The Old Spring occupies a Victorian building from 1868 on Ferry Path in Cambridge’s De Freville neighbourhood. It operates as a neighbourhood gastropub serving British classics alongside Greek and Mediterranean dishes, real ales and pizzas. The interior features low ceilings, wooden floors, open fires and a conservatory leading to a decked patio. Visitors arrive for sit-down meals, Sunday roasts or drinks after walks on Jesus Green. The pub functions as a local social hub rather than a tourist landmark, drawing residents, students and families year-round.
Daily 12:00–23:30Price level $$Time to spend 0.8–3 hrs
Tawa Kitchen
Tawa Kitchen is an independent Indian restaurant in Cambridge's CB1 station quarter, a short walk from the railway station. It specialises in lighter, home-style regional dishes with a largely plant-based focus, Ayurvedic balance, and nutritious everyday cooking. The open kitchen prepares vegetarian, vegan, fish and meat plates alongside salads and a chai bar. The name comes from the traditional tawa griddle. Opened in late 2019, the restaurant occupies Unit 52 at 50-60 Station Road with the public entrance on Mill Park Road. Lunch and dinner are offered in a sit-down format with takeaway available.
Price level $$Time to spend 1–2 hrs
Limoncello
Limoncello occupies a compact shopfront at 212 Mill Road on Cambridge’s Romsey side of the railway bridge. The family-run business combines an Italian deli selling imported pasta, oils, wines, cheeses and cured meats with indoor dining rooms and a covered, heated rear garden. Visitors move from the retail counter into casual tables for ciabattas, wood-fired pizzas, pasta, steaks and desserts, or linger over coffee, wine and cocktails. The setting remains a neighbourhood institution rather than a tourist circuit stop, with walk-in lunches easier than weekend dinners.
Price level $$Time to spend 0.5–3 hrs
Midsummer House
Two-Michelin-star restaurant inside a Victorian villa on Midsummer Common beside the River Cam. Daniel Clifford presents contemporary British menus with classical French technique across three set tasting options. The setting mixes open pasture with grazing cattle and riverside views rather than a city street frontage. Reservations are essential and the meal follows a slow, sequenced pace suited to special occasions.
Wed–Sat 12:00–13:30, 18:30–20:30Price level $$$Time to spend 1.5–4.5 hrs
Al Pomodoro
Family-run Sicilian restaurant on Hills Road serving wood-fired pizzas, fresh pasta and imported ingredients in a spacious indoor setting south of central Cambridge. Open for breakfast, lunch and dinner with table service, a full bar and deli options. Casual atmosphere suits families, couples and groups. Moderate pricing. Reservations advised for evening meals.
Price level $$Time to spend 1–2 hrs
De Luca Cucina & Bar
Independent Italian restaurant and cocktail bar on Regent Street in Cambridge, facing Parker’s Piece. Open kitchen serves homemade pasta, risotto, seafood and Neapolitan-style pizza alongside a full bar. Top floor houses Cambridge’s only request-and-singalong Piano Bar on Friday and Saturday nights, with a small rooftop terrace offering views over the green. Multi-room layout supports dining, private functions and late drinks. Closed Sunday and Monday; smart-casual dress code applies upstairs.
Price level $$Time to spend 0.8–4.5 hrs
Galleria restaurant cambridge
Galleria occupies a prime riverside position at the foot of Magdalene Bridge on Bridge Street, directly overlooking the River Cam. This independent family-run restaurant opened in 1963 and combines modern European and French-inspired dishes with seafood options. Diners sit indoors across three levels or on weather-dependent terraces and balconies to watch punts pass by against the backdrop of Magdalene College. The setting suits both quick lunches and longer evening meals, with a relaxed yet elegant atmosphere that draws locals, tourists, and couples. Reservations are recommended for peak times.
Price level $$Time to spend 0.8–3 hrs
The Blue Ball Inn
The Blue Ball Inn is the oldest and smallest pub in Grantchester, first recorded in 1767 and rebuilt in 1893. This compact two-bar free house sits at the edge of Grantchester Meadows with views toward the River Cam. It serves East Anglian real ales, simple home-cooked meals, and maintains a historic interior graded Two Star by CAMRA. Visitors arrive mainly on foot or by bike from Cambridge, settling indoors by the log fire or outside on the terrace and in the walled garden with its covered cricket pavilion. The atmosphere is that of a quiet village local focused on conversation, traditional games such as Ring the Bull, and unhurried stays rather than high-volume service.
Price level $$Time to spend 0.5–3 hrs
Restaurant Twenty Two
Restaurant Twenty Two occupies half of a Victorian townhouse at 22 Chesterton Road in Cambridge. The 22-cover dining room serves modern British tasting menus built around seasonal Cambridgeshire produce. Chef Sam Carter, previously at Hambleton Hall and Maze, oversees a kitchen that earned three AA Rosettes in 2022 and a Michelin star in 2023. Lunch offers a three-course set menu or short tasting; dinner runs tasting menus only. The format is fixed, paced and reservation-only, suited to couples and food-focused travellers who plan ahead.
Wed 18:00–20:45 · Thu–Sat 12:00–13:45, 18:00–20:45Price level $$$Time to spend 1.5–4 hrs
The Orator
The Orator occupies the public hospitality spaces of the Cambridge Union Society, the world’s oldest debating society founded in 1815. Housed in a Grade II listed Victorian Gothic building by Alfred Waterhouse behind the Round Church, it serves contemporary British food, cocktails and wine alongside one of central Cambridge’s larger enclosed beer gardens. Profits support the Union’s educational charity work. Visitors find a refined yet approachable city-centre restaurant and bar with historic interiors of high ceilings, Cambridge-blue panelling and speaker portraits. The yellow door on Round Church Street provides the main entrance. The venue suits casual lunches, Sunday roasts, pre-theatre drinks and lingering garden sessions in fair weather.
Price level $$Time to spend 0.8–3 hrs
Trinity Restaurant
A British pie restaurant in an 18th-century Grade II listed townhouse on Trinity Street, directly opposite the Great Gate of Trinity College. The narrow interior spans ground floor and basement with contemporary wood finishes and window tables overlooking the cobbled street and college entrance. Diners choose from homemade pastry pies served with mash and vegetables, plus starters, non-pie mains and puddings. The setting suits a relaxed sit-down meal within Cambridge’s historic core, with easy walking access from Market Square and King’s Parade.
Price level $$Time to spend 0.8–2.5 hrs
Garden House
Garden House occupies the riverside position of the Graduate by Hilton Cambridge at the end of Mill Lane. The restaurant, Garden Bar and lawn face directly onto the River Cam, punts and Coe Fen meadows. Seasonal cooking centres on an open grill with East Anglian produce. Visitors sit indoors at velvet banquettes or outside on the terrace and grass. Typical stays last 1.5 to 2.5 hours for lunch, dinner or afternoon tea. The setting is the only city-centre hotel restaurant with direct Cam frontage. Advance booking is required at weekends and in fine weather.
Tue–Sun 12:00–21:00Price level $$Time to spend 0.8–3.5 hrs
Garden House - Restaurant & Bar Cambridge
Garden House occupies the riverside premises of the Graduate Cambridge hotel at Granta Place. The restaurant and adjoining bar serve seasonal British dishes with Mediterranean influences from an open grill kitchen. Diners sit indoors or in the planted garden overlooking the Mill Pond and punting activity on the Cam. The venue functions as a sit-down meal or drinks destination rather than a walk-through attraction. It draws hotel guests, locals, alumni and visitors combining lunch or dinner with punting or city-centre walks. Tables are bookable; garden seating operates first-come, first-served when weather allows.
Tue–Sun 12:00–21:00Price level $$Time to spend 1–3 hrs
Vanderlyle
Vanderlyle occupies a modest ground-floor terrace on Cambridge's independent Mill Road strip. Chef Alex Rushmer serves one fixed vegetarian tasting menu four evenings a week in an intimate room built around an open kitchen. Diners commit to a prepaid three-to-three-and-a-half-hour seated experience with optional wine or soft-drink pairings. The format suits food-focused couples and solo travellers who want contemporary vegetable cookery without formality or dress code. Tables release monthly and sell out quickly; the restaurant does not accommodate children under twelve or last-minute drop-ins.
Tue–Fri 18:00–23:00Price level $$Time to spend 3–3.5 hrs
Fancett's
Fancett's occupies a modest green shopfront at 96A Mill Road on the Petersfield side of the railway bridge. The small independent restaurant serves a changing prix-fixe menu of classic French dishes made with British seasonal produce. Opened in 2021 by Dan and Holly Fancett, it holds a Michelin Guide recommendation and appears in The Good Food Guide's list of 100 Best Local Restaurants. The intimate room seats roughly 28 diners plus a private Scullery for up to eight. Lunch offers two or three courses in a shorter format; dinner expands to more elaborate choices. Reservations are essential, especially on Friday and Saturday evenings. The setting suits couples and small groups seeking a focused meal rather than casual or large-party dining.
Wed–Sat 12:00–16:00, 18:00–23:00Price level $$Time to spend 1–2.5 hrs
Bowns
Bowns occupies two adjoining Grade II listed buildings at 24-25 Magdalene Street in Cambridge, directly opposite Magdalene College. Owner Rosalind Bown has curated British and European designer womenswear, shoes, accessories and jewellery here for over two decades. The compact shop offers personal styling advice rather than self-service browsing. Visitors arrive on foot from the river or colleges, browse or try pieces in a quiet, service-led setting, and continue along the historic street toward Quayside. It suits adults seeking quality clothing or occasion wear within Cambridge's compact core.
Tue–Sat 11:00–17:00Price level $$$Time to spend 0.2–2 hrs
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