Best restaurants in Cambridge: 18 great places to eat in and around the city

As soon as you step off the train at Cambridge and walk into the city centre, you will notice that Cambridge is a city for foodies. It's impossible to walk down any street and not see at least two restaurants, cafés, delis or takeaways.

Serving cuisines from France, India, Italy, Turkey, China, Japan, Mexico and Jordan Cambridge's restaurant scene allows you to take a trip around the world without even leaving the city. This diverse range of different flavours and cultures means that there is something to suit everyone's taste.

Some of these restaurants even have Michelin stars including one which has been awarded two Michelin Stars. Others in the city are also included in the Michelin Guide. But even those that aren't at the most prestigious level have local food lovers begging for more.

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But with so much choice, knowing where is good to go can be difficult. So, we've made things a little bit easier and listed 18 restaurants that we think are the very best in the city.

1. Midsummer House

Location: Midsummer Common, CB4 1HA

Website: https://midsummerhouse.co.uk/

Midsummer House is the only restaurant in Cambridge with two Michelin stars. This fine dining restaurant is nationally renowned in the cooking world and is always mentioned amongst the UK's best restaurants.

Located on Midsummer Common in central Cambridge and run by head chef Daniel Clifford, the restaurant is nationally famous for cooking exceptional food.

2. Little Petra

Location: 60 Hills Rd, CB2 1LA

Website: https://littlepetra.co.uk/

Little Petra was voted the best restaurant in Cambridge by Cambridgeshire Live readers in 2023, with both Michelin star restaurants having to settle for second and third place.

Located on Hills Road, a short walk from the train station, Little Petra serves up hearty portions of traditional Jordanian food. Owned by husband and wife team Katherine and Yaseen Hlalat, the restaurant only opened in 2019 but has achieved so much since then.

We also recently reviewed the restaurant which you can read here.

3. Restaurant Twenty Two

Location: 22 Chesterton Rd, CB4 3AX

Website: https://www.restaurant22.co.uk/

This one star Michelin restaurant also recently won a 2024 Good Food Guide award in the 'exceptional' category. Long a favourite in the local food scene in Cambridge, it boasts an "elegant fine-dining experience" from husband and wife team Sam Carter and Alex Olivier.

Located in a restored Victorian townhouse with charming stained glass windows that backs onto the River Cam, it matches fine dining with beautiful views.

4. The Olive Grove

Location: 100 Regent St, CB2 1DP

Website: https://www.the-olivegrove.co.uk/

The go-to restaurant for lovers of everything Greek, this place cooks up classic Greek dishes with a modern twist, brought together in a beautiful setting on Regent Street.

Offering both dining in and takeaway delivery service, Cambridge locals can decide to enjoy the food from the comfort of their sofa or in the beautiful restaurant with paintings of Greece all over the walls. Having first opened in 2013, it's the best place in the city for Greek food.

5. Fin Boys

Location: 2 Mill Rd, Petersfield, CB1 2AD

Website: https://fin-boys.com/

It might not have a Michelin star but it is on the Good Food Guide. The Guide said: "Seafood aficionados should head to Fin Boys which serves impeccably sourced fish from an open kitchen."

Owned by Jay Scrimshaw and Richard Stokes, Fin Boys was established in 2021. The thing that makes it stand out is its focus on using British fish caught from day boats, working with some of the country's best suppliers.

According to the owners, "quality, sustainability, knowledge, and the welfare of the fishing communities" is the main focus of their restaurant. It boasts a six-course set menu on Friday and Saturday evenings with optional wine pairings.

As well as the restaurant, Fin Boys also has a fishmonger where you can find some of the freshest fish and shellfish in Cambridge.

6. Mina Steakhouse

Location: 3 Brookgate, CB1 2AA

Website: https://www.mina-steakhouse.co.uk/

In 2023, Mina Steakhouse beat the Michelin star restaurants of Cambridge to the title of Best Restaurant in Cambridge at the British Restaurant Awards.

Located just off Hills Road, the steakhouse has built up a very enviable reputation, with customers citing its excellent food and very friendly customer service.

The restaurant first opened its doors in January 2020 and claims to be the city's first fully halal steakhouse. There is also a shisha area outside.

7. Fancett's

Location: 96A Mill Rd, CB1 2BD

Website: https://www.fancetts.com/

One of the city's newer restaurants, this small independent French bistro on Mill Road has been a well-loved dining spot for Cambridge locals since 2021. It's already included in the Michelin Guide and has gained national recognition as an exceptional fine dining restaurant.

The Michelin Guide said: “Cooking is French to the core, with classic techniques and skilful execution resulting in hearty, appetising dishes. Service is friendly and there’s an all-round happy vibe.”

8. Parker's Tavern

Location: 52-42 Regent St, CB2 1AD

Website: https://parkerstavern.com/

Parkers Tavern claims to be "Cambridge's leading brasserie restaurant". Although it might not have a Michelin star or be on the Michelin Guide, Parkers is still one of the main foodie hotspots in the city.

They champion themselves on making the most of local and seasonal produce with their "Feast-Anglian" philosophy. Their menu embodies all the best of British food, and of course includes the classic Sunday roast. They also have a rather tempting dessert menu and a rather stunning afternoon tea.

9. The Oak Bistro

Location: 6 Lensfield Rd, CB2 1EG

Website: https://www.theoakbistro.co.uk/

The Oak Bistro is known in the city for its "elegant" dining and exceptional food. It's been a staple of Lensfield Road since 2009. Serving classic British and European dishes, everything about its menu is homemade with quality ingredients, and paired with an impressive hand-curated wine list.

The restaurant also has some rather interesting history. According to their website, the restaurant "rests at the site of The Oak, an old historic coaching inn that was once a welcome stop for weary travellers on the road to London".

10. Vanderlyle

Location: 38 Mill Rd, Petersfield, CB1 2AD

Website: https://www.vanderlyle-restaurant.com/

A vegetarian restaurant in central Cambridge that is small in size and works with local growers. It has a farm-to-table vegetable focused menu.

This exceptional restaurant is also included in the Michelin Guide, which says: "The well-balanced 10 course vegetarian menu shows imagination and creativity, along with purity and freshness of flavour. Go for the wine or juice pairings to complete your experience.”

11. Bedouin

Location: 98-100 Mill Rd, CB1 2BD

Website: https://www.bedouin-cambridge.com/

This restaurant is known for recreating an authentic North African experience with the most amazing interior design and delicious food. The restaurant has been designed to look like you are sitting inside a Bedouin tent with wall rugs from the Sahara and carved wood setting the unique atmosphere.

This interior design is just as impressive as the menu. Established in 2011, Bedouin serves traditional heart-warming tagines and couscous dishes from across the Maghreb.

12. The Rupert Brooke

Location: 2 Broadway, Grantchester, Cambridge CB3 9NQ

Website: https://www.therupertbrooke.com/

Just on the outskirts of Cambridge in the idyllic village of Grantchester, The Rupert Brooke is one of those pubs everyone in the area talks about.

Known for its colourful interior design with brightly painted walls, colourful tapestry and quirky furniture, the pub has one of the most delicious menus in the area.

You can choose your meal from a brasserie-style lunch and dinner menu that uses regional ingredients, and has plenty of choice for gluten free and vegetarian guests. Their Sunday roasts are also very popular.

13. Mercado Central

Location: 24 Green St, CB2 3JX

Website: https://mercadocentral.co.uk/

Inspired by Spain’s historic markets and restaurants, and the owners' Galician and Basque heritage, this restaurant is well loved by foodies in Cambridge. Although the menu is always changing with the season, they are always serving Wild Cornish Fish and Grass Fed British Beef.

The Michelin Guide said: “Sustainable British and Spanish produce features in hearty dishes with leanings to Galicia and the Basque Country. Start with some sharing plates, then move on to grilled meat or fish.”

14. Market House

Location: 12 Market Hill, CB2 3NJ

Website: https://markethouse.co.uk/

Spreading over five floors, Market House is one of Cambridge's largest restaurants. Overlooking the historic Market Square, Market House has a fine dining restaurant serving modern British cuisine, private dining rooms, a cosy wine bar that also doubles as Market House Asia serving authentic East Asian flavours, a food lab and flexible meeting spaces.

As well as the food, Market House has an exciting drink list including a great range of wines from around the world, crafted gins, beers, locally roasted coffee beans, and various teas.

15. The Punter

Location: 3 Pound Hill, CB3 0AE

Website: https://www.thepuntercambridge.com/

This cosy pub with a courtyard outside might not have a Michelin star but it definitely has the hearts of all the foodies of Cambridge. The Punter pub is rather cosy and has a seasonal menu as well as an impressive wine list.

The pub describes their food as being "unpretentious fare but hearty and moreish" with classics such as sausages and mash, fish and chips and beef bourguignon on the menu. The pub is an old coaching inn and is a bit "higgledy-piggledy" inside but this does mean there are lots of cosy corners in which to enjoy a meal or just a drink.

16. Limoncello

Location: 212 Mill Rd, CB1 3NF

Website: https://www.limoncello.co.uk/

Cambridge's oldest Italian deli that has stood on Mill Road since 1997, this place also doubles as a restaurant or trattoria. With a rustic, homely feel, its hearty Italian dishes are always delicious and bring a slice of the Mediterranean into the city.

With an outside patio area where customers can sit and enjoy their food on warmer days and a deli area inside where you can purchase Italian food, it's a favourite in central Cambridge.

17. Navadhanya

Location: 70 Newmarket Rd, CB5 8DZ

Website: https://www.navadhanya.co.uk/

Dedicated to serving authentic Indian cuisine in the classiest way for a truly 'Royal Indian' experience, Navadhanya is the fanciest Indian food in the city. Cooking up authentic recipes with a modern approach, reviewers rave about its exceptional food and friendly service.

First opening its doors in 2014, it is now considered amongst the best restaurants in the city. In 2023, Navadhanya was named Restaurant of the Year in the East of England at the Asian Restaurant Awards and is nationally recognised for its delicious food.

18. Côte Cambridge

Location: 21-24 Bridge St, CB2 1UF

Website: https://www.cote.co.uk/

Inspired by the brasseries of Paris, this all-day French brasserie chain serves authentic French dishes that include sharing boards and delicious steak that is a customer favourite.

Côte also has other locations in and around Cambridgeshire including Peterborough, Bishops Stortford and Bury St Edmunds. Its Cambridge location is just across the road from a garden belonging to St John's College which provides beautiful views from the windows of the restaurant.

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