28 Very Best Places to Eat in Cambridge
Whether you fancy a night out with your other half or simply need a change from takeaway pizza on the sofa, finding the best places to eat in Cambridge leaves you with a lot of choices! It’s a heart-stoppingly beautiful city. Stunning college architecture, peaceful river punters and relaxing green spaces are just perfect for an afternoon stroll.
Having spawned great minds such as Sir Isaac Newton, Charles Darwin and Sylvia Plath, Cambridge is a city that knows the secret to brilliance is a full belly! Hence, the abundance of excellent, and varied restaurants gives diners every option to satisfy their palette.
From bottomless brunch to a quick cup of coffee to Michelin-star dining, if you’ve been wondering where to eat in Cambridge, this article has you covered!
What are the best Cambridge restaurants?
Now you’ll have a better idea of what to expect in this historic city. However, one of the more difficult tasks is deciding where to eat in Cambridge.
So first, determine whether you feel like a trip to Italy with your tastebuds, a fancy French feast or any of the other delicious dishes out there.
Then check out the 28 best places to eat in Cambridge below!
The best places to eat breakfast or brunch in Cambridge
As well as serving us some wonderful evening meals, the city also has rather a growing reputation for breakfast and brunch spots. Here are some of the best places to go for a delicious breakfast or brunch spread from morning until early afternoon.
1. Espresso Library
Perfect for: Brunch, Casual Dining.
Breakfast starts from: £3.20
An Instagram-lover’s paradise, Espresso Library is a down-to-earth, cycling cafe serving some delicious brunch plates. It’s definitely one of the best places to eat in Cambridge. It also serves one of the better cups of coffee in the city.
Opened in 2015 by an enthusiastic, coffee-loving cyclist and an art-loving chef with a taste for fresh ingredients, Espresso Library has flourished into a home-from-home for the plethora of Cambridge peddlers.
The unique cyclist hangout also doubles as a trendy restaurant. If you’re out shopping and wondering where to eat in Cambridge for a delightful pick-me-up, you can order delicious breakfasts, nutritious lunches, scrummy cakes and speciality coffees throughout the day.
They’re also all put together using locally sourced, organic produce. Plus plant-based options are plentiful, so it’s a perfect spot for a vegan feast!
2. Fitzbillies
Perfect for: Casual dining, brunch
Breakfast starts from: £8
One of the most well-known Cambridge brunch spots, Fitzbillies has earned its reputation for a very good reason. Ask any local where to find the best Chelsea buns in the city and their name will pop up faster than McDonald’s’ at the mention of nuggets!
With two locations in the city, one on Trumpington Street down the road from the Fitzwilliam Museum and one on Bridge Street, and a selection of magnificent cakes and buns to order, the iconic tearoom was originally founded in 1920.
It then went through a relaunch in 2011, just in time for the brunch boom. Last year they made around 160,000 ultra-sticky Chelsea buns which are Fitzbillies’ most famous and most popular products since their first opening.
As well as being a great place for brunch, lunch and breakfast, it’s also a great afternoon tea spot, or place for grabbing a snack. They can make you a bespoke hamper service of finger sandwiches, scones and cakes to take away too. Ideal for taking away for a picnic behind Kings’ College or munching whilst on a punt down the river.
3. Hot Numbers
Perfect for: Brunch, Coffee
Breakfast starts from: £5.50
Where Fitzbilies is famous for its sticky buns, Hot Numbers’ coffee is the most talked-about in the city. This independent speciality coffee shop has two cafés in Cambridge: Trumpington Street and Gwydir Street. They also have a roastery in Shepreth. Their 100% Arabica coffee beans are ethically sourced and gently roasted for maximum complexity and a deep flavour
Their brunch menu is also excellent. Banana chai oat milk porridge, smashed avocado on sourdough, a traditional streaky bacon sandwich, and bacon maple buttermilk pancakes are a few of the delicious choices on offer in their bright, artsy cafes. The roastery also serves freshly made pizza on Fridays and Saturdays until 9pm.
The best places to eat in Cambridge for international cuisine
As well as brunch, Cambridge is one of my favourite cities in the UK for international cuisine. Its street markets rival those in London and are chock-full of fantastic stalls offering international dishes that will tickle your tastebuds.
But, as well as this, there is also a great range of restaurants serving delicious food from around the world. In fact, some of my favourite restaurants in Cambridge are international.
4. Baan Thai
Perfect for: Casual dining, Thai cuisine
Meals start from: £8
Of course, the best place to go for stunning Thai food is Thailand but, you probably can’t make it there every weekend! When it comes to the best places to eat in Cambridge, Baan Thai definitely puts on a good show.
‘Baan’ is a Thai word derived from the word ‘home’, and if you’ve ever been to this restaurant, the cosy benches and friendly staff easily make you feel welcome.
Located in Park Terrace, the restaurant is close to Parker’s Piece. It’s easy walking distance from the centre of the city. All of the dishes they serve are authentic Thai cuisine.
This includes seasonal delicacies from all over the country and a traditional Thai dining experience designed to make you feel like you’ve been whisked off on an Asian adventure.
With a selection of soups, salads, starters, curries, rice and noodle dishes, the rich flavours will have you coming back for more.
5. La Pergola
Perfect for: Casual dining, Italian cuisine
Meals start from: £12
If in your search for the best restaurants in Cambridge, you’re looking for authentic Italian food, then you can’t get much better than La Pergola.
The owners of this family-owned restaurant originate from a small village close to the coastal town of Sorrento in southern Italy. They grow all their veggies, herbs and salad, as well as collect eggs fresh from their allotment. The mushrooms are also picked locally.
Voted England’s best Italian restaurant, La Pergola has been going strong since it was opened back in 2007. The pizza has a distinct taste that can only be achieved from a traditional wood-burning pizza oven.
Many of the other items on the menu are homemade, such as the bread, sausages, pickles, and the sauces used in the pasta dishes. For a trip to Italy without getting on a plane, you’ll adore La Pergola.
6. Pho
Perfect for: Casual dining, healthy options, Vietnamese cuisine
Meals start from: £8.95
One of my all-time favourite Cambridge restaurants, Pho is both healthy and delicious. An incredibly popular Vietnamese restaurant located in the city centre, more often than not, you have to queue here to get a table.
But once you do, it’s well worth it for their delicious range of noodle soups, Vietnamese curries, salads, and rice bowls.
A few of my favourite dishes include the Vietnamese noodle soup with chicken and extra mushrooms, the spicy Vietnamese curry (pictured above), or the refreshing mango salad. wash it all down with a dragonfruit and lime martini and a Vietnamese coffee.
Plus, it’s also super affordable, and healthy, and they source many of their ingredients locally. What’s not to love?
7. Atithi
Perfect for: Casual dining, Indian cuisine
Meals start from: £13.50
For raise-the-roof Indian food that’s full of fresh new flavours, Atithi is the best place to eat in Cambridge! Located down the ever-popular Mill Road, Atithi has been whipping up a storm since it opened in 2019. It has already been named one of Cambridge’s best Indian restaurants.
Taking the typical curry house menu to the next level, Atithi uses fresh, locally sourced ingredients, to create oriental masterpieces that will tingle your tastebuds.
Tandoori broccoli, railway canteen curry, Malabar prawn curry, papdi chaat and deep-fried soft shell crab are just a few of a wide variety of punchy and tempting dishes at Atithi.
The menu draws inspiration from unique flavours and cooking techniques used in different parts of India. It hits the nail on the head when it comes to cooking a good curry!
8. La Margarita
Perfect for: Casual dining, Italian cuisine
Meals start from: £10
If it’s Italian cuisine that tickles your fancy, then kick the typical chain restaurants to the side to make room for La Margarita. The family-run restaurant in the centre of Cambridge has been serving delicious, freshly-made pizzas since the ’90s. They take pride in their traditional recipes with a modern twist.
Their dough, sauces, soups and stocks are all made in-house with freshly sourced ingredients. Plus, their impressive 24-flavour ice cream selection comes from the award-winning Marine Ices in London.
They also claim that their Tiramisu is one of the best in England – which is the ideal excuse to check them out for yourself!
9. Sticks ‘n’ Sushi
Perfect for: Casual dining, Japanese cuisine
Dishes start from: £6
For the soy sauce and wasabi lovers among you, Sticks ‘n’ Sushi will open your eyes to the creative possibilities of Japanese cooking arts. The dishes are a brilliant combination of foods from Japan and Denmark. The result is a sushi restaurant suitable for those who do not like fish.
Sample a variety of treats including crab croquettes with wasabi caesar, beef tataki, duck with pickled red onion, avocado & coriander, and Japanese wagyu served with caviar. There are also vegan options like soy broccoli miso soup and spicy, salty edamame beans of fried cauliflower with black truffle Goma.
All the dishes are freshly made, high quality and a unique combination of traditional sushi and yakitori sticks from the grill.
Founded in 1994, it’s now one of the most successful restaurants in Denmark. It’s cooking up a storm across Europe too with twenty-one restaurants, across Copenhagen, London, Berlin and, of course, Cambridge.
10. Tawa Kitchen
Perfect for: Casual dining, Vegan
Meals start from: £10.50
I first visited this place with a few work colleagues when I was working in Cambridge and I absolutely loved it. Located on Station Road, it’s just a short walk from the city centre.
What I loved most was that Tawa Kitchen serves authentic Indian food – without the British twist that’s usually on many Indian menus these days.
The food here is refreshing, delicious, and healthy. The owners have adapted the recipes they grew up with and added a modern twist. Plus, it’s also super affordable, so you can eat delicious food without the high price tag.
I highly recommend the Nellore Fish Curry – it’s so delicious!
The best restaurants in Cambridge for vegans
As well as food from around the world, Cambridge has a great selection of plant-based cuisine. If you’d rather eat without the meat, these next restaurants will be right up your street!
11. Stem and Glory
Perfect for: Casual dining, Vegan
Meals start from: £11
If you’ve ever wondered where to eat in Cambridge for a vegan meal that looks more like a work of art than a plate of food, the answer is Stem and Glory. There are two venues, one on King’s Street in Cambridge and one in London.
Food from Stem and Glory is both a delight to eat and look at and can turn even the strongest of meat lovers over to plants!
Their wonderful menu includes dishes such as kimchi pancakes, vegan English breakfast and a gorgeous shakshuka bowl of chickpeas, tofu & aubergine in smokey, paprika tomato sauce. Get your five a day with ease as every dish is a beautiful plate full of nutritious goodness!
12. The Old Bicycle Shop
Perfect for: Casual dining, Vegan
Meals start from: £11
Themed around a cyclist’s haunt, it probably won’t surprise you that the Old Bicycle Shop used to be precisely that. What claims to be the former first bike shop in Britain, is now one of the best places to eat in Cambridge, with a great selection of tempting food and drinks.
Whilst staples like the grilled Hereford bavette steak and chips might take your fancy, there is also a wonderful selection of gluten-free, vegetarian and vegan choices, far from the usual veggie burger and sweet potato chips. Try the mushroom & cashew Wellington or the pan-fried spinach gnocchi with miso butter, bok choi and green beans.
There’s also an inventive selection of drinks from a range of global and local craft beers to homemade lemonade, speciality iced teas and a small cocktail list. So, if you’re wondering where to eat in Cambridge for a varied, vegan-friendly menu underneath bicycle-style ornaments, then this is your spot!
13. The Wandering Yak
Perfect for: Street food, Vegan
Meals start from: £8
Intending to go beyond simply meat in a bun, The Wandering Yak takes street food to another level. The award-winning truck brings the exotic flavours of the Middle East and India to various locations across Cambridge. Their dishes are strictly plant, grain, herb and spice-based.
Regardless of their vegan menu, The Wandering Yak has perfected their craft so well, that even the hardest of carnivores will still line up for lunch. Although they typically serve throughout the busy lunchtime rush, they also pop up at festivals (such as the Cambridge Beer Festival) fetes and other events.
You can also hire them to stun guests at your private events such as weddings, birthdays, corporate events and more.
The best places to eat in Cambridge on a budget
Although not really known for being a budget city, you don’t have to spend a fortune to find a good meal in Cambridge. These are some of my favourite places to go to eat on a budget.
14. Steak and Honor
Perfect for: Cheap eats, Street food
Burgers start from: £7
This street-food fleet added a restaurant to its ranks back in 2017. It’s easily one of the best places to eat in Cambridge if simply you’re looking for a good burger.
Using locally sourced ingredients, their brioche bun burgers are still talked about across the city. Their vans are situated in a range of convenient locations.
For the sit-down option, you can find them on Wheeler Street. Head there for a taste of the infamous lettuce, onions, gherkins, mustard, ketchup and a thick, juicy Riverside Beef patty. Served with a side of chunky fries or American mac and cheese, Steak and Honor will make your mouth water just thinking about it.
15. foodPark
Perfect for: Cheap eats, Street-food
Meals start from: £5
For a collection of the best places to eat in Cambridge if you love street food, foodPark is a market of delicious vendors. You can find them on West Square, Eddington, the Science Park or Station Road. The line-up changes daily and always includes a few of Cambridge’s food favourites.
Each trader is an independent business but has a combined love for high-quality local ingredients. The food is freshly prepared and cooked to order per customer.
So, if you’re in a hurry and would rather just grab a slice of pizza and go, foodPark is the perfect spot for a quick yet delicious bite.
16. Shanghai Family
Perfect for: Casual dining, Chinese cuisine
Dishes start from: £5
Many things in life are more impressive on the inside than out; Shanghai Family is certainly one of them. You might be tempted to walk past this little Chinese restaurant on Burleigh Street, but you’d be missing out on one of the best places to eat in Cambridge.
The family-run business is original and an opportunity to step outside the typical British-Chinese menu. Expect piping hot, good portions of the best quality ingredients and all for a very reasonable price; pork hock, spiced aubergine, braised pork belly, and rice cakes with mince.
All the food is cooked from scratch and is full of flavour. If you’re a fan of the oriental, you will not regret giving this little join a try.
The best restaurants in Cambridge for special occasions
For that special day, whether a big birthday celebration, a cosy romantic dinner, or perhaps an anniversary party, these restaurants will definitely set the tone. With much more sophisticated dining and more elaborate dishes, I recommend these for the fancier diners.
17. Oak Bistro
Perfect for: Special occasions
Meals start from: £15.95
From à la carte to Sunday lunch, Oak Bistro will appeal to both your stomach and your sight. Perched on the site of an old English coaching inn that once welcomed weary travellers, Oak Bistro is now an iconic symbol of elegant dining city dining.
Conveniently located in the heart of the city centre, the menu is packed with tongue-tingling delights and intriguing flavours. For meat lovers, try the infamous beef Wellington; seafood fans can sample pan-fried scallops with an almond-crusted halibut main course. For vegetarians, there’s a delightful pesto gnocchi dish.
With a little something for everyone, paired with impeccable service and the bonus of a walled garden seating area, Oak Bistro is one of the best places to eat in Cambridge.
18. Parker’s Tavern
Perfect for: Smart-casual dining
Meals start from: £15
First opening in 1834, Parker’s Tavern has one heck of a history. The bustling brasserie overlooking Parker’s Piece used to be a popular stop for coach passengers on their way to and from London.
Then, in 2018, after a two-year renovation, it re-opened to what it is today; one of the best places to eat in Cambridge. It’s a restaurant full of ambition paired perfectly with classic British flavours.
The interior of the restaurant makes you feel as though you’re eating at Cambridge’s University Halls – or Hogwarts, it if had plush velvet chairs!
But the decor matches the flavours perfectly; bold, satisfying and original, exactly like their homemade chestnut spaghetti or nut brown buttered sole.
19. Restaurant 22
Perfect for: Special occasions, Michelin-star dining
Meals start from: 3-course set lunch for £37.50
The debut restaurant of partners Sam Carter and Alex Olivier, this elaborate menu was inspired by Sam’s Michelin star background. After working under Gordan Ramsey, it’s no wonder these culinary innovators created such a delicious and intriguing mix of flavours.
Restaurant 22 offers an 8-course tasting menu featuring beef tartare and Orkney scallops. Their lunch and dinner menus are a set of 3-courses. The options include the mysterious Lancashire bomb and winter truffle for starters, with the less adventurous-sounding, herb-fed chicken with bacon and mushrooms for the main.
The restaurant itself is in a stunning Victorian-era house from 1892 with stained-glass windows and a perfect location just off the River Cam on Jesus Green. Perfect for a pick-me-up after a walk along the river or for a candlelight date night before a walk under the stars.
20. The Ivy
Perfect for: Special occasions, brunch
Meals start from: £13.5
For breakfast, lunch or dinner, The Ivy features delightfully presented British classics. They also have some more creative dishes for the adventurous types. As well as the breakfast and a la carte menus, there’s a dedicated weekend brunch menu which is served between 11am-4pm.
The smart-casual Cambridge Brasserie provides a cosy, yet chic approach to dining. Classics like shepherd’s pie sit comfortably on the menu next to steak tartare and lobster linguine.
Located on Trinity Street in Cambridge, The Ivy offers an ambient atmosphere, faultless service and delicious food that you won’t forget in a hurry.
21. Trinity
Perfect for: Special occasions, Fine-dining
Meals start from: £14.5
For a touch of high-end dining and elegance that rivals the 2-Michelin star Midsummer House, Trinity is a foodie’s paradise. It can be found (no surprises here), on Trinity Street, in the heart of Cambridge’s historic centre. It’s the perfect place to experiment with a wealth of culinary excellence and exquisite flavours after exploring the beautiful English city.
The elegant, a-la-carte menu serves up some fabulous food and has a well-deserved spot as one of the best places to eat in Cambridge. Carefully chosen meat and fish dishes are served alongside fresh oysters, muscles and a champagne list to die for.
Sample pan-fried scallops with a curious black pudding roulade and an even more curious haggis and squid ink polenta cake for mains. If you’re after a less adventurous flavour, the pigeon breast or seared flank steak is also a treat for the palette.
22. Millworks
Perfect for: Smart-casual dining, brunch
Meals start from: £13.50
For perfect service and a meal of wonderful, smokey flavours, Millworks is unquestionably one of the best places to eat in Cambridge. With beautiful views across the Mill Pond from their terrace in warmer months, you can sit and enjoy lunch, brunch or delicious dinner next to a working water wheel.
Their menu includes a healthy collaboration with other popular Cambridge restaurants. They serve Hot Numbers coffee and Fitzbillies English muffins on their brunch menu. A few of their own dinner creations include a mouthwatering confit duck leg, slow-roasted porchetta or delicious tofu, lemongrass & spinach filo parcel.
Millworks is a delightful modern brasserie. It’s both family-friendly and has been selected as one of the most romantic restaurants in the city, so is perfectly suited for any occasion.
The best places to eat in Cambridge for casual diners
For a chilled-out meal in a casual (or smart casual) setting, these are some of the best restaurants in Cambridge.
23. Pint Shop
Perfect for: Casual diners, Craft beer lovers
Meals start from: £9
This delightful Cambridge favourite serves all of your favourite pub food with a pint-sized twist. Think curious dished like the ‘pigs in blankets’ scotch eggs and a coal-baked flatbread kebab being served alongside standard treats like the classic English fish and chips.
If that isn’t enough, their drinks menu is where Pint Shop really shines. Aptly named, their craft beers are shipped from breweries up and down the country. They will have you going back and forth to the bar for seconds!
If you prefer spirits, their gin menu is at least 3 pages long – no joke! The whisky and wine lists aren’t far behind.
Well worth a spot as one of the best places to eat in Cambridge, Pint Shop was opened in 2013 by Richard Holmes and Benny Peverelli. This gastropub will craft your dining expectations into something a little different whilst surprising and delighting you along the way.
24. Red Lion
Perfect for: Casual dining, Dog-friendly
Meals start from: £14
Although not technically in Cambridge, the Red Lion made it onto this list through purely delicious flavours. The upscale, British gastropub is located in the pretty village of Granchester. They serve a delicious selection of delicacies and drinks in a relaxed, countryside atmosphere.
Sit outside in the landscaped gardens and look out across the River Cam. Or, you can choose to dine inside in the beautifully rustic, thatched, old farm cottage.
A stone’s throw from Granchester Meadows, you could pop in for a spot of lunch after a peaceful walk in the Cambridgeshire countryside. It’s also a dog-friendly dining option, so the perfect place to bring your four-legged friend.
The menu features classics like a hearty rib-eye alongside a flavoursome venison ragu or a pan-fried sea bass. They also serve an all-day Sunday roast, so perfect for a weekend family meal out.
25. The Clarendon Arms
Perfect for: Casual dining
Meals start from: £10
For fancy pub food and the roast of all roasts, the Clarendon Arms is one of the best places to eat in Cambridge. The independent pub is located just off Parker’s Piece and has a timeless menu, impeccable service and one of the top-rated fish and chips in the city according to TripAdvisor.
Try the delightful Cambridge pub for a glazed, smoked shoulder gammon with poached eggs and chips, a scrumptious chargrilled burger topped with streaky bacon, or, for a light snack, why not have a homemade scotch egg?
Sunday is limited to those classic Sunday dinners of succulent lamb, beef or a veggie option. This is paired with crispy roasties, creamy swede and an ever-changing locally sourced vegetable selection.
A great family-friendly option, the Clarendon Arms is pretty popular. Be sure to book in advance if you want to be sure of a table.
26. Smokeworks
Perfect for: Family-friendly dining
Meals start from: £9
For the rich, smokey taste of American-style BBQ in the UK, Smokeworks is easily Cambridge’s top spot. Finger-licking ribs, wings, burgers plus beer and bourbon, this is a meaty feast you won’t forget! There are two joints across the city – one in the middle of the city and the other towards the southeast.
They sometimes hold special events such as a bourbon masterclass and, if you love hot wings, a chilli wings eating challenge. They also have happy hour and kids-eat-free events.
So whether you fancy a buffalo chicken sandwich, a whole rack of deep-cut St Louis ribs, or go all out with the Monster Feast for 4, Smokeworks will surely satisfy your taste for the deep south.
27. Cambridge Chop House
Perfect for: Family-friendly dining
Meals start from: £14.50
Another city-centre quality food stop, the Cambridge Chop House is a quirky space packed with history. With two floors of innovative design work including a glass front and an atmospheric wine cellar, you’ll be spoiled for the best dining view. Paired with the classic British menu, it is one of the best places to eat in Cambridge.
Hence the name, the Chop House specialises in different cuts of meat; their steak selection alone will leave meat lovers spoiled for choice. Everything is sourced from the UK and matured for at least 28 days to ensure maximum flavour.
They are served with a selection of rich kinds of butter or sauces. As well as meat, they also serve a range of seafood and vegetarian choices, such as a succulent salmon steak or salt-baked celeriac.
Their Sunday roasts are also something to behold. A range of roasted meat such as pork loin, roast chicken and traditional roast beef are served with all the trimmings and rich gravy. Soak it all up with a gorgeous view across King’s College Chapel and you’ll be in for a Cambridge meal to remember.
28. SIX Cambridge
Perfect for: Family-friendly dining
Meals start from: £15
You almost can’t swing a cat in Cambridge without hitting its little head against another wonderful dining option. SIX offers a rooftop terrace which is a great little place to sip cocktails overlooking the city’s skyline. They also have a great brunch, lunch and dinner menu available from midday onwards.
They serve a selection of from-the-grill meat and fish dishes, pizzas, starters and delicacies whipped up in their woodstone oven. As well as this, there’s the traditional Sunday roast menu, their new brunch and afternoon tea selection and an assortment of homemade desserts.
The restaurant is one of the best places to eat in Cambridge, paired with one of the best views. It’s also available for hire if you ever need to throw a fancy, rooftop party!
So, what are the best places to eat in Cambridge?
This depends on what you’re going for and how much you’re willing to spend. Some of the best places to eat in Cambridge are pretty pricey for a simple sit-down with some friends.
But if you’re planning the ultimate Valentine’s Day surprise, they might be right up your street! On the other hand, for a quick bite on the move, some of the city’s food trucks are pretty incredible and very affordable.
Overall, my favourite places to eat in Cambridge are Pho, Tawa Kitchen, and Smokeworks. I also love the street food in the market square.
👉 Planning a trip to Cambridge? Check out my ideal day trip itinerary and the best places to stay in the city.
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