I had quite a few visitors during December. Three weekends in a row actually! Aren't I lucky? I have been walking around a lot with them and we visited a number of restaurants. I have been to a few restaurants before but when people are visiting there is definitely more eating out than usual. I don't know what you think of the restaurants in Cambridge but this is my experience.
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Last time I went to Jamie's we
sat just by the Christmas tree! |
Jamie's Italian
Oh Jamie, aren't you just bloody everywhere?! OK, I admit I was actually sort of excited about going to your restaurant because in Sweden you actually aren't
everywhere. I was told you couldn't book tables at Jamie's but I've heard later that you can now. I have been there twice and both times we were prepared to wait for a table and sat down in the bar. To me it's very important that the place I go to is nice and cosy and Jamie's Italian really is nice. I love the atmosphere and when we got to sit down in the bar we didn't mind waiting. The food has been a bit up and down to be honest. I had some sort of risotto the first time I was there and I loved it. The second time I had lamb and it was fine though I think I expected something else. Since it's supposed to be Italian you would think the pasta is the main thing here. My friend had pasta and was not happy about it. At all. I have heard some people say that the food is alright but nothing special and one of my friends had a meal that was amazing, so I think it's definitely uneven. I so wish that it wasn't though, because it's Jamie Oliver's place and it should be great. Big plus for the very nice atmosphere and the good service though!
D'Arry's
This place is really close to where I live and I've been there a few times. I think the food is quite good and I always pass the room where they have private parties and think that I might want a private dinner party there myself one day. The place looks very nice, I love the style they have going on. The service has been so and so, I have skipped ordering more because I just got sick of waiting. They have music playing every other Sunday and I have been meaning to go for ages but when I finally went I was so disappointed. Not because the music was bad but because it was so extremely loud that I couldn't talk to my friend. I would have liked a table close to where the music was playing but we actually chose one furthest away from it. And we left quite early. I would say it's a nice place for food and wine if there isn't live music and the staff is attentive though. It's very pretty in there.
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My friend Sandra and I at the Chop House. |
The Chop House
I have passed this place several times and I always think it looks quite nice in there. I got a table there with my friend Sandra once, in the very corner downstairs. It took a while before we got our menus but we ordered and the food was really good. I had lamb (yes, big fan of lamb) and it was perfectly tender! Very nice indeed. We thought about ordering dessert but were a bit full from the food so when they asked us if we wanted anything we said that we would like to wait a bit. A bit! But we waited and we waited and we waited. They never came to ask us again, we hardly even saw the staff again actually, so we just went up and paid. We did not tip them.
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At the Punter with the
loveliest of friends |
The Punter
My flatmate says that she rarely goes here because it's always been quite empty when she's been. I have only eaten here once but I've been for beer a couple of times and though it is a bit empty in the barn there has been just the right amount of people in the room where the bar is. This is probably where I've had the best meal in Cambridge. I went with a couple of friends and though we asked to sit in the main room, where the bar is, we got a table in the barn. I think they forgot about our reservation to be honest. Though we sat in the quite empty room we had the nicest evening! They had decorated the place very nicely and it felt a bit like British Christmas the way you see it in the movies. We all enjoyed our food. I had the pheasant and it was delicious. Though they were closing they let us take our time and they were quite attentive. I actually don't have anything bad to say about this place. The website doesn't look like much but I think the place is definitely worth a try.
Las Iguanas
We had tapas at las Iguanas once and for some reason I did not have very high hopes for the place. I don't know why. The setting is quite cool and the food was fine! We also had the funniest waitress and I do hope we tipped her enough. We ordered cocktails since it was happy hour (I mean, who am I to defy happy hour?) and they were good. All in all I would say that this place was good.
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Yo! Sushi |
Yo! Sushi
The rolling sushi! I had been wanting to go for a while and it was good fun and the sushi was fine but it got a big expensive in the end I think. I do really like the idea of it though, I suppose the experience is part of what you pay for. I would say it's more of a lunch place than a dinner place.
I've been to quite a few pubs as well but I don't feel like I have anything to report on there. I am quite sick of deep fried things for example. I haven't eaten anything I remember well enough to tell you about it apart from the Punter which is actually also a pub.
I really do enjoy eating out and I wouldn't mind other people giving advice on other nice restaurants in Cambridge. Have you visited any good places lately?