Cambridgeshire is a county that has so many great restaurants to visit that it is almost impossible to try them all and it is only made harder by new places opening all of the time. The county is lucky to have a range of famous and award-winning chefs choosing the area to set up their businesses.
From Cambridge city centre to further out into the countryside, there are restaurants and pubs to suit anyone’s taste. Whether you like Japanese, Italian, or British cuisine, you will be able to find somewhere to eat to satisfy any craving.
If you are new to the area or simply feel burdened by the amount of choice you have when picking somewhere to eat, CambridgeshireLive has created a list of some of the restaurants you must try in 2025. The list includes pubs ideal for a Sunday roast and Michelin star restaurants to celebrate a special occasion.
1. Restaurant Twenty Two
Location: 22 Chesterton Rd, Cambridge CB4 3AX
Website:https://www.restaurant22.co.uk/
This fine-dining restaurant on Chesterton Road has a Michelin star and three AA Rosettes. Run by husband and wife duo, Sam Carter and Alex Olivier, Restaurant Twenty Two tries to create a theatrical dining experience that you may never have seen before.
Restaurant Twenty Two’s tasting menu is focused on modern British dishes and changes regularly depending on the season. Its location next to the River Cam makes the restaurant an ideal spot for a romantic dinner.
2. Sushi and Salad
Location: 9 High St Passage, Ely CB7 4NB
Website: https://sushiandsalad.com/pages/restaurant-ely
Sushi and Salad has two other locations in Essex and Lincolnshire but the original restaurant opened in Ely. Aside from impressive sushi, the restaurant also serves katsu curries, yakisoba noodles, and bowls of ramen.
The restaurant is decorated with quaint furniture and Japanese art on the walls, which helps to transport customers to the heart of the Japan.
3. The Chubby Castor
Location: 34 Peterborough Rd, Peterborough PE5 7AX
Website:https://thechubbycastor.com/
Found in a 400-year-old thatched pub, the Chubby Castor is a fine dining restaurant near to Peterborough. Owner Adebola Adeshina spent many years learning how to cook from Gordon Ramsay and worked in famous restaurants across London.
The restaurant’s menu has a range of plant-based and meat options to suit everyone’s tastes and also offers a blind tasting menu for those who are feeling a little more adventurous.
4. Midsummer House
Location: Midsummer Common, Cambridge CB4 1HA
Website:https://midsummerhouse.co.uk/
Opened by Daniel Clifford in 1998, Midsummer House has two Michelin stars and five AA Rosettes. The restaurant offers a four course lunch menu and an eight course tasting menu, if you fancy treating yourself this year.
The restaurant has views of both the River Cam and Midsummer Common and offers the ideal balance of an “intimate environment with a friendly atmosphere”.
5. Mina Steakhouse
Location: 3 Brookgate, Cambridge CB1 2AA
Website:https://www.mina-steakhouse.co.uk/
Mina Steakhouse has won many awards in the five years it has been opened meaning you are sure to get a satisfying meal here. The aesthetically pleasing interior design of the restaurant has pulled many people through its doors.
If you fancy pushing the boat out, the restaurant has an Eiffel Tower burger challenge, which costs £69.99, that you have to complete in only 15 minutes to win £200 cashback plus the burger for free.
6. Vanderlyle
Location: 38 Mill Rd, Petersfield, Cambridge CB1 2AD
Website: https://www.vanderlyle-restaurant.com/
Found on the busy Mill Road, Vanderlyle is a plant-led restaurant offering up an innovative tasting menu. Head chef Alex Rushmer frequently changes the restaurant’s menu based on the seasonal ingredients he can source locally.
Even though the restaurant didn’t intend on being plant-based, Vanderlyle has never featured meat or fish on its menu and has received positive feedback on its dishes since it opened in 2019.
7. La Margherita
Location: 15 Magdalene St, Cambridge CB3 0AF
Website: https://www.lamargheritacambridge.com/
If you are looking for an authentic family-run Italian restaurant, La Margherita on Magdalene Street might be the place for you. The restaurant has been serving up Italian meals using fresh ingredients since 1990.
Aside from its various pizza and pasta dishes, the restaurant also sells 24 flavours of gelato from the award-winning Marine Ices for those who have a sweet tooth.
8. The Rupert Brooke
Location: 2 Broadway, Grantchester, Cambridge CB3 9NQ
Website:https://therupertbrooke.com/
Found in Grantchester, the Rupert Brooke is the ideal restaurant to grab a bite to eat after a long walk around the meadows. It is worth visiting on a Sunday to try out one of its roasts where you can choose between lamb, beef, pork, or even a spiced butternut squash pie.
However, the restaurant’s daily menu is also full of different dishes to enjoy. With a lunch menu offering baguettes and salads, there is something for everyone at the Rupert Brooke.
9. Mercado Central
Location: 24 Green St, Cambridge CB2 3JX
Website: https://mercadocentral.co.uk/
If you are looking for a taste of Spain in the city centre, a trip to Mercado Central might be for you. Found in a historic townhouse, you can go for a quick lunch while looking over the open kitchen or celebrate a special occasion in the upstairs dining rooms.
The restaurants sources all of its ingredients from Southern Europe and the British Isles so you are sure to get an authentic meal that has been prepared from scratch.
10. Provenance Brix + Mortar
Location: Hill Farm Rd, Whittlesford, Cambridge CB22 4AN
Website:https://www.provenancekitchen.com/
Found just outside the quaint village of Whittlesford, Provenance Brix + Mortar was named the best in the county in the 2024 Muddy Stilettos Awards. The restaurant offers a set menu on Wednesdays to Fridays at lunchtimes with two courses on offer for £25 and three courses for £30.
The restaurant’s monthly changing menus mean you are guaranteed a different experience each time you visit.