The 100 best things to eat and drink in Cambridge (1-50)

In 2011 I began writing a monthly food column for a local magazine here in Cambridge and midway through last year they published their 100th issue. In celebration of this I put my thinking cap on and came up with a list of 100 truly delicious things to eat and drink in this fair city.

I thought now might be a good time to publish these online and look towards a happier time when we can break bread together again. Restaurants, bars, pubs, cafes - how do I miss thee? Let me count the ways…

More importantly, a significant number of these - mostly independent - outlets have found new and novel ways to keep trading throughout the most testing times. I’ve added links where appropriate. Please, please support them in whatever ways you can.

1.Steaming pork and chinese chive dumplings in hot and sour soup at Zhonghua Traditional Snacks (perhaps with a char siu pork bun on the side. And a cucumber salad. And some fried dumplings. To share)

2. Lemon & ricotta filled cannoli from Signorelli’s deli (Currently available on Deliveroo)

3.Half a pint of Calverley’s chenpi and Szechuan flower pepper saison beer. And then a full pint of the same (currently offering a delivery service within Cambridge) 

4. One for Ella burger, sweet potato fries and hot sauce from Steak & Honour (actually, might as well make that a double)

5. A scoop of fior de latte and a scoop of salted caramel from Jack’s Gelato

6. Aromi’s insanely good pistachio croissant

7. Thick and rich Milanese style hot chocolate from the lovely people at Savino’s

8. A double Cambridge Dry Gin, tonic water, plenty of ice and a mint leaf. Anywhere. (currently offering their full range of gins for home delivery through their webstore)

9. Xiao long bao soup dumplings at Noodles +. Proceed with extreme caution, and think about wearing a bib

10. Maurizio’s deadly six shot negronis (currently offering pizzas for free home delivery. I’m not sure about the negronis but probs worth asking…)

11. It may well be the Italian equivalent of Billy Bear ham but, my god, I love a mortadella sandwich. The fine people at Culinaris will be delighted to help (currently offering a home delivery service across their entire range)

12. Vietnamese style coffee, sweetened with condensed milk. A caffeine/ sugar double whammy from Urban Larder sure to keep you pepped until lunchtime, at which point…

13. ...they can make you an incredible cheese toastie 

14. Guinness bread and whipped butter from Restaurant 22, if only because you know it will be followed by a whole tasting menu

15. Midsummer House’s masterful tarte tatin (which remains the best dessert I’ve ever had)

16. Jalan Jalan may be taking an extended break from making epic street food, but their tofu bahn mi still lives on in the  memory

17. Kura Kura’s cashew nut curry and peerless onion bhaji’s transport me back to Sri Lanka every time I eat them

18. All of Guerilla Kitchen’s bao are epic but the Fat Hen is the star of the show every time. Pillowy buns and wonderfully flavourful fillings = lunch of dreams (Currently delivering steam at home bao kits so you can definitely get your lockdown bao fix)

19. Smokeworks The Works. Go in hungry, leave very full indeed.  

20. The Friarelli and Tuscan sausage pizza from Charlie’s Coffee Company

21. Once upon a time there was a noodle bar called Dojo. We would order No 6 and No 39a and it would always be great. We can no longer do that. My most missed restaurant in Cambridge. 

22. Batch brew filter coffee from Hot Numbers (currently selling beans and ground coffee from their online store)

23. Stir fried chicken with chilli, ginger and spring onion from @72 China. Fiery and seriously tasty

24. Truffle risotto at Parker’s Tavern, where they never say ‘I think you’ve got enough truffle on that already’

25. The Wandering Yak’s mix and match mezze box. Award winning for at least seven delicious reasons

26. A box of six pasteis de nata from Norfolk Street Bakery

27. A dish of smoked eel, pistachio and apple from the kitchen of Alimentum (Mark Poynton’s wonderful food now available for delivery)

28. Grilled ham and cheese sandwich with pickles and beetroot salad, Cafe Foy’s finest

29. Sala Thong’s spicy, salty, sweet and sour som tam salad

30. Eight pieces of nigiri, 12 pieces of hosomaki - Japas’s Jo sushi platter: a sunday night staple for a very long time (currently operating a contactless delivery or collection service)

31. Afternoon Tease remains much missed for a great many reasons, for me the cheese scone is right at the top of that list…

32. .closely followed by the chocolate Guinness cake (keep an eye on their Instagram feed for details of pop ups and home delivery services)

33. A Pavitt’s Pie (any flavour)

34. At a sniff under seven quid Franco Manca’s chewy, charred sourdough margarita remains one of the city’s best food bargains 

35. Gardies has, quite rightly, been an institution for decades. The chicken souvlaki explains why (currently available on Deliveroo)

36. Half a Fitzbillies Chelsea bun. Offer the other half to a loved one. 

37. A flat white  - and a exercise in the art of conversation - from the brilliant Dom at Rubicae

38. Leftover doughnuts and way too much salted caramel dipping sauce eaten after service in the kitchen at The Hole in the Wall

39. Banana Leaf’s plate-sized dosa filled with potato masala (currently offering online ordering for collection)

40. A Gog’s scotch egg (currently offering a contactless drive-through collection service)

41. A squidgy ripe and runny goat’s cheese, a bowl of rillette and a side of cornichons from The Cambridge Cheese Co. (currently offering a home-delivery service)

42. Slices of Stir bakery’s toasted sourdough and plenty of salted butter (currently offering a home delivery service)

43. An Americano  from Cambridge’s original barista, the Caffe Mobile (to remind me of student days) 

44. Bratwurst. Ketchup. Curry Powder. Berlin’s finest available on Cambridge Market (if only sporadically)

45. Falafel wrap with everything - the ultimate lunch from Carlos kebab

46. Several of the beers in the fridges at Thirsty. Oddly, the more you try, the better they taste (currently offering a home delivery service)

47. A rib of Jagyu beef from the Mill Road butchers - eaten with triple cooked chips and the first sprouting broccoli of the season (currently still open for business and home delivery)

48. The finest Jamon Iberico, Marcona almonds and Spanish olives from the amazing Daniel at Pata Negra Spanish Food (currently operating a home delivery service)

49. A selection of exquisite handmade chocolates from Dulcedo

50. Fish & chips from The Sea Tree. With a side of halloumi fries (to share, obviously). You might need a pickle with that (currently operating as a takeout only, complete with a discount for NHS workers)