Where to eat and what to do in Cambridge

Where to eat and what to do in Cambridge

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13m

Original Poster:

26,282 posts

222 months

Sunday 3rd April 2016
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Hi All

I need to spend a few days in Cambridge on business in the next few weeks and am taking the family.

We are going punting, is there anything else to do? Something car related would be good.

We will need to eat out a couple of evenings, so suggestions appreciated. We like Italian, grills, fish.

Many thanks for any pointers.

Boydie88

3,283 posts

149 months

Monday 4th April 2016
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Smokeworks for dinner one night to cover the grill yum

13m

Original Poster:

26,282 posts

222 months

Monday 4th April 2016
quotequote all
Boydie88 said:
Smokeworks for dinner one night to cover the grill yum
Name sounds promising, I will look it up. Thanks.

Grandad Gaz

5,093 posts

246 months

Monday 4th April 2016
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The botanical gardens are worth a visit.

StonetheCrows

769 posts

208 months

Tuesday 5th April 2016
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Agree with the Botanical Gardens, if your in meetings, there is also some very good shopping that can be done in Cambridge. Food wise Bills is always reliable https://bills-website.co.uk/restaurants/cambridge/

Edited by StonetheCrows on Tuesday 5th April 17:14

Thurbs

2,780 posts

222 months

Thursday 7th April 2016
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When in Cambirdge, hire a bike! It is the best way to get around, most of the city centre is blocked off to cars and parking is not cheap!

C.A.R.

3,967 posts

188 months

Thursday 7th April 2016
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Good luck finding anything to do with cars in Cambridge. I had to drive to a couple of meetings there today and each time I go back it seems worse - to drive in that is. Nice enough town - but leave the car as far away as possible. There are lots of cyclists in Cambridge and surprisingly it's not the kamikaze student-age ones to watch out for, it's the mad old b*stards, of which there are plenty!

A993LAD

1,636 posts

221 months

Friday 8th April 2016
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Cambridge is a great city and I'm sure you will find plenty to do

Remember trip advisor is your friend so search on Cambridge click on what to do and view the list which will be sorted by feedback ratings and tick them off in order.

For eating I would definitely recommend:

Smoke works (already mentioned above)
Cau
the pint shop
the Chop house

The pint shop has a limited selection of food on the menu but I have always found it to be very good and if you like beer or gin they have probably the most extensive selection available in the city. The quality of service at all four of these restaurants is great.

All four restaurants above are pretty much on the same street and close together, all the stones throw from the arts Theatre and the corn exchange. Both of these venues often show very good events and you can sometimes get tickets at short notice so check out their websites for what is on.

If it's rainy you fancy a bit of culture I would definitely head for the Fitzwilliam Museum. The architecture of the building itself is amazing and it contains everything from fine art through to ancient Greek and Egyptian artefacts. You could easily spend several days wandering around here and it's free.

I can't think of anything particularly car related but most car enthusiasts also like planes. So why not head for Duxford Museum which is only a short distance from Cambridge and has a fantastic collection of very well displayed planes and helicopters.

Glad you are going punting - if the weather is good it is great fun. The tradition used to be for ordering hamper preprepared by Fitzbillies. Check them out online to see if they still do it although I know the place is under new management so they might have dropped that bit of their business. Even if they don't do hampers any more it's well worth calling into their place for afternoon tea where they specialise in their own brand of Chelsea bun. So well known in Cambridge that a lot of the foreign students have them shipped overseas long after they have graduated.

Good luck have a great time

13m

Original Poster:

26,282 posts

222 months

Friday 8th April 2016
quotequote all
A993LAD said:
Cambridge is a great city and I'm sure you will find plenty to do

Remember trip advisor is your friend so search on Cambridge click on what to do and view the list which will be sorted by feedback ratings and tick them off in order.

For eating I would definitely recommend:

Smoke works (already mentioned above)
Cau
the pint shop
the Chop house

The pint shop has a limited selection of food on the menu but I have always found it to be very good and if you like beer or gin they have probably the most extensive selection available in the city. The quality of service at all four of these restaurants is great.

All four restaurants above are pretty much on the same street and close together, all the stones throw from the arts Theatre and the corn exchange. Both of these venues often show very good events and you can sometimes get tickets at short notice so check out their websites for what is on.

If it's rainy you fancy a bit of culture I would definitely head for the Fitzwilliam Museum. The architecture of the building itself is amazing and it contains everything from fine art through to ancient Greek and Egyptian artefacts. You could easily spend several days wandering around here and it's free.

I can't think of anything particularly car related but most car enthusiasts also like planes. So why not head for Duxford Museum which is only a short distance from Cambridge and has a fantastic collection of very well displayed planes and helicopters.

Glad you are going punting - if the weather is good it is great fun. The tradition used to be for ordering hamper preprepared by Fitzbillies. Check them out online to see if they still do it although I know the place is under new management so they might have dropped that bit of their business. Even if they don't do hampers any more it's well worth calling into their place for afternoon tea where they specialise in their own brand of Chelsea bun. So well known in Cambridge that a lot of the foreign students have them shipped overseas long after they have graduated.

Good luck have a great time
Thank you for a detailed reply.

70proof

6,051 posts

155 months

Friday 8th April 2016
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hi.... how long you there, whats your budget?

nothing car related in cambridge tbh, though you could visit enfield motorbikes on histon road, or the aston/porsche dealer in harston..

punting is a must, also just walk around and look around/in the colleges...

there is fine dining, there is a good pub lunch, there is a street food scene, and there is tourist dining...

google steak and honour ... best burgers anywhere ever, serving from a van outside hot coffees cafe tonight, can eat in there 'takeaway' usually have a jazz band on to....

for an electic feel, head down mill road...

enjoy

70proof

6,051 posts

155 months

Friday 8th April 2016
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also for a great pub lunch, head to the eagle pub in the centre of town.... or out of town, the plough in cotton or more plush, three horseshoes in madingley

Spindoctor

783 posts

200 months

Friday 8th April 2016
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Good suggestions above.

The street market (in the city centre, google Market Hill) is good for browsing and street food. And if you're into music, films, books then visit Fopp on Sidney Street - its easy to spend hours in there. And the Arts Picturehouse on St Andrew's Street is a nice independent cinema if you fancy seeing a film.

anonymous-user

54 months

Friday 8th April 2016
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Thaikun down on the quayside is excellent for Thai street food - great for a quick lunch or a fun evening meal, food is great.

AstonZagato

12,703 posts

210 months

Friday 8th April 2016
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IWM Duxford - 'planes and tanks. Nuff said. Not far out of town (there is a bus). A cracking day out with kids (it takes a good few hours to do it justice)

Obviously, wonder around the centre - there is a lot to see: King's College (Chapel), St John's College (Bridge of Sighs), Trinity (Great Court). Even the lesser known colleges are stunningly beautiful.

In the centre there are a few little gems. Some great pubs: e.g. The Eagle, where Crick and Watson went for a celebratory pint after discovering DNA although better known for its RAF bar, where the ceiling is covered in graffiti from WW2 aircrew stationed in the area and there is a patch of wall signed by the Memphis Bell crew. Nearby is the Corpus Clock.

On restaurant's, The Pint Shop has range of beers and gins, and fantastically unhealthy but delicious bar snacks and pies. Jamie Oliver has a big place if you like his stuff (the pizza place upstairs is easier to get in). The Fort St George is good for seeing a bit of rowing (you don't punt anywhere near where they row) and used to do decent food (not been there in donkey's though). There is more rowing in term time but plenty of city clubs keep it going year round.

If you want great food, there are two Michie starred restaurants in Cambridge (Alimentum and Midsummer House). Both are expensive (the latter is eye-wateringly so). More reasonable are the Three Horseshoes at Madingley or Sheene Mill. The Plough is a good place to watch some rowing but, as the Lent Bumps (the main inter-collegiate competition for this term) have just finished, there will only be town crews around (they are excellent but there will be less action). It is a way out from the centre and car friendly but difficult to find. Best on a summer's day to be honest.

Wimpole Hall and Anglesey Abbey are good National Trust properties just outside. Ely Cathedral is a little further afield. As is Audley End House.

RB CV8

371 posts

201 months

Tuesday 12th April 2016
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When are you there? 1st Friday evening of each month there is a classic car gathering on the village green in Barrington a few miles out. Won't take long to get to if you have a car with you.

donkmeister

8,164 posts

100 months

Tuesday 12th April 2016
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If you want a laid back hippy meal, try the Rainbow Cafe near Kings College. ~£10 for a main, all very good, interesting food.

It's vegetarian and vegan so not recommended if you have any militant meat-eaters (I'm vege-curious but would happily bite the arse off a cow), but I've sent many omnivores there who've been very happy with it.

CambsBill

1,932 posts

178 months

Tuesday 12th April 2016
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For great food there's also Cotto, though if your trip's soon I doubt you'll get a table now. Cheaper but still good are Bedouin (Turkish) or Polonia Club (Polish) if you fancy something slightly different. Plus all those mentioned above.

If you're punting then a chauffeured trip is worth it to get the story of Cambridge & the colleges. Don't forget to haggle though, they'll all drop the price if you push them. If you use Scudamore's you might even get my lad punting you biggrin

IWM always worth a trip too

E36GUY

5,906 posts

218 months

Wednesday 13th April 2016
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CambsBill said:
For great food there's also Cotto, though if your trip's soon I doubt you'll get a table now. Cheaper but still good are Bedouin (Turkish) or Polonia Club (Polish) if you fancy something slightly different. Plus all those mentioned above.

If you're punting then a chauffeured trip is worth it to get the story of Cambridge & the colleges. Don't forget to haggle though, they'll all drop the price if you push them. If you use Scudamore's you might even get my lad punting you biggrin

IWM always worth a trip too
Ditto Cotto. Fantastic. Only open certain days and booking essential.

13m

Original Poster:

26,282 posts

222 months

Saturday 16th April 2016
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Thank you to everyone that suggested places; once again PHers were spot on with recommendations. We had a great time in what turned out to be one of my favourite UK cities.