BushGirl's Qype reviews
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35 St. Andrews Street, Cambridge, Cambridgeshire CB2 3AR
BushGirl
wrote on 7 June 2008
Varsity restaurant is slightly confusingly named as it has nothing to do with the university. It is in fact a family run Greek restaurant right in the middle of town.
It’s always been very busy whenever I’ve been there, but full of atmosphere and life while still retaining a sense of initmacy. Which is quite an achievement.
The portions are really generous and very tasty, with a great range of choice for vegetarians and meat eaters alike. Prices are very reasonable.
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37 Trumpington Street, Cambridge, Cambridgeshire CB2 1QY
BushGirl
wrote on 7 June 2008
For ages I thought that Loch Fyne was an independent restaurant, before I travelled the world and saw a few of them dotted about the place.
Nevertheless, it is still a pretty excellent seafood establishment. This particular branch is in a very charming old building with visible roof rafters and wood flooring. Fits in with the aesthetic of Cambridge very nicely.
The fish here is excellent, the oysters and smoked salmon in particular. There’s a very good wine list too and service is generally above acceptable.
I actually worked as a waitress for Loch Fyne at their temporary restaurant at the Chelsea Flower Show and having seen how all the food is prepared in the kitchen I would still definitely eat it!
The prices are quite a bit above average, but the quality justifies it. However, it is a bit annoying that you have to pay extra for vegetables and potatoes.
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11 King's Parade, Cambridge, Cambridgeshire CB2 1SJ
BushGirl
wrote on 20 April 2008
The Fudge Kitchen totally duped me. I thought it was a one off. A wonderful Cambridge quirk. Unique as a house of fudge fun.
Then I travelled the country a bit more and discovered it’s a chain! There’s one in Edinburgh! and Canterbury!
So they deliberately choose olde towns that give the impression that they would 0have an independant fudge making shop.
Well, after the disappointment of finding out the Fudge Kitchen was not unique to Cambridge, I forgave it, and indulged.
They do little free samples, and you can see them making the fudge at certain times - a nice treat (or trick) for tourists.
There’s a selection like you’d find in an ice cream parlour. The slabs are about a fiver a go, which is a lot, but when I was there last they did a loyalty card thing which basically meant buy 2, get the 3rd free. Not great for tourists, but for buying a weekly or fortnightly bit of lovely jubbly fudge, works a treat.
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8 St Edwards Passage, Cambridge, Cambridgeshire CB2 3PJ
BushGirl
wrote on 20 April 2008
Very quirky, tiny little coffee shop down a small windy old cobbled alley.
Usually quite cheery service. Coffee, bagels and home made cakes are the dish of the day. All freshly made for you and brought to your table after ordering at the impossibly small counter.
Getting the sofa upstairs is a real coup, and well worth it, as you can sit there and order coffees and cakes, read the newspapers and spy on people passing in the street all day.
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3 Emmanuel Street, Cambridge, Cambridgeshire CB1 1NE
BushGirl
wrote on 20 April 2008
One of the best places to get a genuine coffee in Cambridge. As it’s between the two parts of Emmanuel College, it is excessively popular with those students, but also with many students of other colleges, and actual real people who simply live in the city of Cambridge.
It’s right by the main bus stations, so it additionally gets very busy with bus travellers coming in and out of the town centre.
The staff are full of beans, no doubt buzzing on caffeine from the excellent coffee. It’s a good place to meet, but too bustling to get anything done.
The sandwiches are very good too.
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St Johns College trinity st, Cambridge, Cambridgeshire CB2 1TP
BushGirl
wrote on 19 November 2007
St John's College and St John's College School are two different things and I can't tell if the German review is about the private primary school or the Cambridge University college.
My review is of the latter which is actually located on trinity St, not Grange Road.
St John's, known as John's, is a really beautiful college. It straddles the river Cam with one of the more famous bridges - the Bridge of Sighs. It's really quite magical.
It's the 2nd largest college and was founded in 1511 by Lady Margaret Beaufort (mum of Henry VII).
I could go on for quite some time about the gorgeous architecture, the picturesque gardens, the beautiful chapel, the magnificent library, the majestic great hall and the great cheap food in the buttery, but I won't.
I was stuck in Cambridge overnight on the weekend as I missed the last train to London (which is at 11pm?! Come on GNER!) but I found solace in my old college as the porters were welcoming and helpful.
The May balls here are also especially brilliant, I would even say better than the more expensive and exclusive Trinity College balls.
John's is a really beautiful college, and really worth the £2.50 tourist admission charge. If you're with a current student (of any of the colleges of Cambridge) you can get in free.
And if you're thinking of applying to Cambridge then I'd say that John's is firmly wedged in the top 3.
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Bateman Street, Cory Lodge, Cambridge, Cambridgeshire CB2 1LP
BushGirl
wrote on 13 November 2007
Lovely lovely lovely. I used to come here to “revise” during my student days. It was especially convenient for me as there is a gate on the very road I lived on.
The gardens are free to holders of university cards or £2 to non university members.
In the summer it’s just a beautiful place to sit and read by the fountains or under the trees. In the spring the plants and flowers are gorgeous and abundant and reinforce your faith in the world. There are also great things to see in Winter and Autumn as they organise events and ensure there are interesting things to see throughout the year. This is aided by the pretty impressive glasshouses which accommodate a range of exotic plants including carnivorous ones.
They also had here the plant that only flowers once every 10 years or something and stinks horrendously when it does so. I can tell you, dear qypers that it did indeed stink of rotting flesh. Delish.
The shop is charming and I think run by volunteers and there are little places to buy coffee and sandwiches (or ice creams, weather permitting).
My favourite thing, however, is that some one cycles around the gardens ringing a bell to let patrons know it is closing. What a job.
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Midsummer House Midsummer Common, Cambridge, Cambridgeshire CB4 1HA
BushGirl
wrote on 13 November 2007
This is the only Michelin star (it’s got two of ‘em) restaurant I have ever been to. I was taken there courtesy of the boyfriend’s parents on the day that Wales won the Grand Slam. What a day.
Midsummer House is tucked between the river Cam and Midsummer Common. It is a romantic little villa with an incredibly intimate (but posh at the same time, so no hanky panky) atmosphere.
As to be expected from a fancy award winning chef, the food is excellent and imaginative and you get served all the little things in between courses. When I was there we had some pink champagne frothy stuff in a shot glass which came out of what looked like an enormous perfume spritzer, another thing in a shot glass that was green and pink and doughnuty pastries before a selection of fancy chocolates before coffee. Those were just the extras. It’s all beautifully presented in the light and airy dining rooms.
The service, again as you’d expect, was formidable. It was almost as if they knew what we wanted before we did. But not so much that it was spooky or unnerving.
I had no idea how much it cost as I had to sprint off to a pub but I assumed it was loads. Having a look on the website though, it seems not massively overboard considering the quality of the food, service and location. Tasting menu is £80 or three courses for £60.
Perfect for a really romantic dinner, or to impress your son’s girlfriend.
BushGirl I had to go see Wales beat Ireland to win the 2005 Grand Slam! Very important!
28 December 2007
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54 King Street, Cambridge, Cambridgeshire CB1 1LN
BushGirl
wrote on 7 November 2007
My ex would despise this place with a passion. Not for the good coffee or the cheap genuine Italian food or the tasty thick milkshakes or the quite helpful staff but because of the proliferation of clowns. Clowns does not disappoint if you desire clowns. The walls are choc-a-bloc with paintings, drawings, collages and photos of clowns. My ex has a terrific fear of clowns.
It’s a cute little café. The coffees are good. The food is generally made in one big go and then put in the fridge so you can look at it and pick which one you want microwaved up – it’s not real fancy but it’s good cheap food. There is also a great choice of homemade cakes. They sell booze too, and one of the finest things about Clowns that sets it apart from the rest is that it’s open til midnight – which in Cambridge is a rare and wonderful delight.
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12 Regent Street, Cambridge, Cambridgeshire CB2 1DB
BushGirl
wrote on 7 November 2007
This pub is where I watched Wales beat Ireland to win the 2005 Grand Slam so it holds a very dear place in my heart. It is also the last stop on a pub crawl I undertook one Valentine's day when I'd been dumped. All I recall is hugging the toilet on that instance.
But the day that Wales won the Grand Slam was a truly great day. I'd just been to a fancy meal at Midsummer House with the boyfriend's family before excusing myself and sprinting to the nearest acceptable pub. The Fountain was packed to the rafters with people wearing green and red. It was a brilliant atmosphere - the kind where strangers hugged eachother for no other reason than they were wearing the same colour shirt.
For that day I will always have a soft spot for The Fountain. I saw a couple of this year's 6 nations matches here and it was a bit dull.
