trinitarian's Qype profile

This Chinese restaurant is located in Histon, overlooking the idyllic village green, on the premises of what used to be a pub. You can get there by bus (20 mins from city centre) or there is a carpark at the back. It has two sections: the main building which retains much of its original old world charm, mixed tastefully with some oriental decor, and a large conservatory extension which is predominantly used for large parties and can get rather noisy.
It can get very busy, especially at the weekends, and while the service is perfectly pleasant, it is not overly friendly.
Many people have raved to me about the food at the Phoenxi and we have eaten there three times so far. I am not an expert in Chinese food and have found the dishes slightly hit and miss: the crispy duck is absolutely wonderful (I order it every time) as are the sizzling main courses, but some other plates, including the soups, seemed to have a rather 'industrial’ taste to them - don’t even think about trying the fried ice cream for dessert!
It is also not a cheap option: a three course meal for two with a bottle of wine will set you back at least £50. They also do food to takeaway, which is a bit cheaper.

Tucked away on Trinity Street, just off the central market square, Michaelhouse used to be (and in some ways still is) a parish church. A small gothic stone building completely dwarfed by college premises, it has recently been completely transformed: while the chancel still functions as a chapel with regular services taking place (for instance short prayers in the morning and at lunchtime), the main part of the double height building now serves as a cafe and community centre.
The cafe is a quiet place, a real haven in which to escape from the hustle and bustle of shoppers outside, and the food and hot drinks served by friendly staff are of fantastic quality, but not necessarily cheaper than at other establishments in the vicinity.
Michaelhouse also has a lively programme of cultural events such as concerts and talks, as well as rooms for hire, and you can even arrange your wedding there!

Located on a quiet little square just off one of the main shopping streets in central Cambridge, this is a branch of the Bravissimo lingerie chain specialising in underwear, swimwear and clothes for women with larger cupsizes. The premises are arranged over two levels, the display and till on the ground floor and the fitting rooms as well as a waiting area (with magazines for men and women) downstairs (no lift though). It is a beautiful shop with a feminine, bright and friendly atmosphere.
The fitting assistants in Bravissimo are incredibly helpful - most of them are customers in the shop themselves, so they understand their clients’ predicament. Also, they are extremely well trained at fitting bras without resorting to a tape measure (doesn’t work for large cupsizes). They are happy to make suggestions, fetch different sizes and check the fit. They go about their business cheerfully and without embarrassment, so you can just relax and enjoy the experience. Getting fitted there has changed my life, no more back ache!
The goods for sale are not especially cheap, but the quality is very good and on the whole it is no more expensive than other specialist retailers.
The shop does get very busy at the weekend, so if you need a proper fitting and advice I’d advise to visit during the week when the assistants can give you all the help in the world.

Independent carpet supplier located in a small parade of shops on Chesterton Road that is a ten minute walk from the city centre but easily reached by several bus routes.
The shop offers an enormous range of carpets for almost any intended use in many different materials, colours and finishes. We visited to get a better sense of what different qualities were available to fit out the upstairs of our new house and were given very detailed and professional advice by the shop’s owner on what kind of carpet would best suit our home and our budget.
He then came to our house at a time of our convenience outside of standard working hours to measure up the quantities required and offered us a competitive quote. Although we ended up choosing a different supplier, this shop comes highly recommended.

If you are scared of high tech gyms where people with perfect physiques go to admire their muscles, but still want to keep fit, then the Barn is the gym for you! I joined 18 months ago and it’s the first time I haven’t given up on a gym membership even before the trial period ran out - I love it there.
The reasons I stuck with it are the quality of the equipment on offer, the great variety of classes available in the studio that keep you from getting bored with your workout as well as the
fact that it is never so busy you’ve got to wait ages for a particular machine. Above all it’s to do with the great friendly atmosphere created by the team of fitness instructors who are always happy to give advice, motivate and chat. They provide you with a fitness assessment and a tailor-made programme when you join as well as regular update reassessments, if desired. There is also a sauna and steam room, a couple of sunbeds and supervised children’s area which needs to be booked ahead as well as a treatment room for physiotherapy and sports massage.
The changing rooms are clean and tidy with lockers, showers and hairdriers available but there are no free towels provided.
The opening hours should suit early birds as well as night owls. The prices are very reasonable compared to other gyms in Cambridge, it is possible to pay monthly as well as annually and they offer a student discount.

The local library in Cottenham, which is part of the network of libraries throughout Cambridge, is located in a small fully accessible building just off the High Street. It is open for at least a couple of hours each day (except Sunday).
Considering its comparatively diminuitive size, the library offers a surprising range of services, most of which are free for its members (it is free to join too - bring proof of ID and address): apart from a selection of books for adults and children, covering both fiction and non-fiction available for loan, there are DVDs and videos for hire (there is a charge for that), newspapers and magazines for consultation and a number of PCs with free internet access.
Although the choice of volumes is not huge, one can consult the library network’s online catalogue and order any of its books to be delivered for collection at the Cottenham branch for a small charge.
The library is staffed by a team of friendly and professional librarians.

Small, independent car and van rental company located on a main road in Cambridge, half an hour’s walk from the city centre but easily reached by a short bus ride.
They offer a range of modern, easy-to-drive vans and cars for hire. The vehicles are actually picked up and dropped off from the Tesco’s car park located right behind the office and they are thoroughly inspected before and after pick up.
While the weekly rates do not seem particularly competitive, there’s a range of different part-day rentals available (such as 'workday’ or 'moonlighting’) which come in handy for office workers planning a quick trip to IKEA. It is also possible to hire a child booster seat or satellite navigation system for an extra charge as well as paying extra to reduce the substantial excess charged in case of an accident.
The staff manning the office are friendly, professional and helpful.

The Cambridge branch of the Enterprise car rental chain is located on Station Road in the village of Histon, just behind the petrol station. The premises are nothing special, but as you don’t have to wait long to arrange and pick up your rental the deficiencies in interior decoration are not a serious deficit.
The company offers a variety of cars and vans for rent with very reasonable rates for both. There is a specially attractive weekend package, which proved extremely cost effective for us as a couple when househunting or visiting relatives, until we bought our own car.
The cars are always spotless, have a low mileage and I have never encountered a problem with any of them, though, just in case, breakdown cover is included in the rental price. They are thoroughly inspected for nicks before and after the rental. For an extra charge it is possible to substantially reduce the excess charged in case of a repair.
The branch’s opening hours are convenient for drop off and pick up before or after office hours, they are also open on Sat mornings.
The staff are young, enthusiastic and perfectly polite.

The Grafitti Restaurant is located on the groundfloor of Hotel Felix, a Victorian villa situated in beautiful landscaped grounds on the outskirts of Cambridge, which has recently been converted into a chic boutique hotel. Take bus nos. 5 and 6 or a cab to get there from the city centre.
The restaurant itself is opulently decorated with a sleek mixture of modern furnishings which contrast beautifully with the grandeur of the building itself.
When we visited on a hot evening in July, we first enjoyed a drink on the beautiful decked terrace outside, then headed through the uebercool bar to our table.
The food served at Graffiti reflects the latest gastronomic trends towards seasonality and local ingredients. I had a scallop starter and a plate with lamb cooked in five different ways for my main course, followed by a cheeseboard and chocolate cake. We had some very fine wine to go with it too. It was all served by very professional and unobtrusive waiting staff.
Graffiti is not a cheap place to eat out, but it is worth it to celebrate a special occasion.

This hotel is located almost directly on the banks of the river Cam and overlooking the beautiful Jesus Green, just a short walk or bus/taxi ride from the city centre and train station. It consists of a number of Victorian buildings that have been knocked into one as well as a separate outbuilding with further rooms out the back. There is a rather busy road running along the front but there is not much traffic noise at night. One major advantage for an establishment in central Cambridge is that it offers free car parking to its guests.
It has a lovely 'Old England’ atmosphere with plenty of flower-patterend wall paper, so if chintz is your thing then this is the place to go!
The hotel serves breakfast and lunches in a large conservatory to the back and also has a restaurant in the lower ground floor serving table d’hote and a la carte meals of traditional British cuisine.
My parents stayed there for a week in October 2005 and had a mixed experience: while the staff were polite and helpful without exception, they felt that both the rooms they were given - they had to move mid-week - could have been cleaner. Also, they really took issue with the fact that the entire hotel, but especially the conservatory breakfast room, was uncomfortably chilly. Overall, they felt that it did not represent good enough value for money and have stayed elsewhere on other visits.