City eating guide – Cambridge
Published 30 October 2026

Coffee: Wake up in style

Caffeine races through the city's veins much as cyclists do on their way to morning lectures. Mill Road, close to the station and Cambridge's (unofficial) independent heartland, is home to Misù and Rubiaceae, known to those in the know as "Dom's". Misù, owned by Milanese brothers Anthony and Kevin, offers a traditional Italian experience: pistachio-filled cornetti, ricotta-stuffed cannoli and edible trompe l'oeil seasonal fruits (think Cedric Grolet without the queues). Dom's serves globally sourced coffee alongside genial conversation, restoring the ritual so often lost to the quick fix. It's cash only, with no photos, no laptops and just half a dozen countertop seats.

Flux in Newnham is a local favourite, not just for the coffee but for the handmade cups crafted by owner Marsi. The Bould Brothers, Max and Alex, run three Cambridge outlets and insist baristas train for months in steaming milk and pulling the perfect espresso. Lastly, near the Fitzwilliam Museum, Pages Coffee House serves expertly made Monmouth Coffee in a cosy, stripped-back Scandinavian space.

MUST VISIT Dom's, for coffee with no distractions

Breakfast: From the sublime to the ridiculously good

Also a stone's throw from the Fitzwilliam Museum is Hot Numbers, Simon Fraser's much-loved café, serving pastries, house-made granola with local yogurt, thick toasted sourdough and outrageously generous bacon sandwiches. Kanto is a delicious entente cordiale of Korean and Filipino traditions, with a seasonal menu that never fails to deliver something original, so much so that Good Food Guide named it one of the nation's 50 best bakeries in 2026. Oscar's at the Wilde Aparthotel is a recent arrival that has quickly become a firm favourite: toasted pecan banana bread with maple syrup and coffee is a great vegan start. Open for breakfast only on weekends, The Tiffin Truck serves a bargain vegetarian Indian thali of around ten aromatic items, including dal, chana masala, idly, spiced omelette and a light-as-air dosa. Add a masala chai for full authenticity.

MUST VISIT Kanto, GFG picked it for a reason!

Brunch: For when breakfast alone won't cut it

The line between breakfast and brunch is thin, but a few Cambridge spots truly embrace a late, leisurely morning meal. Scott's is better known for its award-winning Detroit and Neapolitan pizzas, yet its generous brunch, served from 11:30am Tues-Thurs and 9am Fri-Sun, deserves attention. Bloody Marys, mimosas and a menu of smoked salmon on rye and healing fry-ups will banish any headache. Noshe, an Afghan café, serves a mostly vegan and vegetarian menu with Levantine influences, including an unbeatable shakshouka with flaky paratha and spiced karak chai. On the river at Quayside, Cafe Foy offers expertly made Welsh rarebit (add anchovies and a fried egg) and bagels so generously filled you'll need a stack of napkins.

MUST VISIT Noshe, for the shakshouka alone

Lunch: From swift bites to more formal choices

Lunch options abound across the city for those taking a break from gazing at the colleges and museums. 1+1 Rougamo offers a concise menu of Xi'an and Sichuan dishes, but for grab and go, the eponymous rougamo, a regional Chinese sandwich of paratha-style bread stuffed with your choice of filling, pickles and salad, is unbeatable. Aromi proudly displays its Sicilian delights in the window near the historic market, while Bread & Meat, now an institution, is famed for legendarily loaded porchetta sandwiches (a side of poutine ensures an afternoon nap). Steak & Honour has crafted the city's finest burgers for nearly 15 years, first from converted Citroën vans and now from its Mill Road restaurant, which also houses Fancett's, a perfectly formed French bistro serving expertly crafted seasonal classics at a keen price. Lastly, Margaret's, the less formal sister of Restaurant 22, sits in Chesterton, a short walk across Jesus Green. Its changing menu begins with expertly made snacks and must end with freshly baked madeleines.

MUST VISIT Steak & Honour because who can go past a good burger

Dinner: Designed to suit all tastes

Two Treasures in Cambridge's unofficial Asian quarter on Regent Street is a steam-filled, noodle-lovers dream. Hand pulled wheat noodles, roiling pots of deep, tasty broth and chunks of bone-in brisket hefty enough to delight Fred Flintstone combine in perfect harmony. Fin Boys specialises in sourcing, aging and cooking the best fish available from UK waters. The menu features a rapidly changing roster of seafood cooked in the open kitchen and paired with glasses chosen from an expertly curated list. Just a few doors down sits Vanderlyle, my own plant-forward restaurant that works with local farmers and growers to showcase a variety of vegetable-focussed dishes across a ten-course tasting menu. Restaurant 22, owned and run by husband and wife team Sam and Alex, is a Michelin-starred delight. From a tiny basement kitchen emerge precise and thoughtful dishes, plated with an expert eye by a team that truly understands the meaning of hospitality. Daniel Clifford's Midsummer House has, rightly, earned legendary status far beyond the city. Exceptional cooking across nearly three decades has seen the restaurant retain two Michelin stars for over twenty years and long may it continue.

MUST VISIT Vanderlyle (obvs!) or Fin Boys for the fish

Snacks

Fancy a trip to Twin Peaks? Amble over to The Cherry Pit for some damn fine cherry pie and a cup of Joe. After years peddling his wares around the city, Jack's Gelato is now a bona fide Cambridge institution with a bricks-and-mortar outlet; scan the QR code to skip the queue. For something warmer, the Chai Walla food truck, often near the central bus station, serves an unbeatable samosa chaat. Rescued 15 years ago by Tim Hayward and Alison Wright, Fitzbillies sells baked goods far beyond its famed Chelsea buns.

MUST VISIT Jack's Gelato, because who doesn't love a good ice cream