‘A wise man once told me you go to a restaurant to see and be seen: if you are hungry, you go to the kebab shop’. So philosophised our charismatic waiter as we gathered up our coats and hats and prepared to head home after a superb dinner at Hotel du Vin & Bistro Cambridge.
I knew the venue by reputation of course – Matt Damon and George Clooney stayed here while filming scenes for Monuments Men at Duxford, and last time I was at the hotel’s suave bistro I was talking to Strictly’s Craig Revel Horwood about sausages (yep, really). I’ve interviewed the head chef and heard great things about the downstairs cocktail bar, still I’d yet to enjoy the food here myself.
Happily, having just moved to our new house and being without a cooker means my fiancée and myself have been frequenting Cambridge’s restaurants on a fairly regular basis: the perfect time to treat ourselves to a feed at du Vin.
After catching up on our respective days in the library (green velvet chairs, candles, the comforting smell of old books), we were welcomed warmly into the Bistro du Vin and shown to a cosy seat by the window, affording a prime view of the busy restaurant. Distinguished gents in well-fitting jackets talked quietly together, attractive couples clinked glasses of Very Good Wine… a veritable buffet of delights for people-watchers. Though with our straight-from-work get-ups and reviewer’s air of softly dishevelled informality, there was less thought on our part to the ‘being seen’ side of things.
Inspired by simple French cuisine, Hotel du Vin & Bistro Cambridge serves sophisticated, timeless dishes created by expert chefs: it’s fine dining but without fuss or frills. Looking for a light starter I opted for the beetroot salad – a colourful, refreshing display of yellow and red slices circling a drift of whipped goats’ cheese and topped with crunchy caramelised walnuts.
I followed this harmonious combination with the lemon sole, served whole with brown shrimp beurre noisette; a softly cooked, tender dish bursting with great flavours. Accompanied by a dish of spinach gratin, I didn’t feel short-changed on the portion front either.
My partner picked the escargot in garlic butter and a parmesan crust; absolutely worth setting aside any squeamishness for, then rib-eye steak from the grill for the main event. The steak, though a little on the rare side of medium, was wonderfully juicy and served with a delicious creamy peppercorn sauce, a cone of crisp pommes frites and a watercress garnish.
Our waiter, Gabi, effortlessly recommended wines to accompany each course and got it spot on every time. A particular revelation was the Pinot Noir Byron, a smooth, easy-drinker from the USA where vines aren’t irrigated, allowing the roots to go deeper and take on more natural goodness. The result is a wine with a smoother finish; exactly how I like it.
Feeling too well fed for dessert (so giving us an excellent excuse to come back – I’ve got my eye on that crêpes suzette soufflé), we ended with a coffee and headed for home and our cooker-less kitchen. Though I have to say, I could easily get used to this arrangement…
0122 3928 991
15-19 Trumpington Street, Cambridge, CB2 1QA
https://www.hotelduvin.com/locations/cambridge/
