Sam Carter and Alex Olivier, the owners of Restaurant 22, give their eating and drinking tips for Cambridge
What’s your favourite place to eat in Cambridge
For a special treat, we are very lucky that Alimentum opens on a Sunday (our day off!), and love to go and be spoiled with its exciting food and sommelier Max’s amazing wine pairings. For something a bit more casual, nowhere beats a Steak & Honour burger! Whether it’s from one of its vans or stopping by at Wheeler Street, its burgers always hit the spot. And for a sweet treat afterwards you can’t beat a Chelsea Bun from Fitzbillies…
You’re having a night in: where are you calling for takeaway?
For us, a curry on a Sunday night is a bit of a tradition and we always call Meghna on Victoria Road. Its chotpoti (a spicy, Bengal chickpea snack) is a favourite!
Where do you like to shop for ingredients?
We are spoiled by fantastic suppliers in Cambridge and love nothing better than having a stroll around to pick up ingredients. We would start on Mill Road and pick up some yummy cheeses, crackers and oils from Culinaris – it always has lots of unusual but fantastic ingredients and the staff are really helpful in helping you choose (and taste). Then on to Mill Road Butchers for aged steaks and Hot Numbers for a bag of locally roasted coffee beans, before stopping by Norfolk Street Bakery for a freshly baked sourdough and a couple of pastel de natas for the walk home. Last stop would always be Thirsty on Chesterton Road to shop its latest craft beer arrivals (and probably staying to drink a couple).
What do you love about the Cambridge food scene?
There is such a huge range of people who are passionate and knowledgeable about food, whether they are fellow restaurateurs, from coffee shops or street food vans, suppliers or customers – everybody is excited about food and the future of the Cambridge food scene and it feels special to be a small part of that.
What would you like to see more of?
More places that open on a Sunday and a Monday so we can visit them!
