France: Beef Rossini, Le Gros Franck
The only independent French restaurant in the city, it’s open for lunch daily and fine dining two evenings a week. Guided by award-winning French chef Franck Parmin, Le Gros Franck’s Beef Rossini is thought to be unique to Cambridge.
Portugal: Custard Tarts, Norfolk Street Bakery
We highly recommend seeking out this tucked-away independent bakery, not only for Adilia’s glorious signature custard tarts but also for the fresh bread, muffins and more… All inspired by her childhood growing up in a small Portuguese town where every Saturday was bake day.
Italy: Ravioli, De Luca
For authentic Italian cuisine you can’t go far wrong with this little family-run place on Regent Street. Modern and chic, it’s open daily and always offers a varied menu. We’re big fans of its handmade goats’ cheese and shallot ravioli, which is garnished with sage butter and caramelised red onion.
Sicily: Arancini, Caffe Sicilia
These delicious fried risotto balls are the ideal snack and are made fresh from scratch (from a family recipe) at both Caffe Sicilia outlets, Regent Street and Hills Road. They’re perfect with their signature cappuccino or luxury hot chocolate, and you can even indulge in the evenings at the Hills Road branch.
Poland: Chef’s Lunch, Polonia Club
At just £5.50, this might be one of the best-value lunch deals in town and offers a true taste of hearty Polish cooking. Choose from grilled polish sausage with chips and cabbage salad, potato pancakes with mushrooms and cheese, and other Eastern European belly-warmers.
Greece: Moussaka, The Olive Grove
The fresh, Mediterranean-inspired interiors at this pretty, family-owned restaurant on Regent Street are enough to conjure the salty air and sunny groves of Greece. The food is just as good, giving a modern twist to traditional Greek cuisine: for something warming, the classic moussaka is a must.
Turkey: Mixed Kebab, Efes
Offering a taste of Turkey and the Med since 1990, Efes on King Street must be doing something right. The decor might be a little dated, but hey, the food is simple, honest and authentic. The mixed kebab combines the chef’s selection of cuts of lamb and chicken.
Algeria: Lamb Tagine, Bedouin
Push back the heavy Souk door to this enchanting establishment and you’ll find yourself transported to a land of colour, sand and spices. Swathed from floor to ceiling in magnificent African cloth, Bedouin creates a tent-like feel in which to enjoy their slow-cooked curries, flavoured with fruits and served with tagine bread.
Kerala, India: Red Fish Curry, The Rice Boat
Tucked away in Newnham, this unassuming local restaurant is a must for anyone seeking out an authentic taste of the subcontinent. Run by Jacob Abraham since 2005, it specialises in full-flavoured dishes inspired by the food of Jacob’s childhood, prepared from scratch with not a pre-mixed sauce in sight. The king fish for this dish, flown in specially each week, is cooked in a spicy, smoky sauce.
China: House Special Ho Fun, Yim Wah Express
Sweet, sloppy sauces be gone! This spacious Regent Street restaurant offers traditional Chinese and Cantonese cuisine, from usual favourites like crispy noodles and dim sum to more adventurous delicacies like duck tongues and pigs trotters. The house special Ho Fun is a tasty mix of seafood and beef with Hong Kong-style fried noodles.
Thailand: Red Thai Curry, The Wrestlers
An unexpected location for one of the city’s top Thai restaurants, Newmarket Road is home to this out-of-the-way pub with an excellent reputation for Thai food, with plenty of kick. The prices are reasonable too at under a tenner for most dishes. Now which to have: pork, beef, chicken or vegetable red Thai curry…?
Vietnam: Steamed Pork Buns, Urban Street Kings
These local street food champions produce delicious, fresh British-Vietnamese food, which can be eaten on the hoof, and we’ddoalottogetourhandsononeof their slow-cooked pork buns with hoisin srirachia sauce. They pop up at events and fairs all year round so keep an eye out.
Korea: Bibimbap, Bibimbap House
Expect traditional Korean home cooking from this little eaterie on Mill Road, where even the soy sauce is home-made. Specialising exclusively in bibimbap (they offer seven to ten different kinds of this succulent mixed rice dish) means they do this dish to perfection – making choosing easy for the indecisive!
Japan: Bento Box, Teri-Aki
Grab one of these pleasing boxes of tricks at riverside restaurant, Teri-Aki – a firm Cambridge favourite. Their sake bento is one of their most popular requests and includes a chargrilled salmon steak with ginger, rice and salad. The ambience is great too, very light, fresh and laid-back, just like the food.
Australia & New Zealand: Black Cat Cafe
This friendly local café is all about bringing the Antipodean coffee culture to Cambridge, and we’re more than alright with that. They’re credited with bringing the first proper flat white coffee to Cambridge, so make sure to try that (along with a slice of something tasty and chocolatey).
USA: The ‘Dirty Cow’ Burger, Rhode Island
Recently hailed as the best burger our editor has ever tasted (see last month’s review), this epic meal incorporates a beef pattie topped with pulled pork, treacle-cured bacon, onion strings and a fried egg. The diet starts February, right?
Mexico: Big Ass Burrito, Nanna Mexico
This established Mexican favourite, run by the cheerful Louis, has something of a cult following in Cambridge, popular with students wanting a hearty, low cost meal on the move. Try their Big Ass Burrito from one of their funky venues on Regent Street and Petty Cury to see what the fuss is all about – or gather a group of like- minded foodies together and get the treats delivered to your door.
Argentina: Tapa de Cuadril, CAU
Meat lovers have plenty to get their teeth into at this fun, modern steakhouse on Bene’t Street. Open just two years, CAU serves a variety of steak cuts including the signature tapa de cuadril and the enormous tira de ancho.
UK: Cod & Chips (with mushy peas), The Sea Tree
If all that culinary globetrotting has got you nostalgic for home, treat yourself to a classic fish & chip supper at The Sea Tree, the best chip shop in Cambridge, in Edition’s humble opinion. We’re not the only ones who think so, it was featured in The Times newspaper’s top 30 fish and chip restaurants in the country!
:: Did we miss any? Join the discussion @cambsedition
