Boutique hotel, wedding venue and upmarket restaurant, Hotel Felix may be one of Cambridge’s bestkept secrets. Hidden away in gorgeous grounds near Girton, the Victorian villa – named after a dog statue in the courtyard by the hotel’s canine-loving proprietors – is the perfect off-the-beaten-track escape.
I made the trip (just 15 minutes by bike from the city centre, or there’s free parking for motorists) one late summer Sunday evening, taking a seat on the terrace overlooking the beautiful manicured lawns to soak up the last of the sun. Sipping Champagne (a glass of Old Speckled Hen for my guy), we perused the menu at our leisure before moving through to the stylish Graffiti Restaurant.
For a Sunday night it was surprisingly full – a mixture of hotel guests and diners in the know. The muted dove greys and purples of the decor create a relaxed yet sophisticated atmosphere, with modern artistic flourishes in amongst the period features, striking the right balance between past and present.
The pleasingly modern menu promises a range of British and French-inspired dishes, with mains ranging from £13 to around the £25 mark.
Our starters, the roulade of Norfolk chicken and Parma ham and grilled mackerel with pain d’épices and beetroot, demonstrated head chef Ashley Bennett’s passion for seasonal cooking and composing dishes which are just as much a feast for the eyes as the palate. The rich meats of the roulade were accompanied by the caramelised flavour of roast leek and gow choi (chives), while the unusual onion ‘ash’ proved a delicious discovery.
For the main event, I’d plumped for a duck special, which came with zingy orange couscous, a beetroot and blackberry jus, stem broccoli and creamy layered potato, garnished with delicate borage flowers for colour. The meat was meltingly tender and the fat crisp – and the portion size just right.
Next to me, my partner tucked into squab pigeon with spring onion puree, roast radish, crushed ratte potatoes and apple dressing. Another beautifully executed dish with well-married flavours.
The dessert options were all light, traditional favourites: think panna cotta, rhubarb cheesecake and sorbets. A sucker for anything chocolatey, I opted for chocolate pavé with raspberries and white chocolate ice cream. The raspberries were dried and the chocolate dense and cool, like ganache, and the presentation once again was faultless.
My partner chose the salt-baked pineapple, a summery, tropical dish though simple.
Coffee was served with petit fours, which we polished off before jumping back on our bikes to head for home (virtuously working off some of that pud). Smart and stylish, Hotel Felix is blessed with both atmosphere and top-quality cuisine. Its secret garden setting makes it a perfect romantic destination for dinner or a short break – a delight to discover.
Hotel Felix, Whitehouse Lane, Huntingdon Road, Cambridge CB3 0LF
