Though the dining scene in Cambridge is excellent, with plenty of new cafés, pubs and restaurants having opened up in the last 12 months, sometimes it’s fun to venture somewhere completely new for a culinary change of scene. Set in the pretty town of St Ives, Slepe Hall – formerly a girls’ school, and named after the town’s original alias – is an elegant Georgian-fronted hotel, bar and restaurant offering beautifully prepared, locally sourced dishes along the modern British lines. It proved a delightful destination for a relaxed Sunday lunch, with ample opportunity to explore the surrounding area afterwards.
On arrival, we were shown to a sunny window seat in Ramsey’s Brasserie, where family groups, couples and a ruby wedding party had gathered to make the most of this stylish yet affordable eaterie. The Sunday lunch menu (£18.50 for three courses) offered a wide selection, each listing looking as tempting as the last. I decided on a tactical soup starter (celeriac and truffle today), to ensure I wasn’t too full to appreciate my main, while my dining partner chose the pork and pistachio terrine. It was served with an unusual but delicious prune chutney and a flourish of salad leaves, while my soup yielded a light, creamy taste with just a hint of truffle, so as not to overpower the dish.
There was a pleasing Sunday lunch theme to the mains selection, and I was easily sold on the roast pork with crackling curls and apple sauce. This arrived on a bed of steaming roast vegetables, including fluffy, crispy potatoes and slender broccoli florets, drizzled in a cider-based gravy. Across from me, my partner happily tucked into his plate of hake – a slightly daintier option against my enormous roast, but still enough to leave us both full, yet deliberating over dessert. We decided in the end to share the ‘chocolate nemesis’, asking if we could substitute the crème fraiche for a scoop of one of their intriguing home-made ice creams: damson, gooseberry or elderflower. Damson proved an excellent choice, bursting with fruitiness which offset the subtle chocolate and combined brilliantly with the sharp, boozy cherries on top. We settled back with a coffee (served with two dinky ribbon-wrapped chocolates) to soak up the atmosphere, contemplating a walk in the gardens before heading into town.
For its high standard of food, reasonable prices and flawless service, Slepe Hall is certainly worth a day trip, while locals who haven’t yet ventured in would be wise to check out this gem on their doorstep. The establishment received a full makeover last year, with manager Stuart lightening up the reception and dining areas, adding a cosy library, perfect for small get-togethers, and modernising the bar. It also has 16 luxury rooms and is proving a sought-after wedding venue. Whatever brings you here, you definitely won’t be disappointed.
