Ben Gawne enjoys sophisticated late-summer flavours at Gonville Kitchen
Perched on the edge of Parker’s Piece in central Cambridge, you’ll find The Gonville Hotel. Originally built in 1830 as a senior fellows’ house by Gonville & Caius College, this boutique hotel offers a stylish blend of old and new, complete with a piano bar, wellness centre and a chauffeur service delivered by a pair of vintage Bentleys.
Something you don’t need a room at the hotel to enjoy is Gonville Kitchen – the hotel’s vibrant restaurant that is now serving up a newly devised summer menu. An assortment of elegant plates inspired by seasonal ingredients, this selection has been devised by head chef Jamie de Cruz and sous chef Stefano Cataldo, and can be enjoyed as a lunchtime set menu from Friday to Sunday, or as an à la carte dinner from Thursday to Saturday.
Alfresco aperitifs
I arrived at The Gonville on a hot Saturday afternoon, stepping into the cool hotel bar for welcome refreshment. The Long Bar’s ample menu offers something for everyone – including a selection of signature cocktails that caters for every whim, whether it’s an early afternoon cooler or a decadent nightcap.
If you share my stance that the classics are classics for a reason, this bar can and will humour your Luddism. The menu includes a wide-ranging list of timeless tipples, and the gin martini I chose (my decision almost certainly influenced subconsciously by the jazz aesthetic of the grand-piano-furnished bar) was ably prepared and gratefully enjoyed.
Out on the front terrace, drinks were sipped in the positively Mediterranean heat, large umbrellas providing ample shade from which to enjoy the park-side view and soak up the mild bustle of the city.
Flavours of the moment
In the dining area of Gonville Kitchen, glass walls bathed its clean, faintly art-deco-styled interior with natural light. A genuinely good playlist of jazz classics provided more mid-century ambience and a large sliding door out to the terrace was opened up, allowing a light breeze to play pleasantly across the table.
The menu was effective in its simplicity – a choice of three options for starters, mains and desserts. I opted for the tuna carpaccio to start and it was a fantastic appetiser for a summer’s day. A delicate slice of raw fish was served with piped dots of herb emulsion and splashes of an umami-rich veal reduction. Punctuated with wonderfully crispy capers and served on a bed of vibrant herb oil, it was a truly pleasing experience for the senses.
For the main course, I chose the sea trout. Served with a velvety pomme purée and fish velouté, the beautifully coloured fillet was cooked to perfection, with a nice, crispy skin covering the tender flesh. Lightly brined ribbons of yellow and green courgette provided visual and textural contrast, as well as a balancing source of freshness amid this decadent dish, while a scattering of trout roe served as tiny flavour bombs, bursts of indulgence that heightened the whole course.
Starter and main were washed down with crisp white wine – a bottle of Amodo Pecorino, chilled to perfection, with glasses attentively topped up throughout.
For dessert, a hearty serving of caramelised pineapple tarte tatin. This was the unexpected star of the show – sticky, sweet, creamy, fruity – and it dispelled my faintly held belief that pineapple-based desserts belong in the 70s. A crowning moment of the meal – and I must stress that, from me, this is high praise: I’m not typically one who bothers leaving room
for pudding.
A highly enjoyable meal that tipped to the finer end of the spectrum while remaining pleasantly accessible – this is certainly one to visit for a luxurious lunch.
