Harston Restaurant Guide

This gastropub from the local Cambscuisine group, in an affluent commuter village south of Cambridge, is “worth a detour for its lovely garden and good-quality food from friendly waiting staff”. (The pub is named for its flamboyant owner from the 1970s, ‘Squire Kim Joseph Hollick De La Taste Tickell’).

In a “lovely setting” in the village made famous by the poet of its name, this pub was taken over after our survey by Pascky Benedetto and his wife Laura, who moved in from the nearby Plough at Coton with a new offer including £6 house negronis and a signature carbonara with guanciale – although the menu is by no means all-Italian. We have removed the rating for this year – but reports please!

This Grade II-listed city-centre staple (once a coaching inn welcoming travellers on the road to the Big Smoke) has long been a magnet for locals owing to “always reliable” and sometimes “very good” bistro dishes and “excellent service” to boot; visit in summer months to profit from the lovely walled garden.

The “British classics (whitebait, Barnsley chop etc)” are “all fine” – and “given its prime tourist location, much better than you might expect” – at this “pleasant” spot opposite King’s College Chapel. But do try to grab a street-level table, rather than heading “downstairs to the dark and pokey basement”.

“LOVE this chain and would happily eat there any day!” – These “always buzzy” Nordic operations (originating in Copenhagen 30 years ago) provide a “tasty mix of sushi and grilled yakitori kebabs” in Scandi-minimalist dining spaces. One or two reporters hesitate at the prices for these luscious morsels – “not sure you can justify the cost of leaving full up” – but the overall satisfaction-level is high. They added a branch in Richmond’s former House of Fraser in May 2024 followed by another on Islington Green in September.

“Incredibly inventive vegetarian cooking and lovely staff!” continue to inspire nothing but high praise from the very dedicated fan club of Alex Rushmer’s small, ethically driven and sustainably sourced venue. “It really does not get any better than this place. Who cares that it’s meat-free... it’s just fabulous, tasty food”.

Despite its out-of-the-way location on Mill Road, Holly & Dan Fancett’s “lovely, local French-style brasserie” is one of the most commented-on destinations in the city in our annual diners’ poll. Why? Especially in this still patchily served varsity town, it’s “fairly priced”, serves “very good food”, has an “intimate” atmosphere and provides “very personal attention to customers”.

“Delicious thin-crust pizzas” and “incredible service”, “what more could you want?” – “we came here tired and hungry, we wanted good pizza without a wait and that’s exactly what we got”. Scott Holden’s Mill Road outfit also majors in ‘bottomless’ brunches.