I think that Restaurant 22 in Cambridge is our favourite restaurant alongside the wonderful Vanderlyle. We have visited a good few times now and also enjoyed the Restaurant 22 at Home boxes during lockdown and we always love each and every dish. This was our first visit since the country recently unlocked and once again we came away saying (in our humble opinion) it was the best menu yet. This superb establishment continues to go from strength to strength. Delighted customers return again and again to sample inventive and delicious plates of foods. We wonder when the Michelin Star will appear! Here is the tasting menu from June 2021 in all of its glory.
Snacks:
We get started with Nocellara olives and a super flavourful Old Winchester & St Georges tart covered in freshly shaved black truffle.
Next, the perfectly crisp and delicious Scottish smoked haddock with mustard.
We end our perfect trio of snacks with an aged beef tartar with oyster and wasabi. All of these snacks are flavour packed and so visually beautiful which sets the scene for the entire menu.
Bread and Butter:
I love the bread and butter element of any meal, and particularly at Restaurant 22 where their flavours and textures are so good. We have two bread and butter combinations today. A potato bread with smoked goats butter which is dressed with crisp goat belly.
Soda bread with a tasty cheese and onion butter is our second combination.
Amuse-Bouche:
Our amuse-bouche arrives and we enjoy juicy langoustine with wonderful basil and courgette flavours. So fresh for a hot day.
Starter:
Our starter was tasty Jersey royal potatoes on a rich hollandaise sauce with sorrel and pine nuts. This was topped with Iberico ham and delicious potato crisps.
Fish:
Perfectly cooked halibut with fresh peas, wild garlic and a bone marrow sauce arrived next and soon became my favourite course. Not only was it visually stunning but it tasted wonderful.
Main:
Our main course (and Jon’s favourite dish) was a generous portion of dry aged duck breast, braised duck leg meat, and a barbeque celeriac puree. Morels and a magnificent asparagus spear complimented the rich duck perfectly.
Pre Dessert:
A refreshing pre- dessert arrived next. A clever combination of super fresh flavours of summer strawberry and lemon verbena.
Dessert:
We both adored the dessert course. It combined our favourite flavours of chocolate and hazelnut with Diplomatico Reserva rum to create something spectacular, as with the rest of the menu, both in taste and appearance. A fine finish to a top tasting menu.
Petit-fours:
We complete the experience with coffee and petit fours which married flavours of coffee, almond and white chocolate. Perfect!
As always when visiting this restaurant, we leave raving about the menu and planning the next visit! Thank you for another wonderful dining experience Restaurant 22.
Restaurant 22 feature, alongside other top Cambridge restaurants, in our Tasting menus in Cambridge post and our most romantic restaurants in Cambridge post here.
Check out our ultimate guide to the best Cambridge restaurants here.