Award-winning Restaurant Twenty Two, christened at present to be one of the top restaurants in Cambridge, truly lives up to its reputation.
I went to this charming place by the river one fine day, and entered a delightful little Victorian house converted into a charming 3-story restaurant.
Walking into Restaurant Twenty Two, I found it to be so incredibly appealing. The restaurant used a classic palette in its decor but there’s just so much beautiful natural sunlight going through the windows complementing its energetic vibe.
Fresh flowers, local paintings and stunning historic stained glass adorned the picturesque first floor. The chic ambiance sets the stage to the fabulous colors and flavors bursting out of each course.
Restaurants dim their lights so that the senses can focus more on flavor. But on a luminous lunch light we had on a day like today, the natural sunlight illuminated the experience better.
Once we sat down, we were quickly served a series of succulent welcome bites. The first were sweet and flavorful Nocellara olives. They are so full of panache.
The next set arrived in bite sized flavor selections. The first one was a Lincolnshire poacher, alliums on an herb cracker. It was such a flurry of essences, all dancing on my palette. The cracker introduces a light crunch among the poacher and cheese. Simple but impactful.
Next up is the beef tartare with bone marrow and egg yolk. The tartare was so soft, which sets a proper stage for the richness that came from the bone marrow and egg yolk. The entire experience was just so pleasant and opulent.
The last bite was a truffle macaroni and cheese. It has a slight crunchy exterior with cheesy bites of macaroni inside… truly a deep fried beauty.
Then came their extraordinary bread. There were two different kinds where each was allocated a specific type of butter. The stout and treacle bread was served with cep butter. This bread was somewhat cakey and reminiscent of a chocolate cupcake, but much healthier!
The second bread was a rosemary focaccia with cultured butter. I just love how their olive oil and the tiny pinch of saltiness went so well with the perfect crunchy exterior and fluffy interior of this tried and true classic.
For the starters, we had the Norfolk quail egg with celeriac, wild garlic, and morels. The egg was warm and yolky. The yolk itself was fresh, bright and orange. The celeriac flakes wrapped the quail in a light crusty texture.
The dish rests on delicious cream mixed among morels and wild garlic. This was quite the deliciously creamy and decadent dish.
The next course was Cornish cod with sweet potato, wood sorrel, and chicken jus. As a fun flair, the Cornish cod came topped with chicken skin. The cod was thick, soft and hefty. The tasty skin garnish introduces the salt and texture to the superbly generous, fresh cod.
We found ourselves scraping the scrumptious plate clean. The chicken essence certainly made it rich while the cod presented itself as a pleasant and full experience.
The main course was dry aged duck with red cabbage and smoked duck fat. The duck was served two ways. One was a breast steak, and the other a leg terrine. There was potato fondant, red cabbage compote, and pickled red cabbage as accompaniment and creating harmony.
The duck breast was wonderfully indulgent and appetizing. The sides are there to maintain control of the richness of both the duck terrine and breast. There’s so much pure and marvelous flavors of which the sides truly unified. This dish is remarkable.
To wind us down from the lovely savors we got to experience, we had the Pistachio sponge cake with white chocolate ganache and pink peppercorn ice cream for dessert. This was a gentle dish full of natural pistachio flavors and textures.
The white chocolate is light while contributing enough sweetness to make it feel like a dessert. The green flakes and lemon puree perfectly fuses the entire dish.
Now feeling the agreeable food coma, we concluded with the restaurant’s house coffee.
When the coffee came, there was a surprise box of macarons and sugared cardamom pears Turkish delight. This entire experience was outstanding.
If you’re ever in Cambridge, make sure to check out Restaurant Twenty Two located just a short walk from the historic city center. Do enjoy an absolutely enchanting modern British fare in this exquisite restaurant by partners Sam Carter & Alex Olivier. You won’t regret it!
Thanks to Restaurant Twenty Two | 22 Chesterton Rd, Cambridge CB4 3AX, UK | +44 1223 351880