Description: For our last night we dined at one of the two chop houses in Cambridge. One sits on King’s Parade with views across the street to
King’s College. This wasn’t that one. This was located at the rear of St John’s College, slightly away from the heart of town. If heading up Bridge Street, cross over Magdalene Bridge, past the college of the same name, and head up towards Castle Hill. Turn left at the crossroads onto Northampton Street, and the restaurant is a couple of minutes walk up here opposite The Punter pub (formerly The Town & Gown) in a 17th century brick building. It’s a rather awkwardly-shaped building, long rather than broad, which gives it a rather strung-out set-up. You also dine in discrete rooms which I imagine would act to dampen atmosphere unless there was a large party in residence. We were quite lucky in that respect. But I could see that if the place was almost empty it really would seem dead. The doorways are also very low.
The menu, it has to be said, is absolutely first-class. Rarely have I been confronted with quite so many dishes that all sounded quite so delicious. We decided not to have starter, which was a mercy if only because it meant that I didn’t have to make a choice between options like bloody mary cured salmon (£6.50), potted shrimps (£6.50) or beef tomato filled with crab (£7). I would probably have given the lamb’s sweetbreads (£6) a miss though…
The main courses are just as chock-full of choice. Take for example their sausages and mash. For £10.50 you get a choice of four different types of sausages, three types of mash and four sauces to go on top – 48 different possible combinations by my count. While I was tempted by the whole stuffed black bream (£16) and even more so by the seared wood pigeon, sugar snap and bacon salad (£12 as a main) I eventually opted for the whole smoked trout. Rebecca chose the
suet pudding of the day, which turned out to be steak and mushroom in a thick gravy.
Service was almost disconcertingly swift. But then, my
smoked trout did come served cold. It was a whole fish, served with mixeed leaves and a dash of piquant horseradish and potato salad. And it was certainly worth every penny of the £12.00 I paid for it. Trout is my favourite fish. If I’m honest I would probably have preferred it just cooked simply rather than being smoked as the flavour of trout is too nice to disguise with that of woodsmoke in my view. Still, I won’t be complaining about what I was served any time soon.
Puddings posed another problem. In the end I had an
Eton mess, a tall glass of thick rich cream, chopped strawberries and meringue all muddled together. Another heart attack waiting to happen for me then.
For a three-course meal at the St John’s Chop House you would probably be looking at around £25 per person, excluding drinks. For the inventiveness and quality of the menu this is not a bad price to pay. If they have the same menu at the same prices at their original branch on King’s Parade I would also suggest you break my golden rule of never having a meal directly across from a major tourist attraction.
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