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The Orator, Cambridge, Cambridgeshire

The Orator

4.2 (517)
£26 to £40
Contemporary British
The Orator, Round Church Street, Cambridge, Cambridgeshire CB5 8AD

Make a reservation

2 people
7:00 PM
Booked 15 times today

About this restaurant

  • Charming
  • Good for special occasions
  • Good for business meals
Nothing delights quite like The Orator, serving up contemporary British food, cocktails, beer and wine. Set in a stunning Victorian gothic venue with high ceilings bathed in swathes of natural light.

We can offer private dining for up to 20 in our private Dining Room used to host guests of the Cambridge Union Society, recently including Dua Lipa and Robert de Niro. For larger groups, we have a number of different rooms throughout the venue to cater for any occasion.
Speak to our events team at enquiries@theoratorcambridge.co.uk for more information on all private hire options.

Additional information

  • Dining style
    Casual Dining
  • Price
    £26 to £40
  • Cuisines
    Contemporary British, Fusion / Eclectic, Beer Garden
  • Hours of operation
    Mon–Wed 12:00 pm–10:00 pm Thu–Sat 12:00 pm–11:00 pm Sun 12:00 pm–6:00 pm
  • Phone number
  • Payment options
    Cash not accepted
  • Dress code
    Casual Dress
  • Private party facilities
    We have a number of small and large event spaces available to hire. Contact us at enquiries@theoratorcambridge.co.uk for more information.
  • Neighborhood
    Cambridge
  • Cross street
    Hidden behind the Round Church, between Bridge Street and Park Street.
  • Parking details
    None
  • Additional
    Bar/Lounge, Beer, Beer Garden, Cocktails, Counter Seating, Dog Friendly, Entertainment, Full Bar, Gender Neutral Restroom, Gluten-free Options, Indoor Fireplace, Late Night, Outdoor Smoking Area, Patio/Outdoor Dining, Private Room, Vegan, Wheelchair Access, Wine

What 517 people are saying

The Orator reviews from people who’ve dined at this restaurant. Based on recent rating.

Overall ratings and reviews

Reviews can only be made by diners who have eaten at this restaurant

4.2
4.2 based on recent ratings
  • 4.2Food
  • 4Service
  • 4.4Ambience
  • 4.1Value

NoiseEnergetic

Loved For

  • Cambridge/Cambridgeshire

    Great for brunch

  • Cambridge/Cambridgeshire

    Good for business meals

  • Cambridge/Cambridgeshire

    Innovative

  • Cambridge/Cambridgeshire

    Great for creative cocktails

  • Cambridge/Cambridgeshire

    Hot spot

  • Cambridge/Cambridgeshire

    Great for outdoor dining

  • Cambridge/Cambridgeshire

    Lively

  • Cambridge

    Best Overall

  • Cambridge

    Best Ambiance

  • Cambridge

    Great for brunch

  • Cambridge

    Good for business meals

  • Cambridge

    Hot spot

  • Cambridge

    Neighborhood gem

  • Cambridge

    Vegetarian-friendly

  • Cambridge

    Lively

Review summary

AI-generated from verified diner reviews
The Orator is a charming restaurant known for its "fabulous and generous portions" and "wonderful building." Patrons appreciate the "lovely, attentive staff" and "great value set menu." The environment is lively with live music enhancing the atmosphere. Some reviews highlight room for improvement in menu options and service speed.

517 Reviews
  1. Charles

    Cambridge1 review

    4.0

    Dined 1 day ago

    1. Overall 4
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Lovely place for our lunch date. Wheelchair accessible and had reasonable gluten free and vegetarian options.

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  2. Nick

    Cambridge1 review

    5.0

    Dined 6 days ago

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Very helpful staff as we had our dog with us. The service was just good and the food was excellent and filling. We will be coming again, many thanks
    The OratorResponded 4 days ago
    Great to hear you enjoyed your visit Nick, and we look forward to welcoming you back soon, including your dog! Best wishes, The Orator team

    Is this helpful?

  3. Vicki

    Cambridge1 review

    5.0

    Dined 7 days ago

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Visited The Orator last night for my birthday - lovely attentive staff, food was good, dessert portions were quite small but full of flavour. Lovely decor with really high ceiling made it feel spacious. Garden area looked very pleasant & definitely will return.
    The OratorResponded 4 days ago
    Thank you for the great feedback Vicki, we are delighted we helped to make your birthday special! We look forward to welcoming you back soon. Best wishes, The Orator team

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  4. Maxine VIP

    Cambridge39 reviews

    4.0

    Dined on April 24, 2025

    1. Overall 4
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    A hidden gem away from the city bustle . Very quiet for lunch today, friendly service, food was fabulous and portions generous. Lovely to take a friend who never knew of its existence and now her go-to lunch spot in Cambridge. She’s a vegetarian and lived all the healthy choices.
    The OratorResponded 4 days ago
    Thank you for the great review Maxine, and we look forward to welcoming you and your friend back for a 5 star service next time! Best wishes, The Orator team

    Is this helpful?

  5. Brendan

    Manchester3 reviews

    3.0

    Dined on April 19, 2025

    1. Overall 3
    2. Food 2
    3. Service 4
    4. Ambience 4
    The burger was disappointing…….there were four of us and we all felt the same. You would not complain but there are definitely better burgers out there with more imaginative and up to date cooking flare!!! However I have to say the service team working there are extremely friendly, helpful and professional…..they were a big plus.
    The OratorResponded 4 days ago
    We are sorry to hear that you were disappointed with the burgers Brendan. We will of course pass on feedback to our kitchen team. It is great to hear that the service you received was good, again this will be passed on to the team. We hope you return and try us again. Best wishes, The Orator

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  6. James

    London2 reviews

    5.0

    Dined on April 18, 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Wonderful building and great value set menu for lunch.
    The OratorResponded 4 days ago
    Thank you for the 5 stars James! We look forward to serving you again soon! Best wishes, The Orator team

    Is this helpful?

  7. Aoife

    Cambridge1 review

    5.0

    Dined on April 12, 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Great food and service We will be back soon Thank you
    The OratorResponded on April 15, 2025
    Thank you for the great review Aoife, we look forward to welcoming you back soon! The Orator team

    Is this helpful?

  8. Jonathan

    Cambridge1 review

    1.0

    Dined on March 31, 2025

    1. Overall 1
    2. Food 3
    3. Service 1
    4. Ambience 2
    Appalling service - no interest in customers from beginning to end
    The OratorResponded on April 7, 2025
    Hello, Thank you for your feedback - I am sorry that you were disappointed on your last visit. Please feel free to get in touch with me directly should you wish to share more details about your experience. All the best, Claire Hey Restaurant Manager

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  9. Tamsin

    Cambridge1 review

    3.0

    Dined on March 30, 2025

    1. Overall 3
    2. Food 4
    3. Service 1
    4. Ambience 4
    Friendly service but very slow. Beautiful but noisy environment.
    The OratorResponded on April 7, 2025
    Hello, Thank you for your feedback. We are sorry that not everything went as expected but we hope to earn all 5 stars on your next visit. All the best, Team Orator

    Is this helpful?

  10. Gill

    Cambridge1 review

    5.0

    Dined on March 26, 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    My friends and I all agreed that we had a lovely lunch in great surroundings with really good service. We also agreed we would be back again. Thank you
    The OratorResponded on April 7, 2025
    Hello, Thank you for your fantastic feedback! We all hope to see you back again shortly. All the best, Team Orator

    Is this helpful?

FAQs

The Orator is rated 4.2 stars by 517 OpenTable diners.

Yes, you can generally book this restaurant by choosing the date, time and party size on OpenTable.

  1. Home
  2. United Kingdom
  3. Cambridge/Cambridgeshire
  4. Cambridge
  5. Cambridge

Make a reservation

2 people
7:00 PM
Booked 15 times today
Google Map for The Orator

The Orator, Round Church Street, Cambridge, Cambridgeshire CB5 8AD

Additional information

  • Cross street
    Hidden behind the Round Church, between Bridge Street and Park Street.
  • Neighborhood
    Cambridge
  • Hours of operation
    Mon–Wed 12:00 pm–10:00 pm Thu–Sat 12:00 pm–11:00 pm Sun 12:00 pm–6:00 pm
  • Price
    £26 to £40
  • Cuisines
    Contemporary British, Fusion / Eclectic, Beer Garden
  • Dining style
    Casual Dining
  • Dress code
    Casual Dress
  • Parking details
    None
  • Payment options
    Cash not accepted
  • Additional
    Bar/Lounge, Beer, Beer Garden, Cocktails, Counter Seating, Dog Friendly, Entertainment, Full Bar, Gender Neutral Restroom, Gluten-free Options, Indoor Fireplace, Late Night, Outdoor Smoking Area, Patio/Outdoor Dining, Private Room, Vegan, Wheelchair Access, Wine
  • Phone number
  • Private party facilities
    We have a number of small and large event spaces available to hire. Contact us at enquiries@theoratorcambridge.co.uk for more information.
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