Diners' Choice: Good for special occasions restaurants in Cambridge/Cambridgeshire

OpenTable

Updated June 05, 2025

Looking for the best special occasion restaurants in Cambridge/Cambridgeshire? You’re in the right place. Each month, OpenTable analyzes nearly 2 million global diner reviews from the past four months. We sort the results by location and category to help you discover new favorite restaurants. It's a great partnership: you reserve, eat, and review. We listen...and deliver the results for all to benefit. Enjoy!

The Pear & Olive Restaurant

5.0

5 (71)

£41 and over

Modern European

Hildersham

About the restaurant

We are a small, family run restaurant in Hildersham.
Offering fresh, homemade dishes using the finest local ingredients, with a modern European influence.
Bar & outside space for drinks & nibbles.

Top review

Sarah

Dined on Jun 20, 2025

Very delicious and surprising starters. Main courses were very tasty and beautifully set out. Puddings were fine. It’s a really lovely place to eat and hear each other talk. Jade and Josh run a great little restaurant. Not cheap but special. I recommend this place.

Midsummer House Restaurant

4.8

4.8 (443)

£41 and over

British

Cambridge

About the restaurant

Please note that if your desired booking time is not showing as available we ask that you phone us on 01223 369299 and we will do our best to accommodate you.

As Midsummer House forges ahead into its third decade, Daniel Clifford’s elegant, sophisticated modern British cooking continues to evolve. For over twenty years, passion and creativity have skilfully shaped the menu at Midsummer House, showcasing the finest seasonal produce and offering a contemporary British dining experience of the highest quality.

Important: Foods in this restaurant are processed in a kitchen that produces dishes with milk, wheat, soybean, fish, nuts, eggs, and egg products.

Top review

Colin

Dined 4 days ago

This is the best place in Cambridge for a celebration, from the moment you walk in to the minute you leave. Fantastic atmosphere food and service. It’s a beautiful place to visit and I would recommend it to anyone who enjoys the city.

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4.8

4.8 (78)

£25 and under

Japanese

Ely

About the restaurant

In the world of Japanese cuisine, our trio of Sushi and Salad restaurants in Ely, Stamford and Saffron Walden shine as culinary treasures within their local communities. Each of these establishments promises a unique and captivating dining adventure, reflecting the essence of their surroundings.
We are committed to delivering extraordinary dining experiences at every visit, ensuring that the spirit and flavours of each locale are perfectly captured for an unforgettable and flavourful journey.

Top review

julita

Dined 1 day ago

Delicious food. Nice staff. Good atmosphere. I recommend.

Côte Brasserie - Peterborough

4.7

4.7 (60)

£25 and under

French

Peterborough

About the restaurant

Welcome to Côte Peterborough, our charming and sophisticated setting is perfect for casual lunches and elegant dinners, whether you're a local or visiting the city. Just a short walk from Peterborough Train Station, the bustling city centre and the picturesque Cathedral Square, Côte is the ideal spot to relax and enjoy a delicious meal after exploring the local sights. For those who appreciate dining outdoors, Côte Peterborough offers a delightful outside seating area. It's the perfect place to enjoy our French-inspired dishes while enjoying the vibrant atmosphere of Peterborough.

Top review

Tracey

Dined on May 19, 2025

Lovely service, very fast. We all choose food from the set menu 3 courses. Everyone remarked how tasty and plentiful the food was. The whitebait and Boursin salad were delicious as was the 5 minute steak. The chicken I have to say was particularly nice, finished off on the chargrill all served with lots of skinny fries. After 2 courses I must admit we were full up. We all had the cheese course for dessert the selection was very good, as was the homemade chutney and bread. We will definitely be back and thoroughly recommend eating here.

Sticks'n'Sushi - Cambridge

4.7

4.7 (176)

£26 to £40

Sushi

Cambridge

About the restaurant

Just a short walk from the prestigious Cambridge University and across from the Corn Exchange, we offer a vibrant dining experience in a historic setting. Enjoy our quality sushi and grilled sticks amidst student chatter, shoppers and locals alike. A sushi restaurant - even for those that don't like fish.

Top review

Caroline

Dined 6 days ago

We had an amazing lunch, our first time here. Staff were excellent in helping us to make decisions on what to choose. Efficient service, lovely food in a clean and quiet setting

The Dining Room at Poets House

4.6

4.6 (540)

£26 to £40

British

Ely

About the restaurant

Our Dining Room, Writing Room, Courtyard Garden and Sonnet Lounge restaurant are the perfect places to catch up with friends or colleagues. We are open daily for dining with food being served from 9 am - 8.45 pm, and drinks until late.

Whether it's our breakfast menu, weekday lunch, or dinner, The Poet's House stunning decor, wonderful dishes, and first-class service guarantee an unforgettable dining experience

Top review

OpenTable Diner

Dined 4 days ago

Excellent hotel and dining venue. First class service and food.

Kibou Cambridge

4.6

4.6 (89)

£26 to £40

Japanese

Cambridge

About the restaurant

KIBOU Japanese restaurant and bar in Cambridge is a chic new addition to the city, and the perfect spot to enjoy a leisurely lunch or dinner.
Located at 7a Jesus Lane, home to the Pitt Club, and formerly Pizza Express, the venue features eye-catching murals and digital animations, alongside stunning Japanese floral and foliage installations.
Light and airy, The Mirror Room centres around a large Japanese cherry blossom tree, whilst the seductive Oak Room focuses on a large wisteria tree set against a backdrop of plush fabrics and artwork.
There’s also a relaxed cocktail lounge and dining area, featuring an open sushi and hot kitchen, and a standalone spirits and cocktail bar.
The menu has all your favourite dishes from Japan, including steaming bowls of ramen, a selection of bao buns, crisp tempura and handmade spiced pork gyoza, plus work of art sushi and sashimi sharing platters, seasonal specials and A5 Grade Japanese wagyu.
Their Japanese-inspired afternoon tea is a must try too!

Top review

James

Dined 2 days ago

Excellent lunchtime dining experience at Kibou yesterday celebrating my daughter's birthday. Great menu (food & cocktails), excellent attentive service, and delightful venue. My thanks to all the staff for making it such an enjoyable occasion. Was our first visity to Kibou Cambridge - definitely going again soon.

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Experience

Teishoku (定食) Set Lunch - £16.90

Experience

Japanese Afternoon Tea

Experience

Vegetarian Japanese Afternoon Tea

The Folio Bar & Kitchen

4.5

4.5 (214)

£25 and under

Contemporary British

Cambridge

About the restaurant

The Folio Bar & Kitchen rewrites the food and drink script for the storied city of Cambridge. Follow as our creative chefs compose home-cooked classics full of clever twists and inspiring turns, including mouth-watering Dish. Featuring plant-based experiments, vegan and vegetarian dishes, and favourite drinks are all given a wonderfully-crafted modern rethink. Be captivated in our relaxed dining and drinking spaces where we blend the historic with the contemporary to ensure your time with us is filled with indulgence and inspiration.

Top review

Hanna

Dined on Jun 19, 2025

The Afternoon Tea at The Folio was great. Plenty of tea, sandwiches and cakes. Was a bit surprised at first to only see one scone per person (usually there are two), but one was more than enough. They had a nice smaller version for children too.

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Experience

Weekday Lunch with Complimentary Parking

Experience

Afternoon Tea at The Folio Bar & Kitchen

The Elm

4.5

4.5 (335)

£25 and under

Gastro Pub

Huntingdon

About the restaurant

Set in the picturesque village of Abbots Ripton with access to beautiful walks on the local estate, The Elm has everything you want from your perfect countryside pub; A glorious garden, a roaring fire, comfortable rooms, delicious food and a wide selection of drinks.

The Grade II-listed building was built, as an open hall, in the late 15th Century to offer hospitality to the drovers bringing cattle down from Scotland (along the Bullock Road) to the market at St.Ives. It was later altered with the insertion of a brick chimney in the early 17th century. The Fellowes family, that own and run the pub, came to the area around the same time the pub got its chimney...

Top review

ColinVIP

Dined 6 days ago

Lovely large pub with big carpark. Large outdoor area under canvas cover and many tables indoors

The Orator

4.2

4.2 (531)

£26 to £40

Contemporary British

Cambridge

About the restaurant

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.

Top review

John

Dined on Jun 16, 2025

Excellent lunch, well prepared and served. Very good price

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