Cocum in Cambridge

Many moons back, my Indian wife and I were havering about buying a house on the Cambridge hill, waked down for a meal at what was then Cocum, subsequently Nivedyam and now Pakka - and the quality of the meal led us to set up home nearby! I should explain that I am a Professor of English Literature and Religious Studies, and my wife, one of my first research students in Cambridge, comes from a centuries-old Brahmin family of Hindu saints and scholarly pundits. Hence, when we have visitors from our Indian family or academic guests from the world over to entertain, it is vital to take them to a restaurant that represents the best of Indian (and, in particular,of Kerala cuisine. So we keep a close eye and a sensitive tongue on any change to our much-prized Cocum and I am delighted to report that two visits now to the smart re-vamped restaurant, now PAKKA, have convinced us that the upgrade is stylish (though the image of Shiva is without his flute!), the food as good as ever (I am told the kitchen staff are the same) - and the student waitresses who are from Kerala, quite as charming as the food and decor. (Professor David Frost, St John's College, Cambridge)

Really enjoyed our evening out here...the food was top class. We didn’t have to wait long..it came out hot and delicious. Every dish had a unique flavour. We asked for specials and recommendations and nothing was disappointing. Would love to come back! Soon!

Absolutamente asqueado de que se les haya dado pollo, después de avisar específicamente que toda la fiesta es vegetariana. Uno de los pequeños chutneys / platos que se trajeron con las poppadums contenía pollo. Los miembros del personal vinieron a comer a mitad de camino para informarnos que tenía pollo y para llevarlo. Esto fue demasiado tarde para algunos de nuestro grupo, que habían comido algo y estaban profundamente molestos por este error. Una pequeña ofrenda de postre no fue suficiente como disculpa. Ahora hay algunas familias que no volverán a comer en su restaurante. Enormemente decepcionado

Somos grandes fanáticos de la comida aquí. Cada vez que extrañamos nuestro hogar, pediremos comida y la disfrutaremos. ????delicioso. . . .

No hay mucho que decir sobre este restaurante, aparte de que el curry casero era absolutamente divino y que el servicio y la hospitalidad de nuestro anfitrión no tenían comparación con ninguna otra casa de curry. El curry característico (el curry nadan) era absolutamente delicioso y recomendaría el ajo naan para acompañarlo. Los poppadoms y el arroz, así como el kebab de carne, eran deliciosos y la salsa de pollo con la que se servían los poppadoms era para morirse. Nuestro anfitrión fue muy amable y hablador, al mismo tiempo que manejaba un gran número de pedidos de locales que frecuentaban el restaurante. No podría recomendar este restaurante más altamente a cualquiera que quiera una auténtica y auténtica experiencia de curry de Cambridge.

The service was efficient but unobtrusive and friendly. We had poppadoms and pickles, then I had the battered mushroom starter, my husband had the saag paneer, both of which were delicious, I had the chicken tikka for my main course, it came sizzling as it should, with onions and peppers, there was lots of tender, tasty chicken, my husband had the chicken Calicut, we shared a mushroom rice and bread and there was more than enough. I can’t wait yo go back to Cambridge just so that I can eat there again!

Spotted this on Trip Advisor as a good place for dinner while visiting old friend in Cambridge. We weren’t disappointed. Magnificent masala dosa and selection of eclectic and very tasty vegetable dishes - beetroot and aubergine - plus a delicious slow cooked lamb dish ‘Erachi Ularthiyathu’ which I’ve never seen anywhere else. If I lived in Cambridge this would be my regular.

Good briyanis and dals, nice range of South Indian food with some less typical options, good breads and dosas. Not a cookie cutter place, well known amongst local Cambridge and Castke Hill types.

Don't go here! Poor attitude. Bad environmental practices. Mediocre food. Recently I came to this restaurant for take away, and brought my own containers, since this restaurant is known for massive over-packaging. The clerk assured me that he would use my containers, and would avoid using any plastic. However, when I came back to pick up, he had wrapped the containers I gave him in layers of plastic, wrapped the bread in foil when he said he would use paper, and then wrapped the whole lot of it in a paper bag, then yet another plastic bag. When I complained to him that he had explicitly agreed *not* to do that, he was totally flippant, and could barely look up at me from his phone. I tried to explain to him that plastic takes 500 years to break down in the environment, and yet all I got from him was attitude. I am *never* coming back to this place, and I suggest that others avoid it as well.

A short walk up Cambridge's only hill, past the Castle Pub and out of the bustle of the city centre. A very friendly restaurant and a good place to try if on a solo visit. I was recommended a fresh lime and mint infused water instead of a lime soda and it was excellent. The Masala Dosa was delicious and extremely large and well worth the visit for. The menu is very good for vegetarians and I need to come back to try some of the other options! Excellent value too. I will definitely be back!

Excellent lentil soup, very very moreish. The best part of our meal was the excellent dosas. Very reasonably priced with friendly helpful service.

I am Cambridge academic married to the Indian Nehru Memorial Scholar for 1968/9,.so for over fifty years we have kept an eye open and a tongue ready for the best in Indian eateries in the city, especially with a flow of international guests in mind.. The new Nivedyam, formerly Cocum, across the road from Castle Hill, with its affable manager from Kerala and a new young cook from the same state, is among the best we have experienced in over fifty years: inexpensive, unpretentious, prompt and friendly service - and a refreshment to the most jaded of palates! Professor David and Dr Christine Mangala Frost

I was really pleased to see a Southern Indian restaurant in Cambridge, in my experience, Southern Indian food is the best, especially if you or someone in your group is vegetarian/vegan, definitely lighter and fresher than the usual more typically Northan Indian food served in most Indian restaurants. I went here for lunch with a small group and all the food we had was fresh, delicious and so tasty. There was plenty enough choice to satisfy all dietary preferences, and it’s worth a visit for the dosas alone, loved it, will definitely return.

We had dinner at Nivedyam in May 2019 and it was delicious and very reasonably priced. The staff was attentive but not pushy. When asked for advice, they gave excellent recommendations. Dinner was fabulous. We had Kerala seafood soup and lamb rolls for appetizers. For mains we ate Meen Pappas, a fantastic fish dish, along with Erachi Ularthiyathu, a fantastic lamb dish (the menu said something like: try this, it’s like nothing you’ve ever tasted, and it was true!). We also had the Thadka Dal lentils, basmati rice and poori. All was fantastic and when the bill came we were amazed to have had wine and food and feel so happy and satisfied for the price we were paying. Go to Nivedyam!

We ate here one evening during our recent trip to Cambridge and were very pleased that we did. Delicious food and quick service. The waiter was very helpful when I asked what was vegan on the menu and there was a good choice.

Seated next to the toilet door which is fine if people could be bothered to shut the sliding door behind them.

Vivimos en Derby pero viajamos mucho a Cambridge. Cuando estamos en Cambridge siempre elegimos comer aquí. La comida es deliciosa y el servicio siempre es bueno. Comemos los mismos platos con una pequeña variación. Entrantes es el cordero Dosa. Seguido por Lamb Biryani, Tadka Dal y luego un pollo o pescado al curry. Incluso cuando está tranquilo en el restaurante, los pasajeros que llegan a domicilio están dentro y fuera todo el tiempo. Ok, puedes conseguir una mejor decoración donde no pero mejor comida.

Fui a cenar allí y desde 2015 todos los años visito este mismo lugar cada vez que estoy en Cambridge. Sin embargo, esta vez no solo sirvieron algo que llamaron samosa, sino que fue básicamente una mentira, ya que no era la samosa india, sino algo completamente diferente con una pasta de cebolla cruda que parecía de color rosa. Además, pedí Ghala Masala Dosa asado en el que no había sabor ni olor a Ghee, pero para colmo, toda la dosis estaba helada y el relleno de papa estaba caliente y absolutamente insípido. Cuando le dije al servidor que la dosa estaba fría, él dijo que estaba teniendo samosa, ¡así que se enfrió! ! ! Además, pedí agua con gas y él trajo una botella de 1 L y cuando le pregunté si no había una botella pequeña, dijo que no. Nunca por una vez mencionó que solo este tamaño estaba disponible antes de abrir la botella.

The Nivedyam is a small restaurant. It serves very well prepared and tasty southern Indian food. The Masala Dosai was excellent, served with a coconut chutney and vegetable curry sauce. Standard Indian bottled beer to wash it down.

We have been coming here for a few months since moving to the area. It is really popular, the food is simply delicious, and we always get a warm welcome. Tonight I had the lamb cheera curry, the portions are large, the meat is excellent quality, and the sauces so tasty. I have enjoyed all the dishes I have had here, but this stood out for tenderness and delicately balanced flavours. Thanks Nivedyam!

We give British pub fare much due credit for coming a long way in the last 20 years since its previous dark days of unmitigated blandom. Still, the vanguard of English culinary salvation remains its range and ubiquity of excellent Indian food, as we are sampling this evening, with Asian and Mediterranean food holding up the flank and rear. This place is a prime example ans best in class for its specific category of hard to find authentic South Indian far. On order shown here are chicken masala dosai (crepe) and chicken biryani. The restaurant cuisine actually hails from my ancestral Kerala which I have yet to discover. The copious portions made for ample take home, even for the two ravenous patrons.

An old Cambridge favourite as Cocum, Nivedyam continues to serve us consistently good South Indian curries: meat is tender, vegetables tasty, spices distinguishable. Service friendly, and the atmosphere stays familiar. Very good value for money, but it's the consistency of the cooking which stands out.

On a visit home for Christmas.Took my 95 year old father for a meal here. He loves Indian food having spent many years out in India during the war. So accommodating and helpful getting him into the restaurant. Delicious meal, gluten free and plenty of it and served well.

Hemos estado visitando y sacándonos de este restaurante durante años, prácticamente desde que abrió sus puertas como Cocum. Anoche pedimos comida para llevar y quedamos extremadamente decepcionados. Shashlik de cordero era piezas muy grandes de cordero recocido, muy duro, no particularmente sabroso, con dos enormes mitades de tomates y dos medias cebollas igualmente grandes. Las verduras estaban asadas, pero las cebollas eran tan grandes que no se cocinaban. Las verduras se frotaron, de manera desigual con una mezcla de especias súper picantes, de modo que sabían completamente sin condimentar o muy calientes. Ninguna sutileza a la mezcla de especias en absoluto. Había tanto chile en polvo que no se podía probar nada más. Aún peor fue el guiso de verduras blanco y acuoso. Casi completamente sin sabor y con un regusto ligeramente desagradable a ghee y nada más. Los panes naan estaban secos y los poppadums que pedimos no llegaron.

Me encanta la comida india, pero con demasiada frecuencia el menú se ve igual. Es genial encontrar un restaurante que haga algo diferente y que lo haga bien. Fuimos un sábado por la noche como un grupo de 9 y el restaurante estaba lleno. Todavía se entregaron y el servicio fue amable y atento. Vale la pena una visita.

Had dinner here early on a Friday evening.

Called in with friends yesterday for lunch and couldn’t have chosen better. First class service, a very friendly and helpful waiter. The food couldn’t have been better and there was so much that we were given boxes to bring some home. Truly delicious and if I lived closer I would be going there regularly.

El servicio era muy pobre. Nos sirvieron poppadoms y después de 10 minutos tuvimos que preguntar si las especias estaban incluidas, pero se olvidaron de servirlas con poppadoms. Pedimos agua y luego tuvimos que volver a pedir 10 minutos más tarde, ya que se olvidaron, luego pedimos una recarga más tarde en la cena y nos sirvieron agua tibia. Era solo una categoría de errores que se volvió bastante molesta al final.

Personal agradable Nos acomodaron, a pesar de que había un gran grupo debido. Sin embargo, ¡comprobé su clasificación de higiene de los alimentos después de que nos sentamos! Solo tiene 3 estrellas, lo que significa que la preparación de alimentos, el almacenamiento y los procedimientos no son buenos. Pensé que lo arriesgaríamos en lugar de salir, ¡qué error! ¡Mi esposo y yo estuvimos enfermos 12 horas después! Enfermedad y diarrea. Un signo de los malos procedimientos de manipulación de alimentos. No volveré y quiero que otras personas sepan!

Mi esposa y yo habíamos estado haciendo las maletas para nuestro viaje a Sicilia al día siguiente y lo dejamos demasiado tarde para cocinar, así que decidimos probar Nivedyam nuevamente, solíamos ser "Coum" pero aparentemente un cambio en la estructura de propiedad llevó a un cambio de nombre. Solíamos ir allí con mucha frecuencia, pero el servicio se había vuelto realmente terrible. En esta ocasión, al menos, el servicio era muy bueno y la comida era genial. ¡Sospecho que el menú era el mismo que había sido cuando fuimos a Cocum hace más de 10 años!

Nivedyam è un ristorante modesto ma accurato che presenta una vera cucina indiana del sud-est, speziata e aromatica. Non solo i piatti sono ben preparati na in qualche caso si fanno notare come ad esempio nel caso dei pickles che accompagnano gli immancabili papadum, i migliori di Cambridge. Se a tutto questo aggiungi che i prezzi, in una città che ormai tende ad essere decisamente cara sono del tutto ragionevoli, ecco perché conviene mangiare da Nivedyam, e tornarci.

Was looking forward to trying this place, as love South Indian food and have eaten a lot of it in India. This place was a huge let down. Chilli chicken was sweet and tasted nothing like Indian food. Food was greasy, lamb was shrivelled and black. Malabar chicken drowning in sweet coconut sauce. It didn't taste authentic, and food worse than standard takeaway. It wasn't cheap either. Won't be returning.

Esta vez la cena para dos. Encurtidos y papadoms, sopa de pescado, plato principal encantador con pan Naan y postre. Nos gusta el ambiente relajado y los sabores sutiles de la comida. Siempre generoso. proporciones Nunca está demasiado ocupado para cuidar de usted. Cuando el centro de Cambridge está lleno, este es el lugar para venir a comer, a una corta distancia a pie de la colina. Para comprobar y después, hay un pub con jardín de adnam justo al otro lado de la calle. Pasamos 24 libras por cabeza, no incluye las bebidas. Altamente recomendado.

Exceptional food at affordable prices with attentive service. Two starters and two mains came up to £22.50. Should be great for vegetarians.

We've eaten here a couple of times before when it's been called Cocum and it's changed little since the name-change to Nivedyam. Still top class food, though the decor has been improved and the chairs are even more comfortable than I remember from our last visit. We had a selection of dishes to share, starting with a classic masala dosa which was quite delicious. Followed that with a Keralan mango pullissery (a sweet and sour curry with green bananas and crushed mango - absolutely delicious and certainly different), an aubergine thiyal (chopped aubergine in a tomato onion and coconut milk spicy sauce), and a mild paneer butter masala, with egg fried rice and a couple of rotis to accompany and a couple of Indian beers. And we'd started with a poppadum, just because you do. We ate very well and if anything had slightly over-ordered - there was a bit left in a couple of the dishes - and the price was still very reasonable. Jenny wasn't quite as keen as me on the juicy and plentiful sauces with the vegetable dishes and would have preferred more of the main ingredients (e.g. the aubergines and the paneer), though I was very happy with our meal and the flavours were excellent. A couple of minor niggles though which I've marked them down for - the poppadum was not good (tasted as if the oil had been off, and it was really oily anyway) - though they didn't charge us for this as we did complain. And initially we were charged for an extra beer, swiftly removed from the bill when I challenged this, but it never looks good. We were also a bit concerned that the restaurant wasn't as full as it has been on previous visits: maybe it's out of term-time, but it'd be a shame if they can't keep going. There aren't that many south Indian restaurants around and this is basically a good and friendly one and deserves to succeed.

The prices were very high for the quantity of food given and the waiters showed a terrible disregard for common courtesies one would expect from a restaurant. Would definitely not recommend.

My vegetarian friend and I stopped by here last week and had a delicious meal.. the beans thoyan was really outstanding with freshly grated coconut. Huge choice for veggies, beer on tap, friendly staff and very reasonably priced.

Amazing dosa with great coconut sambal, lovely pickles with the poppadoms and delicious pepper chicken curry and a Dahl, all very reasonably priced.

we had house guests and need a quick supper so we ordered a £30.00 supper from Nivedyam - a lovely mushroom Kerala curry and an unbelievable bread dish filled with spicy potatoes with dal and hot sauce. It was delicious and the people, although briefly met, were charming. We are going supper soon - bit a gem this one

My group of old friends were taken here by the Cambridge resident, who came often to this modest looking restaurant before it recently changed management. She was slightly worried that the quality of the food might have changed too, but she shouldn't have been. The food was sensational! I started with a Dosa, which I always order if it is on the menu, and when it arrived I was taken aback by its size, and delighted with its taste - sweet, but not sickly, with interesting flavours, as was the Peshwari Nan, which we ordered with our main courses. My Chilli King Prawns were succulent and well covered with a juicy curry sauce, and the chicken and lamb dishes were excellent, too. Three rices between four was more than ample, and the portions for the prices were really generous. With three beers and two glasses of wine, we spent under £25 each, with a tip. What a bargain, and what a treat! Certainly worth seeking out on any trip to Cambridge, IMHO.

All curries taste and look differently unlike some of the restaurants who are serving indian food where almost all curries are made of same sauce. We ordered 4 different curries and all of them were tasty and good value for money. Choice for Vegetarians is huge(50% of the menu) and Vegan options were incredible. This place doesnt have the best of decor but food is simply the best in Cambridge. We have had a Vegan and Gluten allergic friend and everyone was happy with the choices

Comí aquí en el primer día que llegó a Cambridge. Me gusta la comida india y empezamos a comer aquí casi cada día. En mi tercer o cuarto día en este restaurante, tuve y un 'vada limonada en este restaurante que vinieron a GBP 4. 7. Dejando el restaurante, el personal me dijo que la "política" es para los clientes del restaurante para pedir la cena por un valor mínimo de 10 libras. Cuando pregunté sobre este "política" del director en el día siguiente, habló en forma muy paternalistas, diciendo que era una "expectativa" en el restaurante que los clientes deberían pedir más comida y no tienen algo que era simplemente un aperitivo en el menú del restaurante. Vale la pena notar que ningún otro restaurante en el REINO UNIDO ha este tipo de política, así que el argumento del gerente que él era simplemente diciendo "cómo se hacen las cosas en el REINO UNIDO "cataratas plana. El gerente, Harish, también parece ser un hombre ignorante que no sabe que no es 'vada como aperitivo, pero un plato de la cocina india.

We visited on a weekday evening having booked in advance but there were lots of available tables when we arrived....

Hemos sido fans de Cocum durante muchos años, comiendo en y tener comida para llevar. Tuvimos una última noche para llevar, pero parece haber cambiado de manos y no ser llamado Cocum ahora. El sitio web no esta clara y el menú era el mismo,...

La cucina del sud dell'India è particolarmente ricca, speziata e aromatica: Se ne può fare esperienza da Cocum, in centro, sulla collinetta di Castle, dopo il ponte di Magdalene college. Gli assaggi di accompagnamento al papadum sono deliziosi come pure il pane. Ma bisogna provare il lamb malabar e i tanti piatti a base di pesce, insolitamente ricchi e variati. la cucina del kerala usa molto il mango e il cocco, che danno un tocco mild, ma ci sono anche piatti molto speziati: per chi ha bocca resistente il masala è eccellente. Provatela.

Dans la rubrique spécialités: un excellent curry d"Inde du Sud, mêlant éclats de noix de coco fraîche et épices a un émincé de viande. Relativement pas trop fort pour l.Angleterre. Sinon décor très chargé, service obséquieux, bref toute la panoplie du restaurant indien qui se veut chic !

Ambiente encantador y muy amable el personal. La música es específico y cada pedazo de comida era deliciosa! ! ! ! Nos encanta Cocum y la gente que trabaja allí). Feliz cada vez que están allí y siempre tendremos nuestra noche deliciosa. 👍 ️ ♥

Its an understated South Indian restaurant but offers tasty food at really reasonable prices. Its location is ideal for us and the staff and polite. They also offer delivery...

We hadn't been to Cocum for about a year and had always had good, interesting South Indian food. Last night the food was even better...it was fantastic. We ordered 3 king prawn dishes, a beetroot side dish, a cabbage side dish and a dhall. All the food was excellent and truly memorable. The service was friendly and efficient making the whole experience exceptional.

I used to be an advocate for the original food and approach of Cocum but no longer. The sharpness of spicing is a thing of the past and while the actual Dhosas are still prepared properly the contents sadly lack the freshness of the past are now the standard mush of the formulaic UK Indian curry house. The service is smiley but lacking in timely attention to in-house diners (crowded out by the lively take away service). Sadly now a place not to revisit.

We went here for a work dinner, we normally go to the Maharajah (also with good food but bad service), the food at Cocum was excellent and the prices reasonable. The service however was absolutely terrible, had to ask for drinks 3-4 times before they came, had to wait a long time for the drinks to come. It wasn't even that busy.If you don't mind horrible service and good food then come here, I'd go back again just because of the food quality. The waiters we very nice, just very slow.

To eat here is to delight. The high quality of cuisine provides for a magnificent meal, and the food's richness of taste makes me eager to return every day for my lunch or dinner. The restaurant staff are also graciously welcoming. They provide for a comforting experience both in the restaurant and for delivery. The new manager of the restaurant has always assured my experience to be great. I have not found another Indian restaurant which serves to all the customer's wishes.

Big disappointment! Dropped in quality and authenticity of food over the last few days.Curry sauces are mediocre to horrible in taste and authenticity. All dishes-sauces now taste the same - just like average 'take away' shops.No more authentic South Indian flavours or freshness which we loved in the past.Everything seems to be quick fix and poor quality. Even simple 'raita' seems to have prepared from cheap yogurt. Vegetables seems to be from frozen or straight out of tins. Noticeable lack of fresh herbs and South Indian spices and replaced by usual "one sauce for all dishes" approach. Trademark South Indian flavours of coconut, curry leaves, coriander, green chillies and black peppers are no where as they should be in any of the dishes.Not a restaurant quality any more.Ambience, decor and service is not the best but the fresh and authentic recipes used to compensate this in the past.Fortunately, Cambridge now has other genuine South Indian options. So sadly, good bye Cocum!

Il ristorante è arredato in modo semplice e senza eleganza. Ma questo non deve impressionare, perché il servizio è veloce e il cibo è buono. Lo staff molto cordiale e gentile, rispettoso ed educato! Rapporto qualità prezzo buono. Consigliato

I'd not been to Cocum for a while and standards seem to have slipped somewhat. Four of us went last Saturday at 20.00 having booked a table a few days beforehand. The restaurant was pretty full, but there were only three front of house staff. We were served drinks and popadoms reasonably quickly, but after 20 minutes we had to call someone over to give us menus as we'd not be given them. Once we had chosen our food, it took the best part of an hour for the starter - a mixed vegetable platter - to arrive. This was OK, but not as good as previous times that we've had it - the batter was much softer.The mains didn't take too long to arrive, but the vegetable biryani came with a meat pickle and a mouth full of what I think was chicken - not great when you've ordered a vegetarian dish. The paneer dosa was not as good as I remembered either with the dosa being a bit doughy and less filling than expected.Not terrible overall, especially as it was extremely reasonably priced, but not as good as it should have been.

after five years or so. Whilst passing the restaurant on a daily basis in the past, didn't have the time to stop. Although under new management for the last four months, nothing has really changed. The decor is the same, the food is the same - very good, not expensive - a really decent fare for under £20pp.

Bit of a mixed bag this one. Food was lovely and because it is southern Indian different from what you get at almost all other Indian restaurants. However the service was somewhat lacking. The biggest problem was that the wrong orders seemed to be brought out to quite few tables. For me this seems to imply that there is something wrong with the system they use between front of house and the kitchen. This seems to have an effect on the serving staff as some were polite and apologetic while others just seemed fed up. I would go again but only with people who I thought could cope with the service.

We live in Cambridge and have have visited Cocum many, many times over the years.It is still a real gem - and although definitely not a "posh" place (they don't have tablecloths etc) this is part of the attraction. It has a real student feel to it (you can usually overhear someone discussing theoretical physics or similar on another table).The food is absolutely delicious, and because this is Keralan (Southern India) rather than Bangladeshi / North India cuisine, the menu is very different / interesting compared to most other UK Indian restaurants. There are a lot of vegetarian options on offer with a wide variety of dishes. The Masala Dosas are superb (& massive if you order it as a main course) and the Mango Pullissery is wonderful. Note - if you are vegetarian & order popadoms with pickle tray, this can includes meat / fish based pickles - so just ask and they will swap it to lime / mango pickles or similar.Cocum are apparently now under new management (who do seem far friendlier than some of the previous ones were) so hopefully it will improve even more. A really friendly, down-to-earth place (although, to be fair, sometimes service can be a bit slow when they are busy).We will definitely be back - it's one of our favourite places!

Lamb Biriyani was very tasty and quick and friendly service.Real indian cusine, would highly recommend.

We used to go to Cocum regularly for great Kerala food when we lived in Cambridge. Now we live in NZ, but we visited Cocum for dinner this December during a nostalgic visit. It's under new management (quite recent), but it's still great! We'll definitely be back (one day)... The dosa is our favourite. We shared an entree too, but didn't really need to; the dosa is so filling!

If you're looking for super fancy posh Indian restaurant where every dish looks the same and almost taste the same then this place is not for you! However if you are looking for a traditional southern Indian restaurant that produces some of the best Indian food I've ever tasted in the UK this is your place. No tablecloths not the best decor, but I think this is the charm of this little gem. You must try the Masala Dozer, and the Fish Molly is just delicious too, everything tastes so fresh and there is enough flavour to suit anyone's palette. In my opinion once you've been to Cocum you will struggle to find better Indian restaurant anywhere in Cambridge.

Efficient and friendly service in a laid back atmosphere makes for a good start, and it's great to find no table cloths to spill food over. The food is very enjoyable, all sorts of things such as dosas and new kinds of breads to enjoy. We both loved our prawn mains though having to half shell the prawns was a right pain. And the women's loo was a bit grubby. But overall it's worth walking across town to eat here and it's reasonably priced, we really enjoyed our meal. We will come again. Thank you Cocum!

Basically from Glasgow where is so many authentic South Indian restaurants but this gem in Cambridge is a diamond in the ring

This doesn't look much from the outside, and the inside isn't much better -- but the food is awesome. It serves the usual Indian fare, as well as more unusual dishes. The food is hot, tasty and decently priced. Highly recommended if you're after that something a little bit different.

Third time I have had a take away from the Cocum in two years of visiting Cambridge. The service and food is extremely good. I usually only have a thadka dal and naan bread as I'm vegetarian. But it tastes amazing! The staff are always really nice too.

Takeaway.If you're expecting authentic south Indian food, look elsewhere. Same base for all the curry dishes, the sambar was just daal and very greasy overall.

Well the title says it all. The cliche of blank faces and hastily made up "answers" when you ask for things without ghee, milk, yoghurt is tiresome. The resulting food is blank yellow mush that rating painfully low on the "I could do better at home" scale. And then, to rub salt into the wound, you can expect a very modern, compassionate and forward thinking bill at the end! Avoid this place.

We've been here a number of times and I have to say the food is very good. BUT and a very big one each time we have been we have waited a long time to be given menus let alone order.The last time we went we waited 30 mins just for the menu and we unable to place an order for another 30 mins. We saw numerous of Caucasian people come through after us who not only had been given menus were also on starters.I don't normally comment on such issues, but I find it disgraceful that Indian resturants treat white and Indian people so differently. We walked out hungry and angry. My husband did confront them and the answer we got was "sir we are busy" so busy that 3 white couples who came in after us got serviced while we still waited for a menu! Never to go back again!

We visited as a family to celebrate a belated Onam, as a family friend from Kerala was staying with us. We asked her to order and enjoyed the most delicious feast we have ever had...the chilli chicken and potato bonda were really good, the paneer and fish curries were excellent, and we tried appam for the first time and loved it!Service was a little slow and not exactly friendly but it was adequate.Parking is very close by at the register office (weekends only) £4 all day. The restaurant was 15 minutes walk from the town centre and colleges so a great place to finish off a day's sightseeing.All in all we would highly recommend eating here, and so would our Malu friend.

Andiamo a mangiare i queato ristorante con colleghi di Cambridge. Locale abbastanza scarso e squallidino. Più che ristorante sembra tavola calda. Cibo molto asciutto e speziato per far perdere la qualita scadente. Evitare grigliate. Poca scelta di birra. Un pò lento il servizio. Forse come take away va bene. Non consiglio come ristorante. I cibi indiani sono altri.

This is one of the best South Indian places we've eaten at, and we've tried quite a few. Delicious dosas with tasty coconut chutney and spicy rasam sauce, and a whole range of excellent Keralan specials. We worked our way through 5 between 4 of us - a succulent aubergine curry, sag paneer (with a distinctly different flavour to what you'll find in a regular Indian), another paneer dish in a spicy tomato sauce, a superbly fruity and creamy curry of crushed mango and green banana, and a fish curry (the only dish that was less than excellent - the fish was a bit dry). We had boiled rice and a gorgeous buttery Keralan paratha to accompany, plus several beers and a top-notch and quite spicy salted lassi, and the bill still came to only £59 for 4 of us. Service is friendly and good, and the ambience is excellent. Downsides? - only that for two of us it's 125 miles each way to come here for a meal - otherwise we'd be here a lot! Check it out for yourselves, and enjoy...

As I was at Banana Leaf last week, I wanted to try the dosa at Cocum as well, just to compare it. The restautant is kind of dark, but stylish. The staff were friendly but rushed. Our waitress tried to tell us what was in our food but forgot the rest of the information half way through. I had the masala dosa and my friend had the prawn. It was OK. Nothing really to write home about. I think some other nice dips and sauces would have been nice. I'd say the dosa at Banana Leaf was better tasting. Our starter, however, was very nice and we enjoyed that a lot. We had the mixed vegetable platter, and the onion pakoras were really very nice.

The South Indian menu offered plenty of vegetarian and vegan choices amongst the rest and the food was fresh and delicious, promptly served and with friendly and responsive service.

There maybe a lot about Cocum to moan about but if it's authentic Keralan style home cook food you're after then this is the place. I think if you want Cambridge to have a good curry experience then patronise Cocum and encourage the areas that they lack in to improve. Please keep the food real and spicy.

This low-key restaurant a bit (5 min walk) outside of the old city centre is a fabulous location for authentic Kerala cuisine. Unlike the generic "curry house" menu of so many other Cambridge restaurants, Cocum is clearly a South Indian restaurant, with specialties you won't find elsewhere. Restaurant is small but meticulously clean and comfortable, staff is efficient even with large parties (and very friendly), and the prices are very good (although rice is a bit overpriced). Highly recommend.

I had high hopes for Cocum, it having been recommended to me by several people. Sadly, it didn't live up to the hype.The food was edible, but hardly anything to write home about. My starter of prawns - which themselves were the best thing on all my plates today - was accompanied by some chopped lettuce (why?) and a remarkably watery and tasteless red onion relish which added little. My main, Lamb Malabar, was also curiously tasteless yet over-salty. The flavours of cashew and coconut were barely noticeable, and although the lamb was tender, this didn't really compensate. The accompanying vegetable rice was pleasant enough if a tad greasy.I found the seats extremely uncomfortable - a lack of central padding meant sitting on a hard wooden frame. But the service was worse; it was very slow (lunch took nearly two hours) and the waiter couldn't be bothered to remember who ordered what, thereby placing the burden of recalling the exact names of everything we'd each ordered onto us without having the menus to refer back to. Worst, though, was our waiter's disgusting habit of snorting his catarrh round his nasal passages every few seconds, behaviour which might be acceptable in Kerala but which is certainly not OK in the UK. Nobody wants to listen to phlegm being partially-gobbed-up and re-circulated while eating, thanks; somebody should Have A Word.I don't think I'll be going back. (Also, their website desperately needs an update.)

I have visited them many times and had deliveries to the office, hosted large parties there and always had great tasting food. Definitely worth a visit.

Visited this restaurant for the first time last week after hearing good reviews. I was not disappointed. This mainly Southern Indian restaurant had a very interesting menu selection with a lot of vegetarian options, not surprising due to its regional roots. Interesting pickles with the poppadoms - not your usual fayre. Portions were not enormous and I particularly enjoyed the Ginger Chicken and Lemon Rice. The naan looked home made and not of the supermarket variety. I will definitely be going back.

I've heard about Cocum at the best curry restaurant in Cambridge but I can't agree with that opinion. Food is interesting, different than in many other places and it's worth trying. But generally I haven't found it as tasty as in Curry Queen or Pipasha. Another thing is service which wasn't very friendly or helpful.

I have been to this restaurant many times, and without exception the food is superb. A very varied and different menu, mainly from Southern India, and containing many unfamiliar dishes (even to something of an officianado). The service is adequate, the ambiance is not particularly inspiring, being rather plain and crowded, and it can be noisy as it is a favourite haunt of many students. However, if you are happy with that there can be no better place to enjoy wonderful, exotic flavours.

Big disappointment, had high hopes which weren't delivered.When you send two lots of poppadoms back for being soggy, like stale crisps and the 3rd set are just the same, and chutneys served in egg cup style saucers and size, it's game over. Things didn't improve for the main course, I've been to southern India many times, and the food is nothing like this. The dosa was good, Er that's it. Shall not return.

I just adore the food served here , it's full of flavour and is just Devine. Lovely atmosphere, we also gave take out fr.ivered , the masala dosi is beautiful , can't recommend this place enough , we love it

The Curry Club this Month went to COCUM which serves South Indian Food to eat in or take away, The Menu offers different food from your run of the mill curry house. This Restaurant has none or your Madras or Vindaloo on the menu here no its Dosa and stews and food from the fisherman's net. If you like indian food it really is worth a try. Service was good and the portions were large. Recommended for the more experienced Curry eater and excellent for vegetarians with lots of allergen information on the menu to help you decide.

Great find. Not trendy or funky. Not a run of the mill standard menu either. Fantastic unusual selection of curries and breads. Visited on a busy Saturday night without booking and were seated quickly and efficiently by friendly and attentive staff in a busy sitting. If you want to try new, flavoursome and inexpensive dishes this is the place to go.

Went on a very busy Friday night; the food was excellent (lamb malabar and an aubergine side dish were particularly delicious) but the service left a bit to be desired. The waiter was just this side of surly; admittedly he was busy but the occasional smile would have helped things along no end, particularly as our food took nearly an hour to arrive. We'll be back of course - the food is so good!

A nice change from your main road Indian restaurant. Large choice for vegetarians and good selection of fish dishes. Decent prices. I would certainly go again.

We had been meaning to try this place for a while. We went with friends, all four had different choices so we could try a bit of each. None disappointed, very tasty with different flavours to usual curry places. Will certainly be going again.

Went to the Cocum a year or so ago and it was very good.So as I was in Cambridge last week and staying close by decided to order again.Slightly disappointed this time though. Ordered thadka dal garlic naan spicy popadoms and onion pakora and mushroom rice.Dal and rice..excellent! But the pakora was inedible and cost £4.95! Two over cooked I couldn't even bite into them. The naan bread was soggy too.Come on Cocum you used to be excellent!

Not your typical Indian restaurant surroundings or menu but absolutely great authentic Indian cuisine and extremely friendly staff. If you like tasty Indian curries that do not blow your head off this is a must try. Just don't try the coffee they haven't quite mastered the art of coffee making yet!

I chose this restaurant for a cozy dinner for the two of us, whilst visiting Cambridge for a couple of days away. I thought the TripAdvisor reviews sounded promising and their website looked good (especially noting that they have a few restaurants). An interesting point to note is that this restaurant (and brand) is a little different from one's more commonplace Indian restaurant - as Cocum serves South Indian / Keralan cuisine. Admittedly, the restaurant was quiet when we arrived to sit at our booked table and the decor inside the venue was a little rudimentary for my tastes, but, the service was swift and the food decent. The must-have Papadoms were good and the accompanying dips were great. My Prawn Birriyani was great too. I did think my Naan Bread was a little cool (temperature-wise) and slightly doughy in taste/texture. A large group of young folk entered the restaurant as we were part-way through our meal - so I guess it may be popular with locals which is fair, as the price of the food is reasonable for the size of the dishes served. Overall, a pleasant restaurant, which could be made-over in a more sophisticated way, but, is decent where the food is concerned.

While the restaurant is nothing to look at and the inside is pretty stale and generic, I found out afterwards it is a chain (saw others in London), this particular Cocum provided us with a delicious dinner. We had the chicken tikka masala, and another chicken curry dish along with garlic naan and rice. It was all so tasty and yummy. We ate every morsel and drop. The staff wasn't extremely attentive but were friendly enough and always provided what we needed once we were able to stop them to come by to our table.

An uphill trek to Caste mound but within walking distance from the center of town. Simple lime-green interior. Service is fast. Cobra and Kingfisher beers on tap. Kingfisher is slightly more bitter. The menu covers a hundred (or more?) dishes; there is no restaurant that can prepare that many from scratch. Pre-prepared dishes taste bland and acquire a common equation. Most delicious were the dishes that were prepared on the spot and they are recommended. Prices were very reasonable.

On the way back from a disastrous meal at the Castle Inn, we spotted this Indian that was new to us. Grabbing a takeaway menu, we had a meal delivered the following week.It was all really delicious, as tasty and as spicy (or not) as the menu promised. Deep rich sauces with fall apart chicken and lamb - definately our new favourite Indian with loads of new dishes for us to try

Went with a group of 10 from work. We pre-booked and all was well, however, when we arrived they seemed surprised that 10 of us had pitched up. They were super polite, but it was all just slow; drinks ordered, then not arriving, then arriving later, then having to ask to order, then it took ages. We were the only group in, with no more than 16 covers in total, so who knows what they do when busy. To offset this though, they were polite, apologetic and most importantly, the food was really good. Would go back, but in a smaller group.

Great place- relaxed atmosphere, delicious food and good service. Their light and flavoursome masala dosas are particularly nice. I recommend the paneer dosa. Definitely one of the best Indian restaurants in Cambridge.

I visited here with a large group of colleagues for an evening meal. The service was friendly, the food was very nice and promptly served given the size of the group. Prices were good and the menu diverse.

This is a gem of a place to eat South Indian food. After a hard day working it is great to go and relax with a meal, the Dosa are really good , as it takes loads of practice to get them right.The soups are full of flavour

Not been to this restaurant for a VERY long time. although always meant to! Having travelled to Kerala many times, indeed going again in January, was delighted to find that this is indeed typical cuisine of the area of India I love. I am a strict veggie and my partner a pescatarian. The food was lovely, tempered to the way I asked for my Paneer to be cooked. Staff friendly enough and service very swift(possibly TOO swift?!) The decor isnt exactly luxurious but all in all a good experience.

Took our daughter out for a dosa meal to Cocum. Was pleased with the simple yet elegant decor. The food was good, not great. Friendly staff. Reasonable prices. Would like to try some of the other dishes sometime soon.

We last visited Cocum a couple of years ago - it was very good, but we haven't returned since as they had had some fairly bad press. However, we decided to give it another go - and it is back to being brilliant.It was a Tuesday night - and it was packed! A lot of students eat here - the service was superb (even though the place was very full, the staff were very friendly and attentive). The food is fantastic - if you haven't tried Southern Indian food before, you are in for a treat - it is very different to the standard Northern Indian / Bangladeshi food served in 99% of Indian restaurants in the UK.Between us, we had 3 veggie starters - including the "mini" Dosa (which, as a starter & for £3.25 was almost the size of a main course on its own), the Chilli Bhajis (which were great) and the Appam (which was described as a light spongy cake - but was OK but a bit on the chewy side to be fair). For mains we had the Cheera Paripu (very tasty) Mango Pulissery (just incredible - fantastic flavours) & a Paratha, Really delicious and we felt VERY full afterwards.Including a large bottle of sparkling water the total bill was less than £25 - incredible value.We will definitely be returning agaian - very soon. Oh - and it is probably wise to book (we only phoned 30 mins before and got a reservation OK).