Crunchy's in Cambridge

The quality of meat & the portions used to be good and enough. But it has consistently getting worse. We left hungry & paid a lot of money

We were celebrating a birthday on a Saturday lunch time and decided to go Turkish. This used to be a Frankie & Benny’s and is a large restaurant with lots of nice tables and we asked to be seated in one of the semi circular booths. We arrived at 1pm but it wasn’t busy. We were seated and given the menu. Drinks ordered were taken and water asked for. Both took time and when the beer came, my friend asked for a glass as most women don’t like drinking out of a bottle! The waiter pointed to the four water glasses. It would not really been an issue to get a beer glass but this guy looked like he didn’t want to be there!Apparently you don’t drink beer and water! We waited some more and our orders were taken. I was a bit taken aback by the prices as hadn’t looked at the menu on the way in! There is lots of choice but no details on the dish ingredients so if you do have a dietary requirement you would have to ask. We eventually ordered our food which eventually arrived. My mixed shish had 4 pieces of lamb and 4 of chicken. Not what I was expecting for £19! The others has moussaka. Tasted good but was a bit cooler than it should be but acceptable. One friend can only eat small amounts but they provided a take away container. We were had to ask for dessert menus, made our choices but we were ignored for so long that we decided not to bother and asked for the bill, which had a service charged applied. We all agreed that this was having a laugh as we didn’t feel we had had good service but we did the British thing by not making a fuss and paid up! This is such a shame as this place has huge potential! There are very few Turkish restaurants in Cambridge that are easy to get to with free parking. I have been to many before and the country so understand the food and the culture but if this had been my first experience, I wouldn’t go back! We eat out a lot. When entering a place, you expect to be greeted with a smile. You expect a server for your table who provides you with all your service and you should feel welcome and a valued customers. This person should see when you are finished eating, clear the table and bring you a dessert menu. This is standard practice as is acknowledging you leaving with a goodbye and thank you. Our visit took nearly two hours and we only had a main course. Four different servers meant that no one was responsible for our table and we had to keep getting someone’s attention. There was a frustrated sigh when we were finally asked if we wanted dessert and said that it had taken so long than we would just have the bill. We got our stuff together and left…. no one noticed😔

Great food and atmosphere. Delicious cocktails. Friendly staff. Love coming here for a night out! Strongly recommend.

Very tasty Turkish and Eastern Mediterranean food (the tastiest rice in Cambridge!), and well priced considering the good size of portions. Definitely an interesting setting, but the staff are very polite and attentive, even when busy.

We have been several times now to Crunchy's and also when it was in another location and the standard has always been excellent. We were there last Saturday evening, We all had the calamari and they were so tender they just melted in your mouth, the sauces were excellent too and they brought more when we asked at no extra charge ! Our party of four had Shish Kebab, Lamb cutlets and Chicken Shish served with either rice or chips and a lovely fresh salad. For desert we had a lovely coffee cake, Tiramisu, and ice cream ... My late husband had a Greek Restaurant some years ago and I know how important it is to keep good standards, If one orders the same meal several times you expect it to be of the high standard each time and Crunchy's pass that test. Thank you Crunchy Staff for a lovely evening and meal .

Went to Crunchy's on bonfire night (originally a frankie and bennys eaterie). Food was very nice and plentiful. We had one of the chefs sharing platter for two, which had rice, lamb, chicken and vegatables. Staff were welcoming and very helpful. All in all a very pleasant evening and would return again in the future.

Hello, Please let me firstly inform you that iam not a food critic and this is not usual practice for me but I must inform you about this vist! I was warmly welcomed so I was fairly confident that I had made the right spontaneous choice, this sadly was not the case. I ordered the combo shish which was made up of chicken and lamb served with rice and salad. I was taken back a little by the price £19. But thought I'm here now and for £19 this must surely be the kebab of a life time, a decision I regretted instantly apon the arrival of the food. The food was of poor quantity 4 medium sized chicken pieces and 4 smaller lamb pieces served with a dome of rice and a tiny amount of salad. This meal at best is barely worth £12 and that is being generous. You could source this from any kebab shop for around £10 yes you would not have table service but you would certainly be full up and have more money. Also when the bill arrived there was a 10% service this I couldn't believe and put the meal over the £20 mark. At this point I couldn't wait to get out. Only positive I can give was the lamb was cooked nicely but a bit cold. Do yourself a favour avoid the disappointment and use a shop if want Turkish food. Regards

We finally managed to eat at this place as we have been meaning to try it out for a while as we love Turkish food and we were expecting guests at the weekend and we wanted to check it out before we took anyone there. Wish we did not bother and went to Nandos next door where a lot of people were heading and wish I had read these reviews before we decided to eat here. The staff had no charisma but seemed like they were not relaxed. This was later proven when the manger seemed to interfere when we asked for certain things. It was fine if he was making the situation better but in fact he made it worse. My wife ordered the Falafel main course. The salad that came with it was mainly brown lettuce and tomatoes that did not look at all fresh. When my wife requested the waiter for it to be replaced with a fresh salad, the manager had to come and ask my wife in an aggressive tone to find out why she sent it back. The manager then asked me if my food was ok and he did not like my answer, which was it was bland, small portions and the meat was cold. he then continued to defend it. To relax him, I asked if he was Turkish, as I often worked in Adana and Manisa in my job and I wished to find a common ground. He avoided answering the question but started to challenge me as he clearly did not believe me. He said he can give me some hot sauce to give my food some flavour and as I did not wish to spoil our evening I diffused the situation so that I could eat my food. My wife's food eventually arrived with more lettuce however, it was fresh(er) but her falafels and the bread she ordered on side were cold. I had almost finished my meal by that time. I had to go to the bar to pay for my meal as here was no waiter in sight. The waiter tried to serve me and then the manager interfered and took over. There was a 10% service charge on the bill he gave me with no apology or discount for the issues. Needless to say that I asked him to remove that and we will definitely not be going there again.

I previously visited this restaurant when it opened for the first time and was so impressed with the experience I originally wrote a 5 star review. 8 months later and a second visit, the experience was poor. Utterly abysmal portions for the prices paid. £60 for a bowl of bread, some dips, two bowls of rice and some lamb and chicken, with two beers. Had the portions been larger, I might have enjoyed it, but at current prices, it’s a rip off. It’s a shame as the first visit was excellent.

We was up Cambridge just for the evening we was goin to go in Nando’s next door as we had never heard of crunchys. But decide to try it so glad we did staff was so attentive and lovely , food was fresh and delightful and the whole place so clean. Fantastic customer service

After a disaster at another local restaurant, that we left, we found crunchys by fluke: wow is all we can say. The service was first class, the atmosphere was amazing and the food was divine. It was so fresh, flavoursome and delicious. It’s a shame we live so far away, or this would become our local. Please visit here.

Visited for the first time today. Have seen it a few times while driving past, but never visited. Was pleasantly surprised. Interior is very clean and spacious and has an American cocktail bar vibe. The Turkish cuisine tastes very authentic and excellent. Had lamb shish, which was cooked to perfection. Staff are very welcoming. Plenty of free parking. Will definitely return soon.

Lovely! Charming atmosphere blending the old f&b decor with no imposing music quiet enough that we can still hear our own conversation! Drinks were lovely and we had 3 courses. Highlights: good range of gf!!!!! Turkish delight square with coffee and that the baklava was warm and served with a coconut icecream. Heaven! Can highly recommend calamari, shish, lamb burger, tiramisu cake and baklava. All tastes authentic!!!! Service was friendly and helpful and non intrusive. Tip included as service charge - be warned this is not a cheap meal 2 of us x 2 drinks each x 3 courses left not much change from £100 but worth it.

Wow! I am unsure what I enjoyed more: the delicious food or the lovely staff. The staff are so kind, warm, caring, attentive and have a great sense of humour. Felt so valued. The food is simply delicious. The most tasty, succulent chicken and lamb I have tried in such a long time. (Was so full but didn’t want to stop - too tasty!) Cannot recommend highly enough. Special thanks to Hazel & David for your warm service and caring nature. A real authentic experience. See you soon 😀

I can not fault this restaurant! The food is outstanding and arrives beautifully presented. This is not my first visit to Crunchies but my 3rd. I have returned each time to have outstanding service. The staff are welcoming and friendly and very accommodating. David is always front of house to meet and greet with a smile. I visited while on a business trip and returned with friends and family … thank you David and team for amazing food and service … we will definitely return in the future when we are back in Cambridge … unless you open a chain in Romford! Thank you x

Fantastic family lunch for the mother's day weekend. The place is awesome. The menu had a good spread, the food was full of flavour, great portion size, and above all very friendly staff. We will definitely return soon with our friends. Overall an exceptional time....

Very nice greeting from the manager (Fri 4 March) and extremely polite and friendly waiter. Hot Meze for our starter - very generous portions. Chicken Iskender superb and lamb burger cooked to perfection. Lovely meal after trip to cinema. Jackie W

Nicest food we’ve had for a very long time. The customer service was fantastic. The moussaka and tiramisu cake were the tastiest I have ever had. I would definitely recommend this place, we will be returning for sure.

Visited for an evening meal. Good and varied menu. Staff really welcoming and not over bearing. Food absolutely lovely! Will definitely be back! Thanks for a lovely meat

Good food and nice place. Yet i found the price higher than other Turkish restaurents in the area. Also there is extra charge for the service which i found it odd. i have been 100 times in Turkish restaurants and i never paid service charge

Excellent food, even better service! Great atmosphere and family friendly. Keep up the good work! We will definitely come back!

If the chefs learn how to Sous Vide their chicken and meats, they may make it to five stars. Chicken was dry and slightly overcooked along with the other meats. Flavours, mezza platter and sauces were however exceptional. We do plan to return and hope...

We visited Crunchy's for the first time on Saturday evening . We were greeted as friends, not merely customers and shown to our table. Although busy, we were served very quickly by waiter who took pains to ensure our comfort and explain the menu to...

Authentic Turkish cuisine, succulent meat dishes, warm pitta bread, meat filled bread, fresh humous, salad, mouth watering deserts, you will be full but still want to eat more. We have visited this place a few times and never disappointed. Good service, slightly expensive but worth...

We were welcomed in by David and he looked after us all the way through our visit. Food was amazing, fresh and hot. You will not leave hungry. All staff lovely and couldnt do any more for us. Can't wait to come back.

Great food, excellent service. Highly recommended. The location is also very convenient and the ambiance is welcoming.

Staying in Travelodge Newmarket Road visiting my family for Christmas. Wandered round to Beehive Centre looking for evening meal, not expecting to find a Turkish restaurant. The food- delicious, the service- spot on. I will be returning. It is unusual to find a high class...

The facility itself is fantastic with real potential. The staff were incredible you cannot fault this, but this also explains why there is a hidden service charge added to your bill. Unfortunately for the money charged and quality of the food, the meal was very...

Poor portions very dry overcooked meat and not enough of it for the price of the food. Service was good from our waiter but that’s not enough to make us go back there sadly. Won’t be making a return visit and wouldn’t recommend it to...

We ordered the mix grill and our friend ordered chicken with asparagus. Our grill was nothing like what we had before this was,a third visit and each time the meat was tougher and the portions of meat smaller. The staff are great. However, our friend...