The Duchess Freehouse and Restaurant in Huntingdonshire

Very pleasant combination of cosy local pub with pleasant restaurant. Very good food well presented. Spot on cooking, very reasonable prices. Well thought out menu.

The restaurant here is a great surprise. This was our 3rd visit and we have always been very impressed with the quality of the food and service. The duck croquettes and belly port were some of the best I have eaten and at a very reasonable price. Great choices and prices on the wine list too. We have never needed to book, which is a surprise as this place should be packed!

Trying to obtain a Christmas menu for 2024, it is now 12th October and despite being promised one will be sent, still nothing. Hoping to arrange a group Christmas lunch. It appears they don't want the business..

My wife and I are just in the area for a couple of nights. Chose this restaurant this evening after recommendation from hotel staff. We weren't disappointed... delicious food and very friendly staff. We booked a table for tomorrow evening as well.... which must speak volumes!

Visited for meal with friends. Lovely village pub. Menu was good. We had the lamb, cooked to perfection. Our waitress Ellie was a delight and a credit to The Duchess. We will return .

Looked like there was a nice garden area to sit in. Art nouveau theme in the dining area. The staff were having a difficult time as someone hadn't turned up so they opened late, but the girl that served us was very pleasant and attentive. The toilets were lovely with thick napkins to dry your hands on. The meal was quite good. I enjoyed a bass laid on top of risotto which was well flavoured. My partner was surprised by the burger which was quite dry and looked red inside. We understood that it was caused by the seasoning. Our experience was disturbed by a disruptive customer who complained that her chicken was red (seasoning again?) She wasn't easily pacified and was clearly aiming for freebies. She wasn't quiet about it either but the server dealt with it well.

Great food, very attentive staff! Lovely place for a pleasant lunch and catch up with family. I would definitely recommend the Duchess for a relaxed pub lunch. There was something on the menu for everyone.

Would highly recommend, we stayed over at Travelodge in Fenstanton after racing at Newmarket and walked towards the town and found this place which I had seen on Google. Food was amazing, Ian and Jo are doing such a great job. lovely outside space and staff were all so helpful and friendly. Would definitely return

The manager here is fantastic. He takes time to chat to his customers. First class service. We came here for drinks and sat in the garden for an hour whilst on holiday. We would have liked to have dinner as we had heard that the food is really good but we ran out of time. He made an excellent Pimms :)

Such a warm welcome! Lovely lunch stop ( flatbread sandwiches - yum. I had haddock goujons tartare sauce etc). Easy to park. Comfortable seating. Worth a detour!

Visited by chance today and was absolutely glad we did. Had a mix and match off the restaurant and bar menu - great quality food and service was friendly and attentive. Would totally recommend the bar and the restaurant.

Another excellent meal! The pork belly and the sea bass were perfectly cooked. The service was friendly and efficient. Thank you to Bryn for ordering in g/f beer for one of our party.

Visited for lunch on a rare day off from work. I had the fish and chips (which I've had previously so knew it would be great) and my husband had the pork belly which he said was the best he's ever had: fantastic crackling, soft meat and delicious apple sauce to accompany it. Lovely service too. Can't wait to return

Food is superb; piping hot, beautifully presented and tasted delicious. We both had pork belly for our main course and every mouthful was a delight to eat. Followed by biscoff cheesecake and sticky toffee pudding. Both of which were exceptional. The waiting staff are friendly, bubbly and clearly enjoy working here. Would definitely recommend and will come back.

Lovely atmosphere and very friendly staff. The food was excellent and cooked to perfection. The only criticism I have is that my desert was far too big and I couldn’t finish it but not something to complain about. Will most definitely be visiting again soon.

Sadly not dog friendly anymore so unable to enjoy any offerings they may have had, too wet to sit outside so we took ourselves elsewhere 😪

Fantastic service lovely staff and great food lovely restaurant and staff very helpful and considerate to everyones needs Cannot fault anything and will visit again soon

Not as good as previous. Why do they use catering turkey for known numbers of Christmas lunch diners. Meat was awful as this type of 'meat' is.

Fantastic mouth watering meal served by wonderful people making our meal out with friends a pleasurable evening. Will be back very soon.

Wow what a beautiful place , went to the Duchess last night with a party of 11 for our annual Christmas get together. Absolutely incredible the food was delicious beautifully cooked and served and the staff were exceptional, polite,helpful nothing too much trouble. We will definitely be back what a gem. Well done the Duchess made our Christmas evening very Special

Came with a group of 28 for our Christmas Lunch. From the minute you walk into the restaurant you feel the wonderful ambience of the place. The food was plentiful, very tasty, hot and service was great. After each course the manager checked to see that all was going well which was such a lovely touch and showed how important customer satisfaction was to him. He even took a group photo for us.

We had Sunday lunch here and thoroughly enjoyed our choices. The room was bright and airy. The staff were efficient and helpful. The food was very good and we will go back there.

We visited the Duchess during our holiday in Cambridgeshire. On arrival we were welcomed and shown to our table inside the Duchess by friendly staff. Our order for drinks and food from the interesting Menu were taken quickly and efficiently. The food was well presented and prepared and it was very tasty, served in good time. All in all we had an enjoyable dining experience and have no hesitation in recommending the Duchess to family members and/or friends.

There were 18 + 2 children. Booked for a family meal for my daughter's 30th Birthday. We pre ordered as a large party & everything was great. Thanks to Jess & all the staff we had a fab time before my daughter returned to Dubai. After the meal we then went to the bar & continued the fun. Once again thanks.

We called in at about 3pm towards the end of a long drive home on New Year's Eve. I had literally googled "places to eat near Cambridge" and this looked appealing. We weren't disappointed. A warm welcome and great service were instantly given and the food was delicious. The menu was varied, with the usual suspects but also other dishes which we didn't expect to see at a random pub! My friend said the stuffed lamb was amazing. I had a burger, which was very obviously hand made and one of the best I've eaten. The prices were very reasonable for the quality and quantity. We will definitely be using The Duchess as a stopping point again. Congratulations to the staff for making it such a lovely place to dine and relax.

Today we had our U3A Table Tennis Christmas lunch at the Duchess in Fenstanton. It was the first time many of the group had ever been to this pub. They were not to be disappointed. The tables were set up beautifully between the Christmas tree giving a very festive feel. The food that was served whether it was starter, main or sweet were all beautifully presented and tasted amazing. Lots of vegetables with the main meal which was great. All piping hot and served by two very helpful members of staff. The puddings gave rise to pudding envy as each one that came out looked delicious and from what I could tell tasted wonderful. I had the trio of desserts which was so lovely and beautifully presented. I would give the Duchess 10 out of 10 for Ambiance, Food and Service. We will be back again next year.

Dropped in here for Dinner and we were very pleasantly surprised. Warm welcome fine selection of drinks and a small select menu of fine dishes at sensible prices. The presentation and quality of our selected dishes could not be faulted and more importantly, delicious. This establishment is a credit to the village of Fenstanton. ENJOY

I have dinned at The Duchess with family and friends on various occasions. Whether it’s been a Sunday lunch or an evening meal, we have never been disappointed. The food and service is excellent. I cannot recommend this restaurant/pub highly enough!

Great beer great food! Always welcoming and friendly food is always good and the place is always clean! Christmas meal booked

The landlady and her staff team made our evening. Great food as always and freshly cooked and prepared lovely homemade dishes. My personal favourite place to wine and dine in the area. Highly reccomend it nice little resurant as well as a bar for non...

We have been to this pub many times, and it was one of our favourites. On Wednesday the 28th July 2022 about eight of us turned up at midday for lunch and some beers. There were three beers on handpump, but none of them had...

Had a drink here in the garden in the summer and the restaurant looked very nice so checked the menu and found a lot that we'd like so promised ourselves a meal here when we had a chance. Finally got around to it tonight and...

Have eaten here many times and always had a good meal. Visited tonight with friend and family and found standard to have dropped. Scotch egg starter had no pork around it just a little coating and overcooked, cut in half, in the past have been...

Lovely Hotel restaurant in Fenstanton. We had a delicious meal and the service was quick. The beer garden was also great.

Had the meze for lunch whilst travelling north. Quick service with friendly staff clean and lovely food. Shame you are not more local! Melissa

Came in full of hope after a long day and left very disappointed. Yes the staff are friendly enough but the food is just not to the A la Carte standard it professes to be. My rump steak was probably the smallest piece of steak...

Had a great time here with the in laws and family the service was quick and the staff very helpful, the food was presented well and tasted wonderful. The Desserts also were very well presented and such a great choice even for the youngest member...

I live locally and visit as often as I can - but not as often as I'd like! Always excellent food, friendly, helpful service. It's always my first choice especially when I have friends and family visiting. Delicious. all the way!

Left without waiting to be served or, indeed, any acknowledgement from the less than busy staff. Had heard of poor reviews but thought we'd check it out ourselves. Will listen to friends from Fenstanton in the future!

We had a beautiful meal - enjoyed the seafood risotto and pork belly. First time having sticky toffee pudding- a must! We’re in the area for another day and will be back. Lovely atmosphere and delicious food.

Had a lovely Dinner at the Dutchess over the weekend - A lovely welcoming pub, visited many times but never reviewed.. On arrival we were welcomed, shown to our table by well presented and pleasant staff. We sat at our table where orders were taken,...

We have visited The Duchess twice in last few months and have been impressed. The menu choice is quite small but the food is served hot and perfectly prepared, can’t fault it. Service also efficient and friendly. Currently our favourite restaurant in area.

The pub itself is underwhelming from the outside. This is improved when you get inside and outside for that matter. There are a lot of tables. The menu contains classic quality pub food and is very well executed. I recommend the belly pork. The hosting...

Excellent food all round. Particularly enjoyed the deep fried bree with chill jam.The Roast Beef and Roast lamb dinners were superb quality and very tasty indeed, decent sized portion for those with empty bellies!. The deserts were insanely good too, especially the goeey chocolate brownie...

So impressed with this lovely pub. Easy to get to if staying at the nearby Travel Lodge - take the road behind it rather than going back on to the main road and go to Fenstanton. Parking was easy at the pub. Well run, lovely...

We dined here for Sunday lunch, the service was excellent with friendly staff. We all had roast beef. The beef and the vegetables were very tasty. The drinks were also reasonably priced. I will definitely visit the Duchess again.

All 4 of us enjoyes all courses. I had a memorable belly pork. The service was excellent. (And we could tell how England were getting on by the roars from the kitchen.

Exceptional food great staff beautiful 17th century. Pub. Good choice of qualty cooked food and desserts. Some say expensive. I say spot on. Recommend it big time

The food is lovely, nice area, staff are very pleasant and went the extra mile for us. Will definitely visit again!

5 star meal excellent service and COVID safe went for Saturday evening meal, from the moment we walked in staff were so friendly , really good COVID safe. Menu was good and food was excellent highly recommend

Visited for a couple of drinks along with a variety of starter platters in the bar area. Even on a Tuesday evening, the restaurant area was fully booked – clearly popular! – but we could still order food from the bar and requested four plates....

The food was fabulous and far more than we could eat! You definitely get value for money with three deserts to finish off!! We were last in the restaurant and felt a tad rushed to finish up and get out and it was only 21:30

Really good place, good menu, not huge but this usually indicates food is made to order, not ready made. Great service and good atmosphere.

We visited here as it was local for family. A pleasant atmosphere when we entered and the restaurant was small and well set out. Our meals were, in the main, very good and the service quite reasonable, though a young waiter wasn't quite 'on the...

Went with family for birthday meal. Restaurant was quiet, however, we booked for an early time. Waiter was friendly and surroundings were lovely. The current owners have done a fabulous job with the refurb and it would be great for any occasion. Although we have...

There was a really good looking ginger bloke at the bar looked like Brad Pitt, the muscles were alright as well not just talking about on the ginger bloke, good value for money. Teri-Anne the manager was efficient in dealing with any problems I faced...

The cooking of the food was first class and everybody in our group of four thoroughly enjoyed the meal. The service after the main course was delivered was extremely poor and we had to ask for the plates to be removed, we asked twice for...

A group of us had a Christmas get together at the Duchess Saturday evening and were treated to some of the best food I've had in a restaurant! I was particularly impressed the chips were hand cut and cooked perfectly crispy, so many restaurants don't...

We were passing through Fenstanton on a cold and rainy evening and this pub looked very welcoming so we stopped for a bar meal. It was very cosy in the bar so we had a drink and then ordered from the bar menu. We had Ham, egg and chips (£8.50) and the chicken breast with chips.(£9.50)We also had a Bombay sapphire and tonic and a Ghostship ale and they were very reasonably priced.

Visited with a group of 20 people for a Christmas lunch. The food all very good and great service. Unfortunately one of our group became unwell, the staff were absolutely fantastic in the care and attention given to this person which took them away from their work for a long period of time, they even offered a lift home. Can't praise them enough.

It's a while since we have been for

Group of 10. Impressed when we arrived as the place looked lovely. Clearly understaffed so we had to wait a long time for water, wine etc. We pre booked and whilst their was lots of food the quality was average. Great potential but need better staff.

The food was above standard pub level but was not ‘gastro’ level. The young staff need a little more training in friendliness and attentiveness.

We were celebrating a birthday, despite their being 23 of us, the food was served quickly and all hot! Roast Pork was amazing, my husband had Roast Rib of beef which he said was cooked just right.

Lovely friendly bar, excellent beer garden. We ate in the restaurant rather than bar. Good choice, lamb was to die for.

Great pub, great food in choice of bar or restaurant, loads of parking, spacious pleasant grounds, friendly staff and most importantly, excellent Real Ale! All at a very reasonable price.

The village of Fenstanton is just off the A14 near St Ives and a good stop off between London and the North via M11 and A1.

Went to this establishment for a Birthday meal. Friendly quick service in the pub despite the busyness of the restaurant. The food is excellent and in all the times I have came here, I have never once not enjoyed it.

Just a quick stop off. Had one of our favourite beers on (Hopback, Summer Lightening) so would have been rude not to have a couple of pints. Had a few starters to share they were nothing groundbreaking but pleasant nonetheless.

Saturday lunch and a very enjoyable afternoon. The food was delicious. Six people who had five different starters and five mains. Our vegetarian family were delighted. The risotto and veg chili were gorgeous. The portions were healthy extremely generous,especially as my two sons are hard to satisfy. Excellent service. Ben was cheerful and got our order spot on.

I cannot express how amazing this pub is! We come in for meals as a couple, family and with friends. They cater for all our needs and make us feel welcome on every visit. The food is amazing and a great selection of drinks on offer. We are now regulars and enjoy every experience we have had there. An amazing addition to vibrant village life!

From the moment we stepped it, it was clear the staff were the key to this wonderful pub and restaurant’s charm. Greeted by the bar staff, we were seated almost immediately, by a smiling and attentive team where nothing was too much trouble. The newly refurbished decor surpassed everything one might anticipate a town and country pub to be, and was a far more luxurious affair than expected.

The Duchess is a lovely looking establishment. We wanted to use the restaurant at 6pm Friday evening, but were actively dissuaded because, and I quote: “we have a party of ten and they have all the menu cards”. Odd to have a restaurant that seats 30 or more but only 10 cards. We took that to be a hint that a party of ten was all they could actually cope with, and we were ok with that, the bar snack menu is identical ( go figure).

We had to wait for our table that we had booked but it was worth it. The meal was delicious, although slightly too salty for me. The staff were very friendly and could not do enough. A lovely restaurant. We will definitely be back!

Our first visit with friends who live in the village, and what a lovely evening meal we had. I had the lamb, which was perfect and recommended, our friends had steaks as Wednesdays are steak night, and all was delicious everyone enjoyed their meals. The restaurant is separate to the bar, and decorated to a high standard with lots of natural light, a very enjoyable evening and would highly recommend a visit.

Had a lovely lunch here with a friend. Really nice decor and friendly staff. Good choice of lunch options both sandwiches and more large meals. Really generous portions at a reasonable price.

Visited when staying at next door but 1 Chalice guest house. Very nice pub, obviously well frequented by locals. Good choice of food on menu and drinks at the bar. Wasn't going to have a dessert but the rum and raisin creme brulee called to us and we shared one - big mistake - should have had 1 each. Delicious!! If more pubs were like this, fewer would be closing.

We had an excellent lunch here provided by a very friendly and professional staff. The food was very well presented and cooked and we all said it was great value. We were not rushed and had a nice spell between courses.

We decided we would stay local and try out The Duchess in Fenstanton, yesterday evening, as we had friends staying for a few days. The pub has a good choice of real ales and the decor of the bar area is very inviting and comfortable. The restaurant menu has a very good choice of varying foods for all tastes. The restaurant area is separate from the bar and again very inviting. The waiter service was friendly, relaxed and efficient. We can only describe the food as 'Excellent' in presentation and taste. Well Done Chef.

Eight of us had the pleasure of dining here at lunchtime. This was the second time we have all visited as work colleagues. The food was outstanding- all served together, hot and fresh and tasty! Great quality! Thank you for another perfect lunch!

We are fortunate to live in the village and have this dining pub within walking distance.The staff are all really friendly and very helpful. The restaurant has been refurbished beautifully and there is a nice vibe about the place.

As we had our dog with us the first night we eat in the bar and had a good meal. Second night bar was full so after putting dog in the car eat in the restaurant. Had a really nice meal with excellent service.

Having heard good things about this place we decided that as we were passing we would try it out, we were not disappointed.

Sunday lunch for two - good menu for us, but noted no vegan alternative available, if it had been required. Very tasty starters - mackerel fish cakes with salad etc. and cauliflower cheese soup with small tin loaves. All main roasts served with plenty of meat and veg. Mains slightly pricey. Good service - downside to the visit was very restricted on site parking, and as we had anticipated a future visit with many guests, parking may cause problems.

We went here on a Saturday lunchtime and were the only customers, the service was great but I found the food rather underwhelming.A particular disappointment was the bread and butter pudding which was a hot cross bun in a pot with barely enough egg custard to cover the bottom half of the bun.Of course I understand chefs wanting to put their own spin on traditional dishes but we were rather disappointed.

Been here several times don't always do a review but it's always a special place to go they never let you down in any department the food is always amazing truly gorgeous will be back soon

Enjoyed a lovely family meal on a Sunday lunchtime at the Duchess. This is an attractive, well-furnished and decorated pub-restaurant with a pleasant ambience. The bar area is comfortable and very pleasant place to spend for a relaxing few minutes before eating, there was no rush to push us through into the restaurant at our allotted time which is always a bonus!

We were guests of friends for a NY party and found this to be an excellent pub with friendly and extremely efficient bar staff on what was a very busy night for them.

With being so close to Christmas had to book 14 days ahead, arrived for our 1.15 booking a few minutes ahead of time and was shown to our table in the new restaurant extension that has been built. A lovely decorated Xmas tree adorned the corner of the restaurant and was quite surprised that there were still some empty tables available but during our lunch a party of 16 arrived so was pleased to get in ahead of them. Our main course order was taken after we had received our drinks and within 10 minutes was presented to us. Nice touch was water served with ice and lemon in a carafe.

The service was great. The food... absolutely fantastic! Such a nice atmosphere and would absolutely recommend to anyone!!

I’ve had a girly meal, a couples catch up meal, a birthday gathering, and most recently held a Sunday lunch baby shower at this venue....whatever the occasion; whatever the gathering, The Duchess delivers!!

Booked with a party of 8. I think between us we picked most of the options and combos on the Xmas menu including the veggie options- picked largely for flavour reasons. Not one morsel of food or leftover from all 3 courses made it back to the kitchen which considering the large portions was a feat in itself. Nice and attentive service and a very reasonable bill encouraged us to leave a generous tip which we all felt was well deserved. Will be back in the new year. Well done the duchess!

10 of us booked our Christmas party at The Duchess there was lots of choice and we could all find something on the menu to pre book.

We are so fortunate to have this lovely refurbished pub/restaurant in the village where I live! Once again a delicious Sunday lunch today, served by friendly, efficient and helpful people. A really delightful place at any time.

This is the first time we have had a meal here. I could not fault the food it was excellent as were the staff and service, would highly recommend.

Had a party in this restaurant last night with about 40 of us. Service was excellent and friendly. The food was extremely good and well laid out. Could not fault the evening with good food and good company.

We had a fantastic meal at the Duchess, we couldn't fault a single thing! The restaurant was decorated stylishly for christmas and had a lovely atmosphere. Service was efficient, friendly and knowledgeable, food was cooked to perfection and presented beautifully. We have eaten here several times before and it has always been excellent; tonight was just pure perfection. Thank you for making our evening so memorable.

This isn’t the first time I’ve eaten here and every time never disappoints. The food is delicately cooked to perfection and the staff are always friendly and welcoming. I highly recommend this lovely village restaurant.

We visited for the first time tonight, recommended by friends of friends. We were not disappointed, lovely food & good friendly service. All 4 of us agreed that food was very nicely presented & tasty.

We called into the pub for a quick drink & ended up staying! Drinks selection & menu is varied & well priced. Staff very friendly & welcoming.