The Oak Bistro in Cambridge

Very nice food,excellent service

Went twice in the last few weeks for my own and then husband's birthdays. Both days everything was superb - lovely food, excellent selection of wines, great service and a really nice friendly atmosphere. We were never rushed during our meals and both times were very enjoyable experiences. Their lunchtime 3 course lunches are great value. So glad we have found this place. We will be back!

Had an absolutely fantastic meal here. Not cheap but worth every penny. Both service and food impeccable. The best service I’ve experienced in Cambridge. Really felt the waiter cared and was happy to give recommendations and ever so friendly and polite. Can’t wait to return.

Delicious rib eye steak. Good service. Real English restaurant.

Lovely lunchtime menu. Cooked perfectly. The service was excellent. Would recommend & return.

We had been wanting to come here for quite a while . So we took the opportunity when we met up with friends in Cambridge. Very unassuming place , very nicely decorated inside and is much bigger inside . We were warmly greeted by the owner I would say ,he was very attentive , but would say he needs to tie his hair back serving food . The food was ok , beef wellington , not much taste , not as tender as it should have been , others had fish ( not much of it ) duck & risotto, which was all good . Service impeccable. Woujd we go back , possible not , due to location and is it worth the money , no I don’t think so .

Very different from what the frontage suggests. The building goes way back into three dining rooms. Good food, well prepared, attentive staff.

Fabulous food and delightful attentive staff. Will definitely go back again, so many other things on the menu I want to try.

We have been to The Oak Bistro many times over the years and we always have a great experience. My most recent visit was last night with three colleagues from work. It is the perfect local bistro - great food, wine and service. Very, very highly recommended.

One of the best restaurants I've had in Cambridge so far. Ordered the Pan fried Scallop, Truffle Risotto, Confit Duck and Beef Wellington, every single dish is perfectly cooked. The staff were nice and considerate.

One should not miss the beef wellington, it could easily be one of the best you have. The desert and wine recommendation are carefully matched.

Booked a table for 4 for my father’s 62nd. Couldn’t have asked for better service throughout the meal, asked for an off menu drink and the waiter kindly provided. We had the scallops and pork belly for starters, beef wellington and ribeye steaks for main and then sticky toffee, passion fruit crème brûlée and the poached pear for desert. All of the food was fantastic and cannot wait to return!

Lovely, friendly restaurant with great, traditional Anglo/French food and a superb wine list.

Restaurant chosen for a birthday dinner with the family and didn’t disappoint. A warm welcome, good service and delicious food. We will be returning some time soon!

The beef wellington is outstanding Also really good wine list with some brilliant wines to pick from including dessert wines

Lovely restaurant with excellent service. As a vegetarian I often struggle and don’t usually have much choice. Not at The Oak bistro. 3 starters and main courses and all the desserts were vegetarian with vegan options too. I had the cheese board which had a great selection of British cheeses - did advise they replaced the Carrs water biscuits which I hope they act on as they didn’t suit the cheeses and seemed a bit dated.

Disappointing that they cook a Beef Wellington until it is tough and tasteless. Won't be returning.

Fantastic food ...delicious...staff were friendly.. welcoming and attentive...definitely will come again ..loved it

Lovely menu, food and staff! Beef Wellington cooked to perfection! Nice wines too. Highly recommended!

A really lovely restaurant with a nice calm environment. Such a nice change not to have loud music playing. The food was faultless and our waitress deserves a special mention both for being very professional and for helping make my wife's birthday celebration that bit more special.

They made a special day even more special with their excellent service, amazing food, and fantastic wine.

What a delightful restaurant. Very welcoming staff. All dishes we chose were excellent and very well presented. If I am ever in Cambrige again, this would be my 1st choice. Could not fault a thing. This restaurant really knows what customer service and good food are all about. Couldn't recommend highly enough.

Very relaxed atmosphere, exceptional service and the food was amazing.

Great welcome from Philip, and a wonderful meal for our Anniversary. Would definitely recommend for a special occasion, or just a well deserved treat. Well done all!

The food was great, the drinks menu great and the friendly staff give this place a very warm and welcoming atmosphere, a good find.

Wonderful restaurant - top notch! Great food and a very interesting wine list with small markups (inspired by the Andrew Edmunds Soho model, we were told). The owner, Phillip, was a brilliant host and made our small business dinner a great social occasion too.

Been a regular at this place for a few years now. Lately foods and service have improved a lot and never disappoints me. Appetisers such as scallops and pork belly are always top tier and always cooked to perfection. Mains don’t change very often but season fish dish are pretty good and personally my favourite is confit duck. Can’t think of any restaurant that does Beef wellington up to this level. Lovely desserts as well and great service too, super friendly and professional. Fantastic wine list, lots of good wines for such a reasonable price. Atmosphere is generally okay but sometimes got to care of lights as it could get too dark after evening. One of my go to restaurant in Cambridge especially for any special occasion or dinner date spot. Definitely worth the money

Had a really incredible meal at The Oak Bistro. Service and food was fantastic. Beautiful and small inside seating area, and the atmosphere was perfect. Would highly recommend them to anyone considering a meal in Cambridge.

A really great place to eat, the food and wine are excellent and the service is unmatched.

One of our go to restaurants as great food, service and atmosphere. Celebrated a birthday here and had a wonderful evening. Never fails to impress!

Such a warm welcome and the food is amazing. I've never known beef as tender and melt in your mouth as the beef wellington! It was worth every penny.

We‘ve come here repeatedly usually for special occasions and it is always a great experience! Food is very delicious (especially the duck) and staff is incredibly friendly. My favourite restaurant in Cambridge, especially with visitors.

We were there for my son's graduation, so it was a celebration night and they ticked all the boxes..warm welcome,attentive service.I think we almost all overdosed on scallops and the beef wellington which was fabulous..had a bit of trouble on our choices of wine as our first two choices had been exhausted??but nevetheless Philip came up with appropriate alternative and the night was saved.A lovely place,nice atmosphere and above all good food and service..that's why you go out no?

Fabulous delicious food Wonderful owner and staff who cant do enough to make your visit memorable Cosy welcoming bistro

Cosy atmosphere, Perfect service, Amazing food (Mushroom Risotto, wellington, red wine Plan de Dieu)

Stayed in Cambridge for 3 nights and this was definitely the best dining experience. The food was delicious, the service was excellent and the seating comfortable.

We had a perfect lunch. Everything was really excellent.

Couldn’t agree more with most of the previous reviews, lovely ambience , great food , fabulous wine list and a perfect host ! I definitely recommend The Oak and can’t wait for my next visit !

First time stay in Cambridge and discovered this GEM of a restaurant. Food and wine excellent and staff/service was first class. So friendly and they create a great atmosphere. Would fully recommend and would visit again if return. Well done!

Really enjoyable experience, great food, relaxed ambience, intimate thus ideal as catching up with old friends and able to chat easily.

Quick last minute decision to go to town and we found a table at The Oak. Nice abbreviated wine list. Tasty corn chowder. I had a very upscale French Dip sandwich on a crusty panini (? ciabatta). The scallops were beautiful and enjoyed by others in our party. I had a bite of the confit duck which was nice and crispy and flavorful. The last person in our group very much enjoyed the gnocchi and stole a few mushrooms and truffle slices.... yum

Top notch bistro in Cambridge, just a few minutes' walk from the centre. Excellent food, well-presented and perfectly cooked. This is one of the few places we've been to where choosing from the menu was quite a dilemma! If we were local, we'd be back to try different dishes. There's also an excellent wine list which has many and varied wines that are reasonably-priced. I also like that they had a decent dessert wine selection with recommended pairings for each of their desserts. All-in-all, excellent food, first-class service from James, and great value considering the quality. Highly recommended.

From the moment someone answered the phone and took my booking I knew it would be a great place to eat. Philip (the owner) has that perfect blend of familiarity and efficiency which just makes you feel at ease and at home. The ambience is great, as is the food. My only regret is that I don't live closer to Cambridge so that I can come here again.

Great food. Welcoming management. Friendly staff. Good ambience. Don't be put off by frontage, nice inside. Moderately priced.

We had a faultless dinner at the Oak Bistro in Cambridge earlier this week. Even though it was a Monday evening, it was full of happy diners. We were given a friendly greeting by the owner and the service throughout was exceptional. So was the food and wine choices. We haven’t enjoyed a meal as much in ages and can’t wait to return! Mike and Julia (Oxford)

Delicious food in a chic environment. Even though the restaurant was busy it still felt relaxed. I loved the celeriac soup and fish cakes. Wish I had room for the pudding. Next time.

We had a great meal, food ,wine and atmosphere all fantastic, we thoroughly enjoyed the evening Philip and James were perfect hosts and we will return!

5 of us on a Saturday night. Restaurant was full. Warm welcome and a pleasant room. Food was great, just a bit of a shame they had run out of beef wellington by about 8pm. Also a bit odd they they didn’t have enough vermouth in to run to 5 dry martinis. Initially service was a tad slow, but we weren’t in a hurry. It’s all done with elegance and charm . We had a lovely time

Dinner for 4 people on Saturday evening - had booked well in advance. Great atmosphere and impeccable service . Extensive menu and food quality is of the highest order / the Beef Wellington is a must ! Superb choice of wines too. Phillip is a superb host - even found a sloe gin for my wife ! Brilliant evening.

This is truly one of the only restaurants that always delivers in every way, food and service are of highest quality. I have been coming here for over 10 years

Went with colleagues, weren't particularly hungry prob due to jet lag, so we ordered soem starters and a side salad to share, then some desserts. Most memorable dish was the potato fish cake, prawn and scallops. Risotto was norm and the walnut goat cheese beetroot salad a bit underwhelming. I had the apple crumble with hot custard, very traditional. It was packed on a Monday. Service was not bad.

Very nice lunch. Friendly owner and staff. Food very fresh..very enjoyable

Very cosy and romantic atmosphere! The food was delicious and the service impeccable. Will go back for sure

Loved this place, fabulous food and a great wine list. An authentic Bistro and we will definitely be back, it's a real gem.

What a find! We were in Cambridge to celebrate my partner’s birthday. Read a Trip Advisor review of the Oak and we were not disappointed. Everything was spot on, food, drink, ambience and outstanding service.

Had a fantastic lunch yesterday with my other half for her birthday. The staff were friendly, attentive, polite and accommodating. The food was amazing. The red wine jus that comes with the beef wellington is stunning and the crème brûlée was delicious. This was our second visit and we’ll definitely be back at some point.

friendly service, peaceful atmosphere, delicious food. we even ordered more desert than usually do bc wanted to try, and we were not disappointed. Sadly, my other photos are blurry, but I can share the desserts 🤗 Ice cream and cheesecake 😋😋

This restaurant has a lovely ambiance and serves French-style food to a high level of quality. I had a very good steak and chips, and my friend had halloumi which I have ordered in the past and was excellent. Very good service.

This was a birthday treat for me. There is the main restaurant - and an ‘outside’ area (canvas roof and glass sides with very good heating) which is where we were seated. Not an expansive menu, so whatever was on it would be fresh and very well cooked. We were introduced to the ‘specials’ too’ Our starters were Artichoke soup and Pork Belly. Both excellent. Mains were the lamb (special) and duck leg. Both excellent. Puddings were raspberry cream brûlée and sticky toffee pudding. All excellent!

The food was just ok and all a bit bulky.

Delicious food, perfectly presented. Great service!

Charming place near the centre of Cambridge. Food very good indeed - much better than your normal bistro - and the staff and owner were extremely welcoming. Beautifully relaxed and enjoyable evening.

Fantastic place, food was just how the pictures on website show and flavours were great, from moment on entering and being shown to our table by Phillip everything was perfect. Lovely place, we will sure visit again/ frequently 😉

Had acgood evening so definitely will be going again.

Always delicious. The walled garden in summer is a particularly lovely atmosphere.

We went to the Oak to celebrate our 50th’s. Sadly the meal was really disappointing . We both ordered rib eye at £31 each. The steak was extremely fatty, chips were big standard fries and served with a basic bit of salad. Desserts were much better.

It pains me to write this review a bit, but here we go. Recently came here on date night with my wife. We had read about Oak Bistro numerous times so had been excited to try it for at least the last year. We’re both vegetarian, so this review can only speak to their two primary veg dishes listed as a main on their menu. We had the gnocci and eggplant parmigiana. To be totally honest, both were pretty subpar – and we’re American, not from Italy or anything. The eggplant was rubbery and quite undercooked, with an overall taste about 3 stars. Similarly, the gnocci was really mediocre and bland, and there was zero truffle that could be tasted in the dish, despite listing that it was made with black truffle. Perhaps the chef used “truffle powder” rather than real truffles, but you could definitely no truffle and the gnocci was definitely store bought, not home-made (e.g., relatively firm, not soft, and barely seasoned). On the other hand, the dessert was excellent – we had the sticky toffee pudding and I would say it was among the best we’ve had in Cambridge. The wine was also quite good, although the beer menu was severely lacking. Note to owner – why offer 60+ wines and only 3 really bad beers (e.g., Corona, Peroni) – the drinks menu could definitely be improved by offering customers a few decent craft beers. Service was good and the restaurant ambiance was nice, although definitely not fancy given the fairly high prices, especially for the meat dishes. All and all, we felt the food was about 3-3.5 stars (perhaps the meat is better?), but the dessert was excellent. I don't think we would come again.

Delicious food with great service and delightful atmosphere. Staff were lovely and knowledgeable

Service is perfect and they are very pleasant. Beef wellington was delicious. We tried many dishes at oak bistro and all of them perfect

The staff were really welcoming. Considering it was fully booked, we didn't feel rushed or overlooked. The food went beyond our expectations. The lamb shank was one of the best I've tasted, and the desert was pretty good too. Looking forward to visiting again.

From our initial email regarding our booking till when we left, this restaurant was fantastic. Lovely friendly staff and Philip, I'm assuming the owner was just great. It's not the biggest restaurant but beautifully laid out, so make sure you reserve a table! The food was fantastic. I had the scallops to start and they were probably the juiciest plump scallops ever, and I've had a lot! My fish main was lovely but 2 of my party had the Beef Wellington which was cooked to absolute perfection, just pink enough. Great selection of desserts with a reasonably priced wine list. We will definitely be back next time we visit Cambridge.

I absolutely love the Oak Bistro. Incredible food, incredible service and all around a wonderful experience. They were also very accommodating when one of our party passed out and we had to call an ambulance! Thanks so much and we will definitely be back (and hopefully have a less eventful dinner next time)

Mediocre food and good service. The waiter put the service charge of only 10% by himself, so that was ok with us as well.

Incredible food and service. Rob was our server and he was so attentive and James was so nice and kind. I’ve never experienced service as good as this. On top of that the food was amazing. We had the pork belly, potato cake, beef wellington and aubergine parmigiana. All of which was incredibly delicious.

Great lunch we had. Excellent service and superb food taste. Best so far since I came to UK. Very much appreciate the manager and good luck in your place. Very much recommended.

Whilst, we've had several enjoyable meals at The Oak we were disappointed with the overall experience last time and therefore will not be returning. The Maitre'd and waitress were welcoming and efficient, but were let down by the low standard of the food. Unfortunately, due my wife's birthday being in December we're always confronted in restaurants with party revellers, but in this instance it was so noisy we couldn't hear each other speak. The party were totally arrogant and dismissive of other diners trying to enjoy their evening out, which sadly wasn't checked by the management.

We went here with friends who live in the UK and have worked at the University. It is a charming place with a fantastic atmosphere. Not a lot of seats so booking is essential. Not a lot of parking about so we parked in a side street 1 klm away. Excellent selection of wines and our friend is a wine buff and selected a very good french red. meals were outstanding as were the desserts. The service was fantastic and the meals came at a good space giving us time to chat and catch up on the time we had not seen each other. It was an excellent experience and one we would love to do again when we get back to Cambridge

Let down very disappointed. I had arranged a weekend in Cambridge for my husbands birthday . We were staying in a lovely hotel with a gourmet restaurant but I chose to book our meal at the Oak Bistro as it looked lovely and romantic and we really wanted the beef wellington which was on the menu. I booked weeks ago and about a week before our visit I emailed the restaurant to advise we wanted the beef wellington and we wanted it medium well as I knew this may need this cooked differently . The restaurant confirmed this by email advising they could arrange this for us . We arrived last night sat down and the waiter offered us water and then said , I will rip the plaster straight off we don’t have any beef wellington so it’s clear they knew this was what we wanted and had asked for . The manager then came over and advised us that he had been the one who emailed me about this and he had said it was fine if available which is definitely not what he said to me ( I have the email) ! I said that it was unacceptable and his response was it’s been busy today and we have sold them all but I have other nice meals on the menu . Not for us we did not like anything else offered and were also not at that point looking to hand our money over after being treated in this way . We left and went elsewhere and had a lovely meal and I am in hindsight glad we did. The Bistro is small and quiet lacking atmosphere, where we went we had amazing food and a great atmosphere. I would really warn others from booking especially if you have a special request as it will be ignored !!

We had a lovely lunch with beef Wellington and sea bass. Both dishes were well-prepared and tasty. The service was friendly and attentive, enhancing our dining experience. The Oak Bistro claret paired nicely with the beef Wellington, complementing the meal.

We recently had dinner here and had a great experience. The service was outstanding, with the staff going above and beyond to ensure a memorable evening. The menu was really good and had the perfect amount of dishes. We had a great evening and would book again!

Left there fairly disappointed. Could only get a booking (booked early in September!!!) for a table at the back of the restaurant, but ok, I accepted that when booking. As I walked through on arrival, I noticed all the tables as I came through all had crackers and some table decorations and thought wow! On our table there was nothing. None of the tables at the back had anything like that. We liked the food - that’s one tick. However, there was a table behind us who were making a lot of noise like it was only them in the entire restaurant and I believe that one of the staff should have said something. Bear in mind I was dining with my parents of 83 and 85 years. When you pay these prices and when it’s a Christmas time special lunch, you’d expect much, much more. I wouldn’t rule out coming back, but it won’t be first on the list I’m afraid. Shame that.

A real gem in the city center we all had a superb lunch. A must if in cambridge and looking for a quality meal.

We had lunch with friends and the Oak Bistro was superb. Welcoming and friendly staff and no max time limit on our table so we could relax and enjoy ourselves. Menu was really good, not so many choices that it takes an age to decide but enough variety to suit everyone. The food was excellent. I have a life threatening food allergy and they took care to ensure I was safe.

We sat at the best table in the house! The whole crew was great and the food was really wonderful!

Really beautiful garden area with warm reception and service. Starters and main were amazing, in particular the prawns!

Our first trip back to Cambridge after 5 years and we were keen to return once again to the Oak Bistro. To our delight, it was just as good, if not better than our first visit! The service, food, wine and ambience were superb! What more could you want? Thank you Philip and team for fabulous evening.

What a find! I wish this restaurant was local to me. The food was lovely, the host genial and friendly. The waitress was lovely too. I came with a friend for dinner and certainly want to come back with my partner and enjoy Cambridge in...

We had a fabulous meal in a lovely restaurant with a great ambience. Phillip was a great host and made us feel very welcome. Phillip was also excellent during the booking process, great and very polite communication. The food was delicious and we had the...

what a fab lunch here, we started with a prawn and avocado starter followed by the chicken dish and the fishcake dish, and both had a panacotta desert. the wine was a great addition. it was my birthday and the service was great, very good...

Excellent food, great service, good value for this level. Very enjoyable evening I would recommend you go.

Everything here is PERFECT. Food, Service and Atmosphere... I want to give you 10 stars. I am happy to add one more to my list of Best Cambridge restaurants. I higly recommend scallops and beef wellington.

My husband and I visited this trendy little hidden Gem on the 23rd of November. Boy oh boy what a find! From the beginning to the end we could not fault it, up there with the best! On entrance the owner and staff make you...

This is by far the best dining experience in Cambridge. Aside from the quality of food, professional and yet friendly attitude of the staff puts Oak Bistro to my number one restaurant around.

Delicious food and fantastic service.

Decided on a day in Cambridge and after searching for somewhere to eat, we decided to book here. Best decision, food was amazing, service this matched too, would highly recommend.

Perfect lunch, starting with melt-in-your-mouth scallops and potted crab, then halibut and fish cakes, washed down with a crisp pinot grigio, finished with a trio of sorbet. Everything very good, the service, presentation of the dishes, seasoning, all spot on. Nothing whatsoever to complain about.

We had a lovely meal at Oak bistro. Food and wine were both great. What stood out particularly was the excellent service from Robert our waiter. Refreshing these days to see such a professional waiter who is a class act. We will definitely be coming back to Cambridge just for another meal here!

The Oak Bistro Probably the best restaurant in Cambridge. Wonderful presentation, and exceptional food. Great choice of menu. 8 starters (3 vegetarian, 3 fish and 2 meat) Main courses: 7 ( 3 meat , 2 fish and 2 vegetarian) Deserts: 7 plus a Cheese platter....

The staff and food were both great, with the matradee addressing me by name throughout the meal.

Great service, good atmosphere and food excellent 👌