The Old Bicycle Shop in Cambridge

Visited the bicycle shop today for a few drinks with friends. The bar tender Gracie was very welcoming, answered any questions we had with good knowledge of the local area!

"Fish of the Day" turned out to be two fillets of smoked mackerel heated up - not fresh ("of the day") and not cooked at the restaurant I can bet. Other than that, it's hard to criticise when all the description you've got to go on is "fish" and common sense. By all means serve me bland mashed potatoes (salt anyone? flavour?), mushy broccoli (I've still got a few good years left in me, at the ripe old age of 21) and tesco-quality £4 undeniably-delicious-but-personally-best-served-cold smoked mackerel fillets - sans advertised mussels which fine, but the replacement salad and unadjusted price left a little to be desired - for £24. No no please, take my money, you've earned it through existing. Guys, aim for better, make yourselves and your customers proud, add to the legacy of the building which you so clearly wish to emulate. I love food and I like Cambridge and for better or worst I am invested in the food culture in Cambridge so yes I am disappointed when my money gets misused so egregiously. Vibes were on point though. Lovely place.

Ignored for 20 minutes despite trying to engage with various staff members and order. Wouldn't mind if it was busy, but it wasn't. Looks like it's a regular practice for this place as well and they haven't addressed the issues from previous reviews. Oh well, there are plenty of other independents to support elsewhere in Cambridge that are much more welcoming and probably why they are busier as well.

Coffee was a little too strong for me.

Nice relaxed atmosphere and good menu ideas for informal dining. The food isn’t executed very well or with flair. More attention to the flavours - salad dressings, breads (especially flat bread), zingier and crunchier slaw - these things would make a huge difference.

The food was yummy, service was prompt, and they were helpful about finding gluten free bread in Cambridge (they told me where they buy their bread). I would eat there again.

We organised a business dinner in the Granta Room which comfortably seats 18 and has a good atmosphere. The service leading up to the event was great. Kerry was in particular very helpful and responsive. The staff on the night were just delightful. Totally on the ball, quick, kind and just generally great service. Thank you to the team, especially, Shona, Lorna, Joe and Kevin the manager.

I had a nice time here, I can see myself going back! Menu wasn’t too long and I had an easy time choosing what to have The clementine salad was nice!

Very cool, very quirky, food looks great. No idea what it tastes like, though. Staff paid us no attention after seating us, not even eye contact. After quite some time of waiting (during which we both used the loos, which are perfectly fine), and when the couple seated immediately before us were halfway through their lunch, we gave up and left.

Had such a gorgeous brunch today. What a lovely server we had and how he made our experience a good one. We chilled in the booths, played cards, ate scrummy food and felt pleased we’d popped in there on our walk. Thank you!

Came into the Old Bicycle Shop whilst they were busy hosting a private event at the back of the venue. The staff still managed to fit us in for drinks which was much appreciated. Great atmosphere and really friendly service.

We sat at the bar for a drink and need to praise Wes, he is an absolute star! I have never seen anyone work so hard to make all the fabulous cocktails 🍹 for all the many tables. Wes was working alone most of the time and dashed around making everyone else look like they were moving in slow motion. I am sure he gets missed tucked away behind the bar but if you ever visit for a meal remember to say a huge thank you to Wes

Excellent service, delicious food, great atmosphere. Loved the tea, white pear and ginger, delicious

Excellent service and good food. Very patient with us taking ages to look at the menu at the start while we caught up! Good value cocktails too.

Had lunch here on a saturday, staff were attentive and friendly. Nice variety of food and drink on the menu, I ordered the Chicken and Waffles - I was disappointed to received fried boneless chicken balls with a thin batter as I was expecting a crispy fried breaded chicken breast. I made the staff aware that I felt misled and they assured me they might adjust the menu to reflect better what they serve. I hope to eat here again and try something else - my friend was extremely happy with his Croque Madame and hot chocolate.

Very nice atmosphere, friendly staff and a good selection of beers!

Rude staff, need to work on customer service.

Really unpleasant experience with the staff. So unnecessary. It's a shame, atmosphere was great and it's lovely in there.

Really enjoyed my evening here, food was amazing and great service!

Posh kebab was gorgeous, the service was great.

Difficult to rate here, had 2 coffees which had nothing fundamentally wrong with them, but we were surprised when we looked at the receipt back home to see that a 12.5% discretional service charge was added. Poor business and deceiving that this was never mentioned to us at time of payment and if it wasn't anywhere obvious to us at the time of order.

My first visit. Really enjoyed it.

the staff and atmosphere here are lovely but unfortunately the gluten free pancakes were almost inedible — it took genuine effort to be able to even cut through them as they were so tough. I was also quite frustrated that the allergen folder did not include any of the brunch items, as I then had to ask staff members to clarify. Please consider adapting the pancake recipe and adding full info to your binder!

Fantastic place to chill and relax

Went in for coffee on weekday morning. Lovely peaceful space to catch up or work on laptop, good coffee, friendly people. Would not previously have really thought of this as a cafe as well as a restaurant but it works well 👍

we have been coming here for quite a while but the food, drinks and service has deteriorated by so much that we will no longer be returning. we’ve had a chai latte from here multiple times and each time it’s gotten worse - all milk and literally no chai. we also had a mocha which arrived to us lukewarm. we were excited to have the chicken and waffle, but what arrived looked and tasted like a university meal. it was basically chicken nuggets and a heated up tesco waffle with an uninspired “coleslaw” to accompany. extremely disappointed and didn’t really want to eat it - wish i could have a refund. we also had the salmon & poached egg on sourdough. the bread was very dry and stale. the whole thing was totally a flop. i agree with another review which mentioned the 12.5% service charge - should be asked for or optional because the service was completely inattentive and took us a while to get someone’s attention to get the bill and finally leave. unfortunately we will not be returning to this establishment which is a great shame because it had so much potential.

Favourite for coffee and catch up with friends

We used to come here a lot, but over time the food and service has really deteriorated, to the point now I would not return. I have given up giving it one last chance. It was expensive for very mediocre food and the place has emptied by 9pm so also lacked atmosphere. Also 12.5% added to the bill which I just wish they would ask and put as an option. I left feeling totally ripped off and overall disappointed with the evening. The telling point was stale bread that was served toasted up, really??? People are not that stupid, if they cant provide fresh bread it make you query the freshness of the whole meal. I wish I could have a refund.

Cosy decor. Friendly and welcoming service. Good coffee. Coeliac friendly as they use separate pots for gluten free meal options.

excellent service but mediocre food and grubby table. No seasoning on smashed avocado and the bread wasn’t toasted. Portion is very small and stale bread.

Very disappointed with our experience.Whilst staff were friendly service was so slow. ! Ended up sending back one main course as it was tepid at best. Was replaced but staff didn’t check back in with us.

I really wanted to like this place but sadly didn't. It's a nice atmosphere in there, industrial and quirky. As soon as we came in we were greeted and sat by a really nice guy, so far so good. Around 2 in the afternoon mid week it was slow when we came and most tables left just then, leaving us almost on our own in there. You'd have thought that this would have meant attentive and fast service, but unfortunately it was a case or the opposite. Staff, however polite and pretty friendly, are very laid back and fairly inattentive. Also menu knowledge could have been better. We asked about the orange juice, which on the menu is described as "Fresh Orange Juice", asked if it is indeed freshly squeezed, and got the answer that it was. Unfortunately it turned out not to be 🥲 Not sure what the disconnect was there 🤔 Maybe says "Freshly squeezed" on the box, cause it was definitely out of one. We ordered a mushroom toast and an avocado toast, both with a fried egg. When food arrived, although presentation's nice, portions are on the smaller side. Also, bread pretty much un-toasted, and unfortunately both of our eggs overdone, yolk completely solidified and edges very crusty. We asked for them to be exchanged and after some time new eggs came, these were great but at that point we'd pretty much finished. However, up until that point we were still feeling OK about the visit. When the food runner cleared our plates we asked for the bill. A few minutes later it was clear she'd forgotten (attending to other guests, clearing tables) and we tried getting the attention of the other staff. Another guy came over, we said we'd asked his colleague for the bill but it had been forgotten. His response: "Oh she's probably just taking some time with it...but if you want I can print it for you over here" How about "Oh sorry, she must have forgotten, I'll bring it to you now!" ? Bill was presented and at that time I decided that actually, I wasn't feeling good about paying a 12.5% service charge, and politely said as much. Frosty vibes after that and no "goodbye, thank you". Sorry but just not good enough 🤷‍♀️

Great service, good atmosphere! Great food!

My wife, our son(visiting from Australia) and myself enjoyed our brunch today. The service and staff were Top Drawer! Will certainly return and recommend.

What a find! High quality produce, staff attentive and friendly. Excellent service But we warned portion sizes not small! Loved it.

Pancakes were super soft and fluffy and the coffee was also really good. Staff is also great.

Great food and fantastic service, I couldn't recommend it highly enough. I can’t wait to return and sample the rest of the menu.

Delicious food and drink. Fresh and tasty.

What an amazing place , lovely food with great portion size . Service was just amazing nothing too much trouble for them . Will deffinitly return

Came for the first time for date night and what a spot! Service was super friendly and food was great, definitely a new favourite.

Asked for my rib eye medium rare. It turned up looking good but as I cut into it I was met with the absolute displeasure of an overcooked steak. What was I expecting, it’s not London. I tell myself again. No next time.

Delicious avocado on toast for brunch! Also great to see vegan pancakes on the menu which my toddler very much enjoyed.

Really disappointing. The bread to share was actually toast that was so hard it couldn't be eaten. I assume it was stale so had to be toasted. The server then brought out the wrong food. No one had mentioned the word kebab but that's what we got. It was ok, but not what we were expecting. Staff weren't knowledgeable about the menu or the drinks. The price is not justified. Had heard mixed reviews and we got that experience. I won't be going back.

Food was good but damm expensive compared to other local towns, probably due to Al, the foreign students and tourists I guess. Coming from Europe I missed the optional 12,5% service fee that was on the credit card bill, that won't happen again for sure.

A unique place with great atmosphere and really friendly staff. The food was really good I had a simple veggie soup to start that was very tasty and a steak for mains, not something I would usually order but wasn’t disappointed. I would recommend this place to anyone.

Been here once. The place has a great feel to it, loved the ambience and the staff was wonderful too although they took a long time to visit the table to take the oder and to serve the bill. However did not much like the food. Went it with high expectations and the food was pretty underwhelming. It could have been a bad day, or we could have just ordered wrong stuff, but it felt disappointing. Also, they do not serve halal meat which reduced my options.

So, after meeting the manager Kevin today, our first visit, he took the time to talk with us just general chit chat. What an absolute credit to the Cambridge chain of The old bicycle shop eateries. Fabulous man, absolutely a people person. He made our visit and he is a naturally kind man. The food was lovely as we're the cocktails, we will definitely return and 100% tell friends. Kevin made our day special.

First the pros: - beautifully presented good - cordial staff - amazing atmosphere - dessert was wonderful Cons: - food was mediocre Overall, I would go back. I didn't particularly like the pork belly. It was super dry. The flavors they paired with it would have been good had the pork been better. I had the caramel tort and it was superb. Their dessert game is on point.

Third time eating here within the last two years. The food is good yet not exactly memorable, and unfortunately the service is very slow and hit or miss. Everyone is always incredibly nice, yet it just feels like a slow experience that causes a simple brunch to drag on for over three hours…

Food was below average especially for the price (£18 for a falafel wrap which was mostly coleslaw with a stale tasting wrap, £19.50 for a lamb wrap) and they wanted to add service charge on top, which we didn’t pay. Drinks and vibe was nice, but food wasn’t worth it at all :/

The Old Bicycle Shop Review Great Points: - Staff: Exceptionally friendly, making the dining experience pleasant and welcoming. - Starters:The beetroot and flatbread starters were delicious, setting a good tone for the meal. Areas for Improvement: - Toilet Cleanliness: The toilet was dirty with paper scattered on the floor and a noticeable smell of urine. - Curry: The curry was oddly anemic with pieces of roast chicken on top rather than cooked within the dish, which was disappointing. - Lamb: The lamb was just okay, lacking the expected flavour punch. It’s hard to go wrong with lamb, but this dish didn't impress. While the Old Bicycle Shop has friendly staff and tasty starters, attention to cleanliness and food quality could enhance the overall experience.

I ordered Croque Madame and Egyptian Mint tea for my lunch. Really delicious for Sunday Break😀

The food here is so so good. Recommend the Lamb rump and falafel kebab. Staff were wonderful and friendly. One small issue was it was quite cold in there, however to be fair, you wouldn't expect we'd need heating on at end of May! We will definitely be returning.

Ok, so they’re busy, but it’s no excuse for terrible service.

Food was average at best and drinks were very expensive. Service was slow, which is probably because they had two people on the floor for a Saturday lunchtime.

A game of two halves. Lovely coffee, nice staff but the cake would have sunk the bismarck. And who serves cake without a fork? Good effort but in a city awash with eateries must try harder

Great pint lovely food. Best prawns I've had in ages

Really good food in a funky place I had an amazing salmon carpaccio. The flavour was so interesting not like anything I’ve ever had The Guy had delicious lamb Very good service

Charming place with lovely waitresses and excellent coffee

Very cosy and stylish environment, friendly staff and tasty food...

We were served by a wonderful smiley waitress, Alice, very helpful and friendly and makes great coffees too! The atmosphere was relaxed and the food was amazing! We had the Tandem, Grilled Prawns and Halloumi salad in our group with the best sweet potato fries ever! X

Unpretentious venue, relaxed atmosphere, tasty, interesting food, reasonable prices. And we rather enjoyed the house wine.

Ordered the lamb kebab, thinking it would be tasty fresh and a little spicy. What came was a very dry shop bought flat bread, very mediocre limp salad and Luke warm lamb smothered in greasy mayo and shop bought coleslaw. No zing, no herbs. Really disappointing, won’t be returning

The vegetarian dish I ordered was described on the menu as spring vegetables with pasta in a seasoned broth. The ingredients were lovely, including asparagus and artichoke, HOWEVER, The “broth” tasted like hot water, absolutely no flavor at all. £15.50. I ordered a large coke, and a normal small bottle arrived. Small must be 100 ml mini size!! Raspberry sorbet dessert was tiny. Restaurant does not accept cash. Closes at 10 - go early if you want dessert!! Not good value for money. Would not recommend based on what I ate last night. 4 prawns and a slice of bread- £11.75

Really lovely place for lunch. Great cocktails and many vegan options.

Great team, good food, warm atmosphere and good wine.

More than positive experience. Helpful and smiling staff, the atmosphere of the place makes you feel at ease. Very nice and well furnished environment. Very varied menu with really interesting dishes. We opted for brunch and were more than satisfied with both the quality and quantity. We will definitely be back.

What a delightful find just on the edge of the City centre. You will not be disappointed with the atmospher or service. We stayed close by, so we were in 2 x mornings on the run for brunch, which set us up nicely for the day ahead with the generous portions. Staff are all friendly and welcoming. If you do intend to visit I would certainly recommend booking in advance. Enjoy!

I cannot think of one thing I dislike about this gastropub. We came here for my sister's masters graduation on Saturday and we all loved the food! The food was absolutely delicious, however the drink I had tasted a tad bitter but we enjoyed everything overall. The staff were friendly and attentive to us, always checking if our food was okay and always asked if we needed anything else!! I had the lamb kebab, it was really nice and the sticky toffee pudding I had for pudding too was amazing!! We came as a family of 6 for what we believe was a special occasion! And we enjoyed ourselves and it was beautiful!🥰

Update April 2024: visited again after 10 months, and it’s still great food, with friendly, wonderful service. —— Great service, great cocktails, and delicious food. This was the best dining experience we had in 4 days in Cambridge, and an instant favourite when we return. Their Tandem sharing board was generous and could be shared by 3-4 as a starter. The hummus was unique and delicious, and the plant based cheese was unreal. Normally hate aubergine, but theirs was so good I kept going back for more. We also had delicious mains: a seasonal special of butternut squash ravioli, and a regular menu item of lentil curry that my husband loved. Topped it all off with a very tasty Sticky Toffee Pudding. Their coffee was even top tier. Honestly can’t recommend enough.

Great ambience, delicious food with generous portions. The staff without exception were welcoming, friendly and attentive.

Pretty good brunch and not bad coffee. Eggs florentine could have been a bit more rich, but a good portion and eggs were lovely and runny. The service was excellent - very warm and attentive. Great ambience in a very characterful building. P.S If you serve lovely chewy sourdough with nice thick crusts, please give something more than slightly wobbly unserrated butter knives to hack through it with.

Nice brunch, love the customer service the waitress was very friendly

Great atmosphere and food, service was a little slow, but overall great

We had the pleasure of hosting a 30th birthday in the private room and we had a fantastic time. Cam kindly helped us on the day, and they were fantastic, kind and met all our needs. Would return back if we have need to organise another event.

I celebrated a birthday dinner with a large group of friends here. The food was delicious, everyone was so lovely and the set up was perfect. Thank you for making my birthday so much fun!

Great food and excellent staff in particular Alice was very attentive but not too much. The manager, Isabell really made our evening special and with the place full still had time to make sure we were happy with everything. Well done guys great food and old fashioned customer care a real winning combination.

Great space, very good service, good coffee but the food was rather basic. Had the brunch (eggs and pancakes) and both were below average in terms of taste.

Honestly the best food, best atmosphere, lovely staff and the cocktails are phenomenal! Highly, highly recommend!!!

Delicious food and cocktails. Great service, loved the passion fruit martini 👌 Would definately recommend this place

Seated fairly quickly with the restaurant only half full on a Thursday night. Sat for 20 minutes with nobody coming to take our order (or serving anyone in any capacity), left to avoid spending the rest of the evening without food. Not recommended.

Although the staff were helpful and friendly nothing there for me to eat.

Really warm and welcoming - the friendliest service I’ve ever had! We sat in the lovely conservatory and both chose lamb kebabs, which were absolutely delicious!!!

The ambiance in the restaurant is nice and quite lively. Our group enjoyed their food for the most part and those that had desserts found them delightful. I had the vegan carrot tart and while nice, it didn’t quite live up to my expectations. It’s very large for a tart and the carrots being cut into rounds is not very appealing to the eye. Overall, I’d visit again but I’d try a different dish.

Always a good place for a drink or two ;)

the pancake was too small. the size of the pancakes reduced dramatically recently. I was not full after I ordered. what a pity considering the price stayed the same too.

Delightful modern restaurant/coffee house. We went mid-afternoon on a Saturday - it wasn’t holiday time but the weather was good and there were lots of people about. The place was virtually full but we were seated (we had booked) and served quickly. It’s a big place and can get noisy but we had a sectioned off ‘booth’ which was lovely. Food was delicious - lots of vegetarian & vegan options, full of flavour. Portions were not massive which I like - less waste! Barista coffee, cake, brunch all also on offer.

Cambridge is full of great places to eat but the Old Bicycle Shop is so good, the temptation is to not to go anywhere else. Its cool, comfortable, effortless vibes are spot on and plant based options never disappoint. A must visit if you are in Cambridge.

Really enjoyed the brunch options!

Not too busy on a weekday. The staff are friendly. The environment is spacious and chill. No rush. Coffee is alright, average Cambridge level. Croissants are among the largest ones I’ve seen. Not many layers but my friends still like them. Sweet potato fries are excellent. Crunchy and nicely seasoned. Looking forward to try the lunch items, though the options seem quite limited and lacks uniqueness. —/2 disappointed by lunch menu The supposedly slow cooked lamb is very dry and lacks flavor. Nothing like a spiced kebab. Very disappointing. At least it’s a decent portion of lean protein. The good thing is that the flatbread is toasted warm and slightly crunchy. Also I don’t know what takes 20 minutes to scoop everything together… Last time I was told that lunch starts at 11:30 or so, but I today I still have to order a few minutes before noon… I shouldn’t have taken the risk before my 12:30 meeting. Somehow the place smells like a moldy sweaty crowded tiny pub… despite its airy room (perhaps ventilation can be improved). Making me feel a big sick. Macchiato is alright. On the sour/fruity side and not too watery, good enough for a non-speciality coffee shop. I might come back for the other recommended dish, but the branded “old bicycle shop kebab” is leaving me in serious doubt.

Lovely pub with a good selection of hot and cold drinks.

Had a lovely experience with friends, lovely food and quick service and great choice of drinks. I believe Joe, Finn and Sig served us over the night and we had a fantastic and personal experience with them and will come back again.

We had a fantastic dinner tonight at Old Bicycle shop. Pumpkin Ravioli was delicious, both chips and sweet potato chips were superb, the side salad was fresh and perfectly marinated. Alice was lovely, service was fast, and the ambiance was nice. Crumble was a perfect end to our dinner. Will definitely be back. Thank you

Good food, interesting varied menu, lovely setting and ambience but AWFUL service. Starter plates not cleared before main courses arrived, drinks orders never turned up but appeared on the bill. The horrendous service really detracted from the food and whole experience.

We enjoyed our short time here. Good service and food.

We wanted to go to this venue on Sunday night and saw that they said they closed at 8:00. We popped in earlier in the day and were told we didn't need to book and the kitchen closed at 8:00 so we'd be fine to turn up 7:15 7:30. When we arrived we were told the main restaurant area was closed so we had to sit out the front which wasn't necessarily a problem as it was quiet luckily. We ordered the food. The two mains came and were both very nice. Although we did order a side order which took 3/4 of our meal to arrive and wasn't cooked properly as was still partially raw so I feel like they forgot about it and rushed it out. They were good about it and did remove it from the bill. It's a shame we didn't go on a different day as I felt like the staff just wanted to go home due to the time we arrived, even though we were told it wasn't a problem earlier in the day. On the positive the thing, the building is very nice, with cool features, and I can imagine on a Saturday night the experience would be a lot better. Would go again when visit Cambridge next time

It's ok, but nothing special. Vegetarian selections were pretty limited, and most of those on the menu used vegan cheese, which is disappointing if you like cheese! The pasta was undercooked. All in all average. Not bad, just not great.

The cafe oozes old mechanical charm and great service while brewing up the best coffee I've had in Cambridge. We came for breakfast and left in love.

A lovely place to enjoy lunch with an old friend. Great food and excellent friendly service from Alice and her colleagues.

One of the rare places in Cambridge where you can go with your dog. The atmosphere was really nice, the staff were friendly and warm. The drinks were great. I recommend it.