The Rice Boat in Cambridge

Lovely food and service from the waitress who served us. Especially recommended the Fish curries!

Delicious dinner at the Rice Boat. Highlights were the dry beef fry curry and the pistachio kulfi, but all was excellent. Very gracious hosts. Looking forward to coming back.

Fantastic food, amazing and friendly service, thank you very much!

I had the pleasure of visiting Rice Boat for New Year's Day and can wholeheartedly say the food and entire experience was a treat from start to finish. To start we shared lamb samosas served with a freshly made red pepper and tomato chutney. I have honestly never tasted a samosa as flavoursome yet fresh, with the chutney making a perfect accompaniment. This was followed by a masala Dosa served with Daal and a coconut chutney. The Dosa was crisp and the masala filling was perfectly spiced and paired really well with the equally stunning sides. Next was a shared chicken Biryani. The meat was succulent and tender, the rice fluffy and fragrant and the entire dish was perfectly spiced and packed with flavour. I can honestly say it was the best Biryani I have had the pleasure of eating. For the main course, came a selction of authentic Keralan curries served with Porotta, Appam and coconut rice. Each curry was again perfectly balanced and spiced. My Keralan Chicken Curry was a delight and all breads and sides were cooked to perfection. Finally came a couple of scoops of a delicious homemade mango ice cream which proved the perfect way to cleanse the pallet after such a hearty meal. I must also add that the experience was elevated massively by the company of the lovliest owners Rita and Jacob, who joined throughout various points of the meal. They provided me with their vast amount of knowledge of not only Keralan cuisine but also the culture and history of their home. Thank you for making the evening so special.

Tuve el placer de visitar Rice Boat para el día de Año Nuevo y puedo decir de todo corazón que la comida y toda la experiencia fue un placer de principio a fin. Para empezar compartimos samosas de cordero servidas con un pimiento rojo recién hecho y chutney de tomate. Sinceramente nunca he probado una samosa tan sabrosa pero fresca, con el chutney haciendo un acompañamiento perfecto. Esto fue seguido por un masala Dosa servido con Daal y un chutney de coco. La Dosa estaba crujiente y el relleno de masala estaba perfectamente especiado y maridado muy bien con los lados igualmente impresionantes. El siguiente fue un Biryani de pollo compartido. La carne era suculenta y tierna, el arroz esponjoso y fragante y todo el plato estaba perfectamente especiado y lleno de sabor. Honestamente puedo decir que fue el mejor Biryani que he tenido el placer de comer. Para el plato principal, vino una selección de auténticos currys de Keralan servidos con Porotta, Appam y arroz con coco. Cada curry estaba perfectamente equilibrado y especiado. Mi curry de pollo Keralan era una delicia y todos los panes y guarniciones estaban cocinados a la perfección. Finalmente vinieron un par de cucharadas de un delicioso helado de mango casero que resultó la manera perfecta de limpiar la paleta después de una comida tan abundante. También debo añadir que la experiencia fue elevada masivamente por la compañía de los propietarios más queridos Rita y Jacob, que se unieron a lo largo de varios puntos de la comida. Me proporcionaron su vasto conocimiento no solo de la cocina keralana, sino también de la cultura y la historia de su hogar. Gracias por hacer la velada tan especial.

Delicious authentic food! The owners are lovely and came out to chat to us when they had time!

Hidden gem, what a wondeful meal we had, such authenticity. Would recommend this place if you are looking for real Kerelan Indian food 👌👌

This charming restaurant offers authentic South Indian cuisine that is both simple and exquisite. If I could give it a 10-star rating, it would still feel like too little.

The food I had was divine! Allepey fish curry, the appam, the paratha, sambar...rounded off with a surprising form of kulfi. The flavours reminded me very much of home!

This is THE place to get the most authentic, fresh and delicious taste sensation in Cambridge - and would easily rival any London restaurant for Indian flavour. A must! Book and go - you won't be disappointed....

If you want to eat authentic home style Indian food, prepared with fresh & tasty ingredients & spot on flavours this restaurant is a must try. It maybe a no frills establishment, but it is easily the best Indian food in Cambridge by far.

Si quieres probar la auténtica comida india casera, preparada con ingredientes frescos y sabrosos y saborizantes, esto es imprescindible. La comida era absolutamente deliciosa.

Si quieres una sensación de sabor - recomiendo encarecidamente este restaurante. Una verdadera institución de Cambridge. La mejor comida india (Keralan) - de hecho el mejor restaurante en Cambridge. La comida es fresca, auténtica y te costará mucho encontrar mejor comida india local o en Londres. Un restaurante de ambiente familiar, perfecto para esas noches relajadas con la familia y los amigos.

We came here in late September for a friends birthday. A beautifully curated menu and fantastic food and friendly sensitive staff. Thanks for a great time.

We had our family dining at Rice Boat unexpectedly. We been to many restaurants who serve for English people without keeping the authentic taste of the food . But , Rice boat is completely different and it’s truthful to authentic taste of Kerala . More than food experience, the way the co- owner Ms. Rita talked with us ., just made us feel better.. and made our day ..highly recommended to everyone who wants to taste authentic Kerala cuisine. Never forget to try kulfi ❤️ Much love and wishes from , Bibin & Sheena , Kings Lynn, Uk

He decidido venir más a menudo. La comida es auténticamente del sur de la India. El servicio fue amable. Habíamos estado en un concierto cerca, y estaban dispuestos a darnos la cena muy tarde - todos los demás se estaban yendo. Sin embargo, no trataron de apurarnos, y tuvimos una agradable conversación con el propietario. Teníamos un thali, que era justo lo que necesitábamos. Muy razonable precio también.

What a great restaurant! Off the beaten track, so to speak, but really worth the visit. Parking on all the streets in the area is free after 6pm so don’t let all the parking signs put you off. All our dishes were made to order, making it more of an experience than your typical sit, eat and leave. The owner was lovely, she would come out and chat with us when she had time, adding that personal touch. Portions were the perfect size, everything was so fresh, and all I can say is I’m sad it’s taken us so long to come here. Put this place on your list, it’s well worth the visit!

What a wonderful place to be! Authentic food and perfect host. Thank you for the hospitality and great food

Great place for family. Customised and freshly prepared meal could be enjoyed😊🙏🏻

Amazing food. I was there with a large group for dinner and we had the group menu. Wonderful selection of really tasty dishes. And the staff also were really friendly and helpful.

Delicious and reasonably-priced, vegetarian-friendly food! Not to mention the lovely staff!!

We had our dinner here , the food was so delicious and awesome and the special plum pickle was a 10/10.. We also had a pistachio kulfi and it’s a must try.

The food was delicious especially the pickles and kulfi was superb must try.

Absolutamente fabulosa, auténtica cocina keralana. Tuvimos una maravillosa comida familiar en una tranquila tarde del viernes en el tiempo de término. Gran, atento pero poco exigente servicio, tremenda comida y una encantadora charla con nuestra anfitriona. Definitivamente volveremos. Muy recomendable!

Delicious food. Very friendly. Elegant and welcoming environment

Really amazing food, genuinely could have eaten twice as much because it was just that good. Lady serving us was super nice and helpful. Food came out quickly and I’ll say again, was fantastic. Can’t go back soon enough.

Delicious food, great service. Would recommend Uttapam and Gulab Jamun.

Quantity is very low and food is expensive. Never recommend it to anyone.

Rice Boat is my favorite restaurant in Cambridge! I am always awestruck by how delectable and authentic the South Indian cuisine is, and with such uniquely flavorful spices. The service is exceptional, and it sincerely feels as though you are welcomed in for an unrivaled South Indian home-cooked meal. The varied selection of appetizers, entrées, and desserts is exquisite, and the consistent quality of food and warm atmosphere make it well known that the owners care deeply about bringing Kerala cuisine to Cambridge!

Me and my friends went to the restaurant and asked if we can get any food quickly as we were running late and staff was incredibly friendly and managed to get food for 7 people in a really short time. The atmosphere was amazing and all food was excellent 👌 thank you so much

Food was excellent, highly recommended !

Such a nice evening with South Indian vegetarian delicacies.

Rita, the owner, is both knowledgeable, friendly and a fantastic hostess. Well done to her husband the chef, too! The food was absolutely gorgeous. Highly recommended.

My husband and I took our three children - 4, 2, and 10 months - and had the best experience here! I'll start by saying my husband had emailed in the day to make a reservation for 6pm, which was responded to promptly. We were warmly welcomed by the owner, who was taking the orders/being the host/waitress because her normal help was on holiday. She brought us two booster seats for the little ones and took the time to put them securely onto the chairs. As if this wasn't kind enough, she then brought toys and baby books to the table for the kids to enjoy! We mentioned our daughter is in her "tea loving" phase, and she went out of her to make masala tea for her. Dining out with three young children is HARD, but this place made it feel so easy. The food was wonderful and the owner was so, so helpful and personable. She let us know that her husband was the chef - if you are looking for a wonderful mom and pop restaurant that has delicious home cooked food, look no further. This is your place. Be sure to try the samosas and the masala dosa- they're great!

It is such an excellent relaxation even the view of the dishes far from home. Comfortable, spacious, and calm atmosphere.

Delicious food and very nice people.

Amazing food, a genuine home cooked experience.

Lovely service, delicious food!

Amazing food, cooked fresh - great dosa and cater for allergies. Food tastes authentic and not mass produced and rushed.

Mediocre food, very small portions, and bad service - overall completely overpriced for what you get, cannot recommend this place at all! There are much better options in Cambridge.

A last minute booking for 12 was dealt with fantastically. We ended up asking them to decide the menu for us as a group. Each dish was beautifully spiced and well matched with the other dishes. Everything felt fresh and light. I would highly recommend

Lovely Indian restaurant in Cambridge! Ordered the lamb potato curry and Kerala chicken curry with neyychor (Kerala ghee rice) and they were exceptional. The curries were perfectly spiced and balanced with fresh ingredients. A shoutout to our server/owner(?) who was kind and attentive throughout. Good location too so highly recommend this place!

Beautiful food and lovely proprietors. The food here is not conventional British Indian cuisine - no bad thing at all - but something a little more interesting. This is genuine Keralan food, and it is sumptuous. The spice blends are different to those encountered in North Indian cuisine. the items we tried - Lamb Potato Curry, Masala Dosa - were delicious and elegant. The service was lovely. The proprietor brought us some free servings of homemade ice-cream; it was lovely and was such a generous thing to do.

Excellent food and very friendly- o am coeliac and the gluten free options were delicious. Highly recommended

Best and authentic kerala food in Cambridge !

Absolutely delicious! Menu is very different from usual Indian restaurants and the dishes pack so much flavour. Recommend prawn balls, black pepper chicken starter and Kerala fish curry. Lassi is great too.

Delicious independent South Indian. Very friendly service, great food. We loved the veggie dishes and the breads , especially the Appam.

A lovely, welcoming South Indian restaurant serving delicious traditional Kerala cuisine. We loved everything we ordered… starters (Vada with coconut chutney and sambar, and Onion Vada), mains (Kerala Chicken Curry and Fried Chicken Masala - both medium spiced), rice (Neyychor basmati), breads (Chapatti and Porotta) and desserts (Pistachio Kulfi and Kerala Banana Fritters). The Mukhwas at the end was a nice touch. Free parking on the side streets after 5pm or 6pm (parking info on their website). This was our first visit and we’re already thinking of what dishes to try next. Worth a visit!

A lovely, welcoming South Indian restaurant serving delicious traditional Kerala cuisine. We loved everything we ordered… starters (Vada with coconut chutney and sambar, and Onion Vada), mains (Kerala Chicken Curry and Fried Chicken Masala - both medium spiced), rice (Neyychor basmati), breads (Chapatti and Porotta) and desserts (Pistachio Kulfi and Kerala Banana Fritters). The Mukhwas at the end was a nice touch. Free parking on the side streets after 5pm or 6pm (parking info on their website). This was our first visit and we’re already thinking of what dishes to try next. Worth a visit!

super tasty and very friendly - highly recommend! will deffo be back :)

Awesome South Indian food. The only place I know in Cambridge that does this cuisine so well. Some authentic spicy dishes that are properly spicy.

Excellent and tasty with lovely flavours. Visited for a quick dinner with my kids and in laws. Really helpful staff and lovely suggestions. Excellent flavours and excellent chicken samosas and vada. Thali also very nice. Good curries and lovely rice - lemon rice was ace.

Our first experience of southern Indian cuisine. Very different from normal curries but wow! Wonderful flavours, particularly the Kerala beef and Inchy curry. Great to have gf breads, which again were very tasty (Dosa platter) and then homemade pistachio kulfi! Relaxed setting and good informative service. If we lived in Cambridge it would be my local.

We had a lovely meal here last night. The service and food were both great. We'll definitely be back again soon. Thank you

Rice Boat serves a great selection of dishes, including a wide range of flatbreads I haven't seen elsewhere. The staff are universally friendly and the prices reasonable. I can recommend organising a society annual dinner with them, as they are always willing and helpful to accommodate requests!

I love the food here. The Kerala Fish Curry is an absolute stand out, in a field of delicious curries. Their food makes me happy. Just try it.

Really good food. One of the best places for Indian food in the UK. Strongly recommend.

The food was delicious. It seemed incredibly authentic. The staff were very friendly. Certainly worth trying, would go again.

Top food - very tasty. Quite spicy but just as we liked. Shared a masala dosa between us for starter. Lamb ularthu, kerala beef fry, Allepy fish curry, Tiger king prawn and unripe mango curry with Kerala red rice & porottas, with accompaniments of raita and inch curry. All delicious. Hadn’t been for ages, glad we did. Will be back

We haven't visited the Rice Boat for approximately 12 years, it was always excellent and after this significant time lapse, the quality from every angle was just as outstanding as before. Julian & Karina from Norfolk.

Really delicious...especially fish curry

I would definitely say that this is so far the best Kerala Cuisine in Cambridge. Had a delicious dinner with my friends. All the dishes that we tried were finger licking good. If you want to try the authentic taste of Kerala dishes, definitely go for this one..

Excellent south Indian cuisine in a warm family run place. Highly recommended!

One of my favourite restaurants in Cambridge. The food is consistently fantastic - beautifully spiced, freshly prepared, and authentic. There is also a 'family' vibe about the place which makes it all the more special - it's rarely overly busy, and you often feel like you've been welcomed in to eat as a guest in someone's house, in the best possible way. Will continue to go back again and again!

Great choice for a flavorful south Indian cuisine in Cambridge, from Chef Prakash. Would highly recommend!

Very authentic and delicious We will come again ❤️ Thank you 🌞

Mediocre kerala food. If you cook well at home, not really worth making a trip to this place. Had family visiting and came because of the reviews, food was disappointing for all. Limited menu.Good service.

We had an AMAZING last night. the Rice Boat again did not dissapointed! It was absolutley spot on! I haven’t been eating there after some time as I live abroad. But yesterday we arrived and the our fist stop was at Rice Boat and it was as I said delicious! Highly recommending! You should try!

Lovely food and a cozy atmosphere. Staff is very kind and the service is good and quick. One of the best restaurants in Cambridge.

Probably the best Indian food in Cambridge and for a bargain. The food takes a while to cook (45 mins+) but it's worth the wait. The dishes can be really spicy even if it says mild on the menu so I ask specifically for mild.

Really delightful experience - lovely food, smiling service, no rush. Highly recommended!

really super delicious! service was good and staff was very nice and helpful with recommending dishes. Had such a wide variety on the menu. The atmosphere was relaxing and calm. Highly recommend and would totally come back to try more of the menu!

I had the Syrian Christian curry. Really delicious. Sevice was great. Lovely family run business. Will be going back v soon.

We had a wonderful meal at the Rice Boat - a delicious array of curries and some excellent masala dosas. Lovely service and relaxed atmosphere. We had a charming conversation with the Patronne who cooked the dosas herself. Highly recommend!

I have been going to this place for years, and it remains my favourite restaurant in Cambridge. The food is infinitely better and more interesting than the average Indian restaurant, the staff, exceptionally friendly and accommodating (I often come at a late hour), the background music is kept to a level that is not intrusive. I very much recommend this place.

VERY yummy homemade food - strong recommendation! The owners are mega sweet and make everything themselves. Worth the wait!

Always some of the best food in Cambridge - great Aubergine Theeyal and Biriyani this evening - and friendly staff. Best order ahead for a group, though.

Authentic Indian Restaurant, kerala style cuisine but the chef is very good at accommodating other Indian style varieties food. Nice food and Nice people.

100% authentic Keralan cuisine. I had the masala dosa, friends had chicken and fish dishes. All were excellent. Very highly recommended

Provided a lovely, interesting meal for a party of 15. Every dish was excellent and not something I’d eaten before which was great. The service was also perfect, this is a very special place. So glad we found you.

I was struggling to find somewhere that had a variety of vegan food and non-vegan food. I had heard that this restaurant was good but my god, they are amazing! I had the Aubergine Theeyal. This was THE BEST curry I have EVER had. It was so fragrant with flavours, so smooth and creamy. It had transported me right into the heart of authentic culture and cuisine. If you do anything this week, make sure you book a reservation at the Rice Boat. We have to support our local small businesses, and if they’re as amazing as the Rice Boat it’s a no brainer!! There was a wait, but I assure you it is well worth it! Wouldn’t you want to wait a few extra minuets for the most authentic and delicious meal of you life?

Simple homely Kerala/ Indian food…. Sambar was very homey… Never miss the star dish 😋pistachio Kulfi…

We had delicious southern Indian food - for me the most authentic Indian food I had outside of India. My Biryani was delicious and all dishes my wife and kids had were also just wonderful. Strong recommendation!

We had a lovely dinner at Rice Boat with our friends, the food was really delicious and it had a nice chill atmosphere, great for families! We also ordered food for almost ten people because it was so hard to decide what to eat :D and we met the lady who was the owner of the restaurant which was also very nice and asked us to pack our leftovers since we were more then full at one point haha I had the chicken biryani which was delicious! My bf had the Lamb ularthu and our friends had Paneer Green Peas curry which were also all very delicious as well as the prawn balls The Parotta was also amazingly prepared! Also remember to try their Mango lassi as well, famous delicious drink! Thank you for the lovely dinner we had and we hope that we will come again! (:

Great place, wonderful drum music, fantastic food

Delicious South Indian food. Different to the mostly Bangladeshi food in other Indian restaurants. The food is cooked freshly to order so there can be a wait, which seems to infuriate some reviewers. I'm always happy to wait for quality. There were 6 of us. Wife and I are vegans. Others not. We all started with Masala dosa - delicious. Mixture of beautifully cooked and unusual mains. Our vegan mains - vegetable thali and a lentil dish (forget the name) were full of flavour and spicy. Added a side of shredded greens. The best Indian food I've eaten in England on 2 trips of several months since lock-down. It's worth going just for the dosas! Very quiet night. Deserves a much higher ranking. Beat a path to their door!

The south Indian food here is really excellent, and brilliant value for money. Service can be slow, but only because food is lovingly prepared, with an attentiveness that makes this place more like a supper club than a generic Indian restaurant. If you have the time for a leisurely dinner or lunch, I can't recommend this place more highly.

We had a a fabulous time, although it has been a while since our last visit but the food here is as good as ever. Delicious curry, particularly the Aleppy fish curry and porottas. Thank you to Rita and Jacob for looking after us, as ever.

Excellent food, reasonable prices (for Cambridge)

Really nice food and really nice staff! 👌

We made a reservation six hours before arrival only to be told that half of the menu is unavailable. When asking for chai, they told us that we'll have to wait for at least 20-30 mins for it to arrive. This was on a weekend so I'm not sure how this place functions.

Always good. Recommend by my Indian friends.

I am glad I tried despite the appearance and reviews 😌 Perhaps because of the usual quietness, I was often surprised that the restaurant was still operating. The reviews also come with polarity and made me a little wary. Fortunately, everything turns out to be awesome. For starter we had fried prawns mainly because 1) the lady recommended their juicy giant prawns 2) the prawn balls take more than 15 min for the chef to prepare. Well the fried ones still arrived quite late, but it’s worth the wait. Nicely seasoned, garlicky, gingerly, some lemon grass, mustard seeds, and a little spiciness. The rice fried in the same pan tastes super nice. The mains: 7 pm, half hour after opening, the fish and Porotta are already sold out. The good side— food is probably fresh. (The lady said she bought it from a market in London, and the fish is the prepared in small batches. Guess I’ll pre-order with my reservation to secure it.) The remaining options are no disappointment. The beef fry is a burst of warming spices. Somehow it reminds me of the five-spice beef jerk back home… perhaps it’s the mixture of fennel, chili, cumin, turmeric, clove and maybe some star anise. It may look like a small shallow plate, but it’s all meat. The eggplant coconut curry is mellow and soothing, not too sweet. Though we weren’t able to have the highly recommended Porotta, the dosa and appam are great as well. Dosa is crispy outside with a little more thickness in the center, nice balance. Coconut chutney is aromatic. The appam looks like a flat version of idly, with a similar delightful mildly sour taste of fermented rice and an extra hint of coconut. And we didn’t expect there to be desserts! In photo albums! Creamy and not too sweet. The lavender vanilla is surprisingly nice. I’m not a fan of vanilla, but the lavender is so naturally fragrant and calming. All my stress from the past week just melts away with it. I’d really recommend the place and am definitely coming back again. The lady is super friendly and helpful (maybe a little bossy but really like my loving aunties :) I also like how the menu explains things and how the restaurant differs from other places. Although the kitchen may be slow, there is passion. Look at the cute flowers and taste the food.

Terrific regional flavors and lovely hosts. A must eat in Cambridge.

Excellent food! Even though the restaurant is a Kerala cuisine one, it has the best paneer in Cambridge along with the most authentic and homemade tasting chapati. The service is also fast, and the owner is a delight to talk to. Highly recommended.

The food was reasonably tasty but tiny and overpriced portions that took 2 hours to cook. Clearly, not enough kitchen staff or front of house. The service was appalling. People left the restaurant angry while we were there, as the wait time was so absurdly long. Won’t repeat that experience.

Very good south Indian food. The thali had dishes with perfectly balanced flavours. The dal and sambar were almost close to home made food. A big shout out to the staff and the owner, who were super friendly. Will definitely go back. A great option to go with a large group of friends as well.

We came here for a big group dinner and the food was incredible!

This restaurant was recommended to us and we thought it was fabulous! The food was so authentic and delicious and the staff were so friendly and service great. Especially loved the aubergine curry and dosa masala, but no complaints with anything! Will definable visit again on our next trip to Cambridge!

Delicious homemade taste in Cambridge. Must try their freshly prepared Ice cream. Atmosphere was so cosy.