We noticed that you're using an unsupported browser. The Tripadvisor website may not display properly.We support the following browsers:
Windows: Internet Explorer, Mozilla Firefox, Google Chrome. Mac: Safari.
About
Renowned local bistro providing an elegant dining experience in the heart of the university town of Cambridge. We pride ourselves on offering outstanding home-cooked food, prepared with quality ingredients; an extensive, hand-curated wine list; and impeccable, unfussy service.
PRICE RANGE
US$14 - US$44
Special Diets
Vegetarian Friendly, Vegan Options, Gluten Free Options
Meals
Lunch, Dinner, Drinks
CUISINES
European, British
FEATURES
Highchairs Available, Free Wifi, Reservations, Outdoor Seating, Seating, Wheelchair Accessible, Serves Alcohol, Full Bar, Accepts American Express, Accepts Mastercard, Accepts Visa, Accepts Credit Cards, Table Service
Reviews (1,454)
We perform checks on reviews.
Tripadvisor’s approach to reviews
Before posting, each Tripadvisor review goes through an automated tracking system, which collects information, answering the following questions: how, what, where and when. If the system detects something that potentially contradicts our community guidelines, the review is not published.
When the system detects a problem, a review may be automatically rejected, sent to the reviewer for validation, or manually reviewed by our team of content specialists, who work 24/7 to maintain the quality of the reviews on our site.
Our team checks each review posted on the site disputed by our community as not meeting our community guidelines.
Learn more about our review moderation.
Filter reviews
1,401 results
Traveller rating
995
278
75
31
22
Traveller type
Time of year
LanguageEnglish
More languages
Traveller rating
995
278
75
31
22
Show reviews that mention
All reviews beef wellington scallops salmon en croute sea bream fish cakes steak mash sorbet pudding soup potatoes wine list main course by the glass cooked to perfection three courses excellent food and service
Sort and selected filters
Sort FilterEnglish
Updating list...
Reviewed 1 week ago

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...value too. i would definately go there again and thoroughly recommend it.More

Date of visit: November 2023
Helpful?
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Reviewed 1 week ago via mobile

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...feel special. We sat in the extended part of the garden, canopy and heaters.. very magical! I had Sea Bass which was the best I’d ever had ( and Iv had lots ) fresh veg, salsa Verdi, twas fabulous. Hubby had steak, mushrooms and chips, again, above any steak he’s had before. We had a bottle of Rose which was divine. Dessert was a poached pear and ice cream, I thought I’d died and gone to heaven. The whole evening was at the top! The staff so attentive, Andreai even put up with my husbands awful jokes! All I can say is… blink and you’ll miss this hidden gem.. this is a must if your going to Cambridge. Can’t thank you enough for such a memorable evening and fabulous food. We’d love to come back soon. 💕💕💕💕💕💕More

Date of visit: November 2023
Helpful?
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Reviewed 2 weeks ago via mobile

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.

Date of visit: November 2023
Helpful?
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Reviewed 3 weeks ago via mobile

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....A huge wine list prices start from £28 including English Wine and a large dry list. They also offer a carafe of option. Our party was 6 so between us we managed quite a choice. I chose the King Prawns to start with which were perfectly cooked and I managed to try the Scallops too which were divine. My main course was Beef Wellington which was also very good. We also one of our party chose the Salmon En Croute which was delightful. Deserts were wonderfully presented and only eclipsed by the taste. There was a lovely atmosphere there and it was completely full - no surprise there. Do try it you won’t be disappointed. Finally a mention of the staff who were very attentive kept our glasses topped up. I can’t wait to return.More

Date of visit: November 2023
Helpful?
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Reviewed 4 weeks ago

Wonderful food and also the people. Service was superb and a great atmosphere too. I highly recommend visiting

Date of visit: September 2023
Helpful?1  
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Reviewed 5 weeks ago

A really great meal with top service. Oak bistro is a medium size and offers a varied menu with some specials. Price point is in line with similar place in Cambridge, but service and food quality is in my opinion superior.

Date of visit: October 2023
Helpful?
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Reviewed 24 October 2023 via mobile

I think our experience here was the best restaurant experience that I can remember. Wonderful food, competitively priced and outstanding service. Feels like waiters know their business and love their job. Totally impressed.

Date of visit: October 2023
Helpful?
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Reviewed 24 October 2023

Vist the restaurant with my family for a special occasion and we had a splendid time. The food was beautiful, and the staff were super. Would highly recommend.

Date of visit: August 2023
Helpful?
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Reviewed 23 October 2023 via mobile

This restaurant gets it right . From start to finish ,including booking amendments,this is a superb place to go . Staff are spot on ,with time to chat ,if you wish . Service is also exceptional…..and all this before I mention the food ! The...best lamb dish ( it was a special of the day )that I have ever eaten ,with a delicious sauce . Well done to the chef ,I won’t forget this dish . If you’re never been to The Oak Bistro then you’ve seriously been missing out ,and if you have that you already know how good it is on every level . 5***** you are a great teamMore

Date of visit: October 2023
Helpful?
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Reviewed 21 October 2023

Fabulous!! We had a super evening, seated in the garden room at the rear of the restaurant. Service was professional and attentive. The food was absolutely delicious. The four of us all had different starters and different mains and each one of us thought we...had the best meal. Would love to return next time we visit Cambridge.More

Date of visit: October 2023
Helpful?
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Reviewed 12 October 2023

Best meal I’ve had for ages combined with great service and comfortable and inviting environment . Has a sense of occasion.

Date of visit: October 2023
Helpful?
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Reviewed 23 September 2023

Lovely place with great ambience. There was live music on the evening we were there, and the female singer had a lovely, soft voice and sang well-known songs from Amy Winehouse and Niles Barkley. The service was attentive, and the menu had something for everyone....I had the warm Asian salad with beansprouts, pak choi, watermelon, broccoli, cashew nuts, sesame and coriander with hoisin sauce and it was extremely interesting and tasty. My son had the sauced, sesame crusted salmon, and it was cooked perfectly. I had a bite and it was delicious! We shared some truffle chips and they were crispy, hot and fluffy. mmmm. We decided we'd go back and eat there again before I left Cambridge.More

Date of visit: September 2023
Helpful?1  
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Reviewed 15 September 2023

Utterly brilliant. We went for my son's 21st birthday. Food and service were exceptional. Staff were great, and everyone sang happy birthday, with harmonies ;)

Date of visit: September 2023
Helpful?
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Reviewed 10 September 2023 via mobile

The best staff including the owner Phillip and the best food. Wow is all I can say. If you come to Cambridge then book here. Beef wellington is to die for. Great wine, starters and just a great place. We will be back.

Date of visit: September 2023
Helpful?
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Reviewed 6 September 2023 via mobile

The food was okay, just not worth the high price you pay. The atmosphere felt like somewhere from 15-20 years ago and, despite the heat, they didn’t have their air con on, which seemed very odd. Disappointed to have eaten here given the hi reviews,...but would have much rather gone somewhere more modern.More

Date of visit: September 2023
Helpful?1  
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
View more reviews
Best nearby
Best nearby hotelsSee all
Gonville Hotel
3,966 reviews
.08 miles away
The Regent
24 reviews
.13 miles away
The Lensfield
509 reviews
.17 miles away
University Arms Hotel, Autograph Collection
530 reviews
.22 miles away
Best nearby restaurantsSee all
Ji the Chicken Shop
6 reviews
.09 miles away
De Luca Cucina & Bar
1,138 reviews
.07 miles away
The Prince Regent
479 reviews
.05 miles away
Best nearby attractionsSee all
Gresham House Wellness
54 reviews
.10 miles away
The Polar Museum, Scott Polar Research Institute
429 reviews
.06 miles away
Our Lady and the English Martyrs
96 reviews
.08 miles away
Downing College
103 reviews
.15 miles away
Questions & Answers
Ask a question
Traveldude365
5 August 2021|
AnswerShow all 4 answers
Response from hullmann22 | Reviewed this property |
Smart (ish) casual: jeans are fine.
0
Votes
Georgina G
4 July 2018|
AnswerShow all 2 answers
Response from chipdechat | Reviewed this property |
Street parking ok after 6 if you can find a space
0
Votes
Is This Your Listing?
Own or manage this property? Claim your listing for free to respond to reviews, update your profile and much more.
Claim Your Free Listing

THE OAK BISTRO, Cambridge - Updated 2023 Restaurant Reviews, Menu & Prices - Tripadvisor

Frequently Asked Questions about The Oak Bistro

Yes, The Oak Bistro is taking precautions against COVID-19. A full list is available within the "safety precautions" section of this page.

The Oak Bistro is rated accordingly in the following categories by Tripadvisor travellers:
  • Food: 4.5
  • Service: 4.5
  • Value: 4.5
  • Atmosphere: 4.5