Flat Iron Cambridge — Restaurant in Cambridge

Flat Iron Cambridge is a truly lovely spot — my partner and I have visited a couple of times now, and it usually delivers a great experience. We booked in advance and were seated right on time after a brief wait at the bar. The service, as always, was warm and attentive. I really appreciate the little touches like complimentary popcorn served in rustic mugs and citrus water in vintage milk bottles — charming details that reflect the thought put into the place.

We placed our order and even had our popcorn refilled by a friendly server, which was a nice touch. The steak itself was well-cooked but felt a bit on the smaller side — perhaps that’s just my appetite talking. My cocktail, a mule, was excellent — bright, refreshing, and balanced. Unfortunately, the margarita missed the mark entirely. It lacked any discernible tequila or Cointreau, tasting more like an unsweetened iced hibiscus water — not quite what you’d expect for £9. When I raised this politely with a passing waiter, I was told it was batch-made and couldn’t have been missing ingredients. I didn’t press the issue, though in hindsight, perhaps I should’ve asked for a replacement. As someone who’s worked both as a chef de partie and a waiter, I understand how awkward it can be when customers raise complaints, and I didn’t want to cause discomfort.

That said, the sides were fantastic. The beef dripping chips were delicious, as was the truffle mac according to my GF. The sauces — particularly the béarnaise and wild mushroom — were outstanding, though I’d have loved more generous portions. Frankly, I could drink those sauces by the litre.

When the bill arrived, we were given the iconic little metal cleavers — a charming touch Flat Iron is known for, which you can exchange for their delicious vanilla ice cream. As we were quite full, my girlfriend and I decided to share one.

To our surprise, the server told us we could hang on to both cleavers and redeem them another time, then kindly handed us a complimentary ice cream to share, free of charge. A small gesture, but a thoughtful and generous one that really stood out.

Flat Iron has consistently impressed me with its atmosphere and design across the UK, and Cambridge is no exception. It’s a beautifully curated space with lovely staff and a real eye for detail. While this particular visit left a bit to be desired, especially on the cocktail front, I still recommend the experience overall based on previous visits and the entire rest of our experience.

Mistakes happen — they’re part of any hospitality environment — and I’m hopeful my next visit will be back to the high standard I know Flat Iron...

We had been meaning to visit Flat Iron in Cambridge for some time, and were pleased to get a seat quite quickly on a Friday night without booking.

After being seated, however, we were soon forgotten about. After 20 minutes of inattentive staff passing by, even whilst processing orders opposite our table by the bar, I eventually got the attention of one young waiter to take our order.

He did so in a very matter-of-fact way, showing no signs of hospitality, and simply walked away afterwards without any further acknowledgement.

Whilst waiting for our food, one friendly waitress in fur ankle boots did offer to top up our pop corn and water. She seemed to be the only member of staff actively looking around and taking initiative, so thanks to her!

When our food arrived, we were surprised to find all of it (flat iron steak, burger, fries and macaroni cheese) was lukewarm. The food was nice, though the portions were surprisingly small and the steak was average. It was cooked well, but I expected more given this is the main dish on offer. During our meal nobody came to our table to ask how our food was either.

Afterwards we continued to wait, with staff passing by whilst I tried to get their attention. It took about 15 minutes until the main member of staff on the door took notice and offered to clear our dishes. We asked for the bill and wavered the service charge, which is something I have never had to do before..

Overall this was a relatively disappointing experience, given the glowing reviews, and I can’t see us returning...

Been waiting to try here since I heard it was opening as a decent steak locally is hard to find since Six Mile Bottom steakhouse shut. Although it has very low lighting and is quite dark inside, the ambience and atmosphere was lovely. I like the modern warehouse feel to it. Staff were on point and attentive enough for us, weren’t overbearing like some restaurants but came over enough. Menu is extremely light with three steaks and a burger. Bit perturbed that the specials board had a ribeye on it but they had none left and it was only 5pm on a Saturday night! This didn’t not distract us from ordering from the main menu though and between the four of us we pretty much tried all the sides. Three had the sirloin at £20 and I had the Flat Iron steak at £14. It was cooked to perfection and just melted in the mouth and we all could’ve eaten it all again. I had the peppercorn sauce which is the best I’ve tasted. All the sides tasted amazing especially the bone marrow mash. We all had cocktails too which cost £8 and again tasted great. All in all an amazing evening with great atmosphere, attentive staff (must mention Ella who served us with smile and some banter but we spoke with others too who were equally lovely), amazing food and the best company in our friends. We will return and mentioning it to my foodie group too. Keep up the good work and looking forward to coming...