The Burleigh Arms — Restaurant in Cambridge

Not worth the hype.

The autumn menu and bar menu online were different to what was available, despite only recenly being published. Surely a seasonal menu is meant to be the same for the season? Odd and inconsistent pricing as well.

Tamale starter: interesting concept, but quite stodgy and served only just warm. Nice chipotle and beetroot garninsh, but very little chicken and the goats cheese seemed to have been replaced by blue cheese. Concerned that we were told that it's not supposed to be served hot, which was a shame whether or not a mistake.

Rabbit main: Very well cooked rabbit, tender and fell off the bone nicely. The saffron and cauliflower puree was nice and smooth and well seasoned. Miscellaneous pickled vegetables accompanied the dish, which add little to the dish, and the sauce was so thin it basically just bled into the puree and made both worse. The haggis bonbon was basically a potato croquette which was disappointing.

Lasagne main: Great texture on the beef shin, good flavour in the ragu and cheese sauce. Unfortunately, the garnish sauce vierge was very lost on the dish and barely noticable due to it being plated in a bowl so was just absorbed by the lasagna, and nothing else stood out. Don't get me wrong, the main component was great but the delivery could have been so much better from the description.

Brownie dessert: Average, basically tasted like a square supermarket portion. Toffee/caramel sauce was a bit incongruous as well. Scoop of ice cream which was nice, but at best an average pub dessert, really unremarkable.

Clearly this is a labour of love judging by the chef's instagram, and it's such a shame it's not delivered in the way it's presented. The lighting is really low in the evening as well, so you can't appreciate the nuances.

Service was friendly, but average. No real knowledge or understanding of the dishes from the team. It wouldn've been nice to have had some description of the components of the dishes. Starters had no checkback so only when we'd eaten it were we able to mention that it was disappointingly tepid. Far from a 'hot tamale'. Mains had good main components but were far from complete dishes. By the time we'd got the dessert it was time to go. Such a shame as the concepts sound so good but the delivery is just poor. Another victim of aspirational casual dining failing to deliver on so...

I'm surprised by all the 5 star reviews as my experience of this pub was disappointing in many respects.

I went here for lunch on Saturday 1st February. First thing I noticed was the tables were not clean and had food debris on, even though it was not busy.

The bar man whilst friendly enough was not particularly helpful when I asked if they are serving food, he said yes but didn't hand me a menu or direct me to where they are (they do not have menus on the tables). This meant I had to go back up to the bar to get a menu after finding a table and sitting down, as I assumed the menus would be on the tables.

We ordered our drinks and my pint of beer tasted very watered down and fizzy, as if it had been topped up with fizzy water. My stepmum was also not impressed with the choice of Rose, as there were only 2 to choose from and she had the one that the barman advised was the least dry but it was still too dry.

The menu had a fair amount of options and looked good.

However, when my dad's fish and chips arrived his fish was burned and dry. He informed the bar man, who returned the dish to the kitchen. What happened next was unbelievable. He came back with the same food and said something like 'the cook says it's fine'. My dad had to explain to him that the fish is definitely overcooked and that they should replace it. Eventually he agreed and replaced it. We were all quite shocked that they didn't just agree to replace the dish straight away and were very disappointed by their poor attitude. The fish they brought out this time was cooked fine but was tasteless and did not seem to haddock as advertised on the menu. The rest of the food was mediocre, nothing wrong with it apart from being bland, but we expected better for the price.

All in all a disappointing experience and I would never go back there because of their poor attitude towards customers and it's just not worth it at all for what you pay.

I expect they will have this review removed as they did when my dad posted a review about this as they don't want people to know how bad they are, but I'm sure other people will have similar experiences and post on here and they can't remove...

My husband and I are celebrating our 15th wedding anniversary this year, and we decided a mini break in Cambridge would be the perfect way to mark the occasion.

In between punting along the river and leisurely exploring the city, we wanted to find somewhere truly special for a memorable anniversary dinner. So, before our trip, we made sure to research the very best restaurants Cambridge has to offer.

One hidden gem that captured our imagination, was the fabulous sounding Burleigh Arms. Tucked away from the busier tourist spots, it had that perfect blend of welcoming atmosphere, friendly service, and character in abundance. From the moment we walked in, we felt like locals - whether it was the cosy décor, the expertly poured drinks, or the delicious food that hit all the right notes.

It was one of those rare finds that makes you feel like you’ve stumbled across something only you and a lucky few know about, and we left already planning our next visit.

What made the experience even more special was the head chef himself, Kareem. In between creating his culinary masterpieces, he took the time to regularly come out from the kitchen and chat with each table, making every guest feel personally welcomed.

His passion for food was obvious - not just in the flavours on the plate, but in the way that he spoke about the ingredients and the thought behind each dish. It’s a rare touch these days, and it elevated the whole evening from a great meal to a truly memorable experience.

The fabulous serving team completed the magic of the evening. In particular, Laura and Daisy were absolute stars - attentive without being intrusive, full of genuine warmth, and clearly passionate about making sure that every guest had a wonderful time.

They seemed to anticipate what we needed before we even asked, adding little touches of humour and charm that made us feel completely at home. Their energy and friendliness were the perfect complement to the chef’s creativity, making our visit to the Burleigh Arms one we’ll always treasure.

You can guarantee that we’ll be coming again!

Thanks for the memories...