I’ve been kicking myself all day for leaving it so long since I last visited The Rice Boat.
This place does some excellent food and one of the few places in Cambridge which does traditional Indian Keralan cuisine.
Located next to the beautiful Mill Pond in Newnham, this quirky little restaurant can be easily missed when walking past. Once you go inside however, the place is surprising la userge, with a unique atmosphere not found in most parts of Cambridge.
The menu has a large selection of dishes which you won’t find at the usual British style Indian restaurants. This is great for more adventurous people looking to try something a bit different. You might find yourself stuck if you are set on your ways and don’t want to risk good hard earned money trying something out of your comfort zone but rest assured, I’m confident that everything on this menu won’t disappoint as the quality is fantastic.
They had a selection of drinks. Mainly bottles and cans. They had some craft beers available but I went for a Cobra 660ml (warning: £5.20! 😮). There was quite a few drinks on the menu out of stock, so you might have to compromise on your first choice (unless we caught them on a bad day?).
Prices are higher than the usual Indian restaurants but this is simply a matter of paying for quality. All the food we had today was excellent. The prawns here are some of the best I’ve ever had anywhere and I can’t recommend them enough (and the meat quality was fantastic all round).
The Masala Dosa is the best in the city. Everywhere else I’ve had this doesn’t come close.
The Thali dish was also very good. It’s a great way of trying numerous small portions of different dishes without having to spend a fortune. This is like the Indian equivalent of tapas. Beans, daal, curry, bread.
We tried “beef fry” which was also excellent. This is beef fried in sauce until it is completely soaked into the meat. This has a great texture as they appear to be singular bits of dried beef which explode with a saucy texture when you bite into them. Incredible!
They had a great selection of desserts. I had the banana fritters which were absolutely spot on! My partner had a banana in dark rum which she loved.
The staff were friendly, chatty, and were great with the children. They offered them an assortment of colouring book and toys to play with. This is a child friendly restaurant.
The bill was a bit on the sharp side but we were far too full and satisfied to care. For a tightwad like me, that says a lot!
The next time you are in the area please make sure you head down to The Rice Boat!
Parking around here is horrendous which is part of the reason it’s taken me so long to get back here, but try and make a day of it. There are a few pubs close by overlooking the river, punting, a nice park, and of course The Rice Boat itself. It’s a lovely and quieter part of the city with much to offer, especially in the summer.
The Rice Boat is easily one of my favourite place to eat in the city.
The Cambridge Foodies 