The wife and I had the day off, so we decided to ask the Cambridge Foodies for their recommendations on an English breakfast. As usual, the community didn’t disappoint, with great suggestions all round. There were so many places I wanted to try from the list but in the end decided on the Royal Standard in Ely.
This was not only geographically convenient for us (living on the same side of Cambridge) but I had also heard good things about the pub before. The pub has a good reputation and Ely has free parking with a huge car park right behind the pub, which makes visiting stressless and easy (are you listening, Cambridge?).
The pub is very clean and well decorated with a real traditional ‘old English pub’ vibe going on. They were already getting into the spirit of Christmas too, with decorations plastered all over the venue, including Christmas music in the background. It was done very tastefully and was not just a bombardment of tinsel and glitter.
Looking at the breakfast menu, there were three main cooked breakfast choices. A vegetarian option, steak and eggs, and the full English. There were also pancakes, eggs Benedict, and fish available too. All the classics you’d expect.
It was edging towards £14 for a full English and this only came with one sausage. I requested an extra one, which came to £3.50. This pushed it to £17.50. There was no getting away from it. It was expensive, but the sausages are locally sourced from the village of Haddenham, so I presume this factors into the price. This was not a cheap and cheerful greasy spoon from Street Cafe but something trying to be a higher (or royal) standard.
The coffee was done to an inoffensive standard. It served us well enough. Not much else to say.
The cooked breakfast was superb. The village of Haddenham really knows how to make sausage. There were two thick cut slices of bacon underneath all the food in the picture, as well as a black pudding and a potobello mushroom.
Another stand out piece of this breakfast was the baked beans which were slow cooked. This gave them a really thick texture and deeper flavour.
The poached egg was unfortunately over done but it was hardly enough to spoil the meal. The vine tomatoes made a good impression on me, especially since I’m not a huge fan of fresh tomatoes myself. The portions of butter were very generous for one slice of toast.
It’s also worth pointing out that the service here was excellent. The chap serving was friendly, attentive, and was always available. The food came out in good time and we never felt rushed out.
Both my wife and I thoroughly enjoyed our meal. Sure, it was not cheap but I don’t think the Royal Standard is trying to be. The surroundings were pleasant and tasteful, the service was really good, and the quality of the ingredients was excellent. This is where your money is going.
If you want a greasy spoon then by all means go to Street Cafe down the road but if you are looking for something more (like taking your wife out for breakfast) then this is going to be my first choice every time.
Thanks for reading!
The Cambridge Foodies 