Invite – click here.

We were delighted to be invited back by the team at the Gonville Hotel this weekend to sample their roast dinner menu. I thoroughly enjoyed my visit a few months ago and was keen to see if they could fix a common conundrum of mine with roast dinners.

One of the most frequent questions asked in the Cambridge Foodies community is where to find the good roast dinner. Frankly, I never know what to say because everywhere I have visited never seems to be as good as my own. Portions are either too small, the meat isn’t cooked properly, or it’s grossly overpriced. So I end up telling people to cook it themselves, as there doesn’t seem to be a place (that I can find) that ticks all the boxes. If anyone can do it however, it’s the Gonville!

We sat down in their new(ish) terrace restaurant which overlooks Parkers Piece. It is a great place to dine on a sunny bank holiday weekend as it is spacious, modern, and has big windows that lets in all the light. There were a dozen or so people sitting outside having a drink and watching the world go by as well as people enjoying afternoon tea bedside me. It was a warm day so they had the door open behind me which let in a nice breeze and fresh air.

It isn’t a proper roast dinner without wine, so we ordered a bottle of their house red while we waited. This was a bottle of the French ‘Terrance’s D’alleutier’. A soft easy drinking wine with a hint of dark berries. My wife and I both thoroughly enjoyed it and we thought it was versatile enough to pair with anything quite well, as a house wine should.

We looked at the menu which had a selection of different choices, ranging from beef to fowl to fish. There was also a vegetarian option that consisted of beetroot, leeks, and goats cheese. Prices ranged from £18 to £26 with lamb and beef being the more expensive options and vegetarian and pork chops being the cheapest. When we ordered, we were asked how we would like our meat cooked, showing that this is prepared to order.

We were also given a selection of vegetables. This consisted of leeks, broccoli, carrots, and asparagus.  Portions were acceptable and served us both well but I would have preferred to see more broccoli. The carrots particularly stood out as sweet, succulent, and flavorful. The leeks were also well prepared.

My wife went for the sirloin beef which was served with potatoes, vegetables, and a Yorkshire pudding. It was marvellously executed and portions were generous. The Yorkshire puddings were slightly tough but were by no means offensive.

I had the rump lamb which was also executed well. It was moist, succulent, and tender. As you can see above, it was also very pink, as it should be. It didn’t look like a large portion at first glance but there was quite a bit more tucked away behind, making it look quite deceptively small. Once the vegetables were on the plate it looked like a proper roast.

Both dishes were beautifully presented on a rather striking white plate that had a rough texture. This really made the cuisine look the part but it made quite a lot of noise when cutting the food with my knife and fork. The Gonville is a place of style that makes it a great place for a special occasion such as a birthday or valentine’s day meal.

We were treated to a truffle and parmesan risotto off their new menu, which launched the day before. This was the star of the evening and was absolutely immense. If you are a big fan of risotto then drop everything and get down here right now! It was full of flavour and very light. In fact, my wife said that it was the best risotto she has ever had in her life. Bold words indeed!

With a little help from the risotto, the roast dinner was enough to satisfy us both on its own but we miraculously found some room to share some creme brulee for dessert. What I enjoyed most about this was that the layer of sugar on top was not too thick making it brittle and easy to break. So many examples of this dish require a chisel and it was nice to have a crunchy texture which complimented the creamy underbelly. This is a perfect example of ‘less is more’ and gave the dish a lovely texture.

We thoroughly enjoyed our experience at the Gonville Hotel this weekend. As usual, the terrace offers a stylish modern surrounding with great views of Parkers Piece that is accompanied with an impeccable and engaging service by the team. The meal was just about enough to satisfy a big chap like myself, with the meat quality being particularly good. The Gonville isn’t trying to be cheap and cheerful but reassuringly expensive. Even then, prices are a fair representation of the quality you receive with half a dozen places in the city charging you more for less.

Is this finally a place I can recommend to people when asking for a decent roast dinner in the city? Yes, but I accept that the price will alienate some people looking for a more casual Sunday roast. With that said, if you are willing to pay a little more then you will be rewarded. This is a perfect place for special occasions.

I look forward to my next visit. I am sure it won’t be long until I am here again. Thanks for reading and don’t forget to check out my Instagram reel of my visit below.