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Located opposite the Fitzwilliam Museum on Trumpington Street, Little Rose opened at the beginning of the year replacing the well established Loch Fyne. 

I was not sure how to feel about the Little Rose opening, as I was a big fan of Loch Fyne but I was relieved to find out that they also have a focus on seafood. This meant that I didn’t feel like Cambridge was missing out, so the real test was whether it lived up to its predecessor.

For those of you who haven’t visited before, the restaurant is absolutely stunning and fits in perfectly with the historic beauty of Trumpington Street. Stepping into Little Rose is like going through a time machine several hundred years ago. I was particularly charmed by the wooden beams dividing up the front room which not only adds to the historic character but gives more privacy for its diners.

Even the views from the window support this historic fantasy with a striking view of Fitzwilliam Museum and cyclists gliding past. Looking out, you really could be at any point in history.

There is a lovely little courtyard down the side of the restaurant with bistro lighting strung above that gives a warm glowing atmosphere in the evening. This makes Little Rose an attractive place to visit for evening drinks with friends and family.

There was an extensive wine list with selections from across the world. Bottles start at around £26 and ranged up to £35 (excluding a few outliers). It would have been good to see a more accessible wine at around the £20 mark but it was great to see a menu with lots of choice which didn’t go into the stratosphere with their prices. This meant that you had a real choice rather than being limited to a few of the cheaper options.

We went for a bottle of Rose Bianca. This is a pinot grigio which was rather dry and gentle on the palette. I really enjoyed this bottle as it was versatile enough to go with almost anything on the menu. As you would expect, it went very well with fish.

Now, I know this is mostly a seafood restaurant but when I see a scotch egg on the menu then nothing stands in my way. This was a black pudding scotch egg served with ‘burnt onion ketchup’. At £5.70, I thought this was completely reasonable and was absolutely perfect!

The ‘smoked mackerel arancini’ was the standout highlight of the evening and was absolutely superb. It was accompanied with parmesan cheese and chipotle aioli which gave it a bold and creamy flavour. I highly recommend for anyone reading that you try this during your visit, as for £7 it is an absolute steal, especially for the portion size.

We were presented with a specials board. This was stacked on top of a chair for us to mull over while we decided on what we wanted. There is a diverse selection of fish available from sole to salmon. On Sundays there is a ‘2 for 1’ brunch option too, which is worth noting as we get asked about brunches in Cambridge a lot in the Cambridge Foodies.

One thing which caught my eye was the ‘Epic grilled jumbo tiger prawns”. These are huge Nigerian prawns in smoked garlic butter. I have never been able to find giant prawns in the UK that matched my experience traveling around Asia, so I was excited to see if these “epic” tiger prawns could help me finally relive that memory.

…and these monsters certainly did that! I was confronted with two aptly named EPIC tiger prawns that made me wish that I had come with a tape measure. The dish is simple but that is all that is required. The smoked garlic butter was a perfect choice that added that little extra succulence without drawing attention away from these meaty monsters of the deep. They were also presented with some chips and a lemon to squeeze on top. Simple but absolutely flawless!

We also chose the roast halibut from the specials menu. This was presented with creamed potatoes, spinach, and hollandaise sauce. I didn’t get much of a chance to eat this one but I thought this dish was especially well presented and the portions looked generous too. My guest said that it was very meaty and flavorful.

I would also like to take this opportunity to express how good the staff were at Little Rose. There was a high-energy enthusiasm that was bouncing off the walls from the moment we entered. Nothing was too much for them and I noticed that they were especially good at keeping things looking presentable and clean. Upon arriving the restaurant was packed but from the moment a table left after their meal they had someone clearing the table immediately. They run a tight ship!

After our mains, we were given the dessert menu. I decided to go for the cheese cake and my guest had the sticky toffee pudding with butterscotch sauce and vanilla ice cream. All desserts are made in house and the portion sizes reflect that. My cheesecake was delicious and was also accompanied by a dollop of ice cream. The sticky toffee pudding was, in our opinion, the strongest of the two dishes. In fact, it was one of the best sticky toffee puddings I have had in a long time.

There was a decent selection of beers on tap, including a few I didn’t recognise. There was nothing in the craft beer category, with Neck Oil likely the closest but this is a selection that is likely to please most people and is a step above a lot of restaurants.

Little Rose perfectly fills the gap left by Loch Fyne. It not only offers excellent seafood but also has brunch deals and a charming side alleyway for evening drinks. This gives it many more dimensions when compared to other restaurants and therefore has a wider appeal. The staff really made my dining experience stand out who brought my evening to life. As far as I know, Little Rose offers the largest tiger prawns I have ever seen in the city which makes it worth visiting alone. Prices are mid-ranged, so expect a meal for two with wine to hover around the £100 mark, putting it in competition with places like Trinity.

Thanks for reading!