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It has been a long time coming but I have finally made it to The Old Bicycle Shop on Regent Street. The restaurant has been on my radar for years but for one reason or another it has always managed to escape me. I was delighted to be invited by the team to try their autumnal menu because whether we like it or not, summer is coming to an end. It is not all doom and gloom however, as with autumn comes lots of exciting seasonal dishes!

The first thing you notice about The Old Bicycle Shop is that it tries very hard to keep that historic “old bicycle shop” feel. This is unsurprising considering that the shop is 2 centuries old and it is even claimed that Charles Darwin himself once purchased his bike from here many years ago. So I understand the importance of preserving a part of Cambridge’s historic and cultural identity and I am glad they did. The restaurant is spacious and large enough to host events and parties.

Upstairs has a slightly more upmarket feel while at the same time does a great job of holding onto its historic character. I was quite taken by the mounted bicycles on the wall which added some comical character to the room.

We were presented with a menu giving us an idea of what to expect from their new autumnal selection. The Old Bicycle Shop prides itself on working with local businesses, using sustainable ingredients, and having a menu that caters not just for the meat eaters but a wide selection of plant based dishes.

Dishes are served as medium portions with the intention of sharing between guests. These can be eaten by yourself of course but the tapas esc feel makes the evening more inclusive and social. Everything here is vegetable heavy and since it is all seasonally picked, the produce is at its peak, making it everything incredibly flavourful.

One of the centre pieces of the meal was the hot smoked chalk-stream trout. Chalk streams are a very special type of river that is almost entirely unique to the UK. They have the highest sustainability rating you can get and consist of spring water that is fed from chalk aquifers (instead of rain), making the water clean and incredibly pure. This is perfect for fish to breed and thrive which in turn produces very healthy and happy trout that are fit and lean for your dinner plate.

This is a prime example of the lengths that the team are willing to go to in order to match the desired taste of their menu and a great example of their commitment to quality and sustainability.

I was very fond of their take on carpaccio roasted beetroot, which offers a colourful and vibrant dish that really fit in with their autumn theme. It had a surprisingly complex flavour and the feta gave it a nice creamy texture.

Chicken and smoked ham hock terrine was a fantastic addition and one of my personal favourites of the evening. Anyone who knows me knows that I am a complete sucker for ham hock and this was a great example of what it can be. It looked fantastic and being similar to pate it also complimented the rustic bread that came out with our food perfectly.

Another one of the many highlights of the evening was the spiced roast carrot and caramelised red onion tart.  I eat vegan dishes at home from time to time but I generally struggle to get excited about it when dining out but this was a sublime take on what vegan food can be. It was beautifully presented and made a striking centre piece for the meal. It was easy to share and its orange, browns, and dark greens really brought autumn to the table. Delicious!

For dessert we were given a choice of a few dishes but it was the cheese board that stood out from the rest. I rarely choose a cheese board when dining out, as I am frequently left disappointed with the sourcing quality of the cheeses but they have done a great job at The Old Bicycle Shop.

One example of this was using local supplier the Cambridge Cheese Co and an independent Norfolk producer in their selection. All were British made cheeses. The brie was not only especially flavourful and smooth but in fact one of the finest examples I have ever had. The blue cheese was very strong and creamy which perfectly accompanied the sweetness of the chutney’s. I’ll be having that again!

Overall, my experience sampling the Old Bicycle Shop’s new seasonal autumn menu was a unanimously positive one. I love the idea of seasonal menus, as it not only brings out the best in the ingredients being used but also gives you a warm fuzzy feeling knowing you are doing autumn right. Rest assured, on my way home I was already getting into the spirit of Halloween and bonfire night 🤣

Thanks for reading!