Cambridge Foodies

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I am always on the look out for a good roast dinner. Frankly, it’s hard to find one that holds up to the gold standard of a home cooked roast. So many restaurants have promised the world only to leave me feeling unsatisfied or disappointed afterwards. It’s a hard thing to get right, as what constitutes a good roast means something different to everyone, so I am sympathetic to the nearly impossible task but it can be frustrating.

For me, a good roast dinner isn’t just about the food but also the experience. Going out for a roast on a Sunday with the family should be a wholesome experience in a historic pub in the middle of the scenic countryside with an open fire.

The King William IV pub is a stunning historic pub on the border of Cambridgeshire that ticks all the cosy boxes you want from a relaxing Sunday lunch with your family. This is a pub that takes great pride in their roast dinners and is dog friendly, making it the perfect place for such an occasion.

The first thing you notice about the King William IV is how beautiful it is. I cannot remember the last time I visited such a rustic, historic, and quirky pub. Being 6’4, it is not all fun and games though, as buildings back then weren’t built with tall people in mind but otherwise it is a charming place that would be ideal for any historic drama or film. I thoroughly enjoyed the three swinging tables that hang from the ceiling. Practical? Naa, but the locals love them!

The bar has a selection of real ales as well as one of my personal favourite beers, BitBurger. This is a rare beer to see in a pub, so if you are a fan of German beer then this is a good place to come.

We were warmly greeted and shown to our table. We were then presented with a board with our roast dinner options, ranging from a leg of lamb, to roast chicken, to sirloin of beef (the vegetarian option is the beetroot wellington). Prices hover between £16-20, with the option for cauliflower and cheese as an added extra at £4.

With lamb being my weakness, I decided to go for the leg of lamb and my wife had the sirloin of beef. We were given the option of side sauces, so we went for a horseradish and a mint sauce.

My leg of lamb roast was a good portion and beautifully presented. It came accompanied with roast potatoes, Yorkshire pudding, hispi cabbage, carrots, and red wine gravy.

The potatoes had a nice crispy skin with a lovely soft and fluffy centre. The skin on the potatoes was quite thick which may not be everyone’s cup of tea. In fact, we heard two ladies behind us discussing whether they liked it or not. Opinion was divided on the matter but all I know is that I loved it.

The vegetables were all perfect. One of my many gripes with other roast dinners is that the vegetables are all overcooked but from the carrots to the cabbage they were all excellent.

The lamb was served in slices and was lovely and tender. The gravy came presented in a little jug on the side that was just the right amount for what I needed. If I had to pick holes I would say that it was a little watery but this was more down to personal preference. My wife thought the gravy was just right. The horseradish was lovely and strong, exactly how it should be!

My wife thoroughly enjoyed her sirloin beef. She said that the beef was very tender and was good quality meat. She was especially fond of the Yorkshire pudding which you could tell was home made because it was light and crispy. “An all round for roast”.

After our mains we were given a choice of four desserts. There is no dessert menu, as I presume the options change frequently so we were given the options verbally by the waiter. The opinions from memory were an Eton Mess, chocolate mousse, panna cotta, and sticky toffee pudding with salted caramel ice-cream.

Speaking with the staff they proudly boasted that almost everything they serve is made on site to the best of their ability. This ranges from their burger buns to the ice-cream. Let me just say that it completely shows. The salted caramel ice cream was absolutely out of this world! I have always enjoyed ice-cream but I can’t remember a time when it jumped out at me and slapped me in the face with flavour like that! Bravo, is all I can say! The sticky toffee pudding was also nice and light.

Once our meal was finished we were full, satisfied, and content. This is the wholesome pub that I had in mind. It has everything from a stress free car park, a lovely Sunday roast in a beautiful historic pub, an open fire, and we even had the option to bring the dogs and take them for a walk in the countryside afterwards. The King William IV pub is the complete Sunday afternoon package!

Thanks for reading!