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Few people know that our first ever review on the Cambridge Foodies blog was at the Pike & Eel. It was just a test review to make sure that the blog was working and for me to learn how WordPress operates, so it was thin on details. Who would have thought we would be invited back to try their new autumn/winter menu several years later?

The Pike & Eel is an 18th century inn well known as a popular summer location with its beautiful marina, wide open spaces for the kids, and being dog friendly. But what to do in the winter months? Is there a reason to visit when it gets a little darker and colder?

Apparently so, as they have just released their new autumn/winter menu that we have been lucky enough to try!

Upon arrival I noticed a large amount of parking, which is just as well as it is quite isolated (being a several minutes drive from Needingworth itself). When you get out of your car you are immediately greeted with stunning views of the river and lots of open green space.

I was joined by Cambridge Foodies very own Sean Figura to help me with the review. We decided to have a couple of beers before our meal and take in the beautiful scenery. We were particularly fond of the Asahi Japanese lager and Level Head IPA. Both come to just over £6 each but with cheaper alternatives also available, such as Estrella, San Miguel 0%, Ghost Ship, and Aspall Cider (essentially the Greene King selection).

The pub is very traditional with a lot of historic elements. I was particularly fond of the old fireplace in the lounge and the whisky collection behind the bar that was unfortunately unavailable for purchase 😢

There is a large open restaurant area which is slightly more modern than the rest of the pub but still holds on to its traditional charm. It comes with lovely views of the river and its own bar. The picture above does this room absolutely no justice in terms of scale, as it can easily hold 50+ people comfortably. This would be perfect for events or parties.

We were delighted to meet the head chef Aveek Burman and sous chef Alifiya Bamboowala who talked us through the menu. Aveek has Michelin restaurant experience during his time in Dubai and was keen to reflect his experience within the menu. This is something that will become apparent throughout this review.

Their autumn/winter menu will be running until Christmas with a wide range of dishes to suit everyone. Looking through the menu I noticed burgers and steaks, sandwiches, pastas, and a diverse selection of mains, such as sea bass, curry, and pork chops. There is also a children’s menu available making it family friendly.

The starters…

We started off with a selection of three starters. All the dishes tonight are samples, so are slightly smaller than what you may get when ordering yourself.

First up was the ‘cream salted haddock’. This was one of my favourite dishes of the evening and I simply can’t recommend it enough. This is everything an autumn or winter dish should be. Essentially, it is a fish pie in a dippable form. It was bold, rich, and creamy which could be mopped up with sourdough bread. It was like a big heartwarming cuddle.

Next up was the ‘masala fries with bhuna chicken’. This consists of cheddar mele, firecracker sauce, and spring onions. For anyone who knows me, you’ll know this is right up my street and I was not disappointed. It was beautifully presented, unashamedly trashy, and had a nice fiery kick to boot.

And the final starter was ‘roast pork loin tonnato’.  This consisted of giardiniera (relish), caper berries, and radish that was generously covered in a tuna mayonnaise sauce.

Specialty pastas

Next up was two dishes from their pasta menu. Both were stand out favourites for Sean and I. Orecchiette (top) and pappardelle (bottom).

There is an option to have both pasta dishes accompanied with 24 month aged parmesan cheese and garlic bread. This, I highly recommend!

The pappardelle was my personal favourite of the two. This is ragu slow-cooked with Dexter beef shin. This is a very rich and flavorful dish, mostly credited to the Dexter beef. If I was to visit again this would be the dish I would pick. It was divine!

The Orecchiette was Sean’s personal favourite of the two, calling the dish “genius”. It was served with burrata, anchovies, and candied tomatoes.

This is where Aveek’s Michelin experience really shines, as the tomatoes were executed three ways, candied, dehydrated, and the skins powdered. This was not only incredibly resourceful and helped reduce waste but added so much depth to the flavour. It was another example of classic comfort food, especially with the herb oil further adding depth to the dish.

The mains

We were given a few options from their main menu. As already mentioned, there is a wide variety here from fish to curry. The team had caught wind that I enjoy spicy food and that I don’t get out for a curry as much as I would like since starting the Cambridge Foodies, so they presented a lovely looking keema (mince) curry. 😍

This came with mango chutney, a papadum, and plain rice. It had a mild kick to it with a garnish of chillies. I had never had mince in a curry before and I was not entirely sure what to make of it, frankly. I would love to hear feedback from other people trying this dish. The flavours were good and it looked fantastic visually. The rice was very basic but once mixed with the curry this isn’t noticeable.

Sean was particularly taken by the sous-vide pork chops with sage jus. This was beautifully presented with hazelnuts, new potatoes, apple hash, beetroot with “njuga puree”.

The hazelnuts brought everything together, giving it a really comforting autumn vibe. Personally, if cooking sous-vide pork at home, then I’d have it with a touch pink inside, but I accept in a family restaurant that’s not a risk you necessarily want to take. I still enjoyed the flavour pairings immensely.

Sean

The spiced apples were excellent and gave the dish a sweet tangy flavour. I learned that they are from their very own tree out the back. I was delighted to hear that they even have apple days where they serve apple cocktails and dishes to make sure not a single apple is wasted. You don’t get much more wholesome than that!

The desserts

At this point I was just about ready to explode! I mean it, I don’t think I have ever been this full in my entire life (and this is coming from someone who once ate 5 large burgers and dirty fries in one sitting). But we had a review to do! Let it never be said that I let our readers down, so I heroically ordered two desserts from their menu to give you an idea of what they have to offer. Yes, I am that selfless!

My dessert was an aptly named “overload brownie”. This was a stunning dish of brown and gold, giving it a really classy and autumnal feel. It was absolute heaven in food form with a euphoric level of sweetness. It came with a cold dollop of ice cream on top that not only gave it a bold flavour of vanilla but slowly melted over the warm brownie. It mixed perfectly with the brownie crumbling creating a lovely texture with the ice-cream.

Sean ordered the “rhubarb strawberry crumble”

“I was so full by the end, it was a struggle to squeeze even a single delicious mouthful of the Rhubarb and Strawberry crumble into my gob, somehow I managed 7 of them. Delicious.”

Both Sean and I were thoroughly impressed with our experience at the Pike & Eel. The food was all exquisite and really got us in the mood for autumn. Everything had such a bold flavour and there was not a single thing I could think to criticise. It was comfort food at its finest. The service was impeccable from start to finish and I am in love with the pub itself that is traditional and charmingly historic, with gorgeous views of the fenland riverside.

Thanks for reading