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It was all the way back in 2018 when the original Amelie first stole our hearts. I remember visiting their little yellow food van the month it opened in the Grafton Centre. I visited with my friend (and fellow blogger) for his review of their wheelchair access and we both thoroughly enjoyed our experience (read the review here).

Amelie stands out from the competitive Cambridge food scene by offering a common European dish rarely found in the UK, called Flammekuechen, or “flam-kuche”. It is similar to a pizza but is thinner, lighter, and yeast free, making it more accessible and ideal for a snack, as well as a full meal. 

The Grafton Centre Amelie is still in operation today, with one of our fellow foodies visiting in 2022 for a review. I myself have only managed to pop back once or twice in those 6 years since it first opened, mostly due to its very central location. So, I was pleased to hear that Alex and the team have now opened up a restaurant at the new Ben’s Yard retail village, near Ely. This makes it more accessible for real people, thanks to the great parking options available and no city traffic to deal with.

The restaurant at Ben’s Yard is purpose-built, making it light, open, and with well-equipped facilities. In fact, the kitchen was previously run by Ben’s Yard themselves. I remember visiting their launch event back in 2023, and though I thoroughly enjoyed the food, it felt very safe and generic, aimed at mass appeal, therefore not exciting a foodie like me enough to return. Having it taken over by Amelie, a restaurant with a proven track record in crowd pleasing cuisine, feels like the right way to go. It was getting me excited even before I visited.

Flammekueche

We started with their signature dish – the authentic flammekueche flatbread.

Most people will see this as a lighter version of pizza, making it easy to eat as a single dish for one or shared between friends. You are given a pizza cutter to divide it yourself, giving you the freedom to share it however you like. The dish is made of flatbread with creme fraiche, sliced onions, lardons, and gruyere cheese, making it a simple and uncomplicated meal.

I don’t know whether this is a refined recipe from my previous visits, or a slightly different take, but the authentic flammekueche was even better than I remember. It is simple but brilliant, with a light crispy base and creamy topping that is brought to life by the lardons generously scattered across the dish, that pop in your mouth as you eat it. This is a fun, easy going and accessible, suitable for any occasion.

Caramelised hispi cabbage

(v) (gfa) (vegan)

One of my personal highlights today was something I would have never ordered by looking at the menu, the hispi cabbage. It was beautifully presented with a lot going for it in taste and texture.

Hispi cabbage is a slightly sweet type of cabbage but the real flavour comes from the tonkatsu sauce and light mustard that really brings it to life. The spring onions and shallots add a crunchiness to the texture making it a delicious side dish. I highly recommend it!

Harissa Aubergine

(v) (gfa) (vegan)

Another dish that surprised me was the harissa aubergine. Again, a dish I wouldn’t have picked out myself, but I was so glad it was brought out. This is an aubergine that has been slow roasted for 7 hours in a harissa and maple glaze. It is then garnished with feta, vine ripened tomatoes and sprinkled with toasted pine nuts.

The dish had a lovely warm spicy glow, no doubt credited to the slow cooking process. The tomatoes not only added a beautiful colour to the dish but were so fresh, juicy and vibrant. I’m not big on eating tomatoes by themselves but I couldn’t put them down! The pine nuts were also a nice touch that added some crunch and diversified the texture.

Lamb kofta

The lamb kofta is exactly the sort of dish I would have picked out if I had been left to my own devices. This striking dish consists of two kofta meatballs and spiced Mediterranean yogurt.

The meatballs were quite big and very tasty but the star of the show was the bed of pearl couscous they sat on. For someone who often gets his couscous from the supermarket, you’ll notice this is a million miles away from the dusty grain couscous many of us are probably used to. It is significantly meatier and absorbed the spiced Mediterranean yogurt exceptionally well.

Garlic flatbread (special) (v)

I was presented with a special version of the garlic flatbread. This was  stone baked and served with extra virgin olive oil and butter that is then garnished with courgettes grown in their very own garden. The base was still warm and soft upon serving making it feel as comforting as it was delicious.

Basque cheesecake

We ended our meal with a cheesecake served with scooped ice cream and crumbled chocolate.

Unlike its New York style cheesecake cousin, the Basque cheesecake comes crustless and has a more caramelised flavour. Like with everything else today, the dish was beautifully presented with chocolate sauce squirted over the plate and topped off with chocolate crumble. This was my first experience with Basque cheesecake but found it flatter and less sweet than traditional cheesecake but I know some people will prefer this. Otherwise, this was a decent sign off for my dining experience.

Conclusion

Moving Amelie into the Ben’s Yard restaurant was an excellent move. I had no problem with the food they were doing in the past but everything feels significantly more exciting.

The dishes at Amelies are well executed and delicious but also beautifully presented, making it suitable for formal occasions and casual meals alike. Essentially, Amelie has breathed new life into the menu with their unique flammekueche flatbread and Mediterranean inspired dishes that you just can’t find anywhere else outside of Cambridge.

I’ll be the first to admit that I am not littered with experience when it comes to vegan cuisine but both the harissa aubergine and hispi cabbage were some of the best examples I have ever had. Everything today was vibrant and intriguing making us want to come back and randomly pick more from the menu to find new ways to be surprised.

There is even a kids menu with a “kids eat free” offer on during the summer holidays, further complimenting the excellent child friendly facilities of Ben’s Yard, like baby changing facilities and a huge Ely cathedral themed playground next door (though would it kill them to put a few parent parking spaces in?).

I am confident that there will be something for everyone and I encourage anyone who visits to jump out of their comfort zone and pick something they wouldn’t normally try, as the highlights for me were all ones I wouldn’t have picked normally.

Thank me later.