We are spoiled for choice when it comes to steak houses in Cambridgeshire. One thing we have always missed in our fair county, however, is a Brazilian steak house. This year, one opened across the border in Newmarket, offering the true Brazilian Rodizio steak experience.
For those of you who weren’t already aware, Brazilian rodizio is steak served on freakin’ swords!
More importantly, unlimited steak.
It is not often you get a restaurant with this sort of exciting novelty outside of Cambridge, making it accessible for more people. This was something I couldn’t pass up, so I had to jump in and give it a go.
The restaurant is warm and welcoming, with a contemporary style that is suitable for any occasion. I was quite fond of the large windows that not only let in lots of light but were great for watching the horses and people walking past (while I scoff steak in heroic proportions).
The menu is straight forward with an option to buy either the “rodizio experience” for Ā£40 or the “buffet only” for Ā£25. The rodizio experience also includes the buffet, so for me it was a no brainer.
It was great to see a kids menu, making this an affordable night for families. There would be nothing worse than spending Ā£40 on a child or teenager just to have a nibble.
Either way, whatever you think of the prices (which I think were fair for what you are getting) it is unlimited, so you are guaranteed to leave full.
The buffet
The buffet wasn’t huge but it had everything you needed. It is self service, so you can grab a plate and get stuck in as soon as you’ve ordered. All the food looked fresh and clean, with a wide selection of salad options, along with beef lasagne, a huge block of cheese, a selection of soups, olives, and cured meats.
Both my guest and I were in agreement at the superb quality of everything here…and I literally mean everything. I just presume that buffets aren’t going to match the quality of a meal made to order (like with so many other restaurants) but I couldn’t fault a single thing.
The ragu and polenta was absolutely incredible, with a soft and very tender beef flavour jumping out with a wonderfully creamy polenta that pulled it all together perfectly. Marvellous!
Their house mushroom sauce was another star of the show. It was so thick and velvety that it could have been a soup. I used this to mix with some of the meat that came later and it complimented everything it touched.
The salad options were all so vibrant and fresh which added some much needed colour to the inevitable meat tidal wave about to hit my plate. Any vegetarian being dragged to Nelore by a meat loving friend or family member will be more than happy with the buffet only option. It was excellent.
The beer
I was a little struck by the cost of beer at Nelore. Anyone who knows me well already knows I have a huge bee in my bonnet about the cost of pints these days but I have come to terms with the situation we are in now. Despite this, I was absolutely shocked at the price of a pint being a staggering Ā£7!
Now, I will admit, it is a lovely beer, with Hideout lager being a smooth and well matched beer for the meat heavy menu but for Newmarket, I would expect this to be much cheaper, especially as a 4% lager. I was drinking a locally made craft IPA in central Cambridge this weekend for only Ā£6.50.
There are options to buy bottled beer on the menu but it just isn’t the same. I ended up ordering two pints in total, including the service charge that came to over Ā£15 šµāš«
The rodizio experience
The way the rodizio experience works is that you have several members of staff walking around with a selection of different meat skewered on swords.
Expect the following on offer…
ā¢ Ribeye
ā¢ Sirloin
ā¢ Rump cap
ā¢ Bavette
ā¢ Whole rump
ā¢ Rump tail
ā¢ Pork, lamb, and chicken also available
All beef is Aberdeen Angus beef š
You are given a little sign that you can turn over to tell the servers that you want to be served more meat or take a little break. Make sure you use this as they are relentless and it can pile up fast š
I couldn’t pick a favourite out of everything I had this evening but all the steaks were excellent and melt-in-your-mouth delicious. The colour and pinking in the middle of some were absolutely perfect. The Aberdeen Angus beef clearly shows its quality.
The chicken was thick and meaty, with a soft moistness and succulent texture that showed real attention was paid to how it was prepared. One of my favourites was actually the spicy chorizo pork sausages, that not only offered a break from the conveyor belt of beef but had a really punchy flavour and a feisty kick with the spice.
Yeehaw!
The only weak link for me was the ribs. They were by no means terrible but didn’t quite keep up with the high standards of everything else, with them being a little thin and dry. The more I think about it, the more I feel like I am being unfair, as overly tender ribs wouldn’t stay on a sword very easily. Perhaps it is just a meat not cut out for this sort of meat delivery system? Either way, I would rather have average ribs than no ribs š
The staff tonight were absolutely excellent. They had a contagious positive energy that really brought the evening to life, while also making us feel relaxed and comfortable. All of them were smiling, chatty, and a great laugh, perfect for special occasions or a Saturday night. Their enthusiasm really made the evening complete and added a real personality to the restaurant.
Conclusion
What a great experience!
Nelore offers a delicious and fun experience with a varied selection of different meats that will be enough to please the steak purists, as well as everyday people looking to explore new cuts of meat. As I hobbled out holding my belly like a pregnant lady, I thought to myself how good it is to have a restaurant that guarantees you will be full for a set price. Once I ordered, I didn’t have to worry about a thing, as I was in good hands and the team at Nelore would take care of everything. The staff here are electric and really make me want to come again and again. This is perfect for special occasions – what an absolute gem of a place!
Thanks for reading!
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