[Invite] – click here

Browns have always been a Cambridge institution. Ever since it opened back in 1987, it has provided traditional cuisine to high standards, in a stylish and comfortable surrounding.

My last visit was all the way back in 2015 – nearly a decade ago. I thoroughly enjoyed my experience, though I must admit, it started to look a little dated at this point. I have always thought that the place had more potential than it was utilising, which is why I was excited to hear that they have recently had a big refurbishment.

What made this particularly interesting was that Browns is located in the old Addenbrooks Hospital, an 18th century building, giving it unlimited potential. I couldn’t wait to see what they could do with the place, as the possibilities were endless!

Walking in, I was immediately struck by the transformation! It reminded me of a posh London hotel but with a more relaxed and less congested feel. The place manages to be stylish, yet warm at the same time, with a real traditional feel. I was particularly charmed by the large clock on the wall and the piano that greets you at the entrance.

There is a large bar at the back serving a variety of premium beers and lagers. I was quite pleased to see one of my favourites Asahi on draft.

One thing that I always associate Browns with is its impeccable and highly professional service. This still hasn’t changed since my last visit but I noticed that the entire staff team were now highly energetic with a positive attitude. Nothing was too much for them and the moment a drink was empty they were straight on it. They managed to pull off a perfect balance of professionalism and formality while still being friendly and warm. It was contagious and lifted my spirits throughout the entire evening. Don’t believe me? I have never paid a service charge AND tipped until tonight.

The menu was large with a variety of popular and well-known dishes. Think steaks, seafood (including whole lobster), burgers, salads, and vegetarian options. The menu isn’t overly adventurous or experimental in the way that will excite a Foodie but it offers classic and iconic dishes that everyone knows and loves. This is a very safe and comforting menu, that is conservative enough to please everyone.

Starters

I started off with a garlic and prawn chorizo dish. This was served on a black slate and comes with garlic, chili powder, and sour dough bread for dipping. The portion was a decent size with the chorizo being particularly plentiful. I was pleasantly surprised by the spiciness of the dish. It was a little too spicy for my guest but I thought it was incredibly refreshing for a restaurant like this to take a risk. Maybe the menu wasn’t as safe as it seems?

My guest had an incredible looking pan-fried scallop dish. This came served on a ceramic plate with roast butternut and pancetta. There were three scallops in total, which were all incredibly thick, juicy, and meaty.

The scallops were swimming in a yellow butternut puree, which came garnished with sage. Visually, it was beautiful and added some much-needed colour, while offering a slightly nutty and sweet flavour…another dish I highly recommend. 

Mains

There was so much on the menu that I wanted to try. In the end, we shamefully ordering three main courses between the two of us (the next time you hear me complaining about my weight remind me of this 🤣)

I will start off with the highlight and central talking point of the entire evening. In fact, this dish impressed us both so much that my guest is already planning to return, just to have this dish to themselves. The dish in question is their ‘pulled lamb shepherds pie’.

Shepherds pie is one of those dishes that I grew up on and gives me a warm fuzzy feeling every time I try it. It is a dish I am quite protective of and I genuinely get upset when it is not shown the proper respect it deserves.

The shepherds pie at Browns is served in a hot bowl with a side pot of rich gravy and a side of broccoli. The pulled lamb really brings out the flavour and I was surprised at how generous the portion was underneath the layer of thick creamy potatoes. Everything combined into a thick gooey creaminess with a crispy potato skin adding a textural flare. This is the perfect winter comfort food and one of the best examples of shepherds pie I have ever had in my entire life.

My guest ordered the prawn and Devon crab linguine. She said that the prawns were thick and generously portioned out on the dish.

She also noticed that this dish also has a spicy kick, albeit not as spicy as the prawns and chorizo from earlier, but still somewhat out of character for a linguine. Discussing this with the waitress, she explained that the owners of Browns are Indian and like to bring a bit of Indian spice to add that extra flare. Something, you’ll be unsurprised to hear, excited me (click here to visit my platform entirely dedicated to Indian and Bangladeshi food).

We are both quite partial to a Caesar salad, so we ordered one to share. This comes with little gems, cos & chicory with sourdough croutons, parmesan, salted anchovies, and a Cesar dressing.

All the ingredients were fresh, crisp and delicious, which combined together to create a sum greater than the individual parts. I was particularly fond of the salty anchovies which were sparingly scattered within the salad.

Despite this, we were both in agreement that the salad was quite a small portion for a main course. I have had some incredible salads in my time, that were enough to fill me up but if I was presented to me as a mains dish, then I would have been left hungry.

Dessert

We signed off with a dessert each. I picked the sticky toffee pudding which came with bourbon vanilla ice cream, salted green granola, and brandy snap tullie.

The presentation (like with everything else tonight) was excellent. The salted green granola added a satisfying crunch to the bite, with the bourbon vanilla and ice cream, adding a thick and creamy sweetness that melted into the spongy toffee pudding.

It was a perfectly fine example of what a sticky toffee could be but I felt it lacked a certain “X factor”. This was partially down to the lightness of the sponge in the interior of the pudding that left it feeling somewhat vacant and void of flavour in the middle (even for a sponge), like it was expecting the ice cream to do the heavy lifting. This did not spoil the dish, like I said, it was a fine example, but it did feel like it was not quite living up to what it could have been.

My guest had the vanilla creme brûlêe with home-baked biscuits. This was creamy and light but the topping was not as crunchy as what I was expecting. Frankly, it looked anemic by eye. After the long list of impressive starters and mains with striking presentation, I couldn’t help but feel the desserts let the menu down slightly.

Conclusion

Browns has come on leaps and bounds since its refurbishment. It still offers the same highly attentive and refined service but with a new added energy and warmth. The menu is vast, with many classic and traditional dishes that will make sure you are guaranteed to find something you like. Prices are mid-ranged, so don’t expect the cheap and cheerful experience but when you sit down at the table and start dining, you’ll know exactly where your money went. The interior looks striking and gives out a sense of grandeur rarely seen in Cambridge, making it a perfect place for special occasions and celebrations

I look forward to hearing what you all think in the Cambridge Foodies community.