For years, I have been repeatedly asked the impossible question, “where can I find the best Sunday roast in Cambridgeshire?” My answer has always been the same – it depends entirely on your personal preference.

What is absolutely essential for one person’s idea of a perfect roast might be considered heresy by another, and for many, nothing beats their own home-cooked meal. This long-standing conundrum has meant I have never truly had a definitive recommendation…until now.

The Restaurant

Due to its space and openness the restaurant feels purpose-built, with a generous use of charcoal, light greys, black, and natural wood creating a sophisticated yet subdued theme. The open-plan kitchen is a real highlight, allowing diners to watch the chefs busy at work adding both energy (and a reassuring transparency) to the experience. Above, hanging plants provide a vital splash of colour, lifting the overall aesthetic.

I was impressed by Provenance Kitchen from the moment I sat at the table. I have lost count of the number of restaurants where a superb meal has been squeezed onto a tiny square, resulting in a constant reshuffling of dishes, a feeling of claustrophobia, and occasionally even limiting how much I order. Here, however, it is a different story. Every table is remarkably spacious with a whopping great length while also being reassuringly solid and stable. I genuinely couldn’t shift it on my own (yes, I actually tried 🤣) which was very welcome considering the huge platters destined for our table.

Drinking Local

A wine list was available, including a “cellar list” with some exceptional and special wines at a considerably higher price, mostly likely aimed at special occasions and for people with a more discerning palette. 

I was pleased to see three draft options for local Harston based brewery Brewboard and  non alcoholic choices from the Cambridge Juice Company. As it was a Sunday afternoon and the wife was driving, a pint of the former felt right – cheers!

Vegetables galore!

Between the three of us, we selected one of each of the meat options from the Sunday roast menu – beef, pork, and chicken. The vegetables that accompanied our meats were brought out together on one large plate. This included crispy roast potatoes, carrots, parsnips, beetroot, and greens. It was a colourful and beautiful centrepiece that really added a rustic charm that also matched the surrounding interior decorating. It was a sight to behold and it all tasted as good as it looked. The roast potatoes were incredibly thick and crispy to the point where we questioned whether they were actually deep fried. The carrots and parsnips were soft, fresh and invigorated with a sweet honey glaze. The greens were generously dolloped on top and a very welcome addition to the plate with a vibrant colour of green that was soft while adding a bit of crispy roughage.

Beef Sirloin

I treated myself to the Aged Hereford Beef Sirloin with horseradish, a dish that came in at a significant £28. This was considerably more than the typical £20 average for a roast dinner, so my expectations were sky-high. Thankfully, the extra cost was immediately justified. I was presented with not one, but two impossibly tender cuts of sirloin. Both boasted an eye-catching pinking that permeated the beef from edge to edge, while the outer skin was wonderfully crispy and sweet.

Beyond the quality, the portion size was truly excellent. I actually found myself having to push through the last few bites, purely out of the fear of wasting such exquisitely beautiful beef. While the initial horseradish portion wasn’t quite my usual bathtub size, the staff were more than happy to provide a significantly larger amount when they came to check on us.

The Yorkshire pudding was a good size while also not being so big that it took up the entire plate. It looked the part, though I did find that it was a little overdone.

Look at this dish of unadulterated beauty! If this doesn’t breathe life into your Sunday afternoon, then I am afraid you may be a lost cause! 😍

Cauliflower & Cheese

You might have noticed an absolutely stunning cauliflower and cheese lurking in the background of the pictures above, and you’d be entirely correct. This cauliflower and cheese was truly a sight to behold. It featured an entire head of cauliflower generously coated in a light, creamy cheese sauce, which was then beautifully garnished with fresh herbs and crispy breadcrumbs. The kitchen showed immense respect for the cauliflower, opting not to drown it in cheese. This allowed its natural flavour to shine through, creating a harmonious balance. Unlike many other cauliflower and cheese dishes I have encountered over the years where the cheese drowns out the cauliflower, this was a perfect marriage of two complementary flavours, resulting in a dish far greater than the sum of its individual parts.

Grilled Chicken

My wife, on the other hand, opted for the Grilled 1/2 Norfolk Chicken, served with a delightful pumpkin seed pesto. I managed to sneak a bite (purely for review purposes, of course!) and we both agreed it was every bit as delicious as it was succulent. A clucking good example of how chicken should be!

Pork Loin

And last but by no means least, my son ordered the Roast Gloucester Old Spot Pork Loin with Bramley apple sauce.

The pork crackling was nothing short of phenomenal. It boasted an unparalleled crunch and crispiness, the likes I have never seen before. In fact, it was probably, one of the best I have had from a restaurant. As I captured the moment on my camera, a divine ray of light illuminated it, rendering it a sight of heavenly grandeur. Very fitting!

My attempts to get my son to share his pork were futile. But, by observing his cavalier attitude and reckless disregard for any choking hazards, this spoke volumes about the meat’s exceptional quality.

We were all utterly defeated by this point. A dessert menu was presented but after the magnificent feast from Provenance Kitchen, another mouthful was simply not possible, though the cheeseboard, with its trio of British cheeses certainly aroused my interest but it will have to wait for a return visit.

A Sunday roast exactly how it should be!

I have lost count of the number of people who have recommended Provenance Kitchen’s Sunday roasts, and now, after having finally visited with my family, I can unequivocally say it delivers one of the best restaurant roasts I have ever had in Cambridgeshire. Every detail, from the spacious interior, to the warm friendly staff, to the engaging open-plan kitchen and sturdy, well-spaced tables, contributed to an exceptional sense of comfort and quality that is truly rare to find in combination elsewhere.
The quality of everything was superb, with the meat being a particular standout. Frankly, I struggled to find any faults with our experience. While it’s certainly more of an investment than your casual Sunday pub roast, Provenance Kitchen makes no apologies for aiming to be the best – and in my opinion, it achieves just that.

I am already looking forward to my next visit!

Thanks for reading.