“AD” – Why is this here?

When Don Pasquale shut its doors back in 2020, it really did feel like a punch in the gut. It was a proper Cambridge institution and seeing a local favourite disappear after so many years left a lot of us feeling genuinely gutted.

However, the focus now is firmly on Market House, which took over that iconic five-storey listed building in 2022. I was dying to get inside and see for myself how they have reimagined the place, as I hadn’t actually visited since the change.

The place feels stylish and refined inside, with a service that manages to hit that sweet spot of being reassuringly formal without being stiff.

The first floor is the main dining hub, providing some of the best views of the market square in the city. Downstairs, the basement has kept its wine cellar aesthetics which is used for dining spillover.

Interestingly, they have maximised the five-storey layout with the upper floors used for private dining and business meetings. There is even a dedicated kitchen lab for cooking events in the back which is kitted out with half a dozen electric stoves and a proper industrial ventilation system.

It is clear Market House isn’t just a spot for a quick bite to eat but is fully geared up for a variety of experiences. If you’re looking for a venue to hire right in the heart of Cambridge then it is definitely one to consider.

The Menu

The menu can be found here

The menu is split between British and Asian dishes. Neither side is massive but you can tell every plate has been carefully chosen. It is very well-balanced, covering vegetarian, vegan, and fish options alongside a good variety of meat. There isn’t a single filler dish on there. My guest was particularly impressed with the starters and says he would feel happy with any of the six options on the list. As tempting as it was to just close my eyes and throw a dart, we eventually landed on the ox cheek and the scallops & king prawns.

Starters

The ox cheek was braised and served up with butternut squash, confit carrot, and kale. While the sauce looked incredibly rich and deep, it was surprisingly light on the palate, which really let the sweetness of the carrot and squash stand out. As for the meat itself, it was tender but hadn’t been cooked down into that “fall to pieces” mush you sometimes get. It still had a bit of substance to it with a lovely depth of flavour. Personally, I quite like it when meat has a bit of chew, so it was reassuring to see it prepared that way; as with a tough cut of meat like ox cheek, it is often a competition between restaurants to see who can tenderise it the most.

I’ve been on a bit of a scallop renaissance lately, so I just couldn’t resist the pull of the scallops and king prawns. Served as two pieces each, they are a great starter for a couple to share or to tackle by yourself (if you’re feeling greedy). Both were big and juicy, but it was the lobster bisque that really stole the show.

A story of two menus

I was interested to learn that Market House originally tackled the “two menus” challenge by running two separate kitchens – the basement was the Asian hub and the first floor was dedicated to the British side. It is a clever way to keep things authentic. Even though they have been merged into one now, you can still feel that distinct identity in the food today.

A huge part of that is down to one of the partners of Market House, Jinzhao Li. Being Chinese herself, she’s the driving force behind the East Asian side of the menu, bringing her own heritage into the kitchen to make sure the flavours are spot on. As someone who usually gives a wide berth to places trying to do two “authentic” cuisines at once (I never trusted ‘Curry & Pizza’ 🤣), I was genuinely relieved to find there was a real authenticity behind the recipes.

From the Asian menu, I went for one of my absolute favourites: the Korean fried chicken. It used to be a bit of a rarity around here but it is been popping up more and more across Cambridge over the last few years. With so much competition in the city now, I was keen to see how a contemporary take on the dish would stack up.

The chicken arrived with a beautiful golden-red glaze, garnished alongside a fresh salad. I am fairly sure they used chicken thighs, and the spicy flavour hit me immediately. It pulled off that clever trick of being properly crispy on the outside while staying juicy in the middle. I was especially impressed by the boldness of the spice; they didn’t hold back on the heat, which is a welcome change since many modern restaurants are often a bit too scared to give it a real punch. I even spotted a few familiar faces across the room who had ordered the same thing and were clearly loving it – so there you have it. Unanimous praise!

Their beef is 28-day dry-aged Hereford, served up with fries, sautéed mushrooms, and peppercorn sauce. It’s £30 for an 8oz cut, which at first felt pretty reasonable for a spot dead-central in Cambridge (especially considering the setting). However, the more I thought about it, the more I felt a 10oz might have been a bit more standard for that price point. We asked for it medium-rare, and we both agreed it was executed really well. The steak itself was tender and packed with flavour, helped along by a little strip of fat that really added to the taste. As for the peppercorn sauce, it was beautiful – a lovely light orange colour that smothered the steak in a thick, creamy coating.

The chips were thin-cut and crispy. They didn’t look like much in the pot, but once we tipped them out, there was a surprising amount of them. Overall, they were well executed.

Wine time

Back in the 1850s, the building was actually owned by a wine merchant named Henry Eaden. The basement was originally built for wine storage, which explains those atmospheric arched ceilings you see today. While the team at Market House might not have a massive collection, they have honoured that history by offering a really carefully selected range of wines, designed to pair with each specific dish.

I decided to put my trust in the manager – a man who is clearly passionate about wine. He suggested a beautiful Spanish red to go with my rump steak, a personal favourite of mine, and it didn’t disappoint! The tangy, almost feisty flavour of the wine worked brilliantly against the lean, savoury notes of the beef. Great recommendation!

Dessert

We ended our meal with an option from their dessert menu. One called Alex’s Cheesecake caught my attention, which is named after their pastry chef, Alex. Seeing a named pastry chef on the menu raised expectations, so I knew that I had to try it.

The cheesecake was incredibly smooth and creamy, but the base took me by surprise. Usually, you expect that solid, crunchy biscuit at the bottom of a cheesecake, but my fork just glided through it like it was a powder. It turns out that’s actually a specific pastry technique where they deconstruct the base to make it more of a sandy texture. It is more modern and refined than your standard buttery base, which honestly fits the whole vibe of the place perfectly – but call me common, I still prefer it crunchy.

A restaurant for any occasion

Market House has set itself apart from Don Pasquale rather than just trying to replace it. Its offering of British classics in the centre of Cambridge is bound to be popular with tourists looking for a taste of local cuisine, but the quality is certainly high enough to keep us locals interested too. The Asian menu offers a bit of everything and executes it all well while staying authentic, making it a great spot for a group with different tastes who don’t want to compromise on quality.

The restaurant strikes a careful balance; the stylish surroundings and immaculate staff give it a real touch of class, yet it still feels casual enough for almost any occasion (though my guest did confess to feeling a little underdressed in a t-shirt). With the extra rooms available to hire, you can visit Market House for pretty much any reason.

Trust the wine recommendations, relax, and enjoy.

Thanks for reading!