An insiders' small essential list of food and drink venues in Cambridge 2011

A new patisserie has just opened in central Cambridge. The premises used to be Halfords, so a vast improvement on the previously fairly drab unexciting facade. In the future when a bulb blows in my car, I suppose I will just have to be happy with cake instead.

Patisserie Valerie is one of just under 30 cafes, mostly in London.

I have popped into the I quote "haven of self-indulgence" recently. The cakes look amazing. A beautifully crafted colourful array of precise looking pastries and sweets adorns the window, with lots of efficient smartly dressed staff inside, eager to help. Unfortunately the romance is spoilt by the fact that all the cakes and pastries are not made on site, and shipped in from Soho branch. The bread is also not baked there. The menu online is misleading and unbelievably expensive in parts. For example -

Smoked Salmon, Cream Cheese & Onions with a wedge of Lemon on a Toasted Bagel £7.75

This according to the online menu should be served 'Salad Garnish and French Fries'. In the Cambridge branch at the time of writing they have no license for cooking chips so they serve the bagel with crisps at the same price! Daylight robbery in my opinion. A friend recently ordered this to eat in, and was presented with basically a smoked salmon bagel with a few crisps and some garnish.

Thankfully the new take away menu is much more reasonably priced.

Verdict

Just go for the obvious strengths in their delicious pastries and cakes. Watch out for the expensive eat in sandwiches.

A welcome addition to Cambridge.

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