The Crown and Punchbowl Restaurant and Accommodation - Horningsea

The restaurant's beautifully rendered building shares a 400 year history with the village, and the overhung, perfectly restored beams that confront you as you enter the restaurant pay tribute to this heritage.

The Crown and Punchbowl, situated a short distance north of Cambridge in the village of Horningsea, enjoys an idyllic village location, nestled between the River Cam and the picturesque edge of the fens. The village is easily accessed - depending on the time of day - via the A14, and with such an excellent reputation, a trip to enjoy either the lunch time or evening menu is well recommended.

The restaurant's beautifully rendered building, which sits just off the village High Street, shares a 400 year history with the village, and the overhung, perfectly restored beams that confront you as you enter the restaurant pay tribute to this heritage. The wooden frame of the building helps divide the seating into a series of rooms, each decorated cleanly and with sensitivity to the age of the structure.

Each part of the restaurant has a different feel, with the warmly lit front dining area leading past a central bar through a brighter conservatory, to a more formal eating area at the back of the building. The dining area spills outside from the conservatory onto a more pub-style patio area, which overlooks the well kept gardens and car park and where, in the summer, you can enjoy your meal.

Without the forthcoming service, the quiet restaurant could be considered a somewhat formal and austere venue; however, the staff are both welcoming and sociable, and the sound coming from the other diners, as well as the kitchen, means you won't be eating in silence. It's certainly a venue and an occasion to enjoy, but the swift service means you may spend less time enjoying the atmosphere and food than you'd like - don't be surprised if the complimentary bread, served beautifully warm with oils and vinegar, turns up with your starter instead of before.

The menu itself is well put together, with a full specials board and complementary wine list. It is hard to make a choice from the tempting a la carte menu, available in the evening, and the quality of the food served does not disappoint. Fresh ingredients and on-site preparation make the dishes light and appetising - the parfait was well seasoned and the scallops perfectly cooked; both dishes impeccably presented and in excellent proportions for a starter.

Traditional meats such as Venison, Guinea Fowl and Pheasant are served with a mix of flavours for the main course options, with wild mushrooms, truffle oil and shallot, thyme and beer sauce all making an appearance. The lunch time menu is equally appetising, even more so because of the set price: served between 12 and 2.30, you can enjoy either two or three courses from a menu that includes a lighter but equally enticing selection of dishes.

The restaurant also pays attention to traditional occasions, offering special menus on particular days of the year, so make sure you take a look at the forthcoming events when you're at your table - and book while you're there so they can fit you in.


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