01/06/2025
Laurel Waldron shares her stay at the University Arms and shares her experience dining in Nose To Tail: "It was an exceptional evening away and we'll certainly be booking for another".
We adore a cheeky little night out of London; even more so when the timings align and you can be back at your desk in the morning. Cambridge being just over an hour away, it makes for the perfect destination for a night away and even more so when you time it with one of Parker's Tavern's new nose-to-tail feasts, a monthly celebration of sustainable dining.
The restaurant, part of the University Arms Hotel, is helmed by Chef Clarke who crafts a monthly menu featuring every primal cut from a single animal. The series launched this spring with pork on the menu - featuring terrines, sausages, braised belly cassoulet, slow-cooked collar, and brawn on toast finished with local Cambridge honey - followed by dates showcasing beef, venison and most recently lamb.
Taking place on the first Wednesday evening of the month, we booked a half day from the office and hopped on a train at lunchtime. After a little mooch around the city (obvioulsy it's worth a proper mini break as well) we checked in to the University Arms, the gem of the city; quintessentially Cambridge, the hotel has been welcoming guests since 1834. It's elegant and refined, with a classicly British feel - think soft colours, botanical prints, a cosy library to curl up in and views over city icon Parker's Piece. We stayed the night in one of the hotels' beautiful Terrace suites, with doors opening on to a ninth floor terrace overlooking the green, a welcoming roll top bath and a curated selection of books. We loved the smart touches like the wooden tea chest in the hotel's signature shade of duck egg blue and the bespoke crockery featuring a beautiful line drawing of the hotel; this is peak refined English elegance.
After enjoying a tipple in the bar pre-dinner, we joined our table for a sharing feast created by Chef Lee. Though at first somewhat dubious of dining with strangers, it turned out to be a wonderful evening on convivial conversation, jokes and laughs - and of course some wonderful food. On the menu was a whole Suffolk Black Face Sheep, with Chef Lee preparing nostalgic cuts including a salad of lamb's tongue with bitter leaves, fennel and tomato; crispy lamb sweetbreads with wild garlic and cheesy potatotes; slow cooked breast with gentleman's relish; devilled lamb kidneys; herb and nigella seed roasted rack of lamb and a classic lamb hotpot, with mains served with roasted potatoes and spring veg.
Every dish was a mastery of nose to tail cooking, full of flavour and we were surprised at how much we enjoyed the tongue in particular. Absolutely delicious. There was much discussion around the table about the creativity in the cooking and a desire to explore more nose to tail cooking in future. Exceptional value for money - at just £39.50 per person - there was certainly no shortage of food (we were grateful for being able to head straight to bed with full bellies and not have to travel home...
Chef Lee Clarke has transformed Parker's Tavern's culinary landscape since his arrival last year, championing exceptional produce from across East Anglia through close partnerships with local producers. Menus celebrate the region's finest, sourcing prime cuts from family-owned Burton Butchers in Saffron Walden, seasonal vegetables from Kale and Damson, and artisanal honey from Bee & Bird. This commitment to locality extends to the carefully curated drinks selection, featuring the acclaimed English sparkling wines of Saffron Grange vineyard in Little Walden, Cambridge Distillery's craft gins, and locally brewed beers from Cambridge's independent breweries, Brewboard and Wylde.
Alongside Nose to Tail and Wine Dinners, Parker’s Tavern presents lively Jazz Nights from 7.30pm every Friday in the bar, featuring UK based jazz professionals, including renowned saxophonists Sam Miles and Tim Boniface and of course, a classic Sunday roast featuring all the classics, from dripping roast potatoes and seasonal vegetables to cauliflower cheese and Yorkshire puddings.
It was an exceptional evening away and we'll certainly be booking for another.
By Laurel Waldron for All In London.
