Succulent steak, authentic ambience and superb service – the Cambridge Chop House is one of the crowd-pleasers of the Cambridge food scene. I had a guest visiting Cambridge over the weekend and he fancied some good old steak for dinner. CAU, Rockers Steak House, La Maison du Steak… out of all the restaurants that came to my mind, I went with the classic choice of the Cambridge Chop House – and it turned out to be a delicious decision.

As we walked into the restaurant at around 5:30pm on a Saturday, we were greeted by the symbolic ornament of a cow spine and a bright smile of a friendly waitress. Upon finding that we had not made a reservation, she quickly found us a table on the ground floor just by the large glass windows that afforded a beautiful panoramic view of King’s Parade. Happily situated in the centre of the town between King’s College, the Corpus Clock and The Eagle Pub famous for the DNA anecdote, the view from the restaurant offered plentiful conversation topics and satisfied the appetite of a curious visitor until the starter arrived. Just a staircase down from this extends an entirely different world of a cosy underground vault, where lovers can snuggle up with wine and families can enjoy a private dinner and unwind together.

The restaurant’s pride in the quality of its food was evident in its dinner menu, which confidently presented its signature steaks in the simplest descriptions with a timeless selection of sauces (peppercorn, red wine gravy, mustard, mushroom and butter). We waited in great anticipation for 9oz Sirloin and 10oz Hanger Steak, which were praised by the ladies on the next table as “the best meal I have had in a while”. The steaks were indeed triumphant, with a juicy, flavourful centre and well-balanced side dish.

The salad, however, was the most exciting part of the dinner. It was fresh, light and playful with an adventurous combination of vegetables, mixed in perfect harmony with a charming apple sauce. Its creative taste really complemented the straight-to-the-point main course steak. The recommended French wine gracefully encouraged our palate and added another layer of entertainment to our dinner. The only criticism I have for the food was that the peppercorn sauce was a little unoriginal and a little too lumpy. One may not need a flamboyantly flavoured sauce when there is a gorgeous steak that can hold the stage alone, but the sauce still needed to do its job of enhancing rather than detracting from the flavours and textures of the main.

Throughout the meal, we enjoyed the perfectly paced serving by the waitress, who was friendly but acutely professional with a subtle attentiveness and extensive knowledge of the menu. She came by our table at the right time and we never had to actively seek attention or wait an age to pay the bill. The price was that of a student range, and reflected the food quality and quantity more than generously.

Overall, I highly recommend a visit to the Cambridge Chop House that promises a true delight to all meat lovers. Dining there was a real feast for both the eyes and the palate.