Dining Out
The Vaults
Elegant and ambient are perhaps not words coveyed by the name ‘The Vaults’. But our new food blogger finds himself surprised by this subterranean dining experience.
‘The Vaults’ might conjure up images of underground torture chambers or dingy labyrinths concealed deep under the streets of Cambridge, but this could not be further from the truth. The Vaults is in fact one of the hidden gems of classy yet affordable dining out in the City. Not perhaps the best place to go for a couple of quick ones before Cindies, but ideal for celebrations or just a chance to unwind.
Tucked away in Trinity Street, the atmosphere is cosy without feeling claustrophobic considering its obvious lack of natural light. Comfy sofas and chic decor makes the place feel more like an upmarket bar in the centre of London rather than a little-known restaurant in the heart of Cambridge. Well I’d never heard of it anyway, and neither had anyone else when I was making enquiries into both its whereabouts and what it had to offer.
It was with my girlfriend that I decided to experiment with the classier side of eating out in Cambridge, ditching my usual haunts of Nandos and Pizza Hut for à la carte dining and Champagne cocktails. We were pleasantly welcomed and offered a little alcove intimately tucked away in the corner, making it the perfect place for a dinner for two. But the restaurant as a whole was by no means a couple’s only venture, with ample space and appeal for larger groups, both in the dining area and the stylish bar.
The drinks menu was long and largely pleasing – the usual blend of unpronounceable wines of which we generally know so little, and a good range of cocktails. I don’t remember seeing any non-alcoholic cocktails listed, though the usual range of non-alcoholic drinks was on offer.
Now to the important bit: the food. Wow. The menu was a veritable range of dishes that included meat dishes, seafood, vegetarian and fusion cooking, catering for most tastes. The menu was laid out such that you could opt to have dishes to share, or to have individually. We decided on perhaps the most unromantic shared starter of garlic dressed King prawns. Having to shell the prawns oneself was a challenging, not to mention messy, feat, but the flavour was well worth the effort.
Being a meat-man, I was unable to resist the 12 ounce steak, which was perhaps the largest and most tender piece of beef I have had to this day. Finished off with a stilton butter, chunky chips, side salad and on-the-vine tomatoes, I was beside myself with gastronomic joy. The tomatoes were juicy and sweet and the chips cooked to perfection. Across the table, the seafood linguine also looked a treat, with piles of crayfish and crab meat littering the thick, creamy sauce. Dessert was another shared affair, not least because we were both feeling the effects of an already fulfilling meal. The warm chocolate brownie with vanilla ice cream was to die for. Perhaps even literally, with the heavenly sweetness making me increasingly aware of my own mortality. Finished off with a raspberry coulis, it completed in earnest what had been a superb meal.
I was expecting my wallet to scream as the waitress approached with the bill. And yet I was pleasantly surprised. Ok, not pleasantly surprised, but perhaps in mild shock that I wouldn’t be exceeding my overdraft limit. £60 for a starter, two main meals, a desert, two glasses of wine and two cocktails, was, in my mind, reasonable. Certainly not somewhere to head every week, but if you fancy experimenting with somewhere slightly upmarket yet sensibly priced, why not give The Vaults a try?
TOTAL PRICE: Dinner and drinks for two, £60.
OVERALL RATING: 4.5 / 5
The Vaults, 14A Trinity Street, Cambridge, CB2 1TB
