Midsummer House

Midsummer Common, Cambridge

Chef Daniel Clifford took over here in 1998, but his cooking still retains the power to surprise and delight.

Midsummer House, in its current incarnation – that is, with chef Daniel Clifford at the stoves – has been open for 15 years, but it feels like longer. The restaurant, set in a Victorian villa on the banks of the River Cam, exudes timelessness from its every seam. The cooking is elegant, thoughtful, sophisticated, clever – though not irritatingly so – and it’s a combination that has won Clifford two Michelin stars. No wonder you have to book six months ahead for a weekend table.

As you stroll up to this gastronomic heavyweight, the quaint exterior suggests you’re paying a visit to grandma’s place rather than a multistarred affair – and this laid-back, comfortingly familiar vibe continues to permeate the whole meal. Not that there isn’t a sense of occasion. Crystal chandeliers and starched tablecloths fill the intimate dining room; along with visitors celebrating birthdays, anniversaries, engagements, graduations, all clinking glasses filled with treasures from the substantial, European-heavy wine cellar. The glass ceiling catches the sun throughout long, lazy lunches (and the patter of rain on cosy evenings). When the weather warms, diners sip aperitifs in the garden.

Then there’s the food. When Clifford joined Midsummer House, it took him just four years to win his first Michelin star, and three more to gain his second. It’s a respect for tradition, but with a talent for thinking outside of the box – plus immaculate execution – that has helped grow Clifford’s accolades. Not many other restaurants would dare serve a sole barbecued celeriac – the silky interior scooped from its charcoaled shell at the table – but it is bursting with flavour. A beetroot cannelloni with goat’s cheese, celery and piquant horseradish ice cream brings freshness to a classic pairing. Meaty scallops, topped with shards of apple and shavings of truffle, are skirted by celeriac purée and cubes of apple jelly. They’re followed by tender quail breast, with sweet shallot purée and the most moreish sourdough toast. The savoury run culminates in an Iberico pork shoulder flecked gently with vanilla, then it’s on to a trio of desserts. Most superb of all is – and now maybe we are in granny’s house after all – a rice pudding. Though, of course, this being Daniel Clifford, it’s not that simple. Jazzed up with coconut, passion fruit and lime, it’s a worthy end to a memorable meal. AM. 01223 369 299