The Cambridge Breakfast Review

So it has been a little while since I have had time to update the CBR – apologies to all for the delay in posting an update!  I have to blame too much time spent at work – especially weekends for the lack of updates.

And so to the Copper Kettle….   I have lived around Cambridge for about 30 years and I always remember the Copper Kettle (situated opposite Kings College) being full of people, steamed up windows and looking inviting from the cold of the winter.

Until the CBR, I had not ever eaten there so did not know what to expect.  Smartly presented from the outside, I had high hopes of a good breakfast with a fine view.

The menu was pretty standard fare but did include some more interesting choices – natural yoghurt and notably the “A la Turca Platter”.

Keen to try new things, I ordered the pretty healthy “A la Turca Platter” for the Children and a Full English for myself.

Whilst we had arrived early, the Copper Kettle was relatively busy and the staff friendly.  Mrs CBR and I were a little put off by the flower in a bottle on the table – the water was green….as can be seen below.

But on to the breakfasts!

The childrens breakfast came first and was a little dissapointing.  It was everything that the menu said it would be, but somehow thats all it was – the stated items assembled on a plate.  In all it was OK but individually none of the component parts stood out as special, and nothing really bound it together as a dish.

My Full English was definitely not that warm on arrival, particularly the beans which were definitely cool.  The sausages were pretty textureless and relatively low end.  The toast was amongs the thinnest I have ever had with no room to be fluffy on the inside.  The coffee was also not great.

Overall this was a dissapointment for an establishment opposite one of the most beautiful buildings in the world.  The best part of eating at the Copper Kettle (for me) was the view of Kings College.

Bill’s is a new place situated in the heart of Cambridge.  Mrs CBR saw it on one of her shopping trips (this time to buy yet another type of push chair).

Bill’s is located on Green Street – a pretty charming street, slightly out of the hussle and bustle of the main tourist parts of Cambridge.

It is one of the flasher places you could eat in Cambridge and like lots of places, it has an extensive menu covering Breakfast Lunch and dinner.  It is styled as a restaurant / deli with stacks of produce and things to buy.

So onto the Breakfast.  Firstly, the service was great – we were greeted by an Aussie, the children immediately given some biscuits to keep them quiet and high chairs were provided without asking.

I ordered a simple black coffee and OJ both of which were great – cafetieres are also available.  Mrs CBR only drinks Iced Coffee, which usually presents a challenge as places dont usually have it on the menu.  This was the case at Bill’s but one was russled up and passed muster, which is important if I am not subsequently forced to visit Starbucks for a ‘real’ iced coffee.

So onto the breakfast!  The menu is relatively compact, but has everything I would want – I opted for Bill’s Breakfast at £7.95, Mrs CBR for Eggs Benedict at £6.95.  There is a childrens menu – they had toast.

Both of our breakfasts were fantastic and the best we have eaten in a long time. Bill’s Breakfast was beautifully presented, with top quality ingredients.  The sausages high quality, and the tomato perfectly cooked.  My toast was laced with olive oil rather than butter, which further contributed to a very very special breakfast.

I always find it difficult to judge the size of a breakfast from a picture, but this nearly defeated me not somthing that happens all that often….

The Eggs Benedict were according to Mrs CBR the best she has ever had.

Note: the Sausage came as an added extra. (The second bottle of Malbec the night before no doubt was the deciding factor in adding somthing extra to this dish!)

So there you have it.  The best breakfast we have had in a long time, in a very interesting location.  This is definitely the type of place you can sit back, relax and read the paper, and excellent if you like a ‘higher end’ gourmet breakfast.

Mrs CBR wanted to go back next Saturday, and was crestfallen when I explained that we had to sample another establishment for the sake of this blog and you, the reader.

http://www.bills-website.co.uk/

34 – 35 Green Street
Cambridge CB2 3JX
01223 329638