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The Orator, Cambridge, Cambridgeshire

The Orator

4.0
4
488 Reviews
£25 and under
Contemporary British

Make a reservation

2 people
11:00 PM
Booked 18 times today
  • Good for special occasions
  • Charming
  • Neighborhood gem
Nothing delights quite like The Orator, serving up contemporary British food, cocktails, beer and wine. Set in a stunning Victorian gothic venue with high ceilings bathed in swathes of natural light.

We can offer private dining for up to 20 in our private Dining Room used to host guests of the Cambridge Union Society, recently including Dua Lipa and Robert de Niro. For larger groups, we have a number of different rooms throughout the venue to cater for any occasion.
Speak to our events team at enquiries@theoratorcambridge.co.uk for more information on all private hire options.

Additional information

  • Dining style
    Casual Dining
  • Price
    £25 and under
  • Cuisines
    Contemporary British, British, Café
  • Hours of operation
    Mon–Thu 9:00 am–11:00 pm Fri, Sat 9:00 am–12:00 am Sun 11:00 am–11:00 pm
  • Phone number
    01223 417142
  • Payment options
    Cash not accepted
  • Dress code
    Casual Dress
  • Private party facilities
    We have a number of small and large event spaces available to hire. Contact us at enquiries@theoratorcambridge.co.uk for more information.
  • Neighborhood
    Cambridge
  • Cross street
    Hidden behind the Round Church, between Bridge Street and Park Street.
  • Parking details
    None
  • Additional
    Bar/Lounge, Beer, Beer Garden, Cocktails, Counter Seating, Dog Friendly, Entertainment, Full Bar, Gender Neutral Restroom, Gluten-free Options, Indoor Fireplace, Late Night, Outdoor Smoking Area, Patio/Outdoor Dining, Private Room, Vegan, Wheelchair Access, Wine

What 488 people are saying

Overall ratings and reviews

Reviews can only be made by diners who have eaten at this restaurant

4.0
4 based on recent ratings
  • 4.1Food
  • 3.8Service
  • 4.2Ambience
  • 3.9Value

NoiseEnergetic

Loved For

  • Cambridge/Cambridgeshire

    Good for business meals

  • Cambridge/Cambridgeshire

    Innovative

  • Cambridge/Cambridgeshire

    Hot spot

  • Cambridge/Cambridgeshire

    Great for outdoor dining

  • Cambridge/Cambridgeshire

    Lively

  • Cambridge

    Great for brunch

  • Cambridge

    Good for business meals

  • Cambridge

    Kid-friendly

  • Cambridge

    Innovative

  • Cambridge

    Hot spot

  • Cambridge

    Neighborhood gem

  • Cambridge

    Great for fine wines

  • Cambridge

    Great for outdoor dining

  • Cambridge

    Romantic

  • Cambridge

    Lively

Review summary

AI-generated from verified diner reviews
The Orator offers a delightful dining experience with airy, light-filled spaces and a charming garden perfect for music nights. Guests praise the "great food" and "perfect service," though some note occasional service delays. Ideal for relaxed gatherings, the venue's decor and ambiance shine, making it a "favorite" spot in Cambridge.

488 Reviews
  1. Emma

    London

    11 reviews

    vip
    4.0

    11 reviews

    Dined 2 days ago

    1. Overall 4
    2. Food 4
    3. Service 4
    4. Ambience 4
    wonderful - and the staff were just about the most motivated and welcoming of anywhere i’ve ever been. a credit to the restaurant

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  2. Laurence

    Cambridge

    4 reviews

    5.0

    4 reviews

    Dined 3 days ago

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Great atmosphere and delicious food. Excellent service. Highly recommended.

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  3. Nicole

    London

    26 reviews

    vip
    2.0

    26 reviews

    Dined 3 days ago

    1. Overall 2
    2. Food 2
    3. Service 4
    4. Ambience 1
    Visited the Orator after a really good experience last year but alas we were all disappointed. The Turkey meal was much better the previous year, the whole table was forced to have the set menu when the previous visit only one of us had the festive meal. The waitress did not explain that actually the two course option wasn't available on a Friday night so we were all made to desserts too. The Turkey was the only part of the meal we enjoyed, the Coley option looked poor and apparently was not nice. We were seated right in front of the kitchen, whilst we were there three separate incidents of dropping large pans and glassware happened not making it a pleasant experience. It's a real shame as a lovely building and we all loved 2023 so unfortunately won't be returning next year.

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  4. helen

    Cambridge

    1 review

    4.0

    1 review

    Dined 4 days ago

    1. Overall 4
    2. Food 4
    3. Service 3
    4. Ambience 5
    Our little team gathering was lovely, food was fantastic and the place is always exquisite but although staff are attentive and helpful when they come to the table it is quite hard to get their attention and obviously paying the bill and leaving is always a challenge - especially when you are tired at the end of the night. Otherwise a lovely place to eat and celebrate Christmas.

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  5. Steve

    Phoenix

    2 reviews

    vip
    4.0

    2 reviews

    Dined on December 4, 2024

    1. Overall 4
    2. Food 4
    3. Service 2
    4. Ambience 4
    Food was good. Service was slow, especially when it came to getting the bill.

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  6. Poppy

    London

    3 reviews

    2.0

    3 reviews

    Dined on November 29, 2024

    1. Overall 2
    2. Food 2
    3. Service 3
    4. Ambience 3
    The cocktails were very nice, and the staff were all very kind and helpful. Although, there was a lot of confusion when we ordered as some of our table requested starters for mains and the waiter had to return 3 times to clarify what was what and the food still came out incorrectly. The food was ok, a lot of what was on the menu wasn’t actually what came out to the table. An example being the menu stated focaccia bread and we got sour dough instead, the menu stated goats cheese and Gazpacho (a cold tomato soup) and we got sliced tomato’s with blue cheese. There were also some random combinations like the gnocchi which came drowning in a lemon curd soup… The mains were nice, I had a burger which was a standard yummy beef burger. Can’t really go wrong. I will add, the food took 2 hours to get to the table. The place had a nice atmosphere, with a guitar player throughout the evening keeping us entertained while we waited. We did feel a bit peed off when the bill came with the service charge added as we had so many issues throughout the night, but decided to pay it as the staff were doing their best and it seemed to be more of a kitchen error than an error of their own. Overall, I wouldn’t come back and I wouldn’t recommend others to go. With a few tweaks to the menu I think the place has potential.

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  7. Iris

    Cambridge

    3 reviews

    5.0

    3 reviews

    Dined on November 25, 2024

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Very tasteful food, fresh ingredients, perfect service, beautiful setting. Can highly recommend.

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  8. Rosanne

    Bath

    2 reviews

    4.0

    2 reviews

    Dined on November 23, 2024

    1. Overall 4
    2. Food 4
    3. Service 3
    4. Ambience 5
    Lovely food and great service for the young man who neither said please or thank you and largely ignored us through the process of paying. He may be having an ‘off’ day but he also took the shine off what would have been a 5 star lunch. Will try again.

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  9. Nicole

    Cambridge

    4 reviews

    vip
    5.0

    4 reviews

    Dined on November 22, 2024

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 4
    4. Ambience 5
    Great environment, wonderful food and lovely singer for the evening.

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  10. Neil

    Kent

    19 reviews

    3.0

    19 reviews

    Dined on November 9, 2024

    1. Overall 3
    2. Food 3
    3. Service 4
    4. Ambience 3
    A lovely team of staff and very quick and efficient service, a trifle noisy for our taste, very convenient location just off the main centre of Cambridge
    The OratorResponded on November 17, 2024
    Hi Neil, Many thanks for your honest review, it is great to hear that our team looked after you well. Hopefully you will visit us again Best wishes, The Orator Team

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FAQs

The Orator is rated 4 stars by 488 OpenTable diners.

Yes, you can generally book this restaurant by choosing the date, time and party size on OpenTable.

Make a reservation

2 people
11:00 PM
Booked 18 times today
Google Map for The Orator

The Orator, Round Church Street, Cambridge, Cambridgeshire CB5 8AD

Additional information

  • Cross street
    Hidden behind the Round Church, between Bridge Street and Park Street.
  • Neighborhood
    Cambridge
  • Hours of operation
    Mon–Thu 9:00 am–11:00 pm Fri, Sat 9:00 am–12:00 am Sun 11:00 am–11:00 pm
  • Price
    £25 and under
  • Cuisines
    Contemporary British, British, Café
  • Dining style
    Casual Dining
  • Dress code
    Casual Dress
  • Parking details
    None
  • Payment options
    Cash not accepted
  • Additional
    Bar/Lounge, Beer, Beer Garden, Cocktails, Counter Seating, Dog Friendly, Entertainment, Full Bar, Gender Neutral Restroom, Gluten-free Options, Indoor Fireplace, Late Night, Outdoor Smoking Area, Patio/Outdoor Dining, Private Room, Vegan, Wheelchair Access, Wine
  • Phone number
    01223 417142
  • Private party facilities
    We have a number of small and large event spaces available to hire. Contact us at enquiries@theoratorcambridge.co.uk for more information.
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