Five Global Flavours: The best Cambridge restaurants to book now

One Two Culinary Stew blogger Pina Broccoli Anaia has been making the Cambridge food scene a tastier place for more than 10 years. In her regular column for Velvet, she takes us on a world food tour. . . right on our doorstep. On the menu this month: Cambridge restaurants

Cambridge is the perfect place to broaden your culinary horizons. Follow your feet in this walkable city – they will quickly lead you to one of the many wonderful establishments proudly serving their international cuisine. They are much loved, welcoming spots for diners to embrace variety or satisfy a craving for the taste of home. Cambridge’s streets are peppered with restaurants offering a rich, cultural dining experience.

My shortlist is merely the tip of the foodie iceberg. However, these five restaurants are definitely top hotspots for bringing global flavours to this city and celebrating its diversity of dishes. Read on to take your taste buds on a gastronomic journey to Afghanistan, Korea, France, Nigeria and Colombia via Cambridge’s Mill Road, Green Street, Hills Road and The Grafton.

Noshe Cambridge: Noshe, the Afghan restaurant and coffee house on Mill Road, lives up to its name as it’s derived from “noshe jaan” meaning “may it nourish your soul”. There’s always a warm, friendly welcome upon entering and a cosy spot in the café section to enjoy a hot drink, such as their house-roasted Kenza coffee or an Afghan ginger chai. The charming restaurant at the back features sitting rooms with traditional floor seating as well as tables and chairs. Kabuli Palao, the national dish of Afghanistan, offers the complete experience with a generous portion of rice (a big part of Afghan cuisine), meltingly tender lamb on the bone, caramelised carrot, raisin and pistachio. Other recommended dishes include charcoal-fired chicken kebab from their Grills menu and irresistible steamed lamb mince dumplings (mantu) drizzled with herby yogurt. noshecambridge.co.uk / @noshecambridge

Bibimbap House: Longstanding Korean restaurant Bibimbap House certainly delivers on its name with several kinds of bibimbap meals served with tasty side dishes of cucumber & chilli oil, soft tofu in ganjang (soy sauce) and bean soup. Their popular Bulgogi Bibimbap features rice, egg, vegetables and marinated beef (served in a separate sizzling bowl). For a beautiful medley of flavours and textures, immediately proceed to do the mixing (the “bibim” part) with the cooked rice (“bap”), egg, veg, sizzling beef, gochujang sauce and ganjang. The idea is to stir the ingredients in the hot bowl as the egg yolk cooks and the rice sizzles and gets crunchy at the bottom. Their Japchae Bibimbap features delightfully chewy sweet potato glass noodles. Top tip: the Bean Curd Pockets filled with rice and beef make a moreish starter. 60 Mill Road, Cambridge CB1 2AS

Café au Chocolat: Café au Chocolat, the French-inspired café on Cambridge’s picturesque Green Street as well as their original location in the market town of Stamford, offers a taste of France with their sweet and savoury crêpes. These thin, delicate pancakes are made to order at front of house using gluten free buckwheat flour from Brittany (where crêpes originated in the 13th century) and a range of traditional fillings. With savoury “crêpe salée” options like Croque Monsieur (cheese, ham), Classique (cheese, ham, tomato), Forestière (mushrooms, cheese, spinach) and Marina (smoked salmon, crème fraiche, spinach, rocket) the fillings are sure to please the palate. Sweet “crêpe sucrée” choices are lemon with sugar or honey, Nutella, strawberries & salted caramel and more, including versions with decadent scoops of ice cream, lashings of whipped cream and Belgian chocolate drizzle. C’est si bon! cafeauchocolat.co.uk / @cafeauchocolat

Africfood Òunjé Adun: Africfood is one of the most popular and enduring stalls at Cambridge market but their Òunjé Adun restaurant on Hills Road is a cosy spot to sit and feast on the vibrant flavours of Nigerian cuisine, inside or in the back garden. Their small but mighty menu is packed with the staple ingredients of flavourful Nigerian cooking such as goat, chicken, yams, beans, plantains and rice (jollof, fried or plain). Hearty dishes include tender goat meat simmered in a rich tomato-based stew with aromatic spices, succulent spiced grilled goat and spicy marinated grilled chicken, all served with plantains and a choice of rice. Their vegetarian and vegan combinations feature deliciously filling beans, plantains, rice and yam porridge. africfoodrestaurant.co.uk / @africfood

La Latina Bustaurante: La Latina Bustaurante made its debut as a unique restaurant in a double-decker bus, complete with kitchen and top-deck seats with tables. They eventually found a home at The Grafton’s food court where the kitchen area mimics the original bus pitched at Cambridge Retail Park for several years. What hasn’t changed is their satisfying menu of Colombian specialities, featuring arepas (cornmeal patties) and tostones (fried plantain slices), both served with black beans, cheese, salsa, guacamole, sour cream and two fillings from a choice of beef, pork, chicken or vegetables. Other popular dishes include the Latino super loaded hot dog and the mazorcada with its layers of fries, grilled sweet corn, cheese and meat (beef, chicken or pork) or vegetables, all drizzled with ketchup, mayo, guacamole and homemade pineapple sauce. Their empanadas (stuffed half-moon shaped pasties made with cornmeal dough) are a must! @lalatinabustaurante