Food & Drink: Tour Cambridge’s Mill Road with Poppet Pics

For Cambridge artist Lucy Jones of Poppet Pics, few places are more inspiring than the city’s own Mill Road. Here, she captures her favourite places on the street to eat, drink and shop. . . Words by Alice Ryan

196 Famous for both its unrivalled cocktail selection and handwritten menus, this bar, sister to Dutch in Eddington, serves the finest margaritas in the city (we’ll die on that hill). The signature 196 Mule - vodka, fresh lime, ginger syrup, ginger beer - also comes recommended.
196bar.com

Culinaris Open this deli’s door and all the good smells hit you: bread and cheese and chocolate and spices. . . Boasting “East Anglia’s widest range of cheeses, and the charcuterie cabinet doesn’t look too shabby either”, it’s been a fixture on Mill Road since 2015.
culinaris.co.uk

Fancett’s Run by the eponymous Dan Fancett - winner of Chef of the Year at the 2024 Velvet Food & Drink Awards, FYI - this small but perfectly formed French-style bistro offers constantly changing menus - every dish is strong seasonal - and never changing quality.
fancetts.com

Fin Boys When The Guardian’s Jay Rayner gave this place a rave last autumn, he deemed the combination of “inventive cooking” (courtesy of Richard Stokes and Jay Scrimshaw) and “seriously good ingredients” (including fish direct from Cornish day boats) “completely compelling”. Not a lot we can add, really.
fin-boys.com

Limoncello Not only a first-class Italian deli, where you can fill your basket with everything from authentic amaretti, Baci and cannoli to pastas and sauces, Limoncello has the loveliest louvre-roofed courtyard where you can share a plate of antipasti and sup an Aperol spritz.
limoncello.co.uk

Mill Road Butchers With legions of loyal customers, this butchery is loved for the quality of both its customer service and its high-welfare meats. The team specialise in dry-ageing and importing the world’s finest meat - take the Australian Wagyu beef ribeye and sirloin, currently on-counter.
@millroadbutchers

Modigliani Anyone else obsessed with Modigliani’s reels? We could watch @chefkevin_ cutting into The Peach - layers of luscious ganache, jam and fresh fruit contained in a perfectly peach-shaped shell of crunchy cocoa butter - on loop. Its Italian cakes and pastries are, unsurprisingly, award-winning: it won Best Cafe in the 2023 England Business Awards.
@modigliani.cambridge

Scott’s All Day Scott’s is known for its bottomless brunch (the Lumberjack pancake stack, layered with sausage, bacon, eggs, fried spuds and maple syrup, is something else), Detroit-style pizzas (ginormous rectangular deep-pans loaded with cheese) and excellent cocktails (try the Tropical Colada). If you’ve not been, go. Go, go, go.
scottsallday.com

Vanderlyle Another one shortlisted for this year’s Velvet Food & Drink Awards - nominated solely by members of the public, that’s testament to its fan following - this restaurant, helmed by MasterChef finalist Alex Rushmer, takes plant-based dining to the next level with its tasting menu and matched drinks. Tables can be hard to come by but are well worth the wait.
vanderlyle-restaurant.com

Meet the Artist: Lucy Jones of Poppet Pics

How did you come to be a professional artist? I studied Design and Media in London, then spent a term at Granada Uni in Spain studying Drawing, Photography and Sculpture. I worked in several roles in television before starting a family; my last position was managing camera crews at Sky News. I have recently qualified as an interior designer with the British Academy of Interior Designers too! So I feel I am merging my interests with photography, drawing and interiors.

What's your chosen medium and what makes it a fit for you and your style? My latest series of work is digital illustration using my iPad which I love - it’s very versatile, free-flowing and forgiving. It suits me perfectly as I take my iPad everywhere and draw whenever I’m inspired.

What draws you to depicting Cambridge? I live in Cambridge and cycle around a lot - I’m loving the vibe and food scene on Mill Road especially. There are tons of small businesses with great service and products, from the butchers supplying the restaurants to the cafes making delicious pastries and coffees to the evening bars like 196. It has a lot to offer and has lots of character.

And to depicting the city's foodie places in particular? I really like the enthusiasm of the one-off restaurants/cafes/bars. They provide excellent service and are rightly proud of what they offer.

Lucy takes commissions for social media postings or printed form. Follow her on Instagram @lucyjonespoppetpics and email her for more information at lucy@poppetpics.co.uk