"Starry Michelin acclaim has lost some of its sheen as food culture has evolved; places that earn stars can be staid, stuffy, stale, or all three, and frequently feel like a waste of quite a lot of money. But Midsummer House, with its white tablecloths and starched napkins, gives a hint why the stars were attractive in the first place. From an overlook of the River Cam, the garden and terrace lend a winning homeliness to the proceedings, which are steered by founding chef patron Daniel Clifford and head chef Mark Abbott. Meals are dotted with little flourishes — like a cheese on toast canape that simply no one would believe is cheese or indeed toast, or a picnic basket of pneumatic, sugar-dusted bottereaux — that all feel genuine, rather than gimmicky. Midsummer is still on top of its game 18 years after earning a second Michelin star." - James Hansen
