Hotel du Vin Cambridge

I like this hotel. It has a good location and the staff are accomodating. A few things to note, the building itself is a bit of a rabbit warren. It feels cramped and old? We found it very difficult navigating around with our pram and bags. There is a small lift, but to some of the rooms we were left to struggle up some stairs without help. They knew we had a baby; and a pram as they set up a cot for us in the room. So some pre thought about helping us up the stairs would have been appreciated if offered at reception. Despite the struggle to actually get into the room, I was pleased with it, the bed is big and comfortable. I enjoyed the bath and the water pressure is good. A nice selection of teas and coffee which is always appreciated. We will stay again I’m sure, but hopefully with a little help next time

My husband and I decided to splurge a little on our accommodation on our trip to Cambridge. We chose Hotel du vin, not only because of its reputation, but it had great ratings on booking, and the value was quite good. The room was beautifully furnished, a bed I wanted to bring home with me, L'occitane toiletries.... Then the problems started. We asked at check-in, if it was possible to get a "breakfast bag" on our last day, as we were going to leave the hotel at 2 am to make our flight. The receptionist told us that "we don't do this". We had paid extra for the quite expensive breakfast, but was not able to remove the last day from the booking. Well, our loss, right? At check-in, something went wrong, and we seem to have gotten the wrong room. Because the heating was turned off (central) and in the morning when we woke up, our room was 12 degrees Celsius (53 fahrenheit). The thermostat did nothing. My husband went down to the reception, which now had another person. Who allegedly turned on the heater centrally again. That did nothing once more. Our room was so cold I was considering moving to another hotel. At the third time we complained, the person at the reception said they had done everything they could, and there was nothing more they could do. In one last attempt to try and solve the problem, the person came up to our room to try and manually solve the problem. That worked, they were able to turn off the system that was feeding outside air into our room. This was halfway through our stay. Other things happened that reflected how ill trained the young staff was. Mind you, no one was ever rude to us, they were just a young staff, that was badly trained in hotel operations and problem‑solving. Again, everyone we interacted with was polite, but politeness only goes so far when the fundamentals aren’t working. By the end of our stay, we were left with mixed feelings. The building is charming, the room itself was lovely, and the location is excellent but the service and the handling of problems were far below what we expected from a hotel in this price range. We genuinely wanted to love our stay, but the lack of training, the inability to resolve basic issues, and the absence of flexibility around something as simple as a takeaway breakfast made it difficult to recommend. With better staff training and more attentive management, this could easily be a fantastic hotel. Unfortunately, that wasn’t our experience this time.

Went for dinner at browns and finished at hotel de vin for drinks. So glad we did!! From walking in, Mohamed the barman was absolutely fantastic! He helped us choose the best drinks and seated us in a private booth. He kept the drinks flowing and was the perfect host! Will definitely be back! Thank you Mohamed!

We haven't visited the cellar bar for a number of years, having had our second date here in 2009 (it must have just opened!). We had some lovely drinks and nibbles. The cellar itself is lovely, with lots of small rooms and a cosy main area. The wine was excellent. The service (from a chap called Abraham), was friendly, attentive and charming. A special place for us, that remains special.

Booked for our Anniversary and was not disappointed! Special shout-out to Kai for looking after us and our doggie so incredibly well. Room was fantastic although we were hoping to find even just a little note to congratulate us for the anniversary. We had dinner in the restaurant of the hotel, great food and great atmosphere. Thank you to Zeus in the bar for being a lovely host and very accommodating. Looking forward to come back here!

We booked an Afternoon Tea, but unfortunately the experience was disappointing from the moment we arrived. As soon as we walked in, there was a strong fishy smell throughout the restaurant, which was quite off-putting. We were greeted by a young member of staff who was polite, but the issues continued. We ordered the gingerbread tea, which was extremely weak and not enjoyable at all. We had requested a vegetarian option for dietary reasons, and to be fair, the team put in a genuine effort to accommodate this — I would give them full credit for that. However, the overall food quality and experience did not compare to other Afternoon Teas I’ve had in London. We also ordered tap water, but the glass jar it came in was dirty, covered in water stains, and clearly had not been washed properly. The water itself had an unpleasant aftertaste, making it undrinkable. When we asked for the bill, it took quite some time for the staff — who I assume was the restaurant manager — to bring it over, as they appeared too busy chatting with someone. Throughout our visit, the fishy smell became even stronger, to the point where I felt sick and my entire mood changed. I ended up leaving feeling unwell and still hungry. Overall, it was a very disappointing experience and far below the standard I expected, especially for an Afternoon Tea.

We had a private event here in the Library. The room is lovely and the staff were very helpful. Food was generally very good with a few misses. The process of booking was very efficient. They have a number of menu options for groups and were flexible between them, so we could pick favourite dishes etc. With the alcohol served as part of the package, the pricing wasn’t outrageous. They are very strict on intolerances so if guests write allergies in the booking system there’s no going back! But this is a sensibly cautious approach. I’d use them again, lovely communal areas, very central, very helpful staff from start to finish. Helped to create a very special celebration.

I had a wonderful stay at Hotel du Vin. The overall experience was very good—the atmosphere was welcoming, and the staff were incredibly friendly and attentive throughout my visit. A special mention goes to Kalpana at the front office, who provided exceptional service and made the stay even more pleasant. Her professionalism and warm attitude truly stood out.|I would happily stay here again and highly recommend Hotel du Vin to others.

Great hotel with very friendly staff. Loved our stay here. There are nearby cafes and places to see.

This review is for the hotel bar, which is on the sidelines down in the dungeon cellar. Bit unusual for a hotel bar. But it's quite cozy and a relaxing place. With some separate seating areas aside from the main bar area. I had the non-alcoholic drink called Bouquet. Apparently it's a drink for ladies, but that's ok. Non-alcoholic gin, tonic water, rose water. The slice of grape fruit on top was old, tired and Miscolored. More attention to detail on presentation needed. The drink itself was refreshing.

We are staying at the hotel, and our party of four chose the Bistro because it was convenient- big mistake. It took over 1 hour to get our order, it was wrong on a number of items, and the quality of food was sub-par. The service was lacking and the bill incorrect. The only good experience was the young lady who corrected the bill for us. They may do better if we give them another chance, but the experience was bad enough that I doubt I will go back.

I feel so conflicted about this place - service is so variable. On occasion, I visit for Sunday lunch - which, in my opinion, is amazing value. It's something like £27 for a four course meal - starting with soup, a 'market table', a choice of main course and a dessert. The market table is obviously the best bit - a lovely spread of seafood, fresh bread, charcuterie, cold cuts, salad etc. It's buffet-style so you can get as much or as little of it as you like - as many times as you like. It's all really good - but my personal favourites are the prawns (SO well cooked), smoked fish and crab pate. The main courses are standard 'british' fare - ranging from roast beef, fish and chips, steak frites, ratatouille and a fish du jour and pie du jour. My personal favourites are the pies (fish pie is amazing, when it's on) and the 'roast du vin'. The frites are also amazing - as is the Bearnaise sauce that comes with the steak. Like literally amazing. If you have room (you probably won't - the market table is pretty exciting ... but I always do) - the desserts are pretty good. I usually go for the profiteroles or tarte tatin - but most recently had he bred and butter pudding which is GREAT. Generally the dessert portions are quite small (which is good, because you'll be stuffed). They also do a cheese board as an alternative to dessert. So in an essence, the food is great. I have absolute no complaints, other than that they might want to think about changing up the mains on the menu a little more frequently. Especially regarding the veggie options - which can be a little boring. The service however leads much to be desired. It's rarely very busy, but service is so slow and they often forget drinks orders completely. There's really no excuse for it during Sunday lunch, as pretty much everything is pre-prepared (soup, market table, desserts are mostly chilled). So this is a shame - because it has the potential to be something special. I don't visit HDV for a la Carte dining for two reasons. 1) I think it's pretty overpriced for a pretty uninspiring menu, and 2) the service as explained above. Friends and family have had similar issues to this during dinner service - again, a shame, because there's so much potential. The building and location is fantastic, I just feel it's badly managed.

I am one of those folks that don't write Yelp reviews, but use the service from time to time to get a sense of things. I ate there tonight and was astonished by not only the poor service, but the poor quality of food. If you want the details here goes: 1. I am on business and was eating alone without reservation. I ate there before and it was fine, though a little pricey. I arrived without reservation, rather late (8:30), and there was plenty of tables, yet the maitre de had to ask his manager if it was OK to seat me. 2. I was (joy!) seated and it took 5 minutes for a server to greet me and ask if I'd like *water*. Requested sparkling, and another 5 minutes for still to arrive. 3. Another 10 minutes before another server arrived to ask if I'd like an appertif. Ordered that, and another 10 minutes for that to arrive. 4. Ordered everything at once, small bowl of olives and a filet of beef with a side of peppercorn sauce. I told them to come back for a wine order as I wanted to spend more time on the list. Never came back. 5. The filet arrived 30 minutes later, and I had to remind them about the wine order. Wine arrived about 10 minutes later. The peppercorn sauce was so unpeppery that I asked if there was a mistake and they said you have to stir it because the peppercorns sink to the bottom. It tasted very ketchupy, I was shocked. Found two peppercorns! 6. The filet was overcooked, and I swear it had been frozen. By far the worst I've had in my life. 7. Seeing the handwriting on the wall, I didn't complain and a bus boy arrived about 10 minutes after I finished with a dessert menu. I was inclined just to see what came out, as the comedy was in full effect. While waiting another 15 minutes, the table next to me sent their dessert back. 8. The bus boy returned finally and I declined the dessert and asked for the check as it wasn't even fun to see the next act in the catastrophe. Another 10 minutes to pay. It'll be a long time before I return and I will never take a client here again.

Smack dab in the city of Cambridge, its location is wonderful! It's a charming hotel where the staff really wants to make you happy. Need an umbrella, they have you covered. The rooms are lovely, each one different. First rate amenities. We didn't dine in their cafe because there were so many other restaurants we wanted to try, but I cannot imagine it being anything but lovely! Don't miss this gem of a hotel in Cambridge!

this is a great place if you like wine... be sure to book in advance the food was superb and the wine list extensive very much recommended if you want one of the best bistro's in cambridge then this is the only place to go ! regards John Jones http://www.johnjones.me.uk

Dining at the bistro was a great experience. The food was exceptional and service attentive. Our party of four truly enjoyed a wonderful meal. Check out their library while you're there. Really beautiful.

The food was great - but the service was surprisingly inattentive. I went here with a friend of mine on a Thursday night reservation, and we were seated with no problems. At first, our server and wine server (two separate people) were extremely attentive - we were asked about drinks and starters well before we had a chance to read over the menu, and had water delivered very quickly. The bistro gives you some bread with butter and olive oil & balsalmic vinegar, which was nothing amazing, but was nice to whet our appetites. We ordered glasses of wine (the Château Bauduc Rouge for my friend and the Saumur Champigny for me, both of which we enjoyed), and a starter of the shetland scallops for us to split. We also put our main order in at this time. After was seemed like quite a long time, our starter came out. It was very good, and if you like scallops, I recommend it - there were 5 on the plate. However, after this, we weren't checked on by our servers for what seemed like nearly half an hour - not even to see if we wanted more wine or needed water refills (both of which we did). That being said, perhaps they took the wrong cue from the start of the night and decided to slow down talking to us. Regardless, our mains were also very good - I had the coq au Riesling, and my fried had the roasted rump of lamb (which is a LOT of lamb). I would have liked a little more on my plate - had I not had our scallop starter, I think I would have still been a bit hungry at the end of the meal. After what seemed like another long delay, we were asked if we wanted dessert menus (yes) and ended up ordering the apple tarte tatin and the rhubarab trifle. I would have preferred a little more apple and a little less dough, but it was still pretty good - if I did it again, I would try the mint chocolate chip tart, because that looked delicious! One slight downside is that their wine selection is a bit pricey - the cheapest glass is still £6, and most are closer to the £10 range. I know the Bistro is more upscale than many other Cambridge restaurants, but I wish they had a few less expensive drink options - two glasses can easily be more than your main. The food is overall some of the best I've had in Cambridge, although that is admittedly not saying much. I would definitely recommend them.

This upmarket bistro is in Trumpington Street, in a delightful old building that fits well with The Hotel du Vin brand. Although only five minutes walk from Cambridge Uni colleges, it is an oasis of calm and at lunch time had mainly attracted business customers. The set menu was excellent value, the bread very tasty and the service discreet. The salmon was very good and fresh, and a large variety of wine was available by the glass.

The downstairs bar conveys the atmosphere of a private country club with soft lounge music and a menu as thick as a phone book. Impressive selection of international beers, ales and wheat ales (only place in Cambridge to get belgian Mort subite). Due to the old cellar setting you get several small private rooms with speakeasy atmoshere that fit groups of 10-20 people (call for reservations!). Hotel du Vin is always a good option when Cambridge pubs are helplessly crowded on weekends. The staff is what you expect from an up-market hotel and the prices only slightly more expensive than other Cambridge favourites as The Anchor and The Eagle. Not something for every day but a fantastic setting for larger groups or when you need a place that is classy and not too loud. Verdict: classic hideaway for a different night in Cambridge.

You know it's a big deal when I'm too startled to take pictures. I decided to put a little ketchup on my eggs. I opened the cap, and I had a ketchup blitzkrieg. A blast of ketchup exploded from the bottle like lava out of Mt. Vesuvius. It was EVERYWHERE--all over my clothes, on the wall next to me, the table--pretty much everywhere except my food, ironically. It even got in my hair. In a further ironic twist, this occurred while I was reading an article on food borne illness. I mentioned to the maitre' that they should probably throw out the bottle (which would have been easier than wiping of all the ketchup that erupted onto the bottle itself. I was offered a fresh breakfast after mentioning possible contamination, but I was half done, so I declined. There is no time to have my tracksuit cleaned, because I am flying home tomorrow, but considering I was covered in ketchup, an offer of more than a damp rag--even comping my breakfast--would've been a nice gesture. Especially considering I'm the Duchess, and all. I've had three breakfasts, two dinners, and one room service order from the Bistro. Food is consistently good French fare--moules frites, cassoulet, fish platter, and onion soup were all quite good, as were breakfasts. Dinner waitstaff is wonderful, but breakfast waitstaff is inattentive. The hotel room (Penfolds) is comfortable, but dark, dark, dark. Poor task lighting and poor lighting everywhere except the loo. Extra points for fresh milk in the fridge daily, and heated bathroom floors. I got my wake-up call three days out of five, and once was on Saturday. I might come back. The location is good, and just far enough from the office that I can justify a taxi.

Tried the lunchtime special 2 courses for 2 people £20 or £30 if you want vino. Leek & potato soup bland but ok when seasoned, but my partner didn't really like it. Smoked haddock on crushed potatoes, spinach with poached egg and creamy sauce was tasty though. By the time we'd had two bottles of water, bread, side salad to share and service it came to £36. Staff friendly but irritatingly kept pouring our water without asking. Otherwise fine, didnt mind us changing table halfway thru meal - very hot in the window Wine list looks fantastic but nothing much under £25 and runs to £200+. Bread basket v tasty as someone else mentioned. Would try again but definitely take the platinum card.

[...] (READ FULL REVIEW AT http://louisekwoods.wordpress.com) I came here with my mother, on Mothers' Day, which seems perilously close to tautology until you realise that although the restaurant demographic did divide down the kind of age-gap you'd expect on Mothers' Day, those on either side of it kept to themselves. Which is a fancy way of saying that there were older couples, and younger couples, and one pair of teenage love-birds who looked to have hit adolescence only slightly later than our sommelier, but no mothers. Or at least not acting ones. "Mothers have lunches," said mine, helpfully. "Scones, jam, tea, and lunches. Not dinners." Who knew? It turned out they also have strong opinions about cocktails. I failed to tempt her with a veritable nosegay of a violet and ginger-infused champagne cocktail (because mothers like florals, too, right? Not mine.); and since I wasn't ready, either, to experience "kicks like a mule, scented like a Victorian" (the greatest line Johnny Cash never wrote) as a flavour-combination, we both settled on the Corsica: a deliciously, tooth-rottingly sweet confection of amaretto, date liqueur, and champagne sufficiently dry, if you can believe it, to claw the whole thing back from sickliness. Among the hotel's most lauded features is its underground bar (and I mean that not in the sense of blind pigs or New Wave electronica; it's where the wine-cellars used to be), impressive not least for the feats of adjective-shuffling ingenuity it inspires in hotel reviewers and PR writers alike. (To attempt a round-up, these are vaulted labyrinthine cellars [with optional atmosphere] or [optionally atmospheric] labyrinthine cellar vaults. With a healthy dose of hyperbole. On the whole, I think we can safely assume they're vaulted.) Actually, it's a terrific space; more Brambly Hedge than The Bull From the Sea, and all the nicer for it: flagstone floors and brickwork in warm, earthy hues, with muted top-notes of warehouse chic in the exposed-piping light-fittings, and intimate little cellarlets which, named after Cambridge colleges with a true du Vin deference to location, give a discreet tip of the mortarboard to my alma mater. [...] The menu is sub-divided to prevent, as it were, the locally-sourced mallard from straying onto the pristine green college lawns of the vegetarian section. My mother's choice of herbed gnocchi with cauliflower velouté and wilted spinach (£12.50) felt very much like the centre-piece of that section (the pea and mint risotto could have done with a hand in the PR department, and the garden salad in the allotment - but we'll come to that in a moment.) Eternally thankful as those of us still digesting the nut loaf we ate in 1992 must be for the gloriously rich, punchy, and, in short, Mediterranean-cribbed flavours available to the vegetarian palate nowadays (and, no, I don't mean hemp-seed loaf; did we learn nothing from the noughties?), it was refreshing to see imaginative vegetarian cookery with a few of those punches pulled. In other words, not a Périgord truffle or a glug of barolo in sight, the chef (and my mother) having opted for an very elegant, very English, springtime dish that resembled nothing more, on first sight, than a plateful of speckled quail eggs. Which, happily, is about as far as that particular analogy can take us, because judging from their lightness, these gnocchi were quenelled miles from the nearest egg. With the very notion of potato, too, passatuttoed from their genetic memory, they were coddled little pillows - the merest hint of pan-searing in the golden tiger-stripes on their undersides - perked beautifully by flecks of spinach (whose counterpart in the garnish, meanwhile, was wilted to just the right side of languid.) The velouté was trademark Hotel du Vin Egyptian linen to the gnocchi's pillows: delicately pastel-coloured and creamy in the way that asparagus is creamy, without the interference of cream; and besprinkled with dinky little cauliflower florets that demanded chivalrous scooping, being a hair's breadth too narrow to spear with a fork. A bit of surreptitious neck-craning discovered most of our fellow diners to have gone for the gnocchi, or else something hip and rustic-looking on a board, with chips. Unduly gratified, however, to find under "Main Courses" something I'd normally have to dredge up from the far reaches of the menu or cobble together from existing ingredients ("Yes, the orange confit, please. Hold the mallard."), I bit my thumb at the universal palate and ordered the garden salad (£7.50). What I'd failed to notice was that this dish, the veritable "Where's Wally?" of salads, kept popping up all over the menu: hic et ubique, upstairs, downstairs and no doubt also in my lady's chamber, like yet another example of trespassing poultry (the gander, that is; not King Hamlet). [...] NO SPACE LEFT TO CONTINUE REVIEW HERE; SEE http://louisekwoods.wordpress.com for full review.

Great suites with the most amazing Monsoon showers, and a restaurant to die for. Try the beef hashe, it's real man food.

Service was good, but food always great quality. Fantastic flavours, menu changes and usually there's good choice. Very helpful sommelier. Can be busy, but still great for a dinner for two, very good atmosphere. Try a drink in the cellar bar before the dinner.

The downstairs bar is beautiful - decorated with an eclectic mix of wine-related bits and bobs as well as interesting uses for other items... There are a number of hiding holes to slink into as well as the main bar area with large leather couches. A stunning wine list, almost matched by the selection of beers and spirits/liqueurs but they also make some delicious cocktails. Not cheap, but comparatively better value for wine by the glass than many pubs and restaurants which serve sub-standard wines for a bit less. Knowledgeable staff and quality glassware (including speciality glasses for individual Belgian beers). A perfect place to go for a night cap after a romantic dinner. Nut allergy warning: they serve peanuts throughout the bar, so this is not the place for severe allergy sufferers.

The hotel rooms are contemporary and modern. The service is great. Some rooms have awkward layouts because of the structure of the building. The bistro has an excellent breakfast. Note: business conversation at lunch during the week. Enjoy:)

The bar is tucked away below and behind quite a swanky looking restaurant with quite a pricey and complicated menu (which this Qyper has not visited). The wine selection is phenomenal. The decor is like a country lodge but with a modern edge so its luxurious and comfy. The only downside to this place is the price £7 and up for a glass of wine, but its nice for a treat every once in a while

This is a review of the restaurant and not the hotel. We had dinner here while visiting Cambridge for a few days. We had the smoked salmon appetizer, autumn salad, the beef bourguignon, and the monkfish grande. The smoked salmon was very good with plenty of salmon and the autumn salad was okay but we would have liked some greens to round it out and make it more of a salad. The beef bourguignon was very dry and not very good while the monkfish was a very small piece of fish but quite tasty. Overall, Du Vin bistro wins points for decor and atmosphere along with an attentive staff but the food could be better for the price.

I came here for a celebratory post-finals drink with a friend, and I really enjoyed it. While cocktail and wine prices are on the higher side, the ambiance was great - quiet and adult - a welcome reprieve from the boisterous venues in the centre filled with drunken students.

Love the hotel, this is my third stay here - this review is about the restaurant only. Stopped in for a quick bite after taking the redeye from the US. I selected an item from the lunch specials, pre fixe menu, thinking this would be the best way to go for a quick meal. 30 minutes later, I ended up with my lunch. I wouldn't have minded this so much if the waitress had informed me in advance that I would have to wait so long for my meal. I also wouldn't have minded it so much if the waitress came by to check on me during my 30 minute wait; however, she did not look at me during this time as I think it was uncomfortable knowing that my food was taking so long to come out (she did go back and speak to the chef who not only didn't care that this was a long time to wait for lunch, she acted as if I should have expected it). In the end, I asked if I could skip the second part of the pre fixe menu (dessert) because it had taken so long to receive the first course and I was tired after a long trip. The waitress informed me this wasn't a problem and after speaking to the chef, she took off only one British pound. Again, if I had been told my choice was to keep the second course or save only one pound, I probably would have opted to eat the second course. On top of it all, I have eaten here before and never received a service charge on my bill. I think because the waitress knew my experience had been so bad, she opted to add on the service charge. With so many charming and delicious choices in Cambridge, I will spend the rest of my week enjoying other nearby restaurants.

Fantastic cosy little hotel in walking distance to the city centre. Beautiful rooms and facilities. Service quality mixed, some are very friendly, others quite court.