25
CAFES, BARS & CLUBS
51 - 52 Trumpington Street,
Cambridge CB2 1RG
01223 352500
Fitzbillies is an old-school bakery and cafe serving
traditional pastries with artisan coffee and East
Anglian fare. With its beautiful art nouveau shop
front, Fitzbillies is a Cambridge institution. Its
famously sticky chelsea buns have been made and
sold on the premises since 1921 and it would be no
exaggeration to say that a trip to Cambridge would
be incomplete without a visit. The cake shop, coffee
counter and cafe/restaurant are open for coffee,
lunch and afternoon tea seven days a week. Dinner
is also served on Thursday, Friday and Saturday
evenings from 6pm. All Fitzbillies’ cakes are made
on the premises, while savoury food is prepared
from scratch using seasonal ingredients from local
suppliers. The coffee is supplied by East London
artisan roastery Climpson & Sons. Lunch in the cafe
features savoury tarts, pies and sausage rolls, salads,
soups and English cheeses and ham, accompanied
by fantastic homemade soda bread. On the evenings
when Fitzbillies turns into a restaurant, featuring the
cooking of head chef Rosie Sykes, it’s rare to spot
an empty table. The food is excellent, but no matter
how many culinary triumphs Rosie and her team
may conjure, Fitzbillies will always be best known for
its famous, traditional Chelsea buns, just as it has
been for almost a century. The original Fitzbillies on
Trumpington Street includes the historic cake shop,
a large waiter service cafe/restaurant serving hot
lunch and brunch and a separate coffee bar. This
has since been complemented by a new branch on
Bridge Street which serves as a coffee shop serving
a selection of cakes from the bakery and simple
savoury food including sandwiches and salads.
Naturally, both branches sell Fitzbillies’ famous, extra
sticky Chelsea buns. Neither cafe takes bookings
(with the exception of large groups) so you’re
advised to just come along and you’ll be given the
next available table.
FITZBILLIES
