Craigie on Main has been a fixture of the Cambridge dining scene since 2008, following on from the previously established Craigie Street Bistrot. The emphasis is on sourcing of seasonal, local, organic ingredients and the cuisine is described as French American. I’ve eaten at Craigie on Main before but those visits were at short notice so I ended up sitting at the bar rather than in the main restaurant.  This time the table was booked ahead so it meant that the evening was much more relaxed.

The dining room is dominated by a large open kitchen and the various tables are set fairly formally with white tablecloths. The formality does not extend to the wait staff who dress fairly casually beyond the emphasis on black shirts and black aprons. However, they were very knowledgeable about the menu and were happy to talk about any of the dishes on the menu. The choice for evening dining is between an 8-course tasting menu and the a la carte menu and for this visit I went with the a la carte.

After ordering, breads wrapped in cotton cloth and butter were brought to the table. The breads were a mixture of white bread that was nice enough and a multigrain roll that was really lovely. These were followed to the table by an amuse bouche of turkey rillette served on cranberry toast with a mustard jus. This single bite was a nice kick off for the meal with the wonderfully herby flavour of the rillette a pleasure to savour.

Starter was grilled Spanish octopus. This was served with grilled cipollini onion, green olive and lemon salad, bulgur wheat and spiced artichoke puree. The octopus was cooked at a low temperature for a long time so it was very tender to eat. The combination of the nutty, crunchy bulgur wheat with the tender octopus was excellent. The salad included long strands of lemon that added bursts of intense citrus flavour to the dish while the green olive flavour was subtle enough that it did not affect my enjoyment of it all. The onion was also a nice subtle participant in the overall dish. This was a lovely dish and it combined well with the red wine that I’d ordered.

There were many main courses that were tempting but I opted for slow-cooked chicken breast, a meat that I seldom order. The sous-vide breast was served with chicken sausage, apricots, chanterelle mushrooms, Spring-dug carrots and a Scotch whisky jus. The dish actually surprised with the way it was put together. The slow-cooked chicken breast was a delight, predictably tender and succulent with a wonderful depth of flavour particularly if the well-salted chicken skin was included. The disc of chicken sausage, browned on one side, was strongly herby so added more complexity to the meats. The carrots were puréed lightly in the jus giving an intense sweet emphasis to the dish in addition to the slivers of apricot. The chanterelles provided additional texture and a wonderful complimentary taste. Even the garnishes of pea shoots and chopped chives contributed well to the overall dish. All in all, this was a really lovely main course.

Ahead of dessert, a palate freshener in the form of a strawberry sorbet was brought to the table. The sorbet was superb with a wonderful intense strawberry character. It was topped with a sliver of candied fennel that gave a nice anise chew but wasn’t really necessary.

For dessert, as usual, I asked for the light option and had the malted milk parfait with honey roasted peanuts, chocolate sorbet and chocolate sponge. The dish was also garnished with chocolate puffed rice. I’m not sure this was the best choice for me as I tend to prefer refreshing fruity desserts. However, the malted milk parfait was good but it was bettered by the chocolate sorbet. The only disappointment was the honey roasted peanuts that tasted too much of cinnamon and salt. Overall this was alright but didn’t match the previous courses.

I asked for the bill, signed off on it and was just getting ready to leave when another dessert course arrived. The chilled rhubarb compote with yoghurt ice cream was a great way to sign off and I left the restaurant very happy.

Overall verdict.
It was great to sample the food at Craigie on Main in the dining room rather than sitting at the cocktail bar. For me, it definitely helped the experience. The food was excellent, service was friendly and helpful and even the soundtrack of 80s independent music was conducive to a good evening.

Would I revisit Craigie on Main?
In a heartbeat.  It’s always nice to find those restaurants that you’d recommend to anyone and Craigie on Main would be my Boston recommendation. It’s a great experience.


Overall Rating - 4.5/5