The Plough Coton Restaurant Review, Cambridge

Address: 2 High Street, Coton, Cambridge, CB23 7PL England

The Plough is situated in the pretty village of Coton, just a few miles out from the Cambridge City Centre. 

On our previous review of this establishment in 2014, it was billed as a gastro pub and it did not disappoint, with a good selection of beers and upmarket pub grub. There had been some mixed reports on it from some other review sites, though, around that time.  We decided to go back and take another look.

Decor & Atmosphere

This time around (2020), the place had changed completely following a refurbishment and new ownership.  It’s now become much more styled like an upmarket restaurant and has been renovated inside to good effect.

That said, the relaxed village atmosphere remains at The Plough and there is plenty of room inside and out.  When the weather is fine, you might choose to sit outdoors where there is a large area for children to play on the grass next to the rear car park. It also includes a climbing frame and slide.  Families are clearly made welcome here and dogs can also be taken into the garden area.

As you approach The Plough by road it is worth noting that it is located on quite a tight bend in the road with little visibility of what might be coming the other way.

There is plenty of car parking to be found in the rear car park at The Plough, with the entrance being located on the right-hand side of the building as you approach it from the front.

Food at the Plough

On our visit for this review, we like the menu selection (the full menus can be found on their website here) and of particular note were the sirloin steak, venison and tomahawk pork.

Prior to that, the a la carte menu (which is served Monday to Saturday between 1200 and 2100) showed eight starters including breads, sweet potatoes, soup and salmon dishes.

Eleven main courses to choose from was enough to make a selection dilemma, as it all looked so good. The menu handily also marked which meals were gluten free (GF), vegetarian (V) and vegan (VE).

Six side orders were also available to choose from on the menu, and we had the broccoli & roasted almonds (recommended).

Desserts were also of a very high standard, with pear & ginger crumble and vanilla brulee hitting the spot perfectly. The broken tiramisu also went down very well. This chef certainly knows how to put on a good meal.

Drinks

The drinks selection is also pleasing, serving a variety of beer, wine and soft drinks that is sure to appeal to most.  Seeing Birra Moretti (an excellent Italian lager) on the drinks menu is always a good sign of a quality establishment in my view. Amstel is also available.

The prices of the drinks were on par with reasonable prices elsewhere. Water was served for free (tap), as it should be.

Of the many wines on the list, the merlot and Le Havre were of very good quality and not very expensive, either, coming in at just over £20 per bottle.

Tip/Service charge

It’s worth noting that a 12.5% service charge was added to the bill. The service was very good, so this was acceptable.