If you are visiting Cambridgeshire you will no doubt want to pay a visit to Newmarket, the world famous home of horse racing. Just 20 minutes from Cambridge and straddling the Cambridgeshire/Suffolk border Newmarket has a unique character that just has to be experienced.

Due to the popularity of the sport there are a number of fine restaurants in Newmarket that have sprung up to cater for the mass influx of wealthy race goers every summer.

The High Street which dissects the small town is literally dotted with Pubs and Restaurants all the way down from the White Lion as you enter Newmarket (this is the nearest restaurant to the race courses), down to the bottom end past the clock tower where will find the small chain Italian restaurant, Prezzo’s.

There really is something for everybody be it Indian, Italian, Thai, Chinese, Tapas or just fine gastro food, you will find it in Newmarket.

So the complete run down the High Street coming from the direction of the race courses (if you had the stomach for it!) would go something like this:

The White Lion – English Cuisine
The Fountain – Chinese
The Sangdao – Thai
The Old Scotch Curry House - Indian
The Kings Head – English Cuisine
Newmarket Indian Cuisine – Indian
Ristorante Caruso – Italian
Steven Saunders – Tapas and Bistro
Prezzo – Italian

And that is just on the High Street. If you are willing to venture out a bit further you will find places like the wonderful Essence 2. This solves many a night out dilemna by providing curry and pizza in the same restaurant. It’s brilliant if you have a large mixed crowd and want to avoid arguments as most people will usually eat one or the other.

These are just the sit down restaurants, you will also find, mainly on the High St, your usual selection of KFC and Wimpey, plus a couple of late night kebab shops, perfect after a hard day at the racing.

If you plan to spend a couple of days and you have had enough of the restaurants in Newmarket you might want to think about exploring a little outside the town where there are a host of hidden gems waiting for your custom.

Places like the Three Blackbirds, the Green Man and the Reindeer all warrant a special mention. These are all Inn style eateries that are locally well renowned for the quality of their food and the service. Most are set in peaceful village surroundings and offer a good selection of ales to wash down their hearty meals.

One delightful place that deserves a special mention is Jose El Gallego at the Red Lion in Kirtling, about 2-3 miles out of the town centre. Jose serves up a delectable selection of authentic Spanish tapas, all made from freshly imported ingredients.