Rice Boat Cambridge in Cambridge

Delicious and reasonably-priced, vegetarian-friendly food! Not to mention the lovely staff!!

Amazing food. I was there with a large group for dinner and we had the group menu. Wonderful selection of really tasty dishes. And the staff also were really friendly and helpful. Vegetarian options: Lots of dishes on the menu are naturally vegan or vegetarian they are not substitutes or replacements for meat. I think every vegetarian and vegan knows this is always much better: the dishes are naturally made around complimentary pulses, vegetables, and spices. Dietary restrictions: I was the only vegan in the large group and the stuff clearly told me which of the dishes sat down for everyone I should eat, and brought me others when the dishes were not vegan.

What a wonderful place to be! Authentic food and perfect host. Thank you for the hospitality and great food

Great place for family. Customised and freshly prepared meal could be enjoyed Kid-friendliness: Very welcoming for kids. Offered toys to my kids and got customised less to non spicy curry for kids.

Kid-friendliness: Kid friendly Food

We had our family dining at Rice Boat unexpectedly. We been to many restaurants who serve for English people without keeping the authentic taste of the food . But , Rice boat is completely different and it s truthful to authentic taste of Kerala . More than food experience, the way the co- owner Ms. Rita talked with us ., just made us feel better.. and made our day ..highly recommended to everyone who wants to taste authentic Kerala cuisine. Never forget to try kulfi Much love and wishes from , Bibin & Sheena , Kings Lynn, Uk

We came here in late September for a friends birthday. A beautifully curated menu and fantastic food and friendly sensitive staff. Thanks for a great time.

This is THE place to get the most authentic, fresh and delicious taste sensation in Cambridge - and would easily rival any London restaurant for Indian flavour. A must! Book and go - you wont be disappointed....

Me and my friends went to the restaurant and asked if we can get any food quickly as we were running late and staff was incredibly friendly and managed to get food for 7 people in a really short time. The atmosphere was amazing and all food was excellent thank you so much

Rice Boat is my favorite restaurant in Cambridge! I am always awestruck by how delectable and authentic the South Indian cuisine is, and with such uniquely flavorful spices. The service is exceptional, and it sincerely feels as though you are welcomed in for an unrivaled South Indian home-cooked meal. The varied selection of appetizers, entrées, and desserts is exquisite, and the consistent quality of food and warm atmosphere make it well known that the owners care deeply about bringing Kerala cuisine to Cambridge!

Quantity is very low and food is expensive. Never recommend it to anyone.

Delicious food, great service. Would recommend Uttapam and Gulab Jamun.

Really amazing food, genuinely could have eaten twice as much because it was just that good. Lady serving us was super nice and helpful. Food came out quickly and I ll say again, was fantastic. Can t go back soon enough. Dietary restrictions: all curry is coeliac friendly and gluten free, staff were very accommodating.

Delicious food. Very friendly. Elegant and welcoming environment

The food was delicious especially the pickles and kulfi was superb must try.

We had our dinner here , the food was so delicious and awesome and the special plum pickle was a 10/10.. We also had a pistachio kulfi and it s a must try.

It is such an excellent relaxation even the view of the dishes far from home. Comfortable, spacious, and calm atmosphere.

Delicious food and very nice people.

Food was excellent, highly recommended !

Rita, the owner, is both knowledgeable, friendly and a fantastic hostess. Well done to her husband the chef, too! The food was absolutely gorgeous. Highly recommended.

Such a nice evening with South Indian vegetarian delicacies. Vegetarian options: Paneer and aubergine curry are delicious! Dietary restrictions: Vegetarian and Gluten free options Kid-friendliness: Plenty of spaces for pushchairs

Lovely service, delicious food!

Amazing food, a genuine home cooked experience.

Mediocre food, very small portions, and bad service - overall completely overpriced for what you get, cannot recommend this place at all! There are much better options in Cambridge.

Absolutely delicious! Menu is very different from usual Indian restaurants and the dishes pack so much flavour. Recommend prawn balls, black pepper chicken starter and Kerala fish curry. Lassi is great too.

Excellent food and very friendly- o am coeliac and the gluten free options were delicious. Highly recommended

Best and authentic kerala food in Cambridge !

Beautiful food and lovely proprietors. The food here is not conventional British Indian cuisine - no bad thing at all - but something a little more interesting. This is genuine Keralan food, and it is sumptuous. The spice blends are different to those encountered in North Indian cuisine. the items we tried - Lamb Potato Curry, Masala Dosa - were delicious and elegant. The service was lovely. The proprietor brought us some free servings of homemade ice-cream; it was lovely and was such a generous thing to do.

Lovely Indian restaurant in Cambridge! Ordered the lamb potato curry and Kerala chicken curry with neyychor (Kerala ghee rice) and they were exceptional. The curries were perfectly spiced and balanced with fresh ingredients. A shoutout to our server/owner(?) who was kind and attentive throughout. Good location too so highly recommend this place!

Amazing food and service!

A last minute booking for 12 was dealt with fantastically. We ended up asking them to decide the menu for us as a group. Each dish was beautifully spiced and well matched with the other dishes. Everything felt fresh and light. I would highly recommend

super tasty and very friendly - highly recommend! will deffo be back :)

perfection !

It was a very good meal !

Really good food. One of the best places for Indian food in the UK. Strongly recommend.

I love the food here. The Kerala Fish Curry is an absolute stand out, in a field of delicious curries. Their food makes me happy. Just try it.

Rice Boat serves a great selection of dishes, including a wide range of flatbreads I havent seen elsewhere. The staff are universally friendly and the prices reasonable. I can recommend organising a society annual dinner with them, as they are always willing and helpful to accommodate requests!

We havent visited the Rice Boat for approximately 12 years, it was always excellent and after this significant time lapse, the quality from every angle was just as outstanding as before. Julian & Karina from Norfolk. Food

Really tasty dozas!

I really dont know how they got this good reviews with this worst customer relations and bad quality food.Kindly avoid going there seeing the good reviews as we did.

Most useless dosa, do not order any dish from this place

A lovely restaurant that has very nice decor... And has simply outstanding food! Dont miss it!

The food was utterly outstanding along with the friendly and welcoming staff. The lady who co-owns creates wonderful and mouthwatering deserts too! This is our favourite Indian establishment in Cambridge. I have recommended this place to many people!

Attended a society dinner there a few weeks ago. The food was delicious, especially given the very reasonable price for a three-course tasting menu (£25ish excluding drinks), and the atmosphere was great. Id really recommend the venue for society annual dinners especially - we looked at a lot of options and this was by far the best. Vegetarian options: Plenty of vegetarian and vegan options, which were very tasty.

Coeliac friendly; only place I ve found in Cambridge with gluten free breads, including dhosa and appam .which are fantastic. Most curry houses have just chapatis and nann, neither of which are GF. Also Gf starters of Varda; it s unusual for coeliacs to get a fried, crunchy normally only able to have plain things ( tho those were also lovely fried prawns!). All the food is top notch, and service is much quicker than when we went a few years ago. Perfect Dietary restrictions: Coeliac friendly

Hospitable hosts. Excellent food. Thoroughly recommend.

Tried aleppy fish curry, king fish curry, onion vada, mango Lassi, lemon rice, and coconut rice, and kulfi. Lamb and Gulaab Jamun were not available though. Rest all was fantastic.

Recently dined at Riceboat for with a group of 10. A fantastic traditional Indian restaurant. Cozy atmosphere and the service was super friendly. Food was delicious and full of authentic Indian flavors. Even received some complimentary desserts which was a really nice surprise. Would highly recommend great value for money!

Homely kerala food...good ambience as well

I cannot explain in words how amazing this restaurant is! Being South Indian myself I miss my home food, my mothers and grandmothers cooking. This place takes me back and gives me such nostalgia. It s perfect and it s a family run business. Please support it, it s such a gem!!!! The masala dosa/ chicken curry/ Thalia and the dessert is to just die for! Vegetarian options: Fantastic vegetarian options and well as non veg. Also gluten free options- plenty for all!

Excellent authentic, freshly cooked food. A great choice for a special night out. This is different from the usual Indian cuisine. The restaurant is simply set out and was not busy which suited our party as we could talk easily across a party of six. The food was obviously freshly prepared and so it did take a little time to come, but was absolutely worth the wait. Vegetarian options: There were excellent choices

Delicious homemade taste in Cambridge. Must try their freshly prepared Ice cream. Atmosphere was so cosy.

This restaurant was recommended to us and we thought it was fabulous! The food was so authentic and delicious and the staff were so friendly and service great. Especially loved the aubergine curry and dosa masala, but no complaints with anything! Will definable visit again on our next trip to Cambridge!

We came here for a big group dinner and the food was incredible!

Very good south Indian food. The thali had dishes with perfectly balanced flavours. The dal and sambar were almost close to home made food. A big shout out to the staff and the owner, who were super friendly. Will definitely go back. A great option to go with a large group of friends as well.

The food was reasonably tasty but tiny and overpriced portions that took 2 hours to cook. Clearly, not enough kitchen staff or front of house. The service was appalling. People left the restaurant angry while we were there, as the wait time was so absurdly long. Won t repeat that experience.

Excellent food! Even though the restaurant is a Kerala cuisine one, it has the best paneer in Cambridge along with the most authentic and homemade tasting chapati. The service is also fast, and the owner is a delight to talk to. Highly recommended.

Terrific regional flavors and lovely hosts. A must eat in Cambridge. Vegetarian options: Plenty of veg options naturally. The paneer was especially good. Kid-friendliness: Chairs and play things for the little ones.

Always good. Recommend by my Indian friends.

We made a reservation six hours before arrival only to be told that half of the menu is unavailable. When asking for chai, they told us that well have to wait for at least 20-30 mins for it to arrive. This was on a weekend so Im not sure how this place functions.

Really nice food and really nice staff!

Excellent food, reasonable prices (for Cambridge)

The south Indian food here is really excellent, and brilliant value for money. Service can be slow, but only because food is lovingly prepared, with an attentiveness that makes this place more like a supper club than a generic Indian restaurant. If you have the time for a leisurely dinner or lunch, I cant recommend this place more highly. Dietary restrictions: Good gluten-free options.

Great place, wonderful drum music, fantastic food

We had a lovely dinner at Rice Boat with our friends, the food was really delicious and it had a nice chill atmosphere, great for families! We also ordered food for almost ten people because it was so hard to decide what to eat :D and we met the lady who was the owner of the restaurant which was also very nice and asked us to pack our leftovers since we were more then full at one point haha I had the chicken biryani which was delicious! My bf had the Lamb ularthu and our friends had Paneer Green Peas curry which were also all very delicious as well as the prawn balls The Parotta was also amazingly prepared! Also remember to try their Mango lassi as well, famous delicious drink! Thank you for the lovely dinner we had and we hope that we will come again! (:

We had delicious southern Indian food - for me the most authentic Indian food I had outside of India. My Biryani was delicious and all dishes my wife and kids had were also just wonderful. Strong recommendation!

Simple homely Kerala/ Indian food . Sambar was very homey Never miss the star dish pistachio Kulfi Food : 5/5

I was struggling to find somewhere that had a variety of vegan food and non-vegan food. I had heard that this restaurant was good but my god, they are amazing! I had the Aubergine Theeyal. This was THE BEST curry I have EVER had. It was so fragrant with flavours, so smooth and creamy. It had transported me right into the heart of authentic culture and cuisine. If you do anything this week, make sure you book a reservation at the Rice Boat. We have to support our local small businesses, and if they re as amazing as the Rice Boat it s a no brainer!! There was a wait, but I assure you it is well worth it! Wouldn t you want to wait a few extra minuets for the most authentic and delicious meal of you life? Vegetarian options: So many gluten free and vegan options available!!

100% authentic Keralan cuisine. I had the masala dosa, friends had chicken and fish dishes. All were excellent. Very highly recommended

Authentic Indian Restaurant, kerala style cuisine but the chef is very good at accommodating other Indian style varieties food. Nice food and Nice people.

Always some of the best food in Cambridge - great Aubergine Theeyal and Biriyani this evening - and friendly staff. Best order ahead for a group, though.

VERY yummy homemade food - strong recommendation! The owners are mega sweet and make everything themselves. Worth the wait!

We had a wonderful meal at the Rice Boat - a delicious array of curries and some excellent masala dosas. Lovely service and relaxed atmosphere. We had a charming conversation with the Patronne who cooked the dosas herself. Highly recommend!

I had the Syrian Christian curry. Really delicious. Sevice was great. Lovely family run business. Will be going back v soon.

really super delicious! service was good and staff was very nice and helpful with recommending dishes. Had such a wide variety on the menu. The atmosphere was relaxing and calm. Highly recommend and would totally come back to try more of the menu!

Really delightful experience - lovely food, smiling service, no rush. Highly recommended! Vegetarian options: We are not all vegetarians but chose all veggie dishes and they were all delicious and very different

Probably the best Indian food in Cambridge and for a bargain. The food takes a while to cook (45 mins+) but its worth the wait. The dishes can be really spicy even if it says mild on the menu so I ask specifically for mild.

Lovely food and a cozy atmosphere. Staff is very kind and the service is good and quick. One of the best restaurants in Cambridge.

We had an AMAZING last night. the Rice Boat again did not dissapointed! It was absolutley spot on! I haven t been eating there after some time as I live abroad. But yesterday we arrived and the our fist stop was at Rice Boat and it was as I said delicious! Highly recommending! You should try!

Mediocre kerala food. If you cook well at home, not really worth making a trip to this place. Had family visiting and came because of the reviews, food was disappointing for all. Limited menu.Good service.

Very authentic and delicious We will come again Thank you

Great choice for a flavorful south Indian cuisine in Cambridge, from Chef Prakash. Would highly recommend!

One of my favourite restaurants in Cambridge. The food is consistently fantastic - beautifully spiced, freshly prepared, and authentic. There is also a family vibe about the place which makes it all the more special - its rarely overly busy, and you often feel like youve been welcomed in to eat as a guest in someones house, in the best possible way. Will continue to go back again and again!

Excellent south Indian cuisine in a warm family run place. Highly recommended!

Really delicious...especially fish curry

I would definitely say that this is so far the best Kerala Cuisine in Cambridge. Had a delicious dinner with my friends. All the dishes that we tried were finger licking good. If you want to try the authentic taste of Kerala dishes, definitely go for this one..

Excellent in every way

Fantastic Indian food, the best I ve had in the UK so far!! They got Kerala cuisine spot on!

We had an amazing evening at Rice boat where we had gone with our friends. Easily the best expression of South Indian (Kerala) cuisine in UK by far ! Jacob was brilliant at conjuring magic with his signature twist to several Indian dishes and Rita was a exceptional host ! The ambience is also very homely and distinctly different from conventional Indian restaurants in UK. The go to place if you are in Cambridge and if you crave for authentic Indian/Kerala cuisine.

Superb food and service with distinct Kerala flavours. Try the inchy curry.

Lovely, freshly prepared food. Staff very friendly, highly recommend.

Really enjoyed it.

We visited again after 5 years away and the food has remained as incredible as it was then. A lovely family run restaurant, the food is authentic Kerala cuisine. We had the appams with moilee and kingfish curry, rounded off with some lovely home made ice cream. Definitely recommend someone looking for an authentic regional Indian cuisine and a must visit if you are in Cambridge.

Superb! The lighting is a touch too bright for my liking but everything else (on this occasion red king fish curry & lamb/potato curry) was exceptionally good. Well be back.

Super flavourful and delicious South Indian food in a quiet and friendly atmosphere!

The food was amazing and generous sized portions. Would highly recommend.

Was recommended by an Indian friend. Really good and authentic dosa, and surprisingly good homemade ice-cream (way better then a dessert place I visited recently). The kerala chicken curry is also a must-try if you like spicy southern Indian curry The service was also surprisingly good for a restaurant: the waitress was a little shy but checked on us from time to time, and Rita was really warm and thoughtful about waiting times and gathering feedback about the meal

Absolutely delicious food - best Indian we have had outside India. So authentic. Try as much as you can from the menu and definitely the vada!

Fantastic food! We had a delicious feast here.

Excellent food for a good price and with very friendly service.

Terrible!!! Walked in got told long wait and loads not in menu. Then ordered what she said then she said as it take too long to cook we cant do it as got takeaways to do. So left and went to the thai next door which was amazing brilliant service,tasty food, and cheaper.

Ate dinner here last week. Its Syrian Christian food from Kerala and it tastes absolutely homemade. It certainly isnt your run-of-the-mill Kerala restaurant. The chef knows what she/he is doing and puts a lot of love into the cooking. This is as authentic as its going to get outside a Malayalis home kitchen. We will be back for sure.

The most amazing food and truly wonderful hosts. Thank you so much for a wonderful evening!

Amazing food, great atmosphere and really delightful service - would highly recommend. Also a bonus of no nuts/peanuts in anything!

Really lovely South Indian food, tastes like home cooking. My only criticism is quite a few dishes not available but apart from that lovely food and reasonable prices, will be back

Went to Rice Boat for dinner with family. The place was packed and we soon found out why. The food was wonderfully delicious with real traditional taste of Kerala dishes. The portions were good and the service was friendly and courteous. Kudos to the chef for being able to maintain the traditional flavour and taste in his dishes.

Delicious food and very friendly staff!

I would not like to give any star rating to this shop.Don t ever go to this hotel if we need to taste South Indian food.My experience was too bad.The lady staff who taken our order was not professional and she didn t even know how to behave with customers.Initially she told the chicken curry has 3 pieces in it but when she served it she mentioned it has got only 2 pieces and she will reduce the bill for it but didn t done it.The food quality is very cheap and moreover it s not fresh as well Anyone really concerned of their health please don t never ever go to this hell.

This was ever drastic experience we had today. The quality of food was never worth the money we paid. I never recommend this place to anyone..

As Im a chef I never had a food like this restaurant. I have tasted many food from different restaurants and star hotels but this was ridiculous. I never ever recommend any second person for this place...

Amazing on the rating of this restaurant..It doesn t even deserve single star rating.The lady staff s behaviour was so annoying!!!Some of the reviews do mention the misbehaviour of the lady staff.While we eating,the lady staff asked us how the food is,even without any doubts we said it was terrible.Then she replied if we don t like it keep it there as it is She even don t asked us what was our concern. I have been to many restaurants in UK but this is the first worst food,worst staff and worst hotel.

Worst experience ever had, decided to dine in this place based on the reviews. However not just the food wasn t okay but also poor experience from the staff. Indian porotta and appam wasn t fully cooked and we got different curry rather than what we ordered even without asking us. The lady who took orders and prepared food (as she said) for us was even rude when tried to explain our food experience. She not even listen and said leave food if you don t want! Never ever experienced such a behavior. I would never recommend this place to anyone

Worst experience ever The owner was rude.We ordered lamb curry,beef fry ,chicken stew, porotta and appam and dosa.however she brought chicken curry instaed of chicken stew without even asking us. None of them were good and not properly cooked as well when we told her our concern she didn t even bother to listen to us as well ..,won t recommend it to anyone

Not worth the price

We stopped here for dinner tonight and it was absolutely delicious. If you want to try authentic home cooked Keralan food then you have to try this restaurant. Vegetarian options: I m a vegetarian and excellent selection of dishes

Adorable place, great vibes. Loved loved loved the food, we will be a frequent flyer here. Everyone who works here was incredibly sweet and attentive. (We loved Cornelia)!!

We went there and we wonder when we see the price of a Kerala prota it is 4£ per Porota can you believe it. Then we ordered 10 Porota then she told that not possible because it will take too long time to make 10 Porota can you believe mallus. I can t give a good rating

Hmmm ever get that send that a restaurant just isn t working right? Lots of people being turned away from a mostly empty restaurant at 6:30pm. Those already sitting there waiting and waiting . The staff don t really know what s going on. Oh dear. Food was ok. Dosa was a bit thick and grainy, not light and crisp. Sambar was strangely tasteless. Chicken starter was nice

Seemed short staffed so service was slow. Also a few items on the menu not available. HOWEVER the food was excellent and worth the wait!

Absolutely delicious Indian / Keralan restaurant in Cambridge! Super friendly family style service. The appam (rice bread) and dosa are top notch! Was here 15 years ago and it s still the same delicious quality! Definitely worth a visit if you are in Cambridge!

Amazing Indian food, friendly staff and owner. I would recommend everyone to go and try this place. Authentic Indian taste.

Very expensive for nothing! Low quantity but too expensive. Kerala porotta they charges £4 for a piece and that is frozen and not layered one Disappointed In addition to the expensive menu, they charge service charge as well Can you let me know when did i ordered an additional porotta .? Dont bluff things ! 4£ for a porotta because wheat and oil price went High! Thats the funniest thing ever heard this year

Fantastically authentic. Not your regular Indian, just amazing food cooked with such love and care. Will DEFINITELY be returning

Great food and friendly staff!

An absolutely fantastic meal and a wonderful experience. Was very looked after, and got to enjoy genuine, fresh, Indian cuisine for unbelievably reasonable prices. Highly recommend the Kerela Chicken Curry.

Food was delicious and the owners are very friendly!

Food was very tasty and so beautifully presented. The hosts were super-sweet and even gave us a complimentary treat. A special place in Cambridge. Highly recommend!

The best Indian restaurant in Cambridge. Great menu choices, excellent environment and service, and really good food.

Simply class. Lovely food lovely service.

This is a special restaurant. Curry, but with the delicate touch of a michelin starred establishment. The tiger king prawn starter with mustard seed and curry leaf is one of the most flavourful morcels I have the pleasure of consuming in decades. Genuinely a tastebud moment to revell in... Kerala red kingfish curry is a delectable revelation, verging on genius. Accompanied by an Indian (breakfast Im led to believe?) staple - the awe inspiring Masala dosa - crispy Indian pancake filled with a wonderful potato masala devilishly garnished with fresh green chillies. If you enjoy Indian cuisine - and, like me, didnt know what South Indian food was, you MUST visit this place. It is awesome. I am already thinking of an excuse to visit again asap! Wonderful relaxed atmosphere & lovely lady owner also! Whats not to like :)

There is nothing more to say than you HAVE to visit. We went for my partners 30th birthday and wow, just wow. The food, the staff, just everything. This is not one to miss!

Top notch food, spacious modern, great staff and the Tiger prawns are to die for, not to mention the courgette cake. Fabulous.

Food was amazing, completely authentic and delicious. Staff were brilliant, even let me bring in my very sleepy greyhound (the first dog they have ever let in) hope he set a shining example for future dogs!

Had my first visit here tonight, but it wont be my last. Its not your standard curry house so dont expect chicken madras and naan. The onion vada was generous and tasty and, the alleppy fish curry was gorgeous. Highly recommended!

Really fantastic traditional Indian food. The Dosa masala was incredible

Very disappointed in this restaurant. They took almost an hour to bring our food with only 2 other tables to serve. When our food finally arrived (lukewarm), it was fine but the portions were small for the high prices. It also cost £4.50 for a very small portion of rice, which is often included with curry at other restaurants. We asked for a discount because of the long wait and the manager refused to give us one. She rudely told us that we had been waiting only 35 minutes (a lie) and we warned you it would take a long time (they had not). Long story short, we finally got the manager to take off the added 10% service charge, but she was rude to the point where we questioned whether she wanted any customers at all. Surprised this place has so many good reviews, perhaps we caught them when they were short-staffed, however we will not be going back.

We had a wonderful evening, the food was delicious the beef fry was second to none. Thank you for looking after us so well. I look forward to trying more of your menu very soon.

Delicious food in a serene setting

I ve had many curries in my time, but this beats them all! From the moment we walked in, the staff were extremely friendly and provided exceptional service. We took their recommendations on board and was overwhelmed by the delicious and authentic food. The staff even brought us a complimentary dessert at the end of the meal which was delicious homemade ice cream. Unfortunately we re not local but if we are ever in Cambridge again we will definitely be back. Can t recommend them enough!

Excellent Indian food with a Southern Indian twist. The prawn balls are to die for and the ingredients were fresh and of good quality. I had lemon rice which actually tasted of lemons :-) and the waitress was super friendly. Would definitely go there again.

Had an excellent meal here last weekend. The menu is varied, the food delicious and the price very reasonable. The waitress was helpful, friendly and informative. We had an extremely nice evening there and will definitely be returning.

Excellent Keralan food. Recommended

We have experienced the authentic Kerala taste style food here. Their Porata and Kerala Chicken curry is a must try.

Tasty curry and friendly staff.

Kerala fish curry is delicious. Their tiger prawns in mustard seed are to die for.

We revisited Rice Boat last evening for the first time in more than a year. We had some very delicious authentic Kerala food and had also pre-ordered a good supply of our favourite biriyanis (both lamb & chicken), fried masala fish & porottas). They serve the most delicious and authentic Kerala cuisine. Very much looking forward to our next visit.

Not a great experience, it was like eating at someones house. Sambar was not tradional sambar, it was porriage like. Also ordered a thali which was also disappointing. The number of items in thali was only 3 and their quantity was also minimal. So would not recommend.

We were in Cambridge for a couple of days and were looking for some place closer to Wolfson rather than Uber to city centre. Rice Boat was within walking distance. Stepping into the restaurant we were greeted by simple and peaceful ambiance and beautiful art on the wall. We ordered south indian dishes of dosa and uttapam. The flavor and quality was about the best we have had in decades in U.S. It was a quite evening so we had a chance to chat with the owner as well and learned about the history of the place and the inspired family behind it. Would certainly visit again next time we are there.

The food was wonderful - extremely delicious- and we were so happy to find so many gluten free items. Will definitely be back

Really delicious food! Very friendly and kind staff. We especially liked the Lassi with salt, ginger and chilli.

The food and service were both absolutely amazing. The staff were kind, welcoming and accommodating. It seemed like care was put into everything, from every delicious dish we ordered (quite a few) to the lovely little bunches of flowers on each table. Couldnt recommend it more and definitely coming back

Great homely cooking, and excellent service - highly recommended!

An amazing place. Good service, splendid food and a homely atmosphere.

Just had a truly great meal here. This was authentic Indian food cooked freshly to order, the owners and chefs were extremely friendly and the waitress, though rather quiet and shy was very sweet and helpful. The food was the best we have ever had from an Indian and the pistachio ice cream was amazing (and home made). Could not fault The Rice Boat in any way... we will be returning

Me and my friends have dined here many times and we have also celebrated my mums birthday here. The food is always exceptional and the service is top-notch.

Our favourite Indian place in Cambridge. Fantastic dishes and very friendly staff.

Food here was very authentic and nothing like you would expect at a typical indian restaurant. The drinks menu had a very good selection. The food was delicious and the staff were very friendly.

Very friendly staff and delicious food!

Quite simply a wonderful meal with fantastic hosts. The meal was delicious Kerala cuisine, fresh and very tasty. Thanks Rita and Jacob for a great evening. Frank and Joanne Lincoln. Durham

The food here is excellent, and this is the only place in Cambridge that serves appams (hoppers). The owner is also extremely sweet and friendly. However, the service here is a bit strange in that they often refuse to serve you the quantity of appams you want! Of the three times I ve been here, once they were out of appam batter, the second time the waiter asked us to cut our order down, and the third time the owner herself asked us to cut our order of appams down because the chef would absolutely refuse (we tried to order 3 hoppers per person on a table of 4 which is a regular order for a restaurant that serves appams). I find this kind of service quite strange in a restaurant, where I m being told what and how much I should eat! An alternative could be to put the limit on the menu itself so that this is communicated upfront. However, this was not the case. Overall, I really enjoyed the food and highly recommend it, but the service puts me off from going again, and if you re making the trip specifically for appams, it s not worth your while.

Saved our sanity in lockdown. The most delicious food we have eaten in 8 weeks. Thank you Rice Boat for the beautiful flavours!

First restaurant Ive visited since lockdown. Nice big airy space with plenty of room between tables. The food was very tasty and beautifully presented. We felt very warmly welcomed. I highly recommend going here for dinner!

Excellent meal. Super fresh ingredients and amazing flavours. Rita is a fantastic hostess and guides you through the menu but it all tastes great!

Wonderful service, delicious food, lovely restaurant, will be returning. The food in particular, was extremely tasty. They do takeaways and deliveries too.

The Paneer curry was out of this world! Really nice friendly service that treated us as if we were old friends.

Such a lovely restaurant - well definitely be back and would recommend Rice Boat to others!! The food was incredible, as well as really welcoming and friendly service!

Im literally writing this review sitting in the restaurant finishing my main meal. 100% the best and tastiest Kerela cuisine I have tasted in the last 12 years. My 4 year old daughter gave a thumbs up for the rice dish she had for her dinner. We will definitely be returning back to this restaurant to try more of their cuisine tomorrow. Raaj and family, London

Traditional south Indian food, liked the lamb in Thali. Take a look at books at the bar, would save your time waiting for dinner.

Beautiful meals served with extremely friendly service. Would thoroughly recommend.

You are really taken care of here and the food is delicious!! Highly recommend visiting Rice Boat I will definitely be back soon =]

The business card, says: Indian food, but not as you know it. and that is certainly what we experienced. Although we love the British Indian type restaurants this was definitely in a different class in terms of authenticity and uniqueness. We had the Student Veg Platter Samosa and Onion Vada for starters and Rita (the lovely Indian owner) recommended the Lamb Ularthu for our main, and we werent disappointed. The Porotta bread went with it really well. The Mango lasse was a delight too, so all in all a lovely evening by the river.

Rice boat was recommended to me by a friend and they did not disappoint. The chicken thigh starter was amazinggggggggggggg!!!! The food was incredible, very generous portions and great prices! Amazing hospitality and thank you once again Rita for the lift :). Thank you for such a great evening, will definitely be back the next time I m in Cambridge.

Had a great meal at the Rice Boat, the owner was jovial, understanding and generous. Highly recommended!

The food is fantastic. We had masala dosa and I d recommend it to anyone, as well as the red fish curry. The owners are very friendly and gave great recommendations. This restaurant has a lovely and welcoming vibe and I was impressed with the cleanliness. I ll definitely be back!

Wonderful Dosa, wonderful drinks, if youre craving South Indian food in Cambridge this is the place to go!

Incredible South Indian food and a lovely and welcoming host! I was very impressed by the masala dosa in particular, and student-friendly prices. Will definitely be coming back and recommending to my friends!

Lovely food, beef was great, lovely woman front of house

I had dinner at the Rice Boat and I cant recommend it enough - simply spectacular. The lamb potato curry was mellow, flavourful and had just the right amount of spiciness. The samosa was so nice that we ordered seconds! The pistachio kulfi was even better than I expected, rich and nutty with a refreshing touch of fruit. The service was just impeccable. Also, its tastefully decorated - a minor detail but it does add to the experience! More than worth it and Ill definitely be coming back.

Delicious food and absolutely lovely owners. Most definitely worth a visit. We will be returning!

Delicious, clean, nice ambience, friendly owner - recommended! Lots of dishes on the menu I had never tried before - owner willing to give great recommendations. I had the vada starter, aubergine thyree(?) curry, porotta bread, pistachio kulfi for dessert and mango lassi to drink. My friends kingfish curry in banana leaf was delicious too. I will be back to try more!

Amazing food and really friendly service, Im already planning our next visit

A great place to experience non-typical Indian food from the region of Kerala. Would really recommend the Vadas, Syrian Stew and Pistachio Kulfi along with Appam. I wish I had photos to share but I was just so distracted by the food. Also, big groups can be easily accommodated.

Had for the first time in many years, the taste of our home food Really enjoyed the ambience and courtesy Made us be at home!!

We went there searching for some authentic Kerala food after a long trip from Edinburgh and glad we did! Good menu choices and the food on table was delicious. A family business where chef and wife doing a great job. Best wishes...

What a lovely restaurant! Without realizing it, I came in just as they were closing for the afternoon and they were gracious enough to serve me anyway. The food was delicious, the atmosphere was great and the staff was friendly. Ill definitely be back while Im in Cambridge (and come in at a proper time) :)

Excellent restaurant ! Fast service and great food. Ive tried several dishes, last ones being vada, prawns in mango (excellent with coconut rice) and the lamb with parotta. The pistachio dessert is a delicatessen too (recommended to have it with the dessert wine). All in all one of my favourite places in Cambridge (celebrate my anniversary here every year).

Awesome food and lovely place

Came here with my family. Very family friendly and great service. Staff are very amiable and outgoing and the food is both magnificent and equally delectable. The food was full of flavour. Will definetely return. If I could give it 6 stars, I would.

This is certainly a gem of a place to try out something different. It is a labour of love for the husband-wife duo that run (and own) the place. The food is prepared with a lot of attention to details - it is healthy and well balanced. The focus is on food from a particular region of India - Kerala. Kerala is very rich and diverse in food offering as it draws elements from food habits of its diverse population living in equally diverse landscapes - ancient woodlands, coastal areas and hills - extremely rural regions as well as ultra modern cities. The menu does justice to this diversity. I will certainly be back to try out the dishes I missed out in my first visit!

Tasty food from a mainly Keralan menu

Superb! Proper Indian food, healthy, freshly made with quality ingredients, delicately spiced, with perfect portion sizes. The appam actually surpassed what Ive had in Kerala! The chef obviously takes great pride in what he does, and has taken care to get everything from the taste to the portions spot on. Rita, the co-owner, told us that she sources the fish fresh from a market in London, and that quality is evident. Service was excellent and attentive. The restaurant is clean and well lit; and the decor also simple and clean, so even in these regards, its as though a restaurant in Kerala has been transplanted into the heart of Cambridge. Unfortunately got there late, so decided to skip dessert-will have to visit again! PS Having read some of the other reviews now- I thought the service times were better than expected for freshly cooked food. This is not the standard fake Indian joint where boiled meat is tossed into some or other mass produced sauce, so it will take longer than a minute to serve. In keeping with South Indian tradition, the portion sizes are designed for healthy living, rather than the uncomfortably full feeling of overly greasy good.

The place is awesome and good food. Hospitality was excellent and if you love food, this is the place to be in Cambridge.

Loved the food and friendly staff. Would have given 5 stars if not for the slow service and the fact there was only 1 lovely member of staff serving a lot of customers

Rushed in late one night hoping to grab some food from Rice Boat. We were surprised how welcoming and warm the staff and host were. We had some great food with some relaxing music in the back ground. The host was friendly and enthusiastic though it was past closing time. Finished off with two types of banana desert. Very spacious restaurant and we had a very relaxing time. We hope to eat there regularly as the Kerala food was lovely

New to the area, wandered in not expecting much, and ended up having one of the best Indian meals of my life! Friendly staff and absolutely delicious food. Will be going back many times.

Food was out of this world! Will definately be back!

Authentic Indian food from Kerala. Not to be confused with a regular Indian restaurant. The food is from the region of Kerala and cooked by people from that region. More expensive but worth it.

Service is too slow.

Chef owned Restaurant offering Indian food from Kerala. Appams were soft and delicious and pepper beef was amazing

We had a fabulously distinctive dinner in the Rice Boat on Newnham Road, Cambridge, this November 2019. After 25 years in town, Its hard to think of a better restaurant for such nourishing food (offering animal-free, vegetarian, or omnivore, as you wish,) all prepared with the cheerfully good-spirits of the owners, chefs and waiters.