Midsummer House
| Company type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | Restaurant |
| Founded | 1986 |
| Headquarters | Cambridge , England, United Kingdom |
Key people | Daniel Clifford (Chef Patron) |
| Products | Food and drink |
Midsummer House is a dining establishment located in Cambridge, England, positioned alongside the River Cam. The venue occupies a Victorian-era townhouse, transformed into a restaurant in 1986. It was awarded its inaugural Michelin star in 2002, followed by a second star in 2005. The restaurant's chef patron is Daniel Clifford.
Description
Situated within an 1886-built townhouse on Midsummer Common adjacent to the River Cam, the restaurant has encountered operational difficulties due to flooding incidents. In 2001, two major floods inflicted considerable damage, affecting areas such as the wine cellars and the dining room flooring. The flood in November necessitated a closure lasting one month and prompted repairs costing approximately £100,000.
Daniel Clifford took over as head chef in 1998 and assumed the role of chef patron in 1999, guiding the restaurant through its ascent to Michelin-star status.
Midsummer House earned its first Michelin star in 2002 and secured a second star by 2004, joining an exclusive group of eleven establishments across the UK and Ireland with two stars, and standing out as the only new two-star recipient that year. It has also been awarded five AA Rosettes, receiving this accolade during the 2014 AA Awards. In the 2016 edition of the Waitrose Good Food Guide, Midsummer House achieved a cooking score of 8 out of 10 and was ranked seventh among the top 50 restaurants in the UK.
In 2014, Midsummer House was honored with first place in the UK and second place globally in TripAdvisor's "Travellers Choice Awards."
On 5 October 2015, chef Daniel Clifford was presented with the "Chef's Chef of the Year" title at the 2015/16 AA awards, recognized for elevating Midsummer House to one of the nation's premier dining destinations and for inspiring culinary professionals across all levels.