The Varsity Hotel & Spa
24 Thompson’s Lane • Cambridge CB5 8AQ
thevarsityhotel.co.uk • +44 1223 30 60 30
The Varsity Hotel & Spa was opened in 2010 by two former students who decided to stay on in the city and create a boutique hotel in one of the most historic quarters of Cambridge. The hotel is located a few minutes’ walk from several of the oldest colleges, and just around the corner, Magdalene Bridge Boathouse hires out punts by the hour. The long, narrow, flat-bottomed boats will carry you in whichever direction you please—punt your way westwards to admire the backs of Magdalene, St. John’s, Trinity, Clare, King’s, Queen’s, and Darwin colleges, or punt eastwards to enjoy the beautiful green open spaces of Bowl Green, Jesus Green, and Midsummer Common. Ideally, it is best to schedule the punting and sightseeing before heading to The Varsity for afternoon tea, so that you can relax and recover from your exertions at SIX on the 6th floor or on the 7th floor Roof Terrace.
The sheet-glass windows that surround SIX and the open design of the Roof Terrace both afford breathtaking panoramic views of Cambridge. To help guests understand what they are looking at as they gaze out over the city’s spires and historic rooftops, the cover of the menu is very attractively decorated with a gentle watercolour that depicts part of the view, with neat handwritten notes naming the famous old buildings that guests can see from this wonderful vantage point.
The afternoon-tea menu offers an impressive range of single-estate and blended teas and infusions, with excellent tasting notes to help guests choose well. SIX is a very popular afternoon-tea venue and often hosts birthday and graduation celebrations, anniversaries, baby showers, and other special occasions. The smiley, helpful staff serve afternoon tea to more than 150 people on busy days, and Chef Bart Swiacki bakes more than 1,000 each of the plain, fruited, or zesty citrus-flavoured scones every week. The sandwich fillings vary through the year, and the chef enjoys the challenge of creating beautiful, eye-catching cakes and pastries that vary according to the season and event. The most popular is, understandably, his Chocolate Secret Shot—a truly irresistible chocolate treat in a glass, made with dulce de leche, cream toffee sauce, whipped mascarpone with vanilla, and topped with a rich chocolate ganache and a sprinkling of gold dust—perfect for rounding off a delicious afternoon tea in spectacular surroundings!
