Too often, restaurants considered fancy get away with serving smaller (or as their menus would say) a la carte plates.
However, that's certainly not the case at Amelie where, located on the edge of Ely at Stuntney Estate, equal emphasis is put on size and taste.
While the décor remains the same since the Ely Standard visited when it was Ben's Yard Restaurant, the menu has had a overhaul courtesy of celebrated chef and restaurateur Regis Crepy and his son Alex.
Having mastered their Cambridge spot, the family duo decided to take over the café and restaurant at Ben's Yard, bringing their unique menu with them.
READ MORE: Amelie Ely restaurant and café bakeshop opens at Bens Yard
Collaborating with Regis, chef Rory Landells leads the kitchen team to create a menu full of tempting dishes.
Chief amongst them is Amelie's famous flammekueche flatbreads: thin, crispy and incredibly light, it's easy to see why they are so popular.
Made using creme fraiche, sliced onions, lardons and gruyere cheese, the flavourful 'authentic', as it's called, makes for the perfect sharer starter.
Onto the 'bigger plates', as they're accurately billed, and there's a wide range of main courses.
READ MORE: Ben's Yard Restaurant review
Be prepared to get your hands dirty if you’re opting for the delicious Big Ben's Beef Burger; oozing with maple syrup, you can smell it as soon as it arrives at the table. The pot of chips that comes with it is very generous too.
The roast dinner, meanwhile, is melt-in-the-mouth tender beef - and a lot of it - accompanied by a sizeable Yorkshire pudding, red cabbage, roast potatoes, roast parsnips, roast carrots and a large tray of cauliflower cheese; the latter is covered in its namesake and baked to perfection, with the right balance between each part of the dish.
As if that's not enough, the deserts are equally varied - from a rich chocolate mouse (warning: it's very chocolatey, with tinges of orange) to the French toast which, served with ice cream and maple syrup, was deliciously soft.
Overall, Amelie's balance between value, taste, portion size and several quirky dishes - alongside a lovely location and charming atmosphere - makes it a must visit for anyone in the area.
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