Inside the Garden The Sunday Times Called One of Britain's Best

A Garden Worth Writing About

In March 2023, The Sunday Times named Bamboo Sky’s garden as one of the most beautiful restaurant gardens in Britain. For those of us who work here, it wasn’t a surprise — but it was a wonderful validation of something we’ve always believed: that where you eat matters just as much as what you eat.

Our garden isn’t a token outdoor area with a few tables and a parasol. It’s the soul of Bamboo Sky — a sprawling, carefully tended landscape of ancient trees, fairy lights, private dining domes, sun-drenched terraces, and hidden corners that reveal themselves slowly as you explore. It’s the reason many of our guests visit for the first time, and it’s the reason they keep coming back.

The Willow Tree: Our Iconic Centrepiece

At the heart of the garden stands our magnificent willow tree — a graceful, sweeping canopy that has become the defining image of Bamboo Sky. Its long, trailing branches create a natural curtain of green that shifts and sways with the breeze, dappling the light across the tables beneath.

Dining under the willow is one of those experiences that feels timeless. On a warm afternoon, with sunlight filtering through the leaves and a plate of Thai food in front of you, the rest of the world genuinely disappears. By evening, when the fairy lights woven through the branches come alive and the canopy glows amber against the darkening sky, it becomes something else entirely — intimate, romantic, and quietly magical.

It’s no wonder couples choose this spot for proposals, anniversary dinners, and wedding ceremonies. The willow provides a natural backdrop that no amount of decoration could improve upon.

A Garden of Distinct Spaces

What makes our garden special isn’t just its beauty — it’s its variety. Rather than one large outdoor area, the grounds at Bamboo Sky are a collection of distinct spaces, each with its own character and mood.

The Terrace

Elevated above the main garden, the terrace offers a panoramic view across the grounds. It’s the perfect spot for a sundowner — a botanical cocktail or a glass of something cold while you watch the garden come to life below. On warm evenings, the terrace catches the last of the light and feels wonderfully Mediterranean, despite being firmly in Cambridgeshire.

The Dappled Dining Area

Beneath the tree canopy, our dappled dining area offers shade and shelter on warm days. Tables are spaced generously, so you never feel crowded, and the natural overhead cover of leaves and branches creates a beautifully organic dining room that no architect could design.

The Private Domes

Scattered across the garden, our seven heated domes are the feature that truly sets Bamboo Sky apart from any other restaurant in the region. Each dome is its own enclosed world — fairy lights, Bluetooth speakers, Dyson heaters — offering complete privacy while being immersed in the garden setting.

From inside a dome, you look out through transparent walls at the fairy-lit trees and the glowing outlines of the other domes. It’s a view that people photograph endlessly, and it never gets old.

The Wild Meadow

Beyond the manicured garden lies our wild meadow — a more natural, open space where wildflowers grow and the countryside feels close. The meadow is home to our grand tipi, which hosts celebrations for up to 80 guests, and it provides a beautiful overflow space for drinks receptions, lawn games, and golden-hour photographs.

The Tree Swing

A small detail, but one that guests love: our tree swing, hanging from one of the garden’s mature trees. Children gravitate towards it immediately, but adults can’t resist either. It’s the kind of touch that captures the spirit of Bamboo Sky — playful, natural, and designed to make people smile.

How the Garden Changes Through the Seasons

One of the great pleasures of being a regular at Bamboo Sky is watching the garden transform through the year. Each season brings its own character, and each offers a different reason to visit.

Spring

The garden wakes up. Fresh green growth appears on the willow, early flowers push through the beds, and the air carries that particular spring optimism. Evenings are still cool enough to make the domes appealing, but the afternoons are increasingly warm and bright. It’s a beautiful time for afternoon tea on the terrace.

Summer

This is the garden at its most lush and expansive. Long, golden evenings stretch until well past nine. The willow is in full, magnificent leaf. The meadow is alive with wildflowers. Tables spill out across the grounds, and the atmosphere feels effortlessly festive — like a permanent garden party with exceptional Thai food.

Summer weekends here are genuinely special. Arrive in the afternoon, start with drinks on the terrace, move to dinner as the evening cools, and stay until the fairy lights are all you can see. It’s a complete experience.

Autumn

The garden turns amber and gold, and there’s a warmth to the light that makes everything glow. Autumn is arguably the most photogenic season here — the contrast of the coloured leaves against the fairy lights is stunning. The domes become cosier, the menu shifts towards richer, more warming dishes, and there’s a sense of settling in that feels deeply comfortable.

Winter

The garden in winter is a revelation. Most people assume outdoor dining ends when the temperature drops, but at Bamboo Sky, winter is when the magic intensifies. The heated domes become glowing beacons in the dark garden. Frost sparkles on the grass. The fairy lights, which compete with daylight in summer, own the darkness completely.

Winter dome dining — warm inside, cold outside, fairy lights reflected in the transparent walls — is one of the most atmospheric dining experiences you’ll find anywhere. Add a steaming bowl of tom yum soup and a botanical cocktail, and you have an evening that no city restaurant can match.

More Than a Place to Eat

Our garden is a place to linger. To wander. To discover a corner you hadn’t noticed before. To sit under the willow with a drink and lose track of time. To watch your children run across the meadow while you finish your coffee. To hold someone’s hand across a dome table while the fairy lights glow around you.

It’s the setting that transforms a meal into a memory — and it’s the reason The Sunday Times took notice.

Visit the Garden

Bamboo Sky is located in Bourn, Cambridgeshire, just ten minutes west of Cambridge city centre, with ample free parking. We’re open Tuesday to Sunday.

The garden is at its best experienced in person. No photograph quite captures the way the light moves through the willow, the warmth of the fairy lights at dusk, or the feeling of stepping off a Cambridgeshire lane and into somewhere that feels entirely its own.

Book your table or reserve a dome and see it for yourself.