Andrea Scaramuccia says the restaurant offers something different with its typical Roman dishes

The owner of an Italian restaurant said he felt a mixture of “pride and joy” after winning an award for its “typical Roman cuisine”. Tradizioni, which can be found on Mill Road, was recently named the best restaurant in the East of England at the UK Italian Awards.

Andrea Scaramuccia, the owner of the restaurant, could not “describe properly” how he felt after winning the award. He said: “It’s a reward for the hard work we have put in. I have a good team with me. One of the staff has been with me for 11 years and the chefs have been here for seven and six years. So we grew up together.”

Mr Scaramuccia believes Tradizioni was recognised for the award thanks to its “typical regional cuisine” it offers on the menu. He added: “Most Italian restaurants serves things like lasagne, pizza, and bolognese. But we do something a little different. We do saltimbocca alla Romana, which is one of our most popular dishes and is from Rome. We also do beef escalope with mushrooms and truffle that is not common in the UK. I brought my granny’s cuisine here to the UK but it is really original and typical Roman cuisine.”

For new customers visiting the restaurant, Mr Scaramuccia recommends trying out the saltimbocca alla Romana. He also mentioned trying the seafood pasta, which he described as “great” and the steaks that are “very high quality”.

Tradizioni has been open on Mill Road since 2014 and Mr Scaramuccia puts his success down to “patience” and his customers recommending the restaurant. He continued: “I think the most important thing to to keep working and not be afraid if success doesn’t arrive quickly. You have to be patient. You have to stay doing the same thing for a long time before people recognise you.

“Word of mouth is also very important. Social media can be good because people can see you and what you do but the most success I get is from people coming to the restaurant and telling others naturally. That’s the secret I think.”

Mr Scaramuccia also mentioned how “team work” was hugely important to his success. He said: “Without my staff, I probably couldn’t achieve this award. The award belongs more to them than to me.”

Tradizioni is popular with “a mix of people” from young families to professionals. The most important customer base for the restaurant is the people living near Mill Road because Mr Scaramuccia wants the spot to “feel part of the community”.

For the future of the restaurant, Mr Scaramuccia would like to “keep it as it is” and add a few new dishes every so often to offer customers something different each time they visit. Tradizioni can be found on Mill Road close to Sedgwick Street.

The restaurant is open from 12pm to 10pm on Mondays to Saturdays and is open only for takeaways on Sundays from 5pm.

The brand will be offering a spaghetti and meatball sandwich as a nod to the old restaurant.

A popular sandwich shop in Cambridge is opening a second location on Mill Road just a few months since its first store was unveiled. Marvin’s, which is a sandwich shop found on Green Street and is the sister-brand to Stir Bakery, will be taking over the old site of Maurizio Dining & Co on Mill Road.

Martin Perkins of Marvin’s said: “We know Maurizio’s means a lot to people. Places like that become part of the rhythm of a street. We’re incredibly grateful to Maurizio for everything he’s built here and we’re proud to be taking up the mantle.”

The opening follows the “successful launch” of Marvin’s first location, which only opened a few months ago in September 2025 is is the next step for the “fast-growing independent brand”. The brand has said it is “honoured” to be continuing the “site’s tradition of feeding the neighbourhood”.

Mill Road is already known for being an area packed with independent businesses, restaurants, and cafés. Matt Harrison, the founder and owner of Stir and Marvin’s, said: “Mill Road has a unique energy. It’s where so much of Cambridge’s food culture lives. Independent businesses, family-run shops, incredible ingredients and cuisines from all over the world. To open Marvin’s here and become part of that fabric is something we’re hugely proud of.”

Similarly to its Green Street shop, the Marvin’s on Mill Road will serve its signature menu of “big, layered sandwiches built on bread baked fresh every day specifically for each style of sandwich”. The shop will be bringing “chewy bagels and fluffy focaccia” sandwiches as well as a special spaghetti and meatball sub, which will be served with a marinara dipping sauce as “a nod” to Maurizio Dining & Co.

Guests will also be able to find an ever-changing selection of “globally inspired” sandwiches. If you fancy something sweet, Marvin’s also stocks fresh pastries and a range of soft drinks that have been “designed to complement the food”.

The Mill Road locations wants to keep “Marvin’s relaxed, high-energy approach to hospitality that has quickly made the Green Street site a favourite among Cambridge sandwich fan”.

The restaurant had been on Mill Road for nearly 10 years.

An independent Italian restaurant found in the city of Cambridge has closed after nearly 10 years of business. Maurizio’s Dining & Co. first opened on Mill Road in May 2017, run by Maurizio Ricci and his family.

Maurizio had grown up with a ‘passion’ for food and wine with his whole family soon deciding to “follow the dream” of opening a restaurant. Maurizio Dining & Co. opened to share the family’s “tradition of homemade Italian Food and recipes like mamma makes”.

The restaurant sold a range of pizzas and pasta dishes, including sharing bowls of pasta where you could enjoy 500g of pasta or 1kg of gnocchi with your whole family. You could also enjoy classic Italian desserts like tiramisu and affogato.

The restaurant was known by its customers for its “friendly and accommodating” staff. Visitors to Maurizio Dining & Co praised its food as well saying it was “tasty and freshly made” and was accompanied by wine “which was not expensive but very pleasant”.

It has been confirmed via social media that the sandwich shop Marvin’s will be taking over the space. The shop, part of the Stir Bakery group, already has a location on Green Street.

The shop is known for its loaded sandwiches with a range of different fillings. These include the cure, a breakfast sandwich that is, according to Marvin’s, ideal for a hangover, and the parmageddon, a vegetarian option. An opening date for the new Marvin’s shop has not yet been confirmed.

The restaurant posted a goodbye message to its customers on its website. The message said: “To all our supporters, lovers, haters, suppliers and of course loyal customers – we’ll miss you!

“We were never saving lives but just making pizzas. Grazie Mille!”

Readers remain divided over the controversial Cambridge bus gate nearly a year after fines began, with strong views on traffic, businesses, and air quality

Cambridgeshire Live readers remain divided over Mill Road’s bus gate, with passionate opinions about traffic, trade, and air quality. The bus gate continues to split opinion nearly 12 months after it became operational.

Cambridgeshire County Council implemented a permanent bus gate on Mill Road in 2025, with penalties initially handed out from March. The bus gate restricts all non-exempt vehicles from passing through, requiring them to take alternative routes.

Anyone who contravenes the bus gate receives a Penalty Charge Notice of £70, reduced to £35 if settled within 21 days. Exemptions allowing passage without incurring a fine include buses, taxis, cyclists, and emergency vehicles.

More than 4,600 penalties were issued during the first seven weeks after the bus gate’s activation, according to a Freedom of Information request submitted by the Local Democracy Service. Some residents argue that the restrictions have improved daily life.

One reader, Timbiscuit remarks: “‘Businesses’ [sic] will always want the bridge open due to the perceived more trade mindset. However, the shops are as busy as ever. I’ve lived on Mill Road for over twenty years. Traffic is less, air is cleaner, roads are safer, and more walking and cycling are taking place.”

Rhodabike adds: “‘The bus gate prevents all non-exempt vehicles passing through, meaning that they must use alternative routes.’ Exactly. Alternative routes are other neighbourhoods, which are now suffering increased congestion, thanks to the selfish demands of a vocal minority who can’t think beyond Mill Road.

“Visibly longer queues. And bus drivers are saying they’re struggling to run on time on other roads due to extra traffic. Plus, there’s the basic fact that cars, being physical objects, don’t disappear into thin air; every car no longer using Mill Road still exists somewhere else.”

Weneedqueenmeghan says: “The few businesses only want it open because it’s convenient for them to drive in and illegally dump their vehicles on the pavement. There are more people than ever shopping on Mill Road; it’s been proven over and over that pedestrianisation of areas increases footfall in shops.

“Remember, they tried to tell us traffic would go elsewhere, laugh! It hasn’t. They tried to tell us shops would lose business, it hasn’t! They tried to tell us drivers were stopping to shop, no, they weren’t, they were only using it as a rat run. Cyclists have been proven right once again.”

In contrast, Lilbec writes: “I don’t know anyone who actually agrees with closing the bridge. And bits [sic] clearly affecting businesses, whether you like it or not. If you don’t like living in an area with traffic, why did you choose to live there in the first place? If there is less traffic now, it’s only because people are abandoning Cambridge as a decent place to visit.”

Arborealfriend says: “I’ve lived off Mill Road for over a quarter century. The bridge restrictions are a huge improvement. I’ve spoken to traders who find the restriction inconvenient for a cash’n’carry run, whilst others – especially café/restaurant owners – appreciate the cleaner air and the way that there is now more passing trade. On foot. Stopping. Shopping. Eating. Drinking. Not driving past polluting. To check the FACTS about traffic, SmartCambridge (DotOrg) have sensors and full data available. No, there ain’t loadsa extra motor traffic on surrounding roads.”

Do you think the scheme is really making Mill Road safer, or is it just shifting the congestion elsewhere? Have your say in our comments section.

Some have said that they have seen a negative impact on their businesses, while others said that it has made a positive effect on the area by reducing congestion

A controversial Cambridge bus gate continues to divide opinions nearly a year after it came into operation. Cambridgeshire County Council installed a permanent bus gate on Mill Road in 2025, with the first fines being issued from March.

The bus gate prevents all non-exempt vehicles passing through, meaning that they must use alternative routes. Those who breach this are issued with a Penalty Charge Notice of £70, discounted to £35 if paid within 21 days. Those exempt who can pass through without receiving a fine include buses, taxis, cyclists, and emergency vehicles.

More than 4,600 fines were issued in the first seven weeks after the bus gate was made operational, according a Freedom of Information request submitted by the Local Democracy Service. Nearly a year since the bus gate was introduced, we headed to Mill Road to find out what people now think about the bus gate.

A 23-year-old, who asked not to be named, works at Hilary’s Greengrocers. He claimed that some places on Mill Road have lost more than half of their business since the bridge closed to private vehicles.

“It has actually been a big problem”, he added. He said that he finds that there have been fewer people on the road, and said sometimes “you won’t be able to see a single person around here”.

A Cambridgeshire County Council spokesperson said: “We want Mill Road to be an enjoyable, safe place to visit, where local businesses are supported. Mill Road bridge is open to buses, those walking, wheeling, and cycling, emergency services, taxis, and vehicles that are exempt, such as those being driven by blue badge holders.”

A 50-year-old lady who gave her name as Guzel runs a business in Mill Road. She said that it has “really badly affected us” and in her opinion “it is pointless because for people using a car, when the bridge was open, it was a shortcut but otherwise they are going triple [the amount of] time to reach the other side”. Guzel said that she hopes for a good environment and fresh air. However, this “was not my solution”, she said.

Others have said that the bus gate has made a positive impact. Mill Road For People (MR4P), a group of local residents and traders, said: “One year on from the implementation of the Mill Road bus gate, we have seen a big reduction in congestion (especially on the Romsey side), cleaner air, and fewer collisions.

“There has also been a significant rise in the number of people walking and cycling, with all the health and environmental benefits that brings.” The group continued: “Many people have told us that they feel safer walking and cycling, especially with their children, building up healthy habits for the future.”

Steve Bezzant, 55, runs The Retro Shed on Mill Road. He said that “people are still coming up with push bikes or walking, so even now, it is not really affecting me.” He added: “I get most people coming in, just walking in. If they need to have a car here, they can put it there [near his store], so it hasn’t really affected me.“

Jake, who asked to use only his first name, works at Halls of Cambridge. He said that the bus gate “has slowed down business a bit more for traders than the general public“.

Rather than improving traffic, Jake believes that “it just puts congestion elsewhere“. He said that it he is not personally affected by the bus gate because he doesn’t come from that way.

A 35-year-old who works at Ocean Supermarket said that “people avoid coming here to pick up their groceries” and they “avoid coming to this area to avoid traffic”.

The Cambridgeshire County Council spokesperson added: “We are currently working with our partners to explore options for future public realm improvements for Mill Road. Over the next year, we will be hosting several public events and stakeholder meetings to bring forward ideas for the street that align with the requirements of local community groups, as well as businesses, faith organisations, and charities.”