Harden's survey result
Summary
This “wonderful conservatory dining room in trendy North Oxford” – a former Victorian florists’ that provides a “lovely greenhouse” effect – has been a fixture of the city’s dining scene for four decades and its good looks ensure it’s perennially booked out. But despite a costly overhaul a couple of years ago, doubts about its gastronomic qualities persist: “it’s still hard to fathom how the food is so underpowered” is a typical complaint.
Summary
This “lovely greenhouse” – originally a late-Victorian florist’s – has been a landmark dining destination in north Oxford for almost 40 years, and benefited from a £1.5 million revamp a couple of years ago that boosted capacity to 220. It’s a delightful spot for a meal, although the Italian-leaning cooking is generally felt to be “hit and miss”; the appointment of new head chef Lee Parsons should improve matters.
Summary
The “wonderful greenhouse setting” of this romantic and long-established north Oxford fixture was revamped and extended to the tune of £1.5 million during a three-month closure last year, giving it an appropriate leafy atmosphere. Originally a late-Victorian florist’s, the Grade II-listed building was converted into a restaurant almost 40 years ago. There’s a “nice buzz” to the place, and a “reliably good European menu” from new chef Matt Smith, but the feeling persists that – if you take into account the prices – the food is somewhat “run of the mill”.
Summary
The “amazing location in an old greenhouse” – built in 1897 and now Grade II listed – ensures that a meal “always feels a little bit special” at this 33-year-old venue in elegantly academic north Oxford. The cooking struggles to match the setting, though, being little more than “competent but unexceptional”.
For 33 years we've been curating reviews of the UK's most notable restaurant. In a typical year, diners submit over 50,000 reviews to create the most authoritative restaurant guide in the UK. Each year, the guide is re-written from scratch based on this survey (although for the 2021 edition, reviews are little changed from 2020 as no survey could run for that year).
Have you eaten at Gee’s?
61 Banbury Rd, Oxford, OX2 6PE
Restaurant details
Gee’s Restaurant Diner Reviews
"Good bistro food. "
Prices
 Drinks |
|
|---|---|
| Wine per bottle | £26.50 |
| Filter Coffee | £3.00 |
 Extras |
|
|---|---|
| Service | 12.50% |
61 Banbury Rd, Oxford, OX2 6PE
Opening hours
| Monday | 12 pm‑10:30 pm |
| Tuesday | 12 pm‑10:30 pm |
| Wednesday | 12 pm‑10:30 pm |
| Thursday | 12 pm‑10:30 pm |
| Friday | 12 pm‑10:30 pm |
| Saturday | 9 am‑10:30 pm |
| Sunday | 9 am‑10:30 pm |
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