Oxford Restaurant Guide

“Hard-to-beat ramen” – “the tonkotsu pork broth has amazing depth of flavour” – make Japan Centre owner Tak Tokumine’s “relatively authentic” West End duo (in Soho’s Kingly Court and on Regent Street) “preferred noodle-stops in a very competitive market”.

“Eating green curry in a Tudor house is still a novelty” and fans of this slightly incongruous stalwart, tucked away off the High Street, say it’s “still very good in a city blessed with good Orientals”. That said, its cooking “has declined” from when it was Oxford’s top-rated venue in our survey (“how the mighty have fallen”) and, given its “really crammed” and sometimes “noisy” interior, its overall performance only seems fair-to-middling nowadays.

“A great Oxford institution” set in the “fifteenth-century vaults of the university church” – this ethical and organic café makes an “excellent stop-off point during a busy day in Oxford” – whether you’re shopping or studying texts next door in the Bodleian Library. “Superb coffee, decent food and a very civilised atmosphere, despite sometimes being crowded”.

“Right in the heart of Oxford”, this “busy” and well-known bistro (part of the Old Bank Hotel) with a “lovely courtyard”, has a solid reputation for “cooking that’s not fancy but reliable and decent value”. Attractions include “an excellent breakfast with first-rate coffee”.

“At last Oxford is getting some good restaurants” say fans of this very central Gallic-tinted British brasserie, est. 2017, who praise its “super” food and a well-appointed interior (green walls, copper tables) that “feels special” – partly due to fancy additions like the dedicated cocktail and Champagne/oyster bars. It did, though, also inspire the odd ‘off’ report.

“Not Japanese nor pretending to be” – this Danish fusion-chain offers a suspicious-sounding-but-successful mix of “fancy sushi” with “plenty of other stuff on skewers” (i.e. yakitori ‘sticks’). “Some of the non-traditional additions don’t quite work, but those that do are lovely”; and as a group, “where so many others fail, it delivers well on consistency”. Its “big and spacious”, Scandi-style branches create a “vibrant and exciting” environment too, “but, oh my word, the prices…”

At the heart of the Varsity, this famous old Victorian hotel emerged in September 2021 from a major revamp. Not least amongst its reinvented form – this new all-day dining restaurant (78 covers) serving classic British dishes, as interpreted by Chris Emery (ex head chef of Jason Atherton’s The Clocktower in New York, et al). The venture is a collaboration between hotel owners Graduate Hotels® and White Rabbit Projects (Lina Stores, Kricket, Island Poké). Lewis Carroll used to drink nearby – hence it’s named for his famous literary creation – hopefully the afternoon tea will involve flamingoes...

“So delicious and affordable every time!” – the Elliot brothers’ “speedy and cheerful” small chain put in a stellar performance in the last survey as London’s top pizza multiple, pipping rival Homeslice by tiny decimals. “You can see the dough being made on entering: everything is very fresh, and you get crisp, thin pizzas with quality toppings”.

“A lovely spot to enjoy rooftop views of Oxford” – this better-than-average venue on the top floor of the museum has a “competent but limited menu that’s good if rather pricey”, and also serves afternoon teas. It opens out into a rooftop cocktail bar with deckchairs in the summer, but gets crowded in all seasons – so make sure you book to avoid being shunted into the basement refectory.

“Your tastebuds are in for a roller-coaster ride” at this “madhouse of a venue, packed with Chinese diners” – less on account of its spartan décor than its “very strong spice combinations” and “outstanding” dishes of offal, etc (“put your concerns behind you…chitterlings are lovely!”). “There’s a lot more competition in the Chinese restaurant market nowadays, but this place still more than holds its own against the best”.

This “utterly reliable bistro” – serving “simple, classic French food and quaffable wines” – “really hits the target for the price”; it has been “one of the best places to eat well and cheaply in Oxford” for more than 20 years. Once part of a franchised national chain that lost its way, this branch has remained true to “old-style charm and professionalism” – “it reminds me of the best bits of the Seventies!” “There must come a time when we’ll tire of the overly fancy and return to the straightforward reassurance of Gallic culinary flair, done well for the time-poor”.

This Jericho veteran inspires remarkable loyalty from fans – “been coming since it opened 30 years ago and it’s still the best Lebanese I’ve found in the UK” – “and great value too”. Others find it “pleasant enough”, with a “wide range of nicely flavoured dishes”, but complain there’s “no excitement”.

“First class steaks” and “excellent wine pairings” help win enthusiastic reviews for this large, attractively converted pub near the train station, which opened a couple of years ago.

A Jericho stalwart for more than 15 years – this “local Italian is always buzzing and reliable” for light lunches as well as more substantial meals. It now has a deli next door, and a garden terrace for al fresco summer dining.

“Top tapas in the somewhat unlikely environment of the Cowley Road” – this “small and noisy” former chemist’s shop is “not a place to linger” with its “stools not chairs, where you sit at the bar, or at very small tables”. All reports acclaim the quality of the small plates and interesting wine: “the meal didn’t take much more than an hour, but we left feeling much happier”.

“A good-value array of Sri Lankan small plates” helps make for an “interesting” meal at this Sri Lankan street food operator: part of a south west England mini-chain, which has been in the City of dreaming spires for the last two years.

“Small space, big food!” – the winning formula behind this “great Far Eastern” venue, whose menu dexterously hops from Malaysia to Singapore and China (in a good way). It’s “very noisy and appeals to the younger crowd because of the pricing and fairly large portions”.

An “imaginative selection of burgers and all the extras” is turned out in a dazzling mural- and memorabilia-bedecked setting at this “bustling”, quirky local hangout; sadly their nearby spin-off and Bristol branch have now bitten the dust.