Oxford Restaurant Guide

“You can’t go wrong if you order tonkotsu” at this ramen group from Tak Tokumine of the Japan Centre – the noodles and 12-hour pork bone broth are “authentic” and some of the “best in town”. The venues can be “cramped”, and “the constant banging of a drum to indicate dishes being ready can grate”.

“The building is the star” at this stalwart in a cosy Elizabethan house quaintly tucked down a medieval alley off the High. These days it’s “under strong competition” locally (and perhaps “unlikely to recover its crown as long as Oli’s Thai continues in some form”), but many “still get drawn here for the green chicken curry” – long a standout – and, while, “it’s not fine-dining”, it “remains a dependable option” where “for a fair price you get a huge choice of Thai staples”.

This faux-wisteria-hung rooftop venue above the Westgate Centre offers “surprisingly well cooked dishes for an ambitious range from all over the world”. Victors has branches in Newcastle, Alderley Edge and Hale in Manchester, and takes inspiration from American-Asian cuisine.

“This gem of a self-service café is the perfect spot for lunch in historic Oxford city centre” on long trestle tables or in the garden; combining “good-value wholesome food” – everything from “vegan dishes to Asian curries and lovely cakes” – with a “buzzing atmosphere” and “the most fabulous location behind the University Church with stunning views to the Radcliffe Camera”. But while “it’s the setting that makes this café special” it also threatens its future after 20 years, with its church landlord wanting to evict it to make way for its own social enterprise. The legal battle is expected to be settled in the High Court this year.

This “airy and bright” brasserie in the Old Bank hotel – replete with charming interior courtyard – has a notably “vibrant atmosphere” that means it’s generally packed (a little too packed come graduation day and Christmas). While the odd cynic feels that it’s merely “trading off its good location” in the middle of the High, there was also praise this year for its “very good- value set lunch menu” (two courses £25.50, three courses £30.50).

This “backstreet gem in the centre of Oxford” is “such a nice place to eat”, with a “very nice ambience, like a traditional small French bistro”, “relaxed service”, and an “old favourites-type menu with one or two twists”, featuring “particularly well cooked but not adventurous dishes” (including “absolutely perfect fish”). Top Tip – “the daily special lunch for £16.50 is the best-value set price menu in town”.

“LOVE this chain and would happily eat there any day!” – These “always buzzy” Nordic operations (originating in Copenhagen 30 years ago) provide a “tasty mix of sushi and grilled yakitori kebabs” in Scandi-minimalist dining spaces. One or two reporters hesitate at the prices for these luscious morsels – “not sure you can justify the cost of leaving full up” – but the overall satisfaction-level is high. They added a branch in Richmond’s former House of Fraser in May 2024 followed by another on Islington Green in September.

“More hit ’n’ miss than they used to be, but still a go-to chain” – the Elliot brothers’ successful group is heading towards 20 branches in the capital, but “still producing quality dishes despite becoming quite a brand”: “lovely scorched, pillowy-based pizzas with plenty of power in the ingredients” and “reasonably priced for the quality!” Latest to launch, in June 2024, was a branch by Euston.

A meal at this “great location on the roof of the Ashmolean” makes the perfect culmination of a mooch around the museum (or a visit in its own right) – but it can seem a little “mediocre unless you’re outside on the terrace”.

“Good Sichuanese cooking and a good variety of dishes” (albeit “not as extensive as the ‘My Sichuan’ restaurant it replaced”) make this venture “in the lovely Gloucester Green Old School building” more than “enough to tickle the tastebuds at very affordable prices”. The Westfield Stratford sibling has now been joined by a second Big Smoke offshoot, in Holborn.

“Fabulous home-style Japanese cooking” emerges from the kitchen at Meiko & Peter Galpin’s Oxford institution, now in its 27th year – “you may need to queue to get into the tiny restaurant and share a table, but that only adds to the authenticity of this wonderful place” and its “very friendly atmosphere”. It makes no claim to be a standard restaurant, serving only a set lunch and set dinner, with an in-demand sushi night on Thursdays.

This “long-standing favourite” a short walk from the city centre woos customers with a “wonderfully consistent bistro menu” of “genuine Gallic fare” offered at “a set price including lots of choice”. Exceptionally “good value for money” means guests are happy to overlook downsides, which include occasional “unfriendly service”, “cramped surroundings” and “hard wooden seats which could do with some cushioning”. These days a “really well run independent”, it split off from a national chain which collapsed in 1998.

2021 Review: 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”.

With “marvellous art on its walls” and a “nice dining courtyard” (remodelled last summer in imitation of Yves Saint Laurent’s garden in Marrakech) – this inviting and luxurious, small hotel in a 17th-century former vicarage near the city centre is a good bet for a meal in the Grill, or a “good-value afternoon tea (one can be easily shared between two people)”.

2021 Review: “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.

The “beautifully cooked fish” is “great value” at this popular restaurant “just across Magdalen Bridge, so very handy for the city centre”. Fish-phobes have plenty of options, too, with burger, vegan and kids’ menus on offer. Top Menu Tip – “the Fritto Misto is exceptional, and a family favourite”.

2023 Review: This “picturesque riverside venue” on Oxford’s Osney Island (which opened in 1871 as The Waterman) is notable for its “laid-back but beautifully presented vegetarian food, full of flavours from a varied and interesting menu”. “I’m not a vegetarian myself but most definitely hope to be back”. Top Tip – “the whipped goats’ cheese”.

This big, buzzy millennium-born Jericho brasserie-plus-deli “continues to provide good-value, reliably cooked food” (with an Italian slant, but ranging further into the Med) and is accordingly “always busy”. The handsome interior (exposed-brick walls, parquet floor) is abetted by “ample outdoor space for the few sunny days”, though mysteriously they still haven’t launched the five bedrooms that have been touted for quite some time now.