After a beautiful Spring day in “the city of dreaming spires” - as Oxford was famously described by poet Matthew Arnold - during which we had enjoyed punting on the river, a visit to Christchurch College and even letting the kids eat a whole bag of fudge, we had planned to spend our evening at The Oxford Kitchen.
A short taxi ride out of the town centre brought us to Summertown, where the restaurant is located. The Oxford Kitchen is seemingly well known in the area, as various people we had spoken to knew of it by reputation; indeed the restaurant has gathered an impressive collection of awards since opening in 2014. On the night of our visit there was a busy hum about the place, and we were welcomed by friendly staff who showed us as to our seats in a comfortable booth. I always love a ‘booth’ as it takes away the feeling of formality and stuffiness that sometimes comes with visiting a ‘good’ restaurant as a family with children. The overall feel of the restaurant is stylish and contemporary with a relaxed vibe, and the booths provide a bit of intimacy from other diners.
Offering fine British cuisine, there were a few menu options to consider. We selected the £40 for three courses menu (£35 for two courses). There was also the option of a 7-course tasting menu for £55 per person (add £40 for sommelier wine pairing), which is available for lunch and dinner. Side dishes have an additional charge and range from £4 to £6 for the Parmesan and truffle fries.
A good range of entre´es are offered, including Buffala Burrata, and Chicken Wing Presse, but I chose the Roasted Scallop, black pudding, cauliflower and onion bhaji (£5 supplement), whilst my husband opted for Hot Smoked Salmon, bulgar wheat, wild garlic and asparagus. Both of these dishes were impressively presented and interesting to eat, offering variety in texture and flavour - there is nothing worse to me than bland food with one overriding flavour or texture: tapioca pudding springs to mind!
The Children’s Menu offered a good selection and was reasonably priced at £10 for 2-courses and two side dishes. One of the kids tucked into a Mini Burger (which did not seem so mini!), and the other had Macaroni Cheese (this would fit into the ‘bland’ category by my reckoning, but is one of his all-time favourites) – both accompanied with fries and salad. They were very happy, and I had to admit that the macaroni was pretty tasty. They were even happier with the homemade ice-cream for dessert!
For the main course, I chose the Poached Brill Fillet, langoustine, garden pea nage and lemon thyme. This was comfort food at its best: easy to eat and full of flavour. My partner enjoyed the Oak Smoked Beef Fillet, Jacobs ladder, red wine braised onions, watercress (£7 supplement for this dish). I sampled some of this dish and found it absolutely delicious, perfectly tender, and well worthy of its supplementary charge - the fight to get permission to try some before it disappeared, ought to have told me that! We shared a range of sides including perfectly blanched seasonal vegetables, Aura potatoes and skinny fries (skinny in cut not calories, I hasten to add!).
The wine list offers an excellent choice, with many of the wines available by the glass or bottle (starting at £25 a bottle, and a very reasonably priced selection overall).
Executive Chef John Footman is at the helm in the kitchen, and according to our waiter has built a reputation around producing inspired creations that get people talking. The clever placing of mirrors towards the back of the restaurant provides glimpses into the stainless-steel kitchen where this creativity takes place. We were about to sample some particularly impressive examples of this with our third course.
The dessert choices are refreshingly different, and clearly this is where the chef’s imagination is allowed to run free. Amongst the options, I was tempted by the Spiced Nougatine Parfait, toasted almond sponge, cherries and cherry sorbet, whilst my husband opted for the Cheese: Beauvale, white chocolate, apricot and almonds. The parfait was superb, but this restaurant is worth a visit for the Cheese alone! We ended up sampling all three of the cheese platters, which carries a £10 supplement – so along with the Beavale, we sampled the Smoked Tomme Bru^le´e & Tunworth mousse. Forget the term ‘cheese platter’, as these dishes were like no cheese platter I have ever encountered - not only were they works of art (one of them came smoking!), but the combinations of flavours, including white chocolate, tamarind, date, and white truffle honey, provided an absolute taste sensation and an unforgettable food experience.
The Oxford Kitchen also offers a great lunch menu, vegetarian menu and an extensive list of cocktails (all made with fresh, local ingredients) which all sound extremely appealing as I write this at 6pm on a Friday evening accompanied by the soundtrack of my rumbling stomach. If you haven’t yet been to Oxford, you must go – it is a truly stunning city with an incredible history that is visible around every corner. Whilst you are there, we certainly recommend you call into The Oxford Kitchen for lunch or dinner – it’s an exciting, fine-dining experience that seems to be going from strength to strength.
The Oxford Kitchen 215 Banbury Road, Oxford, OX2 7HQ, Telephone: 01865 511 149
Website: www.theoxfordkitchen.co.uk