Oxford Information - The Scholar's Guide to Oxford, UK. Tourist information for visitors to the University city of Oxford.

There is no love sincerer than the love of food

George Bernard Shaw (1856 - 1950)

The British are not noted for their culinary skills and, as a result, have embraced the best cuisine from all over the world as their own! Visitors to Britain can therefore choose from a remarkably rich variety of tastes and, happily, this is especially so in Oxford.

But many of Oxford's finest restaurants are located away from the centre, so you will have to be prepared for a short walk or bus/taxi ride to make the most of what is on offer.

The dedicated Scholar's Guide team has compiled a list of what we consider to be the best restaurants in Oxford. We regularly review these listings but, of course, do bear in mind that these are only our opinions and are therefore subjective.

Price Guide:

For each entry in this guide, we have given a rough indication of the cost of a meal, based on two people dining on a two course dinner and sharing a bottle of wine.

£	up to £35
££	£35 - £50
£££	£50 +

Booking:

British Food:

Booking is always recommended at busy periods in Oxford, particularly on Friday / Saturday nights and Sunday lunchtime.

Despite what we said earlier about British food, some specialities are worth sampling. Full English breakfast is both delicious and substantial, if not particularly healthy. And do try a traditional roast lunch, served in many restaurants and pubs each Sunday.

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English

££ Brown's
Almost an Oxford institution, Brown's is at its best during afternoon tea or on Sunday lunchtimes, when traditional roast dinners are available (but get there early to avoid disappointment!) There is a good variety of meat, fish and pasta dishes and, of course, the house speciality - Steak & Guinness pie. Advance bookings are not taken, but the well stocked cocktail bar should help to pass the time!
5-11 Woodstock Road, 01865 511995

£ The Mitre

A reasonably priced, dependable restaurant serving traditional English fare in comfortable, family surroundings. A fine selection of steaks is available and traditional roast dinners are available all day on Sundays. The site itself dates back to 1310 making the Mitre one of Oxford's oldest surviving inns.

17 High Street, 01865 244563

£££ Fishers

Few restaurants in Oxford can compete with the range of fresh fish and shellfish available at Fishers, with a varied à la carte menu supplemented by daily specials. Consequently, the restaurant is almost always busy, so booking is essential.

35-37 St Clements Street, 01865 243003

American

££ Old Orleans

Based on a 'Deep South' theme and specializing in Cajun and Mexican cooking, Old Orleans excels in steaks, fajitas and blackened Creole dishes. However, the salad and pasta dishes are often disappointing. Advance bookings are not taken and waiting times can be long at busy periods, but there is an excellent cocktail bar upstairs.

George Street, 01865 792718

££ Maxwell's

In a city that hosts an 800 year old university, the sign outside Maxwell's declaring "Famous since 1972" may strike you as slightly cheeky! There is a lively, if somewhat noisy, cocktail bar and the restaurant serves a good variety of American and Mexican food, including steaks, ribs, fajitas and chiminchangas.

36-37 Queen Street, 01865 242192

Italian

£££ La Dolce Vita

Lovers of real Italian food are not particularly well served in Oxford and you have to go out of town to reach this one. But if you are looking for an intimate, family run, Italian restaurant serving exceptional food, then the short bus ride up Banbury Rd to Summertown is well worth it. And if you choose to walk back into town, then you can sample something from the dessert trolley without feeling too guilty!

215 Banbury Rd, Summertown, 01865 553990

£ A.S.K.

The pick of Oxford's pizza/pasta houses with an excellent range of pizzas served with familiar and not so familiar toppings.

5 George Street, 01865 726850

French

£ Pierre Victoire

Good quality French food served in rustic surroundings and a relaxed atmosphere. The lunch menu is available every day at very reasonably prices, but the menu no longer changes daily and the portions can be a little on the small side.

9 Little Clarendon Street, 01865 316616

££ Café Rouge

Café Rouge goes for a more sophisticated ambience than its more rustic rival next door. There is also a much wider selection of dishes, with a modest à la carte menu supplemented with daily specials.

11 Little Clarendon Street, 01865 310194

Chinese / Thai

££ Liaison Chinese Restaurant

Excellent Chinese food in cozy surroundings, with several small rooms and a log fire in winter. There are plenty of set menus from which to choose. The restaurant gets very busy so service can be a little slow and booking well in advance is recommended. However, if you have time to relax, the Chinese food is the best in Oxford.

29 Castle Street, 01865 242944

££ Thai Orchid

If we had awards for exceptional food and outstanding service, then they would both go to the Thai Orchid. The service is attentive yet not rushed, the menu is varied and the quality of food reflects the chef's fine attention to detail - we recently discovered that he travels all the way to Soho in London to buy the tiny Thai aubergines that garnish the green curries!

58A St Clements St, 01865 798044

££ Bangkok House

Try the Bangkok house if you want something close to the city centre and enjoy gazing at beautifully hand carved wooden furniture.

42a Hythe Street, 01865 200705

Indonesian

£ Bandung

A small, intimate restaurant with a friendly atmosphere and some interesting tropical fish to ogle at while you eat! A must for lovers of satay and coconut dishes, but not a great deal of variety otherwise.

124 Walton Street, 01865 511668

Indian

££ Chutney's

As with any English cities these days, Oxford is blessed with a large number of Indian restaurants in and around the centre. Also in common with most English cities, they are almost indistinguishable from each other in terms of food, decor and ambience. Which is why we have selected Chutney's. The menu is familiar but the food is refreshingly different and there are lots of genuinely tasty vegetarian options. There is also an 'all-you-can-eat' lunchtime buffet.

36 St Michaels Street, 01865 724421

Polish

££ Hajduczec Polish Restaurant

You don't come across many Polish restaurants in England, but you will wonder why after an evening at Hajduczec's. The food is typically North European in style, with lots of meat and dumplings and, of course, potato and cabbage. Perfect for a cold winter's night - especially if you wash it down with one of the sixty vodkas on offer!

84 Cowley Road, 01865 243390

Greek

££ Greek Taverna

A great selection of traditional Greek food and wines. If you are in a group and would like to sample the widest variety of food, try one of the Mezze's (or banquets) on offer then sit back and enjoy course after course of tasty dishes to share. The Greek Taverna is situated in Summertown, a 10 minute bus ride up the Banbury Road.

272 Banbury Rd, Summertown, 01865 511472

Lebanese

££ Al-Shami's

With such a huge selection of traditional Lebanese dishes from which to choose, we recommend that you buy lots of dishes and share. And if "Lamb's Brain Salad" is not your thing, then there is an excellent selection of tasty vegetarian dishes also. Although the restaurant is tucked away in a residential area of Jericho, it is still extremely popular and booking is recommended at week-ends. (Walton Crescent is located on the opposite side of Walton Street to Little Clarendon Street).

25 Walton Crescent, 01865 310066

££ Restaurant du Liban

Although the Restaurant du Liban cannot compete with Al-Sharmi for the variety of dishes, it is located in the centre of Oxford (above Boswell's department store on Broad Street) and can offer you a Hubbly Bubbly to share after your meal, if you are so inclined.

1-5 Broad Street, 01865 242494

Budget Eating

As you might expect from a city with such a large student population, the options for budget eating are wide and varied. You can eat at most pubs at lunchtime and in the early evening. Prices and quality vary enormously, but the two are not necessarily related (our choice - The King's Arms). Then there are Oxford's famous Kebab Vans! These appear at night, mainly along the High Street and St Giles, and serve until well after pub closing times (our choice - McCoy's, St Aldates opposite Christ Church). Finally, there is a good selection of coffee shops and cafés situated mostly along the High Street, Cornmarket and the adjoining roads (our choice - St Giles Cafe, St Giles).

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