Restaurants in Oxfordshire
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Jericho Café
Chill out and relax with the paper over a coffee and a slab of cake, or go for some of the wholesome lunch and dinner specials, which encompass everything from sausages and mash to Lebanese lamb kibbeh. There are plenty of hearty salads and lots of options for vegetarians.
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Bangkok House
The food's delicious, the service impeccable, the prices affordable, and unsurprisingly, this little slice of Thailand is always packed. Elaborately carved tables, massive chairs and ornate wall hangings set the scene for the wonderfully aromatic Thai curries, sizzling meat dishes and delicately prepared dumplings.
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Café Coco
Chilled out but always buzzing, this Cowley Rd institution is a sort of hip hang-out, with classic posters on the walls and a bald plaster-cast clown in an ice bath. The food is vaguely Mediterranean and can be a bit hit-and-miss, but most people come for the atmosphere.
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Branca
Floor-to-ceiling glass, dark woods, moody lighting and exposed pipework set the scene at this slick Italian restaurant in Jericho. The food is rustic, though, with stone-baked pizzas, simple pastas and hearty meats pulling in the crowds every night of the week.
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Quod
Bright, buzzing and decked out with modern art and beautiful people, this joint dishes up modern brasserie-style food to the masses. It's always bustling and, at worst, will tempt you to chill by the bar with a cocktail while you wait. The two-course set lunch (£9.95) is great value.
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G&D’s
One of three outlets of Oxford’s own mini ice cream chain, this branch will satisfy a craving for frozen lactose till the (almost) wee hours.
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Noodle Bar
For hearty fare try the Noodle Bar for bowls of steaming noodles and generous rice dishes.
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Chutneys
A mostly vegetarian south Indian brasserie a curry whiff away from the bus station, Chutneys attracts customers as much by its brightly coloured exterior as its affordable idlis (fermented rice cakes eaten with chutney) and dosas (filled rice-flour pancakes). Express lunch is just £7.50.
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Mortons
For a quick bite en route between colleges, look out for the ever-popular Covered Market (103 Covered Market); Broad St (22 Broad St); Little Clarendon St (36 Little Clarendon St); New Inn Hall St (22 New Inn Hall St) for its fine selection of innovatively filled baguettes.
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Aziz
Thought by many to be Oxford's best curry house, this award-winning restaurant attracts vegans, vegetarians and curry-lovers in hoards. There's an extensive menu, chilled-out surroundings and portions generous enough to ensure you'll be rolling out the door.
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Georgina's
Hidden up a scruffy staircase in the covered market and plastered with old cinema posters, this is a funky little cafe serving a bumper crop of bulging salads, hearty soups and such goodies as goat-cheese quesadillas and scrumptious cakes.
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Edamame
It may not be the place for a leisurely dinner thanks to its cramped quarters, but the queue out the door speaks volumes about the quality of the food here. This tiny Japanese joint is the best place in town for rice and noodle dishes, and the sushi (Thursday night only, £2.50 to £4) is divine. Arrive early and be prepared to wait – it's well worth it. Last orders at 8.30pm.
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Big Bang
It's small, not much to look at and has a very simple menu, but deciding between the tasty sausages, choosing a speciality mash and selecting just the right gravy can be very difficult indeed. Come on a Wednesday and you'll even get live jazz thrown in.
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Fishers
Nautically themed and generally buzzing, Oxford's finest seafood restaurant serves up simple but heavenly plates of everything from traditional haddock and chips to Shetland mussels, yellow fin tuna and New England lobster.
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Loch Fyne
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Vaults
Set in a vaulted 14th-century Congregation House, this place serves a wholesome line of soups, salads, pastas and paellas with plenty of choice for vegetarians. It's one of the most beautiful lunch venues in Oxford, with a lovely garden overlooking Radcliffe Sq. Come early for lunch as it's a local favourite.
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Trout
Possibly the prettiest location in Oxford, 2½ miles north of the city centre, this charming old-world pub has been a favourite haunt of town and gown for many years. Immortalised by Inspector Morse, it's generally crammed with happy diners enjoying the riverside garden and the extensive menu, though you can also just come for a quiet pint outside meal times. Book ahead.
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Manos
For delicious home-cooked tastes of the Med, head for this Greek deli and restaurant where you'll find a great selection of dishes bursting with flavour. The ground floor has a cafe and deli, while downstairs has more style and comfort, with giant cushions surrounding low tables.
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La Galleria
Big windows bathe the simple interior of this much-loved restaurant in light. It's a classic kind of place, with white swag curtains, pink tablecloths and flowers on every table, but the food is divine. Primarily Sardinian, the menu ranges from silky pastas to perfectly cooked veal and fish and is well worth the price. Book ahead.
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Hampers
On a fine day you couldn't do better than a picnic in the grounds of the palace, and this deli provides all the essential ingredients: fine cheeses, olives, cold meats, Cotswold smoked salmon and delicious cakes. If it's raining, pop in to the cafe and feast on the delicious soups, sandwiches and cakes instead.
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Green Olive
A popular Henley haunt, Green Olive dishes up piled plates of traditional mezedhes (appetisers) in a bright and airy building with a lovely garden to the rear. Choose from over 50 dishes, including spanakopita (spinach pie), souvlaki, mussels with feta, stifadho (meat cooked with onions in a tomato puree) and mousaka (baked layers of eggplant or zucchini, minced meat and potatoes topped with cheese sauce).
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Gee's
Set in a Victorian conservatory, this top-notch restaurant is a sibling of Quod's but much more conservative. Popular with the visiting parents of university students, the food is modern British and European and the setting stunning, but it's all a little stiff. Book ahead.
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Fishes
Old and quaint on the outside but sleek and modern inside, this popular summer haunt, a couple of miles west of the city centre, is a Victorian pub with a large garden complete with playground. It's set in a quiet village enclave and makes a great destination for a quiet pint or an enjoyable meal.
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Door 74
This cosy little place woos its fans with a rich mix of British and Mediterranean flavours and friendly service. The menu is limited and the tables tightly packed, but the food is consistently good and combines classic ingredients with a modern twist. Book ahead as seating is limited.
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