Vanbrugh House Hotel, St Michael's Street

The Vanbrugh House Hotel has been a fixture in St Michael's Street for a while now, but the only time I'd previously been in, a couple of years ago, was to point to the reception staff it might be better if they stopped calling their restaurant a 'brassiere' (sic) on the sign outside. Not the kind of thing I do normally, but it had been annoying me for months. I think the rather uninterested response (though they did say it was about to be changed) was one reason why I didn't proceed to try the restaurant, but as I continued to walk past I decided that two courses for £9.95/three for £12.95 sounded like a good deal, and at least there was no underwear involved.

Fallowfields, near Abingdon

According to its own website, this is 'one of the best restaurants in Oxfordshire'. Normally I'd be a little suspicious of such claims - and I can't pretend to have tried all its competitors - but Fallowfields proved to be such an ideal location for a special occasion Sunday lunch that I think it must compare favourably even with a certain French chef's flagship establishment.

Bill's, St Michael's Street

It was the desserts that did it. After a few weeks of walking past and being tempted by a menu that included lemon meringue pie cheesecake, warm mini doughnuts and marmalade and brown bread ice cream, I had to try Bill's. 

The Jam Factory, Hollybush Row

Anyone who arrives in Oxford for the first time by train must be unimpressed by the bleakness of Frideswide Square just outside the station. But it is enlivened by the Jam Factory, a splendid brick building where Cooper's Oxford Marmalade was originally produced. It's now made elsewhere, which is rather sad, as a delicious smell of boiling oranges must once have wafted over the city.

Ashmolean Dining Room, Beaumont Street

I was going to begin this review with some thoughts on being a provincial food blogger: given that most Oxford restaurants charge less than their London equivalents, should we expect lower quality, or at least less finesse? Or does good food come at a more reasonable price outside the capital? I thought that the restaurant at the Ashmolean, which after its high-profile opening in 2009 was hailed as a significant new addition to the Oxford dining scene and reviewed in most national newspapers, would be an ideal testing-ground for my theories. Unfortunately, though, my experience there was disappointing by any standards.

The Big Bang, Castle Quarter

The original Big Bang in Jericho closed in August 2011 and is currently a building site. It wasn't easy for Oxford's only sausage and mash restaurant to find a replacement venue but a few months ago it reopened in the Castle Quarter. How is it faring in its new surroundings?

[Out of Oxford] The Pig, Brockenhurst

The Pig's website has a whole page devoted to the coverage it has received from publications like the Times, GQ and Vogue. This Hampshire hotel and restaurant is clearly becoming a very popular and fashionable spot (with prices to match) and certainly doesn't need me to alert more people to its existence. But the meal I had there was so impressive that I feel bound to commemorate it.

The Anchor, Hayfield Road

Update (May 2013): sadly the current tenants of the Anchor are leaving and the pub no longer serves food.

The Anchor is in a secluded corner of north Jericho and unless you live in Walton Manor, have a child at the primary school opposite or are on the way to Port Meadow, you're unlikely to walk past by chance. This is a shame, as displayed outside is one of the most appetising menus I've seen in Oxford, a whole page of interesting, tasty-sounding dishes at fairly reasonable prices. But the number of reserved tables shows that plenty of people are in on the secret.

(daily specials; there's another, longer menu too)

Turl Street Kitchen, Turl Street

'The Turl Street Kitchen is an all day den of eating and drinking serving a limited selection of ethical British food with loads of wine and beer, some of which is also British.' This is from TSK's website and it's as good a way as any to describe the place. Part of the Oxford Hub social enterprise charity, which is situated in the old QI building in Turl Street, it's been open for about a year now. Some of the original hype has now died down and it's now a lot easier to get a booking than it used to be (and a few other things have been ironed out - I'm pleased to see that in the adjoining cafe/bar they've acquired the knack of clearing the tables). It was high time for me to try it out.

[Out of Oxford] The Jetty, Christchurch, Dorset

A couple of years ago I ate one of the worst meals I’ve ever had in an establishment that afforded a wonderful view of sunset over Loch Lomond. Situated in a similarly idyllic spot - especially so on a warm, still August evening - right on the edge of Christchurch Harbour in east Dorset, the Jetty could be forgiven for not trying that hard. But in a restaurant just across the water from a busy fishing port with a head chef, Alex Aitken, who is a former Michelin star holder (and ex-trawlerman), standards are higher. 

[Out of Oxford] St Andrews round-up

When I visited St Andrews recently, I didn't plan to do any blogging. I was there to relax, after all. But this Scottish town, despite its small size, turned out to offer a great range of good food so I decided to do a summary of what I ate where and illustrate it with a few photos that show Scotland basking in the sun of the third warmest March on record.

Gee's, Banbury Road

Apparently it's not always a good idea to visit a restaurant on a Sunday evening: the staff can be tired, stocks may be low, and everyone knows that it's the end of the weekend. But this time of the week is a bit of an occasion at Gee's, with a jazz trio in situ and a special menu (two courses for £25.95, three for £28.95) replacing the à la carte. Several of our group had previously eaten from the latter and enjoyed it (while the other week I was very impressed by the sibling of Gee's, Quod). Tucked away in north Oxford, in a cosy conservatory, this is one of the city's most atmospheric places to eat, and as we trudged up the Banbury Road on a cold, snowy evening, the restaurant lights twinkled invitingly. Expectations were high.

The High Table, High Street

I often walk past the High Table and admire its smart-looking black and white interior, which contrasts nicely with the brickwork of its parent establishment, the Eastgate Hotel. The shiny, mirrored decor is matched by the ambitious menu. Each dish is followed by a list of wildly varying accompaniments, as if someone has been playing word association with a food theme. I know that happens in London all the time, but not so much on the High Street in Oxford.

The Rose, High Street (breakfast)

Update (May 2013): The Rose has changed hands since this review was written; the menu is similar but reports suggest the quality may not be the same.

The recession has made people less keen to buy organic food to cook for themselves, but the market for new restaurants that specialise in locally-grown, seasonal produce seems to be stronger than ever, from the much-praised Roganic in London to Oxford's own Oxfork (watch this space for a review of the latter). The Rose, however, is a long-standing fixture on the High Street and must have started serving the fresh and unadulterated fare on which it prides itself long before anyone outside the Bank of England had heard of quantitative easing.

Quod, High Street

Unlike its more secluded sister establishments the Old Parsonage and Gee's, Quod is right in the centre of Oxford, ready to catch passing trade from students, tourists, and those like us who find that the restaurant they intended to visit is closed. Accordingly you could say that it doesn't - necessarily - have to try too hard, and indeed I've heard mixed reports of the à la carte menu from several people. However, I'd previously enjoyed the popular weekday set lunch (£11.95 for two courses, £15.90 for three) and was happy to give Quod a chance again. It was a fortunate decision.

[Out of Oxford] Westover Hall Hotel, Milford-on-Sea, Hampshire

The back of the hotel. It could almost have been a summer's day (bitter December winds not shown).

If I ever spent Christmas in a hotel, it would have to be somewhere like Westover Hall, with its grand entrance hall overlooked by stained-glass windows, cosy wood-panelled rooms and spectacular views across to the Isle of Wight. This would be a good place for pretending that most of the twentieth century never happened (especially if Downton Abbey was booked up). But as my parents live a few minutes' drive away, I'll probably never get the chance. Still, for non-residents Westover offers two dining options: Vista Bistro, and the fine dining One Park Lane restaurant (the name isn't as pretentious as it sounds, as the hotel address is Park Lane). Fine dining seemed a bit much for a Wednesday lunchtime a few days after Christmas, so we went for the bistro, and its three courses for £20 menu, which included a strangely unadvertised glass of wine (it also turns out that you get one course free if you book in advance). Nevertheless, I thought that the influence of One Park Lane could be discerned in our meal - at least, in two of the three courses.