Branca

Jericho

Reviewed by Hannah Holt

The Jericho area, just outside of the town centre, is full of wonderful little eateries. But even with all of those the Oxford Branca still manages to shine!

With a little outside seating area, complete with warm, tartan blankets, it’s perfect for the newly arrived summer sunshine that blesses Oxford (nearly) every year.

Being an Italian restaurant, the menu largely focuses on gourmet style pizzas and hearty pasta dishes, but don’t worry as there’s a wonderful range. The roast duck with fried gnocchi is a personal favourite, and the complimentary bread and oil manages to hit the spot every time!

Food type - Italian
Food/Drink quality -4.5/5
Dietary requirements - 2.5/5
Service - 5/5
Value - 4/5

Décor - 3/5

Find out more www.branca.co.uk

The Big Society

Cowley Road

Reviewed by Hannah Holt

I’m sure as students you’ll all come to have your favourite pub - the local that manages to churn out hearty grub when you need it most. For me it’s always been ‘Bic Soc.’.

Not only is the building itself lovely, and situated outside the town centre which gives you a reason to explore a little more of Oxford, but the garden area is adorably decorated. And with free table football, if you can manage to bag a slot, as well as the scrumptious food.

Burgers and ‘dogs a plenty, the mere smell of the food will make your stomach growl, though admittedly it’s the bacon man ‘n’ cheese that is my guilty pleasure.

Add all this to the fact that they serve up stacks of pancakes and waffles until the late hours, there isn’t much room for them to go wrong!!!

Food type - Burgers
Food/Drink quality -3/5
Dietary requirements - 2.5/5
Service - 4/5
Value - 4/5

Décor - 3.5/5

Find out more www.bigsocietyoxford.com

Pierre Victoire

Oxford City Centre

Reviewed by Hannah Holt

There’s nothing better than a little French bistro serving up dishes fit for kings, and there’s one smack bang in the middle of Oxford.

Hidden down one of the side streets, this little piece of Paris offers up wonderfully cooked and authentic French cuisine. From traditional snails to the most luxurious cheese fondue I have ever had the pleasure of indulging in, Pierre Victoire is bound to leave you bursting at the seams. In the best way of course!

Do keep a look out for their chalkboard specials as well, they are often very well priced, and the seating upstairs is a tad cosier if that’s more your thing.

Food type - French
Food/Drink quality -5/5
Dietary requirements - 4/5
Service - 4/5
Value - 2.5/5

Décor - 4.5/5

Find out more

Bill’s

Oxford City Centre

Reviewed by Hannah Holt

It seems nowadays Bill’s is everywhere, and rightly so, but the Oxford establishment is a beauty. Once an old town hall, there’s a gorgeous balcony area inside that provides the perfect spot for a light, or luxurious, lunch.

Bill’s do home cooked style dishes and they do them well! From burgers you can customise with avocado and crispy bacon to creamy fish pies. With the added bonus of a pink lemonade ice cream float gracing the menu, it makes it an even more perfect place to spend an evening.

You’re even given your own shopping list, so that you can pick from all the wondrous ingredients that they also sell.

Food type - British favourites
Food/Drink quality - 3.5/5
Dietary requirements - 4/5
Service - 2.5/5
Value - 4/5

Décor - 4/5

Find out more http://bills-website.co.uk/restaurants/oxford/

The Rose

Oxford City Centre

Reviewed by Hannah Holt

The parents are visiting and you’re in panic mode because you haven’t thought of anywhere significantly parent worthy to take them for a nice bite to eat. Look no further than The Rose, placed slightly before you hit the mayhem of the city centre. This little eatery churns out quality fry ups like there’s no tomorrow.

The interior is all dark wood and white walls, creating an incredibly stylish seating area that any parent would be happy to spend a couple of hours in. With luxury dishes such as ‘Crispy Fried Goats Cheese’ and a ‘Salmon Gravadlax Ciabatta’ gracing the menu, along side classics such as customisable omelettes and steak & ale pie, The Rose is bound to satisfy all the family.

The afternoon tea that they also offer rivals that of The Grand Cafe located directly opposite. With a selection of finger sandwiches and a long glass of prosecco, there’s nothing like it to make you forget you’re a student for a little while. Oh and who can resist a warm scone, guaranteed to make the Southerner in all of us long for the coast.

Food type - Breakfast & Brunch
Food/Drink quality - 4/5
Dietary requirements - 5/5
Service - 4/5
Value - 2.5/5

Décor - 3.5/5

Find out more http://the-rose.biz

Recipe - Brookes' Ploughmans

A Ploughman’s lunch is an English cold meal which consists of cheese, pickle, and bread. As its name suggests, it is more commonly consumed at midday.

English literature students might know…

Pierce the Ploughman's Crede (c.1394), a medieval alliterative poem of 855 lines lampooning the four orders of friars, mentions the traditional ploughman's meal of bread, cheese and beer. The Oxford English Dictionary notes the first recorded use of the phrase "ploughman's lunch" as 1837, from the book Memoirs of the life of Sir Walter Scott by John G. Lockhart, but this early use may have meant merely the sum of its parts, "a lunch for a ploughman".*

Serves 5

Ingredients

40g thinly sliced cheddar cheese
15g Branston pickle
1 sliced pickled onion
3 slices vine ripened tomato
10g Iceberg lettuce
10g mayonnaise
5 small baguettes

1. Slice the baguettes in half, lengthways, being careful not to cut all the way through.
2. Spread the inside of the bottom of the baguette with mayonnaise
3. Spread the inside of the top of the baguette with Branston Pickle
4. Layer with Iceberg lettuce, the sliced tomato, sliced Cheddar cheese, then sliced pickled onion

Recipe by Dan Ostler - Executive Chef at Brookes

*Courtesy of Wikipedia – we assume it’s accurate, but you may want to check – or do some other research!

Kazbar

Cowley

Reviewed by Hannah Holt

For lots of students the Cowley area is a hub of restaurants and bars, busy every night of the week thanks to it's thriving community. This makes finding a decent and yet cheap place that isn't a pub or a fast food chain a little hard.

But if tapas is your thing then look no further! I adore being surrounded by little dishes of the most exciting variety of foods, mixing flavours and tastes and trying new foods. Kazbar makes this experience simply wonderful.

Greeted by a gloriously Moroccan themed bar as you enter, with the restaurant space tucked round the corner, it's already beautiful. The Moroccan twist seeps into the menu, creating a complete mix of dishes you can pair up, with equal emphasis on meat and veg. Their home made Sangria is something I've yet to find a rival for, adding a fresh and fruity touch to any meal.

At surprisingly low prices for the wondrous quality of the food, it seems a shame not to grab a few friends and chow down on a table-full of flavour. With colourful glass lamps and plush velvet cushions filling every corner it really is a hidden gem.

Food type – Moroccan style tapas
Food / drink quality – 5/5
Dietary requirements – 4/5
Service – 3/5
Value – 4/5

Decor – 5/5

Find out more www.kazbar.co.uk