• Added: 22nd of August 2008
• Area: Oxford
• Category: Restaurants

Oxford OX2 7AR
01865 510071

idiophreak said
Good Stuff
The Spice Lounge in Summertown has rapidly become our favourite Indian.

Whilst we've never eaten in the Restaurant, it looks clean, well laid out and has a nice atmosphere.

We used to pop in to collect takeout quite frequently, but more recently we tend to get them to deliver, which they do free within a couple of miles and you can pay by card over the phone, so you can get an indian even when you have no cash - very dangerous. Delivery can be a little slow on busy nights, but they tell you ahead of time how long it will take and it always turns up with the correct items.

The food itself is always nicely made, I'm not fond of dishes that are too spicey, but have found the Korma, Pasanda and Tikka Masala to be very tasty and, more importantly, quite distinct. Too often these days all the mild curries taste the same, so it's nice to find a place that puts effort into each of them.

The side orders are also very well made, the Saag Aloo and onion bhajias are particular favourites.

Spice Lounge is definitely one of the better curries about and I highly recommend it.

• Added: 22nd of August 2008
• Area: Abingdon
• Category: Restaurants

Abingdon OX14 1AD

idiophreak said
Ock Milll, Abingdon
The Ock Mill, Abingdon is a Beefeater and should really be viewed as such.

If there's one thing that can be said of the Beefeater brand is that it's honest, you know what you're getting upfront. They don't claim to be a high class restaurant, they offer good, old fashioned pub grub at a reasonable price. And in that respect, the Ock Mill delivers. The food is never going to be amazing, but it's rarely terrible.

The interior is nice and underwent a makeover last year, adding some boothe type seating upstairs. The bar downstairs is nice for a sit and a sandwich at lunch.

If you want a cheap meal on the run (it's located 2 minutes from the A34, so good for breaking up long north-south journeys), order something that needs cooking rather than microwaving (steak, burgers) and you won't go too far wrong.

Just don't expect five star nosh or top notch service...it's not the point of the place.

• Added: 22nd of August 2008
• Area: Oxford
• Category: Restaurants

Oxford OX2 6AE
01865 292510

idiophreak said
Delish Fish
One of the keys, I think, to running a good restaurant is delivering good food consistantly. That is exactly what Loch Fyne do, time and time again.

The welcome is always friendly and professional and the food is always good.

The decor and atmosphere of the Oxford Loch Fyne is great, it's a really nice building and well laid out. Sat downstairs, you can watch the shellfish being prepared whilst you eat.

The menu is seasonal, the food always tastes fresh, is well presented and is served in good portion sizes. The mussels, especially are a real treat and it's always a challenge to resist them and try something different.

There's a fresh fish counter attached to the restaurant, so you can buy your own fish there as well as eating in and they have the occasional themed evening, which can change things up a little bit (without being intrusive).

The prices are reasonable for what you pay, but if you shop carefully there are often good deals to be had through set menus or by eating early. These make the evening superb value for money.

In any event, if you like seafood, Loch Fyne is well worth a visit.

• Added: 22nd of August 2008
• Area: Oxford
• Category: Restaurants

Oxford OX2 6AH
01865 511441

idiophreak said
Doing something simple. Well.
I'll say upfront I'm probably the Big Bang's dream reviewer - I'm a guy that really loves his Bangers and Mash. It may not shock you to hear, therefore, I really think The Big Bang is one of the best places to eat in Central Oxford.

They've taken a simple meal (Bangers and Mash) and perfected it.

On the menu, there's a great selection of sausages, different types of mash and local ale.

Each sausage has a recommended mash, but you can change this as you see fit and the staff are able to recommend a beer to set your selection off well.

The service is very friendly and efficient, the atmosphere is great, but most importantly the food is excellent.

A short walk from both the town centre and Jericho, it's located ideally for a quick meal between the two.

The Big Bang can get busy and I've been turned away more than once without a reservation, but when you get in, you're always glad you did.

• Added: 22nd of August 2008
• Area: Oxford
• Category: Restaurants

Oxford OX1 1AY
01865 246464

idiophreak said
Tasty Tapas
I've eaten a few times recently at La Tasca in the oxford castle and have to say I quite enjoy it.

The food is of a reasonable quality (if not amazing) and you get quite a good selection of items on the menu.

Sometimes you hear La Tasca being criticised for being expensive and having very small portion sizes...if you're paying full price, this can be a concern - I've had a plate before with 2 or 3 items on it.

It is, however, possible to have very cheap meals there, either using Tesco Clubcard Deals vouchers, or going through their promotions (at the time of writing, they're doing all the tapas you can eat for £10).

The decor's a little bit cheesy (think Disney Does Spain), but there's a nice outdoor seating (heated) area that lets you escape this altogether.

On the whole, if you can get a cheap meal there, it's probably worth doing - if you're paying full price, it's probably possible to get better "bang for your buck" elsewhere in Oxford.

• Added: 22nd of August 2008
• Area: Oxford
• Category: Restaurants

Oxford OX1 2AF
01865 791032

idiophreak said
Cheap and cheerful
I've been to Bella Italia many times over the years and there's two good reasons for that:

1) The food is of a reliable quality
2) It's pretty cheap

They offer special deals for those heading out to the theatre down the street and you can convert your Tescos points into vouchers for BI - so many of the meals we've had have worked out very reasonably indeed.

The food, whilst never amazing, is never poor...It's always tasty, presented nicely and hot. Particularly, the duck pasta and pizzas always go down very well.

Service varies night to night and they can get a little overwhelmed on really busy nights, but it's never been so bad as to spoil the evening.

I like bella italia, for a quick bite at a reasonable cost, you can't go too far wrong.

• Added: 22nd of August 2008
• Area: Oxford
• Category: Bars and Pubs

Oxford OX1 3LU

idiophreak said
Eagle and Child - Nice Drinking Pub
The Eagle and Child is a great pub for wintertime drinks in the centre of Oxford.

It's quite a warm, cosy little pub with a number of nooks and crannies to explore.

There's a good range of beer and other booze available, the staff and atmosphere are both friendly and its location is ideal both for the city centre and the little clarendon street / jericho areas, as well as the St Giles fair when it's in town.

The pub has a strong (and proud) connection historically with local writers, so is a good place for tourists to stop into also.

When it's getting a little cold and you want somewhere to pop into for a reviving tipple, the Eagle and Child (or Baby and Bird) is just the job.

• Added: 22nd of August 2008
• Area: Oxford
• Category: Restaurants

Oxford OX1 2AE
01865 83 83 83

idiophreak said
Good Job, Jamie
I went to Jamie's Italian in Oxford about a month ago, a month or so after it opened. Overall, I was very impressed.

There's a first time for everything and I think when I visited Jamie's Italian it was the first time I've ever had to queue outdoors for food. We decided to stick with it however and the queue moved along surprisingly quickly and in the end I was glad I did.

Once we were ushered through to the bar, it was quite crowded and the restaurant seemed quite small, after a quick drink however, and watching the chef's cooking on the TVs up in the bar, we were seated.

The restaurant was actually much larger than it first seemed, with a number of different rooms. We were seated in a room with picture frames all over the walls, which, our waitress informed, us Jamie himself had picked out on a trip to Italy. The little touch linked back to Jamie Oliver "the man", but also have a feeling you were eating in a Jamies Oliver theme park. Which, I guess to some may seem naff, but I thought it was quite cute.

Once seated, the rest of the experience was extremely pleasant, service was swift, the food was lovely, simple recipes served well, great tastes, all the ingredients seemed fresh and the staff were attentive and friendly.

If it weren't for the wait, it would have had 5 stars - and I guess the queues will die as time goes on.

• Added: 22nd of August 2008
• Area: Oxford
• Category: Bars and Pubs

Oxford OX2 0NA

idiophreak said
Great food, let down
We've visited the Fishes a couple of times in the last couple of months and have generally had quite positive experiences of it.

I'll start by saying that the food at the Fishes is lovely, really well cooked and a varied and seasonal menu. They also do picnic baskets that can be enjoyed in their large garden. The kitchen is open onto the terrace area and you can hear the chefs talking to each other, just like you see on the TV. You really get the impression it's proper chefs doing the cooking and they know what they're up to.

There were, however, a couple of little things that let down the quality of the food. The first time we visited, the table wasn't ready at the time of our reservation and we had to wait over half an hour for a table to become available.

The second time, we were given a very dirty glass with one of our drinks and the service was so slow we had to leave before we could order pudding. It's a shame that these little things spoil what would otherwise be a very enjoyable dining experience.

• Added: 22nd of August 2008
• Area: Oxford
• Category: Restaurants

Oxford OX1 2BJ
01865 792718

idiophreak said
Very poor
I used to dine at Old Orleans semi-regularly a couple of years back, so I was shocked at how poor the food was when I visited a couple of months back.

We went on a Monday night, when they had an offer on for Buy One Get One Free fajitas. We started with Nachos, which weren't crisp, a little soggy and came with only a spoonful of each of the sauces, not enough to disguise the horrible potato chips.

The main course was no better, whilst the hot part of the dish was OK (at best), the wraps were again past their best and the salad and sauces had obviously been prepared some time before, all limp and tasteless - and again, a pathetically small amount of each of the accompanying sauces was provided.

Once we'd finished our food, it took a good half hour for our waitress to free herself from her chatting with her friends and come and clear our plates.

I was an OO loyalty card holder before I went last time, but threw it away when I got home. I won't be going back.