Oxford on my own - looking for suggestions

[LulusMom]

Hi, I'll be spending 3 days in Oxford in September, and am hoping you can help me decide where to have my dinners. I don't eat red meat, and have plenty of curry here in my home town. I'm looking for very good food but in a place that doesn't feel stuffy. I won't have a car so being walking distance from city center would be great. Price not important if it is a really great yet casual place. Thanks very much in advance.

[LulusMom]

Trip report. I had a wonderful, relaxing time, and ate very well. Many thanks for the tips. In the end I didn't go to the Lebanese place. I had decided that since I'd likely be jet-lagged on my first night, I'd leave that free. I ended up going to Jamie's Italian, the Jamie Oliver place. My daughter loves watching him, and I've cooked from his books many times. I'd say that my cooking from his books ends up better than some of what I had at the restaurant, but the pasta was absolutely wonderful. I started with a courgette stuffed with cheese. This was nice but sort of bland. Got a half order of the pasta with shrimp, chilies, fennel - wonderful. As a side I got some broccoli with garlic and olive oil. Now, I like my vegetables fairly al dente, but these were still very tough through the middle, and served in a little bowl that made it very awkward trying to cut them. Overall a solid meal.

The next night was the Magdalen Arms. Loved it. Started with grilled squid with salsa verde. Lots of kebang flavors and nicely cooked squid. Great bread on the side to run through the leftover salsa verde. Main was ravioli stuffed with ricotta and swiss chard in a sage butter. Pretty much perfect. For dessert I had sticky toffee pudding, a dessert I absolutely love and you don't see often in the US. Very happy with this meal.

The third night I went to the Cherwell Boathouse. I was slightly nervous about this - restaurants with beautiful views can let the food slide. No need to worry though, it was another really wonderful meal. Started with a broad bean, radish and potato salad with salsify. Very simple but very good. Main was a special of the day - pan fried sea bass with scallion potatoes and vegetable ribbons in a caper butter. Great. Another dessert we don't have here: banoffee pie. Got myself some of that too. After a very rich meal the night before, I appreciated that this meal was smaller and lighter seeming. And the staff couldn't have been nicer or more helpful. Another huge hit for me.

Thanks again to everyone. I really loved Oxford and I had 2 great meals.

[rrems]

Thanks for the report. Glad to hear you enjoyed the Cherwell. I will keep Magdalen Arms in mind for next time I get to Oxford.

[LulusMom]

I think you'd enjoy it. A completely different atmosphere but both were very good. Thanks as always for the help.

[abby d]

i like edamame, a little japanese place on holywell street. it's opening times are eclectic though so check before you go!

http://www.edamame.freeserve.co.uk/

i also have a soft spot for chiang mai kitchen, just off the high street and while it looks quite formal i've eaten there on my own quite happily.

http://chiangmaikitchen.co.uk/

[rrems]

I really liked the Cherwell Boathouse. It is a bit of a walk from the center, but I don't think unmanageable. The food is superb.

[zuriga1]

A new name... thanks!

[LulusMom]

rrems, was hoping you might chime in. I'm a walker, so don't mind that (although I tend to like a taxi home). I'll look the place up online.

There was a French place I saw listed somewhere, Pierre Victiore, maybe? Anyone know anything about it? How about the Standard? Are these going to feel too stuffy for me? Not really so good?

[rrems]

A walk there and a taxi back should be perfect.

[LulusMom]

I had a look at the menu and I'm excited about this spot (and the Magdalen Arms, although I do wish they had a website).

[rrems]

The 3-course prix-fixe at 24.75 GBP for lunch and 26.75 for dinner are a great deal, and the setting is tranquil and beautiful. Ask for a table by the windows or outdoors.

[loobcom]

Agreed, and a very enjoyable summer venue.

[Harters]

When I was planning an overnight stop there, some 3 years back, someone on another board recommended the Al-Shami. Lebanese, very well thought of in the city. Has a good range of non red meat offerings. http://www.al-shami.co.uk/

In the event, my trip didnt come off so I can't speak from experience.

[LulusMom]

Love Lebanese food, so thanks for this. Anyone have any first hand knowledge of it?

[Palladium]

Al-Shami is very good. Better if you can get a group of people to go with you- because then you can get a whole bunch of mezze and try everything. When I went with just my husband, I felt like I hadn't even scratched the surface of what they had. I went back with a work group, and that was great- and they were perfectly happy to just bring us a selection of stuff.

[LulusMom]

I'll be on my own, but am happy to order a bunch of mezze that way anyway. I assume they are fairly small portions? What were your favorites?

[Palladium]

They are sort of small portions.
I really liked their moutabel, their fava (broad) beans, the artichokes

[LulusMom]

Thanks so much. I think at this point, thanks to all of you, that I have my three dinners picked out. Can't tell you how much I appreciate the help. Thank you all so much. Next worry: a Sunday dinner in London. Mission impossible? Will make a new post for that.

[LulusMom]

I did some research (ok, more like day-dreaming about my trip) the other day and saw that Al-Shami had been closed in 2010. I assume all is well there at this point and that I wouldnt' have to worry about spending a day of my short trip feeling yucky.

[zuriga1]

You might like the Magdalen Arms. It's a very nice gastropub. Oxford seems a bit of a culinary wasteland, but maybe some others will have a few ideas. The Magdalen has some sort of connection with Anchor & Hope, but I can't remember what it is. We took my niece for lunch in Oxford last year and really enjoyed the food.

[LulusMom]

Thank you so much - I had seen this name a few other places, and it is good that it has your seal of approval. I'm sad to hear that Oxford isn't such a good food-town.