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215

Oxford United Kingdom

I first visited this restaurant in 2021 after the end of the third lockdown.

Ambience

1.0

The atmosphere was calm, cool, and upmarket, it was a bit posh but comfortable.

The service was incredible: the server was just lovely and so willing to amend the menu to our dietary requirements

Service

1.0

Price

0.5

The price was high, however for the experience it was far lower than I would have expected

The restaurant is well laid out, with tables separated well, allowing for good social distancing

Space

1.0

The food was incredible – some flavour combinations that I had never had before, and all incredibly good

Taste

1.0

Range

0.5

There was not a large amount of choice, but the menu seems to be updated regularly and there is a decent amount of choice

The menus were meat-centric (although the menu says that vegetarian options are available on demand, and no doubt they will be to the same high quality)

Vege-Friendly

0.5

Potatoes

0.0

There were no potatoes in the menu we were served

This restaurant receives 2 thumbs up.

Overall score: 7.5/10

The Towpath

London United Kingdom

I first visited this restaurant in 2022.

Ambience

1.0

The atmosphere was lovely, on the edge of the canal on a sunny day is the ideal way to eat fresh food

The service was kind, but it was a very long experience. There was a long queue to get a seat, and ordering/receiving food took a while as there were not many servers

Service

0.0

Price

0.5

The food was reasonably priced, and you could comfortably eat for under £20 a person

The restaurant was small but this added to its charm, with the open kitchen and being metres from the river

Space

1.0

The food was lovely, perfect for a sunny evening: fresh, flavourful, and light.

Taste

1.0

Range

0.5

The menu changes frequently so there is always a good amount of choice, however the items only last until they run out so the menu gets considerably smaller as the day goes on

On the day we went, there were a number of good vegetarian options

Vege-Friendly

1.0

Potatoes

0.0

On the day we went, there were no potato options

This restaurant receives 1 thumb up.

Overall score: 6/10

The Punter

Oxford United Kingdom

I first visited this restaurant in 2021 after the end of the third lockdown.

Ambience

0.5

Being outside and with social distancing in place there wasn’t much of an ambience, however it had a good vibe

The service was generally fine however there was a bit of a wait for the bill

Service

0.5

Price

0.0

It was pretty expensive, especially for a student, and the portion sizes

It has a lovely outdoor seating area and it was good for social distancing

Space

1.0

The food was pretty good, however they needed seasoning, probably just a pinch of salt.

Taste

0.5

Range

1.0

There was a relatively large range of options and it seems to change

Everything is vegetarian and a lot is vegan.

Vege-Friendly

1.0

Potatoes

0.5

The fries were okay.

This restaurant receives 1 thumb up.

Overall score: 6/10

Ramen Kulture

Oxford United Kingdom

I first visited this restaurant in 2021 after the end of the third lockdown.

Ambience

1.0

The vibe is good, there’s a nice bustle that you get from a small restaurant.

The service was good, although a tad slow.

Service

0.5

Price

1.0

The food was well priced, the ramen being around £10 for a substantial filling meal.

The restaurant was cosy, however it felt a bit uncomfortable in terms of social distancing at times.

Space

0.5

The Ramen was great, full of some powerful flavours and complemented with an incredible broth.

Taste

1.0

Range

1.0

There was a relatively large range of food on offer, but not so large that it is easy to get lost.

The majority of the options were not vegetarian. Sometimes there were some vegetarian versions, but the meat was clearly the star.

Vege-Friendly

0.5

Potatoes

0.0

There were no potato options.

This restaurant receives 1 thumb up.

Overall score: 6.5/10

Arbequina

Oxford United Kingdom

I first visited this restaurant in 2021 after the end of the third lockdown.

Ambience

1.0

On a lovely sunny day, sitting outside and watching the world go by, surrounded by happy faces and brilliant smelling food: impossible to beat.

Efficient, kind, helpful, attentive and – most importantly – happy; I couldn’t fault a thing.

Service

1.0

Price

0.5

The food was on the pricey side for a student budget, but it was worth it 100% and it wasn’t as expensive as I expected it to be.

The restaurant has a great look, preserving the old storefronts, and a well laid out restaurant.

Space

1.0

The food was incredible. Every plate that arrived was packed full of flavour – even the bread was immaculate.

Taste

1.0

Range

0.5

The menu was short, but great. It is also regularly updated/changed.

The vast majority of the dishes were vegetarian friendly and were just delicious.

Vege-Friendly

1.0

Potatoes

0.5

The patatas bravas were pretty good, but they didn’t meet the same high quality as the rest of the food (they certainly needed a bit of seasoning).

This restaurant receives 2 thumbs up.

Overall score: 8.5/10

Tse Noodles

Oxford United Kingdom

I first visited this restaurant in 2020 after the end of the second lockdown.

Ambience

1.0

A nice homely feel as you walk in, with wooden benches and an open kitchen.

The service was generally pretty quick; you tick what you want on the menu which makes ordering simple. On a couple of occasions we didn’t receive everything we ordered, however.

Service

0.5

Price

1.0

The prices were pretty good, everything is below £10.

The place was quite small, but that just made it feel more homely. There was enough space between tables to be able to social distance comfortably.

Space

1.0

Really good, full of great flavour and packing a punch: a brilliant place to eat.

Taste

1.0

Range

0.5

Being a noodle place, it was mainly noodle dishes, however there were a relatively large range of options from stir fries to noodle soups.

There were not many vegetarian options, however they were good.

Vege-Friendly

0.5

Potatoes

0.0

There were no potato options.

This restaurant receives 1 thumb up.

Overall score: 6.5/10

James St. Tavern

Oxford United Kingdom

I first visited this restaurant in 2020 after the end of the second lockdown.

Ambience

0.5

It was very quiet, a bit dead, which is sad because I imagine it would have been lively and filled with people before covid.

The service was okay, however because of the app system the food all came at different times and it was difficult to catch someone’s attention.

Service

0.5

Price

0.5

The prices were generally fine, however a bit expensive for a student budget.

The restaurant was well laid out, especially for social distancing, as well as a covered outdoor area. There was also a great aesthetic.

Space

1.0

The burgers were pretty good but essentially it was classic pub food.

Taste

0.5

Range

0.5

They did a few different burgers as well as crêpes.

They did a vegan meatless burger and a vegetarian crêpe, but otherwise it was mainly focussed on meat dishes.

Vege-Friendly

0.5

Potatoes

0.5

The chips were pretty good for a pub, and were plentiful for the price.

This restaurant receives 0 thumbs up.

Overall score: 4.5/10

Taberu

Oxford United Kingdom

I first visited this restaurant in 2020 after the end of the second lockdown.

Ambience

1.0

The restaurant feels really classy as you walk in, with its sleek and monochrome approach.

The service was good, efficient, and friendly.

Service

1.0

Price

0.5

The prices are relatively expensive, but for sushi it isn’t too bad.

The restaurant was relatively well laid out, however the plastic sheeting felt a bit unstable, and was quite difficult to shimmy past.

Space

0.5

The sushi was pretty good, with some interesting types and combos.

Taste

0.5

Range

1.0

There was a relatively wide range of sushi, as well as hot food options.

There were a few veggie sushi options, but most were fish or meat.

Vege-Friendly

0.5

Potatoes

0.0

There were no potato options.

This restaurant receives 1 thumb up.

Overall score: 6/10

The White Rabbit

Oxford United Kingdom

I first visited this restaurant in 2017, and I have revisited just after the end of the second lockdown.

Ambience

1.0

It has managed to adapt well to the new regulations, keeping the fun vibe.

The service wasn’t great, perhaps due to the increased table number. We barely saw anyone all night, and all of our courses came at basically the same time, dessert arriving halfway through our main so it was then cold by the time we started it.

Service

0.0

Price

0.5

The prices are good for Oxford, all of the pizzas being below £12.

The restaurant was always well laid out, and it continues to be post-lockdown. The outside area was a nice addition, where each table was divided off and kept warm by a heater. A really nice experience

Space

1.0

The pizzas are really good, made freshly, and full of great flavour. There are some interesting flavour combos that you wouldn’t expect but that work well

Taste

1.0

Range

0.5

As a pizza place, they only really do pizzas, but there is a wide range (including a “mystery” pizza that I’ve never been brave enough to choose).

There are a number of really good vegan and vegetarian pizzas, including a vegan calzone.

Vege-Friendly

1.0

Potatoes

0.0

There were no potato options.

This restaurant receives 1 thumb up.

Overall score: 6/10

Giggling Squid

Oxford United Kingdom

I first visited this restaurant in 2020, after the end of the second lockdown.

Ambience

1.0

It goes without saying that the first thing you notice is that the restaurant is beautiful. It has a great pastel aesthetic and is a pleasure to be in.

The service was was pretty good, however at times we ended up waiting a while, such as to receive the bill.

Service

0.5

Price

0.5

The prices were pretty good, but at around £15 it may be a bit expensive for a student budget

The restaurant was nicely laid out with lots of different areas. It was easy to social distance in which is nice. There seemed to be a lot of steps, however, which made it less accessible.

Space

0.5

The food was great, strong powerful flavours and some exciting flavour combinations too.

Taste

1.0

Range

1.0

There was a wide range of options, well laid out in the menu, and highlighted with “favourites” to make it easy to choose.

Although the menu looks meat/fish heavy, there is a vegan menu with a number of really great dishes on.

Vege-Friendly

1.0

Potatoes

0.0

There were no potato options.

This restaurant receives 1 thumb up.

Overall score: 6.5/10