A joint review of The Cherwell Boathouse by Hannah Bond and Lucy Ayrton – Lucy’s comments in italics. The Cherwell Boathouse is absolutely beautiful. If you’re looking for a quintessential, idyllic Oxford setting, then look no further. It’s tucked down a side street in the leafy north of the city, hidden away at the end of a path that leads to the river. It couldn’t be … [Read more...]
Review: Brasserie Blanc
We dined as guests of Brasserie Blanc. As always, all views are our own. Brasserie Blanc is quietly, consistently, reassuringly reliable. That may sound like damning with faint praise, but it absolutely isn’t. There have been lots of changes on the Oxford restaurant scene in recent years, and I love getting excited about an evening out at the latest new eatery as much as … [Read more...]
Restaurant Review: The Plough at 38
A joint review by Hannah Bond and Lucy Ayrton – Lucy’s comments in italics Before we were offered the opportunity to review The Plough at 38 for Bitten, I’d never even heard of its existence. This is pretty weird, given Oxford is a small place and I am fairly invested in the local restaurant scene, and yet somehow it had completely passed me by. I think partly it’s because I … [Read more...]
Review: Rusty Bicycle’s New Vegan Burger
A joint review by Hannah Bond and Lucy Ayrton – Lucy’s comments in italics. Full disclosure: there is no point in us reviewing The Rusty Bicycle as a pub in a more general sense, because we basically live there. They might as well have a plaque on a table for us. We spend a completely disproportionate amount of our earnings in this establishment. This does not mean, however, … [Read more...]
Review: Durban Spice Supper Club
I basically want to go round to Shabs and Sarah’s house every night for dinner for the rest of my life, please. Unfortunately, I think that ambition is going to have to remain unrealised, because I have the feeling that their dining room is going to be full pretty much constantly as soon as people catch on to the existence of this absolute gem of a supper club. As you might … [Read more...]
Review: Sneaky Supper Club
Curling your hands around a cup of warm soup on a freezing February night is immensely comforting, particularly when that soup smells absolutely delicious and you know you’re in for a massive treat of a meal. I’m going to tell you at the top: I haven’t got anything negative to say about my dinner at Sneaky Supper Club. The food was impeccable; the company delightful; the … [Read more...]
Review: The George Inn, Barford St Michael
A joint review by Hannah Bond and Lucy Ayrton - Lucy's comments in italics. It’s very easy, living in Oxford, to get stuck in a comforting cycle of visiting the same reliable restaurant haunts time and again because you know that you’re going to get a decent meal and that you’re facing nothing more than a ten-minute cycle journey home at the end of it. But that way … [Read more...]
Review: Cheesemas at Byron
I was rather keen to get my hands on Byron’s seasonal burger offering. It’s freezing cold outside. It’s dark before 4pm. We’ve already had our Christmas party and there’s very little on the horizon to ease my way through the ever-lengthening nights and grey days until the Christmas break begins. So why in the world would I not take the chance to sample an indecently huge burger … [Read more...]
Supper Club Review: Smoke and Thyme
Before my recent visit to Smoke and Thyme, I had never been to a supper club. The booking process for getting a table was so familiar (online, OpenTable, pick your time, confirmation email) that I sort of forgot we’d essentially we eating in someone’s conservatory. But then we pulled up to this amazing house on Divinity Road, were welcomed in by a friendly waitress, and sat … [Read more...]
Recipe: Orange and Rhubarb Cheesecake
As part of a special series, Bitten friend and guest writer Hannah Bond is sharing some brilliant seasonal recipes with us. Hannah is a graduate of Leiths, freelance chef, and cookery teacher living in Oxford. If she’s not eating or cooking food she’s probably either talking, writing, or thinking about it. Check out her ramblings, recipes and product reviews over on her … [Read more...]
Recipe: Spiced Parsnip and Apple Soup
As part of a special series, Bitten friend and guest writer Hannah Bond is sharing some brilliant seasonal recipes with us. Hannah is a graduate of Leiths, freelance chef, and cookery teacher living in Oxford. If she’s not eating or cooking food she’s probably either talking, writing, or thinking about it. Check out her ramblings, recipes and product reviews over on her … [Read more...]
Recipe: Beetroot, Tangerine, and Kale Salad
As part of a new series, Bitten friend and guest writer Hannah Bond will be sharing some brilliant seasonal recipes with us. Hannah is a graduate of Leiths, freelance chef, and cookery teacher living in Oxford. If she's not eating or cooking food she's probably either talking, writing, or thinking about it. Check out her ramblings, recipes and product reviews over on her … [Read more...]
Restaurant Chains Invasion
Guest post by Hannah Bond London is one of the food capitals of the world, and Oxford is a culinary outpost of London. Alright, fine, Oxford’s more than that. There are libraries and stuff. But as far as food goes, if London’s the trendsetting big brother - the first one to get a girlfriend and discover the bands no one has heard of - Oxford is the eager tag-along younger … [Read more...]