At this stage of lockdown, takeaways are basically the highlight of my life. Sad but true. Any meal I don't have to cook feels like a miraculous treat. Apparently we got our summer back in April, because it's turned a bit grey and miserable: I had a long week, and our dinner from Street Food DelHi was a bright spot. A comforting hug. A promise of better things to come. Tarka … [Read more...]
Review: Lussmanns Takeaway Service
You might remember that at the beginning of lockdown I was lucky enough to visit Lussmanns. It was their press night. The restaurant was just opening. The date on that review is 7th March. So, yes. Everything went to hell very shortly afterwards. And the lovely new restaurant had to close. But I have thought back, often, to how much I enjoyed that evening and how good the food … [Read more...]
Tried & Tested: our favourite Oxford deliveries
One of the (very few) highlights of late has been seeing local food businesses go above and beyond; offering expanded services, like deliveries, to their customers. I'm sure many of us are in the habit of 'the big shop' at our nearest giant supermarket for pure convenience. In a world where that's become more challenging, consumers are reassessing how they get their food. … [Read more...]
Review: Lussmanns
Andrei Lussmann really believes in what he's doing with his independent group of restaurants, and his passion shines through within about six seconds of meeting him. He's focused on bringing local people great food that's sustainably, ethically sourced and accessible at affordable prices. Sounds good, right? Right indeed. I was fortunate enough to be invited along to the … [Read more...]
Review: The Holly Bush
It's a good job we had a table reserved at The Holly Bush for this review because if we'd just rocked up here on a Friday night the four of us definitely wouldn't have snagged a spot. The place was packed. It's wonderful to see that locals have clearly taken to this new incarnation of the 19th century Oxford pub. It was closed for years until its regeneration by Wells & Co. … [Read more...]
Pancake Day at Dirty Bones
Dirty Bones is the home of next-level American comfort food, so where better to go for a massive pile of pancakes on the happiest day of the year? (I’m ranking Pancake Day over Christmas this week). True, if you are a crepes-with-lemon-and-sugar traditionalist then this might not be the joint for you, but I bet even the most hardcore of stubborn lemon-lovers could be converted … [Read more...]
Review: Jericho Grill
It’s quite possible that, even if you live in Oxford and know your way around the restaurant scene, you’ve not heard about Jericho Grill. I say that because I live in Oxford and very much know my way around the restaurant scene and hadn’t heard about this place until the chance for a review came up. If, on hearing about the restaurant, you were to google it, you’d see that the … [Read more...]
Review: Lula’s Ethiopian and Eritrean Cuisine
I had never really eaten Ethiopian food before visiting Lula's pop up at Common Ground. That's partly why I was so excited to go: I am always up for trying something new, and sometimes it feels like there is not much left. Lula's food is available at the Gloucester Green market too, but on a cold January day the idea of sitting on a cosy sofa in cheery Common Ground to stuff … [Read more...]
Review: The Rabbit Hole
Appropriately for a bar named after a mysterious entrance to a magical land, The Rabbit Hole is tucked behind an enticing yellow door, hidden away down one of North Oxford's more unassuming and picturesque streets, and appeared as if by magic. Okay, maybe it wasn't magical, but if there was any big fanfare about this little independent neighbourhood bar's opening then it … [Read more...]
Review: Veganuary at The Rusty Bicycle
I do respect The Rusty Bicycle for not taking the easy route. They have a menu full of solid winners (I would be fairly happy to live on their Truffle Funghi pizza) and yet they are still doing inventive stuff, seasonal offerings, monthly specials, and generally keeping things interesting. Despite the fact that they already have a pretty good selection of vegetarian and vegan … [Read more...]
Fish & Chip Night at The Rickety Press
With the Dodo pubs, you just know everything’s always going to be alright. And, these days, it’s a very valuable thing to be able to take joy in the simple pleasure of going to your local. Getting excellent friendly service, knowing you’re going to enjoy good food done well and be offered a selection of quality drinks. I’m always very relaxed for a meal at the Rusty and or … [Read more...]
Restaurant Review: Cherwell Boathouse
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...]