Hey, fancy meeting up at a motel somewhere along the A420 on a cold dark night? Yeah, sure, doesn't sound murdery at all. If there's one thing that will tempt me to attend such an odd invitation, it's this. Mollie's Motel & Diner is a new - and seemingly unusual - project by Nick Jones, founder of Soho House. The Soho House of A-list celebrity clientele fame and private … [Read more...]
A first look: The Plough
Oxford's newest pub, well, returning pub anyway as it originally opened in 1656, is The Plough on Cornmarket Street. Since Austin Reed’s closure in 2016, it had been empty until the back end of last year. At the moment they're going through a ‘soft launch’ with the grand opening in February. In talking with Steve Jones, who will assist in running the bar, he mentioned they … [Read more...]
Preview: The Bicycle Shed
I spend ages not talking about Summertown, then all of a sudden it's all I seem to be talking about. Following on from the news that Portabello closed and is opening under new management as Pompette (more on that later), Oxford Kitchen won a Michelin star AND South Parade is getting a new independent wine shop, I went to visit The Bicycle Shed last week. The Bicycle Shed … [Read more...]
Preview: Grape Minds independent wine shop, North Oxford
Well, it's all go in Summertown at the moment. Portabello is becoming Pompette (more on that very soon), Oxford Kitchen won a Michelin star, and now new wine shop, Grape Minds, is set to open on South Parade. Michael Jelley and Graeme Woodward have been working together at Majestic Wine in North Oxford for the past two years, with Graeme working there for a further four. The … [Read more...]
Preview: refurb & new en-suite rooms at The George Inn, Barford St Michael
Last week Bitten ventured (are you sitting down?) beyond the ring road, to visit The George Inn, a country pub that's just undergone a refurbishment under new management. While us townies might be unfamiliar with the concept of leaving our 'hoods on a regular basis, the drive out to The George was a pleasant one, out the other side of Kidlington and past Duns Tew on country … [Read more...]
