After a six-year restoration project, chef-patron Oliver McEwan finally opened the doors of his intimate 12-cover restaurant on St Helen’s Street in April 2026, transforming a Grade II-listed 15th-century building into soon to be one of Oxfordshire’s most talked-about dining destinations.
Fully booked for months and already generating Michelin whispers, it’s easy to see why.
Oliver, who honed his craft in Michelin-starred kitchens, has created something deeply personal. Le Petit Doigt, French for “the little finger”, is named after his mother’s permanently crooked finger, the result of an accident in the very same building when it housed Frugal Food, a much-loved community wholefoods shop in the 1970s. The restaurant’s logo is her fingerprint, the typeface is based on her handwriting, and the dining room sits in the very room where that accident happened nearly fifty years ago.
That sense of story runs through everything here. Le Petit Doigt champions the principles of slow food, prioritising ethical sourcing, seasonality, sustainability and local producers.
Menus are inspired by history, ingredients and whatever happens to spark Oliver’s imagination, resulting in a dining experience that feels both deeply considered and wonderfully creative.
And what better place to celebrate a wedding?
I can’t imagine many brides choose a ten-course tasting menu the night before their wedding, but that’s exactly what we did.
With a small, intimate wedding planned and a registry office ceremony in Abingdon the following morning, we wanted our celebrations to centre around something we both love: great food. Finding somewhere that felt truly special in Abingdon wasn’t easy, until we discovered Le Petit Doigt.
Walking through the door feels like stepping into somewhere you’d expect to find tucked away in Burford or one of the prettier corners of the Cotswolds. The dining room manages to be both intimate and stylish without ever feeling pretentious.
A roaring fire glowed in the corner, sheepskins draped across wooden benches, immaculate cutlery lined the tables and delicate wine glasses created an atmosphere that felt far removed from a small market town in Oxfordshire.
The wine list is thoughtfully curated, featuring bottles from Oxford Wine Company alongside other respected suppliers. Given the occasion, we started with a bottle of Chapel Down Brut NV (£55), which proved an excellent choice.
Before the menu officially began, we were treated to two snacks that immediately showcased the kitchen’s attention to detail. A beetroot and horseradish macaron was impossibly delicate, melting away before delivering a gentle horseradish kick. This was followed by a crisp cheese-filled tuile, rich, indulgent and packed with flavour.
Then came the main event: ten courses for £115 per person.
The opening dish, Soup from Ox Tongue Spiced with Nutmeg, set the tone for a menu that wasn’t afraid to reference history while remaining firmly modern. Served alongside was a beautifully executed ox tongue kebab, adding texture and substance to the course while showcasing the ingredient in two very different ways.
Wye Valley asparagus, sourced locally from Abingdon, arrived alongside nori butter and Jersey Royals. The asparagus was beautifully fresh and perfectly in season, elevated by the salty umami hit of the seaweed butter.
Salchichón Ibérico followed, paired with duck fat brioche, before one of the standout dishes of the evening arrived: John May’s duck liver parfait with Pedro Ximénez and duck fat brioche. Rich yet beautifully balanced, it was one of those dishes that had our entire table quietly nodding in appreciation after the first bite.
Another unanimous favourite was the Moules Marinière. Served in a gloriously creamy sauce, it delivered comfort and elegance in equal measure.
The oyster mushroom risotto with crispy rice may have been my personal highlight. Maratelli rice, mascarpone and wild garlic combined with deeply savoury mushrooms to create something that was deeply comforting. The crispy rice added texture while the wild garlic brought a punch of flavour that lingered beautifully.
Then came Oxfordshire beef with Chantenay carrots, Café de Paris butter and salsa verde. The star of the plate was a piece of beef brisket that was quite simply the most tender beef I’ve ever eaten. Rich, deeply flavoured and cooked to perfection, it melted away with every bite and, given the chance, I could happily have eaten an entire plate of it. The carrots, among the best I’ve eaten, brought sweetness and balance, while the Café de Paris butter and salsa verde provided contrasting richness and freshness to the dish.
Just as you start to wonder whether you can manage another course, the kitchen sends out French toast topped with truffled Brie and pear. The dish plays brilliantly with expectations, balancing sweet and savoury in a way that confuses the senses in all the right ways. It could easily have been served as a dessert.
Speaking of dessert, the rhubarb, hay and pink peppercorn course was perhaps the most divisive dish of the evening and certainly the most adventurous. Beautifully presented, the hay flavour initially dominates and takes some getting used to. But as you work through the dish, the combination begins to make sense. It may not have been everyone’s favourite, but it was undoubtedly one of the most memorable and creative plates of the night.
The final dessert of Medjool dates, miso, celeriac and Muscat was extraordinary. Imagine the best sticky toffee pudding you’ve ever eaten, then completely reimagine the ingredients while somehow retaining all of that indulgence and comfort. It was a fittingly spectacular finale.
Or so we thought.
Two final surprises arrived to close the evening: a miniature pistachio ice cream sandwich and a smoked truffle chocolate presented under a glass dome filled with smoke. The first hit is all theatre, smoke and alcohol aromas, but once that dissipates, you’re left with a beautifully creamy, intensely flavoured chocolate. Inspired by an Old Fashioned cocktail, the truffle delivers layers of smoke, citrus and warming boozy notes before giving way to rich, creamy chocolate. It was a theatrical and indulgent way to bring a brilliant evening to a close.
One of the things we loved most about the evening was Oliver’s presence in the dining room. Many of the dishes were delivered personally, with explanations of the ingredients, inspirations and stories behind them. It added warmth and personality to an experience that could otherwise have felt formal.
The restaurant itself strikes a wonderful balance. Despite there being other diners in the room, it feels remarkably intimate. We loved catching glimpses of dishes being prepared through the kitchen pass, admiring the beautiful pottery and appreciating the obvious care that has gone into every detail.
The following day, when we showed photographs from the meal to friends and family at our wedding, several people asked the same question: “Is that in the Michelin Guide?”
Not yet.
But I’d be surprised if it isn’t before long.
Le Petit Doigt is undeniably a special occasion restaurant. By the time you’ve added wine and the 12.5% service charge, the bill becomes significant, making it difficult to justify as a regular treat. Hands down, the most we’ve ever paid for a meal, although we were treating our guests!
There are very few places in Oxfordshire offering tasting menus of this quality, creativity and ambition. Every aspect of the experience feels carefully considered, from the storytelling and service to the ingredients and presentation. Most importantly, it delivers something increasingly rare: a genuine sense that you’re experiencing something special.
For us, it became one of the defining memories of our wedding weekend.
As we left, we were handed a signed illustrated postcard of the restaurant, along with a handwritten note thanking us for celebrating with them. It was a small gesture, but one that perfectly captured the warmth and thoughtfulness that runs through Le Petit Doigt.
A restaurant built on personal history is now busy creating memorable stories for everyone who decides to dine there.
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