Hopefully, this isn’t too much of a surprise, but it’s Mother’s Day next Sunday (31st March, get it in the diary!). For those of you with nothing planned, here are our top tips to a successful Mother’s Day in Oxford.

Lunch & Dinner Winners

OK, so here’s a classic for you – treat Mum to a good old Sunday lunch or dinner at one of our favourites, then relax over a decent plate of grub in the comfort of a cosy pub or restaurant.

The Porterhouse Grill & Rooms

If you ask me to chose one Oxford restaurant to eat at, I’d struggle – I have different favourites depending on my mood. But, if I have to choose just one, I’d say Porterhouse. I recommend the stylish steak restaurant over and over again, and it hasn’t disappointed me once. It’s not cheap, but it’s well worth the investment – with excellent quality aged beef and a chef who knows what to do with it. Mums get a free dessert when they book a table, contact them on 01865 248546.

The Killingworth Castle

Another brilliant option, Sunday lunch or any other day – The Killingworth Castle in Wootton near Woodstock. Running Mother’s Day service between 12-8pm, go and sample their recently awarded 2 AA Rosettes and over 50% organic menu! Call 01993 811 401 to book, check out their menus here: www.thekillingworthcastle.com/all-menus

Skogen Kitchen

Spoil your mother with a true Scandinavian experience at Skogen Kitchen! The King Edward Street cafe will be serving special Mother’s Day lunch options, as well as their usual menu of delicious breakfast, brunch and lunch dishes. Or pop in for Fika and enjoy one of their Scandinavian cakes or signature buns. Their food is made fresh every day using excellent local produce and lots of love, on top of all that, all Mums will be treated to a home-made gift! Bookings recommended at manager@skogen.kitchen.

The Rusty Bicycle & The Rickety Press

Both The Rusty Bicycle and The Rickety Press are giving Mums free prosecco with any lunch this mothers day. So not only can you get some great food, you can treat Mum to some bubbles too!

Carluccio’s

Wine and dine your mamma this Mother’s Day weekend, with a three-course lunch or dinner at Carluccio’s from £22.95 per person, complete with a glass of prosecco. Or…treat your Mum to a special Carluccio’s Mother’s Day hamper for £35 as well, choosing between a savoury or sweet option.

Abingdon Arms

Treat mum to a tasty roast dinner at Abingdon Arms this Mothers Day. With lamb supplied from Hill End Farm, crispy roast root vegetables, generous Yorkshire puddings topped with delicious gravy – all finished off with mum’s free glass of bubbles. Served from midday until 4pm.

Thaikhun

Say ‘Kop Khun Kha’ to the awesome females in your life at Thaikhun. What better way to express your love than transporting you and your family to a Thai street food market for dinner. Ideal to take the young adventurers along to, with the kid’s menu starting at £4.95 including a drink & ice cream. Book your table now and the restaurant will give them a free main course on their next visit.*

T&C’s card will be given once you have dined with Thaikhun. Valid until 30th April 2019. NOT valid on a Friday * Saturday. Not valid with any other promotion or offer. Cheapest main course will be complimentary. Must purchase one other main course to get ONE complementary main course. Not valid with the Thai Pinto.

The Pointer, Brill

I had some fantastic food at The Pointer in Brill recently, you can read the review here. I highly recommend it for a special occasion and Mum’s certainly won’t be disappointed. Tie it in with a wander around Brill Windmill for some fresh air to build up that appetite!

Pho, Westgate Oxford

Sip cocktails and slurp noodles with Mum this Mother’s Day! Pho is celebrating Mother’s Day in style, running a special set menu in the Westgate restaurant. Their set menu offers 2 courses for £14.50 or 3 courses for £18.50. To see the menu, click here. Their little one’s menu will also be available (£5.50 for a main and a drink), ensuring all the family are catered for.

Digbeth Dining Club

Fancy something a bit different and missing Bitten Street? Pop up to Birmingham to visit Digbeth Dining Club’s new sundaysoul event: street food traders, all cooking their own takes on the British Classic: The Sunday Roast. Find the action on Lower Trinity Street from 12-8PM, £2 Entry. Full details on Facebook.

Check out our guide to Oxford’s Best Sunday Lunches for more venue ideas.

Good Gift Game

Don’t turn up empty handed! We’ve got some great gift ideas to make her smile.

Gin O’Clock

One of my favourite gins of the last year has been Whitley Neill rhubarb and ginger, which I’ve been happily chugging away on with ginger beer (try it – trust me it’s delicious!). Jawbox have released a small batch rhubarb and ginger gin liqueur, which I’ll definitely be trying out. Either would make an interesting gift for those gin-loving Mumma’s and both are currently available with next day delivery from Amazon Prime!

Say it with Cake and Chocolate

We totally j’adore Happy Cakes for bespoke party cakes and cupcakes, or Barefoot for big and beautiful cakes that come decorated with seasonal fruits and edible flowers galore. You can order from Happy Cakes directly and Barefoot has a cafe on Walton Street in Jericho.

And for chocolate – you’ve got the wonderful Wicked Chocolate in iScream in Oxford’s Covered Market, which has a spinning display of handmade chocolates you can create your own selection with. Alternatively, you can buy something from Hotel Chocolat on the High Street, who also offer ‘chocolate lock-ins’ if you fancy treating Mummy to a chocolate tasting!

Great Grapes

Our favourite spots to pick up a bottle of something nice are Vine on Cowley Road, or Grape Minds in Summertown – go check them out and they’ll be very happy to recommend something special.

Vouchers

We love Sophie’s Cookery School and their vouchers make wonderful gifts. I recently cashed in a birthday voucher for a patisserie class, taught by the lovely Rachel Grenville-Hunt of Rachel’s Apron. Also highly recommended are the fab Wild Baker and Hamblin Bread for sourdough focussed classes.

Whatever you decide to do for Mother’s Day, I’m sure she’ll love it!