News: Victor’s Summer rooftop

With the arrival of summer comes longer days, hayfever and crowded pub gardens. A warm sunny day causes everyone to flock to their nearest watering hole for a pint outside. But at Victor’s in Westgate roof, you can enjoy a drink outside, come rain or shine. Their Secret Rooftop is now open, covered in florals and wooden beams with views of Oxford’s spires, it can be a great option for a cocktail outside, away from any traffic or crowds. But it is also kitted out with powerful outdoor heaters, so if a week takes a bit of a dip in temperature or the wind is blowing slightly too strongly for mid-June, you can still be comfortable and your evening can go ahead without a glitch.

When we attended the launch of the rooftop garden space, we were able to sample a large portion of the Victor’s menu. First of all were the drinks, we sampled one of their classic cocktails, aptly named the 365 days of summer. It was gin, lychee liquor, rhubarb liquor, elderflower cordial, lemon and apple juice. I think I would be hard-pressed to think of a better list of ingredients. It was fresh and zingy but still had some sweetness, so you kept sipping with ease.

To start, we had some avocado hummus and harissa on pittas, and they were great, vegan but not gluten-free. The avocado made the hummus feel more decadent, and the harissa added a smoky touch. Victor’s also has a sushi menu, much to my surprise and we were able to sample a few of their rolls. The California roll with crab and avocado was really nice, and had a bit of a crunch from some cucumber. They also served a vegan sushi which consisted of a tofu and asparagus tempura roll and this was definitely one of the more inventive vegan sushi options I have seen on a menu. However, overall, I would say this wasn’t the best sushi ever, and there are some better places in Oxford you can find sushi.

However, the small burger sliders, both beef and chicken, were really good so I can only imagine how satisfying a full-sized one would be! On the beef burger, the cheese was perfectly melted and everything was in a great ratio, which I think is not always easy to achieve. The thing that did it for me were the pickles, to me a beef burger without pickles is not worth my time, so I was so happy to see that the pickles had their rightful place in this burger.

They also served some skewers, including popcorn chicken and halloumi, both of which were great crowd pleasers. Although one of my favourite dishes were the mushroom croquettes. They were indulgent, truffly and crispy and I couldn’t wait to get my hands on another one (luckily I made a beeline for them as soon as I saw the waiter pass around with them again). I would say that the menu is a little on the pricey side, but with Victor’s you are also getting the thoughtful décor and views of Oxford from above. However, considering the price point (a burger is £19 for context) is it not somewhere I would consider for a general meal out.

It is also a very curated aesthetic, so if rough and ready or minimalist is more your vibe then Victor’s may not be the place for you. However, for a ‘treat yourself’ moment, or if you are craving a cocktail and some delicious small plates, then the secret garden is where I would want to be this summer.