Review: Chez Mal, Malmaison

As the nights draw in and the leaves turn golden, I start to crave those cosy nights with comforting dishes. Hearty, rich, indulgent and warming – autumn flavours are some of my favourites, pair that with a converted dungeon turned elegant bistro and you have the perfect autumnal dining experience.

Chez Mal at the Malmaison Hotel sits at the basement of what used to be Oxford Castle Prison and is now a boutique hotel nestled in thousands of years of history. Though I usually shy away from hotel restaurants, expecting them to not have the same quality as a restaurant in its own right, Chez Mal is making me change that perception. With elevated British classics, their new autumn menu serves up seasonal delights that will make you forget the fading sunlight of the end of summer.

The bistro is the perfect setting for darker nights, with rich colours and soft lighting, it is a great date night spot.

This is my second time visiting Chez Mal and both times the service has been impeccable. We had the pleasure of having Maddie as our server, and if you are so lucky to have her wait on you whilst you are there, you are guaranteed a lovely evening. She was extremely attentive and very knowledgeable of the menu and produce, giving me some great recommendations that I wouldn’t have necessarily ordered myself but I am so glad I did. The drinks menu is impressive and I opted for a cocktail as I saw they had a mango caipirinha and I couldn’t resist. It was fruity and tangy and the perfect start to the meal.

I began with the mushroom, Burford egg cocotte, served with grilled sourdough and it exceeded my expectations. It embodied those creamy, rich flavours that you seek in gloomy evenings. The sourdough was slightly smoky from being grilled, which added a nice depth. We also tried the spiced carrot and caramelised onion soup, which had a little kick of chilli heat and warmed you up perfectly. It was cosy comfort in a bowl. Note that the soup was not served with bread.

For the mains I took Maddie up on her recommendation of the paprika cod served with chorizo, cauliflower puree and shoestring fries, and it was really lovely.

The fish was cooked perfectly, soft, flaky and delicate; it was great with the punchy chorizo and velvety cauliflower puree. The shoestring fries added that much-needed crunch that rounded the dish off wonderfully.

We then tasted the falafel and spinach burger, because all British bistros need to serve a good burger. Nothing extraordinary, but a good burger nonetheless with excellent fries included – a rarity these days. The cod was £23 and the burger £19.50, slightly on the pricier side of things so this is somewhere I would suggest if you are looking for something a little special. There was a good selection of vegan and vegetarian options on the menu, catering to a wide range of dietary requirements, which is always a positive sign.

I am sad to say that by this point I was very full and the idea of a dessert was simply out of the question. However, this just means I have to return because the dessert menu looked incredible, with sticky toffee pudding making an appearance (one of my favourites) and a tiramisu brownie, next time I will leave some room for dessert.

I did manage a small scoop of sorbet, which finished the meal of very well. If you are looking for an upscale bistro that serves warming twists on British classics to high quality, I would suggest you keep Chez Mal in mind.