Despite often wandering the streets of East Oxford in the search of food, it had been a while since I’d been to Cuttlefish. It catches my eye every time I cycle past (I’m easily lured by fairy lights), so we popped in on a Thursday night as a little treat.

We started with a classic bowl of steamed mussels to share ( £9.95 for 400g or £15.95 for 800g).

We opted for marinière sauce as I’m on a mission to find the best one in town, but they also offer Mediterranean or garlic and herbs.

This arrived quickly, and we lifted the lid to reveal a very generous and steaming-hot helping. The mussels themselves were flavourful and good sizes. The sauce was rich and creamy, with enough left at the bottom of the bowl to essentially eat as a soup once the mussels were gone.

This was a great option to share as a starter, although we could have done with more bread. It came with a few small slices of brioche, which I think would disappear very quickly even if the dish was just for one person.

Next up, I went for squid ink spaghetti with mixed seafood and Mediterranean salsa (£17.95). This was an impressive helping: a pile of black pasta, crowned with a single large prawn that stared into my soul a bit.

The tomato-based sauce had a good flavour, and the dish was stuffed with seafood. There were yet more mussels, as well as smaller prawns and calamari rings. All of them were well-cooked – no rubbery textures in sight.

My partner went for the special of butterflied sea bass with green beans, potatoes and salsa verde. This in comparison was quite a disappointingly small portion. The fish itself was a reasonable size, but the large plate looked quite bare as the potatoes rolled around beside it.

Nevertheless, the taste was good.

If we went back, I’d probably top this up with a side dish (perhaps grilled Mediterranean vegetables, £5.95) but this would suddenly approach a relatively expensive main course.

Alongside all this, we enjoyed a bottle of Picpoul de Pinet (£28.95) which went well with the lighter dishes.

By this point we were too full for desserts (also 3 courses feels a bit extravagant for a Thursday) but I was tempted by the profiteroles from the specials menu. Combined with the standard a la carte options, it looked like there was a really nice range of sweet treats to choose from.

The service was friendly and attentive throughout. It was a good meal, for the most part at a reasonable price.

The vibe is relaxed and informal – think plastic table covers, rather than tablecloths – and I think this could be a nice option for more lowkey celebrations or if you have some friends visiting. The menu options range from classic crowdpleasers (fish and chips, £14.95) to more sophisticated fare (crab bisque, anyone, or maybe a whole lobster?).

They also offer brunch (daily, 11am-5pm) and light lunches (Mon-Fri, 11am-5pm), which could be a great option if you’re exploring East Oxford during the day or need sustenance before a ride on the Oxford Tube.

Cuttlefish
36 St Clement’s Street, Oxford, OX4 1AB