It’s quite possible that, even if you live in Oxford and know your way around the restaurant scene, you’ve not heard about Jericho Grill. I say that because I live in Oxford and very much know my way around the restaurant scene and hadn’t heard about this place until the chance for a review came up. If, on hearing about the restaurant, you were to google it, you’d see that the place has absolutely outstanding reviews online, with stars all over the place and barely a negative point to be found. Naturally, I was curious, and went to check it out one Wednesday lunchtime.
Jericho Grill is cosy and welcoming rather than innovatively stylish – exposed brickwork, neutral colours, lots of wood – and with the comfy chairs, cosy temperature and spacious tables, I was happy to settle in. The menu is solid and simple: varied enough to have choices to satisfy a range of people but not so huge as to be overwhelming. There’s also a carefully curated wine list, small but well-formed, with crowd-pleasing favourites and some more unusual options.
The prices are reasonable for Jericho, and the set lunch menu in particular is amazing value…
…with one course for £9, two courses for £12.50 and three courses for £15. As befitting a grill restaurant, it’s got a lot of solid winners (steak, fish, burgers) rather than anything hugely unusual, but of course sometimes that’s exactly what you’re in the mood for.
Wanting to ensure we had room for dessert, my dining companion and I shared the calamari (£7) to start. He followed it with the classic sirloin steak on the bone (£22) with peppercorn sauce and chips, while I went for the Yellowfin tuna steak with mango and avocado salsa (£17.50). The calamari was simple but done well, with a light and crisp (rather than claggy) batter coating covering soft, juicy squid.
The steak was tender and full of flavour, the peppercorn sauce warming and moreish, and the chips (which I sampled, a lot, for research) had that dreamy crunchy exterior and fluffy interior you always wish for when you’re getting a chunky chip. The Jericho Grill beef is supplied by Aubrey Allen and dry-aged for 28 days, and the quality comes through. I asked for my tuna steak blue rare, and I was pleased to find it met the brief: it absolutely melted in my mouth. The presentation was a bit odd and it did come with a pile of cooked spinach which wasn’t on the menu and felt a slightly out of place alongside bright, fresh mango avocado salsa and citrus dressing, but I ate it happily enough.
The main course portions were perfectly generous but not overwhelming or heavy, so we had plenty of room for desserts: the dark chocolate brownie with pistachio ice cream (£6) and the chocolate orange mousse with marscapone (£5.50). I am an experienced consumer of chocolate desserts and these were both excellent examples of the genre (although I don’t really understand why they were each garnished a mint leaf). The brownie was rich and dense with chocolate (although I’ve tasted better pistachio ice creams) and the mousse was a well-balanced between creaminess and lightness with just the right amount of orange to complement the chocolate.
It’s also worth noting that the service here was really excellent.
Friendly, warm, attentive without being overbearing and speedy without feeling rushed – we were very well looked after and had a lovely lunch experience.
Overall, this is a really solid choice of restaurant. It was quiet on the weekday lunchtime we visited: I think it simply hasn’t been discovered yet. You could come here for a set lunch for excellent value on a weekday or a cosy date night. I also think it would be a really good option for dining with parents or in-laws. A classic grill restaurant that does what it promises. I’d happily return.
We dined as guests of Jericho Grill. All views remain our own.
67 Walton St
Oxford OX2 6AG
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