Life is full of surprises, who would have thought having spent most of my younger years living just down the road that I’d be eating Octopus in Botley? Pappo is a restaurant and wine bar dedicated to serving quality local and seasonal produce. Ex Manoir chef César Sousa head’s up the team and as you’d expect, the calibre of the food is exceptionally high.

The restaurant has been fitted to a very high standard and is upmarket without being pretentious but is surprising “date night” material.

It feels slightly misplaced as you’re in the heart of the new West Way Square which doesn’t scream fine dining but they’ve done a great job of bringing a European atmosphere. With a lovely terrace surrounded by flowers, it is a lovely intimate setting for a glass of wine or a delicious cocktail (which Holly can testify to!)

The restaurant is spacious and has some really lovely seating areas for small group bookings, ask for a booth if you’d like to impress. The green velvet furnishings with the gold detailing gave it a very crisp and cool feel.

To start we were given some soda bread and beer bread with marmite butter. One of us usually is firmly in the “hate it” club when it comes to marmite but the flavours were subtle and went incredibly well with the beer bread, in particular. A tremendous bite of sticky saltiness on warm bread.

Rachel ordered the Slow Braised Octopus (£11.00) on the recommendation of the waiter, it was beautifully cooked and presented, served with confit potatoes, a leek emulsion and a pesto which slightly overshadowed the delicate and somewhat chargrilled flavouring of the octopus. Even so it was perfectly cooked and the flavours worked well together.

Holly ordered the Chicken Liver Parfait (£9.00) which was wonderfully smooth and was complimented with a lovely fruity apricot chutney which cut through the richness. It was served with a delicate brioche bun which was sweet however, I would have personally preferred a more traditional crunchy toast to contrast the softness of the parfait.

For mains, Holly had the Tempura Courgette Flower, Herb Gnocchi, Spring Vegetables, Romesco Sauce (£19.50). This dish looked and tasted divine. It was perfect for the warm weather and packed full of flavour.

The courgette flower was cooked to crispy perfection and the herb gnocchi made this dish a satisfying main course. It was definitely the best dish of the night for both of us.

Rachel went on the waiter’s recommendation again for main, selecting the 48 Hour Braised Pork Collar, Charred Leeks, Sweet Potato Fondant, Leek Emulsion, Beer Glaze (£26).

The pork was incredibly tender, the beer glaze was delicious and the charred leeks and fondant sweet potato made a great accompaniment. We both felt like this dish was missing something though – a sharpness to cut through the depths of flavour.

We shared some triple-cooked chips (£4.50) on the side which were to die for, crispy on the outside and fluffy inside. Absolute perfection!

For dessert, we shared the Crème Brule, Berry Compote, Sacristains (£8). It was a lovely smooth, creamy but not too rich Crème Brule and the Sacristains (sweet sticks of puff pastry) were a lovely addition.

We really hope Pappo does well, it really deserves great things.

It’s serving incredibly creative, delicious dishes in a really lovely environment. If you live in West Oxford and don’t want to venture into town or you want a nice drink with some small plates before heading into the city – there’s literally no competition. It’s super convenient for parking and very accessible.

We were serenaded by Smooth66 music, their very own house band, playing the finest in soul, funk and jazz which provided a really lovely atmosphere.

Pappo
20-22 West Way, Botley, Oxford OX2 9TJ
www.pappoeat.co.uk

We dined as guests of Pappo – all views remain our own