As soon as anyone says rooftop bar to me, I’m there. Maybe it makes me basic, but to me there’s nothing better than slurping on a nice fresh cocktail while on a roof, especially if it’s in Oxford- those views! So, when I was invited for lunch at the Ashmolean rooftop restaurant to try out the new menu, it was an obvious yes.

To get to the restaurant you enter the Ashmolean museum as normal, and then take the signposted stairs up to the top (there’s also a lift of course- but taking the stairs makes you feel good about yourself before demolishing the entire menu.)

First impressions – light, airy, and easy. The decor and lighting (I want to know where the stunning lampshades are from!) of the restaurant are lovely, it’s really bright (can imagine even more so in the summer months) and tables, etc are spaced out well.

My friend and I were ravenous by the time we arrived, so ordered a couple of things to share to start us off. We ordered the mixed olives (demolished in a minute), the sharing platter (which consisted of taramasalata, roasted red pepper hummus, and pitta), and the lamb koftas. The sharing platter was a little on the light side, perhaps a few more bits of pitta would’ve been welcomed, but overall delicious. The lamb koftas were cooked well and packed with flavour, but also could’ve been a little bigger (although we might not have had space for the rest if they had been- so swings and roundabouts.)

All washed down with a couple of Aperol spritzes – willing summer to start as soon as possible, please.

For our mains we both ordered the handmade wild-farmed black truffle & ricotta tortelloni, which was paired with butternut squash purée, caramelised shallot, roast butternut, Parmesan, sage crisp, and truffle oil.

Absolutely stunning. The butternut squash purée was so good I wanted to lick the rest of it from the plate but thought this probably wasn’t acceptable. The hint of truffle was just right – not too overpowering like it can be sometimes. A generous portion and quite filling.

For dessert, we both had the chocolate torte, (I originally ordered the lemon tart but it was sold out- will have to go back for it!) which was like a posh after eight. The chocolate was smooth and had a hit of mint running through it and a crunchy bottom layer, so a nice variety of textures. The mint element gave it a fresh twist which was needed after a 3 courser!

I’d definitely eat here again, in fact, I will most certainly be going back in the summer as there’s a whole outdoor terrace attached where I can imagine multiple spritzes going down a treat. The restaurant also offer afternoon tea which looks worth checking out.

If you are planning to go, you should also check out the current Labryinth exhibition on at the Ashmolean.

The Ashmolean Roof Restaurant
www.ashmolean.org/cafe-and-restaurant