Review: The Embassy at The Chesterton

I love traditional Indian food and so I am often a bit wary about fusion food. Large menus with too many dishes to get every one perfect, 2 cuisines and often medicare at both. However this British-Indian spot in Oxford managed to surprise me. It’s not perfect, but it gets enough ticks from me for a return visit.

The Embassy bar and restaurant is part of the Chesterton hotel, but you don’t need to be a guest to dine there. Based in Biscester – very well located for Biscester Village shopping, with an amazing cocktail menu that I was lucky enough to sample, and some stand out dishes in the Ambassador’s selection of the menu, it makes for a great location.

We started with masala paneer bites, samosa chaat, and vegetable spring rolls.

Spring rolls were not all that interesting and neither British nor Indian. The masala paneer bites came with a sweet chilli dip and had a Westernised feel. You could taste the paprika in the marinade – definitely leaning toward the “British” in British-Indian, but still enjoyable. But the samosa chaat was flawless.It was spicy, tangy, with a tamarind-pomegranate combination that I immediately looked up after coming home. It had texture, flavour, and a lovely freshness that set the tone. I could have eaten several plates of this fruity savoury dish.

For mains, we had the ambassador butter chicken and Goan king prawn curry.

The butter chicken was rich and creamy, while the prawn curry had some real depth and a nice kick. The dhal was so rich, earthy and warming, different to dhal that I make at home, with the grain soaked in ginger and slow cooked – it was morish and you could tell it had been cooked slowly, with care.

The garlic naan, rice and masala fries were all serviceable, but not memorable. Great if you have some more ‘picky’ eaters in your party. There is also an English side to the menu, in case some of your party don’t eat Indian food, but I didn’t really give it a second thought.

In the name of reviewing (and indulging my sweet tooth) I ordered the gulab jamun sundae.

I love gulam jamun. I used to buy it all the time in Dubai and so when I saw it on the menu I knew I had to have it. It came with a drizzle of chocolate that felt unnecessary, but didn’t ruin the experience. If you’re after something lighter, fruit is a better option, but if you’ve committed to indulgence, this is a solid finish.

With indulgence on the mind, and with our child at nursery – we decided to try a few of the cocktails. Drinks are clearly a highlight here. With 43 cocktails on the menu – including fun options like the Magic Dragon, mojitos, margaritas and more – there’s no shortage of creativity. The mocktails especially impressed me. Usually they’re just glorified juices, but here they felt considered, complex and balanced. They didn’t feel like an afterthought – they had flavoured smoke, great presentation and complex flavours.

Service was warm and personal, especially around allergies. The staff remembered our specific requirements and double-checked details without needing a reminder. The only real jarring note was the music. For a lunchtime visit, it felt more like a club, not ideal if you’re hoping for a calm, romantic meal. But for evening cocktails? I can imagine that it works.