Oxford has no shortage of beautiful foodie spots for when the sun shines. Recently we were due to meet some friends on one of the hottest days of the summer so far, and we had simple requirements: cold wine, and light bites. So we made our merry way to The Oxford Wine Tavern, tucked away in Summertown.
We managed to nab a table on the small front terrace, which offered a perfect shady patch for a balmy Monday evening. Even relatively early on a weeknight it had a nice buzz (actually, quite a loud buzz from the back garden, which sounded very fun) and we spent a great few hours watching the world go by.
I went straight in for a glass of Le Haivre de Paix Rosé (£6.95 for 175ml) which was very light, fruity and incredibly refreshing. My friend chose a Cramele Recas Calusari Pinot Grigio (£7.50 for 175ml) which was pale and delicate. Both were perfect for an absolutely roasting day.
We shared a few different small dishes from the food menu, starting off with the bread served with butter, oils and balsamic (£6). The bread was fresh and crunchy, while the oils were delicious and infused with great flavours.
Next up was a double helping of chorizo with honey (£6.95 per portion).
This was a generous pile of huge chunks of chorizo, which were surprisingly subtle in taste. I don’t normally order single plates of meat when going for tapas, but it took a lot of restraint not to wolf this down. The whole dish was liberally doused in honey but it wasn’t overly sweet at all. All in all, this was just generally delicious.
Alongside this was a garden salad with added burrata, walnut and olives (£7.95 for the base salad, toppings an extra £2.95). This was another large bowl, and a very tasty mix of salad leaves with roasted pepper and rocket. The toppings were generous and the burrata melted in beautifully. It went perfectly with the chorizo but equally worked very well on its own.
Finally, to offset any health benefits of the salad (let’s ignore the fact it already had a whole burrata in it) we ordered the warm camembert with garlic and toasted sourdough (£7.25). This was nicely cooked and melty. It was perhaps on the smaller side in comparison to the other dishes and a bit simpler in terms of variety of tastes, but still good to share.
We treated ourselves to another glass of wine after all this. My Native Cuvée Speciale Sauvignon Blanc (£7.50 for 175ml) was darker and packed more flavour than the earlier pinot grigio – perhaps less suitable in the heat but still lovely – while one of my friends was very chic with a Crémant de Limoux Brut La Baume (£6.95 for 125ml).
This was a fab spot for a light meal after work. The staff were very friendly, and the vibe was a great balance of relaxed and sophisticated. The wines were delicious for a reasonable price, although there are options up to £12.95 for a glass of white and £17.95 for a glass of red if you really want to go all out.
Cheers!
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