When the sun shines in Oxford, it’s prime time to take advantage of the long summer evenings and test some new pubs. So, it was a lovely treat for the Bitten crew to be invited to The Port Mahon to try out their new dining room and reworked food menu. 

The dining room is tucked away in the lower section of the pub. It has kept many of its earlier elements, including lots of its dark wood panelling, but has been elevated by some stylish new furniture and decor. With the sun pouring in through the large windows it was a lovely space – elegant and relaxed, and cosy in a way that will suit all seasons.

The revamped dining room has given the pub an area where the focus can fall more on the food.

The new menu is slimmed down from their previous offering (don’t worry, it keeps some of their big hitters – more on those later) and currently includes some summery options. Heads up – until the end of June, all online bookings in the dining area have 50% off main courses, which is well worth taking advantage of! Otherwise, the dishes are individually priced but can also be part of a prix fixe menu: £19.50 for 2 courses, £23.50 for 3 courses.

We were greeted by the very welcoming front of house team who gave us a rundown of the cocktail options.

All of them sounded like fab pick-me-ups in the heat, and between us all we opted for a couple of classic Hugo spritzes, a margarita and a pomada. My margarita was very refreshing; the tequila flavour was subtle and well-balanced. It had less of an alcoholic punch than others I’ve had recently, which might be what other people are looking for, but to me it felt perfect to go with dinner. The Hugo spritz also got good reviews from the rest of the Bitten crew.

For starters we lived one of my absolute dreams by asking for ‘one of everything, please’.

It was a great range of options and regulars of the pub will be pleased to hear that the pork belly bites are still on the menu (£7.50). These really were a standout dish; beautifully crispy with a soy, honey and sesame sauce that was sweet, sticky and very slightly spicy. These are a crowdpleaser, combining delicious flavour with great texture. In Nicola’s words: ‘I’m going to have those pork bites on my mind for a while, that’s for sure!’ 

Up next was the taramasalata (£8). I’m not normally a huge fan, but this was absolutely delicious. It had a beautiful flavour and a really light, airy consistency that was very moreish. In a similar vein, one of the other options was a spinach and artichoke dip (£7), with a recipe loaned from Freemans restaurant in New York. This was much thicker and very creamy, but still with a nice light flavour. Both dips came as a generous dollop served with flatbread. 

Lastly was the pan con tomate (£6) – a great option for a summer’s eve. The bread was piled high with finely chopped tomatoes marinaded with garlic, oregano and olive oil. Overall it was a nice, delicate dish and concluded a great round of starters. 

After a quick break to refresh our drinks (a switch to a pomada for me, and another round of Hugo spritzes for the others) we took delivery of three mains to share: the beef and bone marrrow pie, a half rotisserie chicken and a chicken caesar salad.

The Port Mahon has made a bit of a name for itself with this pie (£21.50 or £3 supplement to the prix fixe). It’s a very generous size and the large cylinder of bone sitting in the middle is certainly striking. Luckily the flavour lived up to the visual impact. The filling was a rich, piping hot stew of beef and vegetables, while the pastry had a good level of browning on top. It was served with a pot of sautéed buttered seasonal greens that were very buttery (and therefore very tasty). It’s perhaps on the pricey end for a pie if you order it on its own, but it’s a large portion and one of the stars of the menu. Arguably it’s a dish more suited to the colder months but always very enjoyable nonetheless.

The rotisserie chicken (half £17.50 or whole £33.50) is a new addition to the menu, which the Port Mahon team confirmed is proving very popular.

The meat is sourced from the local butchers Aldens and brined for 48 hours before cooking. It’s served with baby gem lettuce, chicken fat roast potatoes, sourdough and Mahon mayo. It’s an impressive looking platter, and the chicken was juicy and flavourful. The chef had told us that the roast potatoes would be much lighter than those cooked in beef dripping, which was definitely noticeable, and the insides were soft enough to cut with a fork. It was a great dish but we collectively felt it could have done with a bit more sauce.

Last up was the chicken Caesar salad (£18.50). This was another generous portion – a theme with the Port Mahon, it seems! – and had some great flavours, and our team were pleased to see anchovies included in the mix. This was a good lighter option for summer, particularly if you didn’t fancy something hearty like the pie.

After all of this we just about managed to find space to squeeze in some dessert: chocolate mousse with cherries and chantilly (£7.50) and a vegan salted caramel brownie with raspberry sorbet (£7).

As the only two dessert options, we felt these were a bit chocolate-heavy – it would have been great to have a slightly wider choice.

The mousse had the bigger impact of the two, although we felt it was much more like a ganache. The texture was rich and thick rather than the light airiness we expected. However it was still tasty and very indulgent thanks to being made with 85% chocolate, and complimented nicely by the cream and cherries.

Throughout the meal we were served very attentively and made to feel very welcome. It’s clear that the team are committed to creating a great food experience in the refreshed dining area.

As a group we agreed that the standout dishes were the pie and the pork bites, with an honourable mention for the taramasalata. However Nicola also picked out the chicken caesar salad and the rotisserie chicken as highlights, while summing up: ‘This was somehow my first visit and it won’t be my last. Besides the staff being so knowledgeable and friendly, the food was so tasty.’

There’s also lots of other things to enjoy at the Port Mahon, including weekday happy hours from 4pm-7pm or 2-for-1 house cocktails from 4pm-7pm on Fridays. Plus, they’re running BBQ nights on Saturdays throughout the summer which I’ll have to make my way to soon…

We collectively agreed that it would be a great place to bring friends and/or family – particularly while the 50% offer is on in the new dining area!

The Port Mahon
82 St Clement’s St, Oxford OX4 1AW

Bitten were invited as guests, all views are our own