Over the past few years, The Grapes on George Street has been a bit unloved in my opinion. The Grapes to Beerd, then back to The Grapes. The décor has changed multiple times – as has the menu – with the beer being a bit hit and miss. Now West Berkshire Brewery has taken on the pub and I was lucky enough to be at their opening party. Following an extensive makeover, I'm happy … [Read more...]
A first look: The Plough
Oxford's newest pub, well, returning pub anyway as it originally opened in 1656, is The Plough on Cornmarket Street. Since Austin Reed’s closure in 2016, it had been empty until the back end of last year. At the moment they're going through a ‘soft launch’ with the grand opening in February. In talking with Steve Jones, who will assist in running the bar, he mentioned they … [Read more...]
Bitten Bites: Michelin star AND new restaurant for Summertown
Hot off the heels of The Oxford Kitchen winning an actual flippin' Michelin star this week, it's been confirmed Portabello has been sold and will soon be under new management. Michelin Star for The Oxford Kitchen Under the helm of Head Chef Paul Welburn, The Oxford Kitchen was this week awarded its first Michelin star. Paul isn't a newbie to Michelin star standards, or the … [Read more...]
New Oxford Restaurants, June 2018
As if we aren't already stuck for choice, there are even more cool chow-downs recently opened or coming our way over the next few weeks. Here's our round-up of our favourites. If we're missing any, let us know! Barefoot, King Edward Street We do love Barefoot cake and it is instantly recognisable. They've been expanding and now include a cafe in Woodstock, with this new site … [Read more...]
Bitten Bites: New Oxford Restaurants, April 2018
Usually, we'd publish a separate article for each new venue opening or closing, but there's so much going on in Oxford over the next month that we're cramming it all into one big Bitten news buffet! Closing: The Bear & The Bean The Cowley Road coffee shop is closing at the end of May after a three-year run. Owner, Jordan O'Shea, announced the closure on Facebook over the … [Read more...]
