Reviews

You could say the Christmas came early for the Royal Oxford Hotel – the 15th of December 2015 to be precise. That was the date when the new roundabout and Central Square in front of the hotel was completed, lending a sudden tranquil air to what had previously been a busy thoroughfare.

Some advantages are self-evident – rooms which had been soundproofed for heavy traffic (double-glazed, then secondary glazed on top) now exude a zen-like calm. Other advantages though will only become apparent in Spring when hotel guests will be able to enjoy their drinks & meals al fresco (weather permitting!) at new outdoor seating overlooking the square.

Hospitality. That’s the key differentiator here. Oh, and service too. Marzena, the manageress, has been here for 16 years and knows what it takes to keep guests coming back time and time again (a Professor at the nearby Said Business School is currently in his 7th year of residency) from the warm front-desk welcome to…

The attached restaurant is Korean and was full of locals (Koreans that is) which is always a good sign. The sharing dishes appeared especially popular, comprising of a raised burner in the middle of the table, rather like a Korean fondue (without the cheese!) from which everybody helped themselves to noodles, meat, seafood…etc. It looked very good, but we were in a hurry and plumped for the 3-course set menu which was very tasty. Incidentally, the restaurant also provides the in-hotel meals, and I can safely report that any concerns over a Korean cooked breakfast the next morning were quickly assuaged – it was exactly the same as full English breakfast, with not a dash of kimchi in sight!

Rooms are well-appointed, complete with nice touches such as proper kettles that can be lifted from their base to be filled up (a personal bugbear of mine is when you have to unplug and drag leads around the room behind you) together with all the usual accompaniments – tea, coffee, biscuits…etc.

The revamped website, which also finished its makeover in Dec-15, has been a big success – over 30% of bookings are now from mobile devices. So, if it’s mobility that you’re after, where better than the Royal Oxford? – park securely (at a special hotel rate), walk serenely (it’s only 5 mins to the Centre – not possible from most ‘Oxford’ hotels) and leave all your worries behind.

It’s fair to say that The Bear & Ragged Staff is steeped in history. From the 450 year old bedrooms, you can look out onto open fields where Cumnor Place once stood, home to Robert Dudley, consort of Queen Elizabeth I – it was here that his wife ‘suspiciously’ died, the ensuing scandal preventing the Queen from marrying Dudley, and so history weaved its rich tapestry…

I recount this story, as told by Mark (the larger than life proprietor) with pint in hand, admiring the original frieze from Cumnor Place which sits above the roaring log fire in the Old Pub, packed with people enjoying both the expansive Sunday lunches and the 6-Nations Rugby. In short, a true Country Inn in the original sense, where people from all walks of life come together to eat, to drink, and to sleep.

The bedrooms reflect this sense of character. We stayed in ‘The Landlord’s Wing’ above the Old Pub, where a circular staircase of dark rich mahogany takes you up to a self-contained suite. Fittingly, the bed is super king-sized (with apologies to Elizabeth I – they don’t do super queen-sized!), with soft cotton sheets, and a duvet so plump it practically begs to be snuggled up in.

The room is full of thoughtful homely touches, from the glass-stoppered bottle of milk in the fridge to the over-sized tea cups & saucers and a ‘proper’ kettle – none of that travel kettle and small mealy-mouthed mug business here!

The rooms have been amazingly popular since the first four were refurbished and opened in 2011 (having previously served as accommodation for a succession of landlords and pub staff), with a further five added in 2014, taking the total up to nine. Judging by the 95% yearround occupancy rate, these have been exceedingly well-received by visitors to Oxfordshire, attracted by the convenient location (10 minutes to Oxford centre by bus with none of the parking ‘rage’), excellent restaurant (with an imaginative wine list), and a unique character forged by 450 years of history. There are ghostly rumours that some of these characters still exist around the place, but understandably so, as The Bear & Ragged Staff isn’t somewhere you’d want to leave in a hurry…

“Oh….I’m so full….I honestly couldn’t eat another mouthful.” The desultory remains of my partner’s chocolate cake lay in small pieces on the plate beside me. Suddenly, out of the corner of my eye, I caught a flash of steel which buried itself deep in my caramel-topped panna cotta – so much for feeling full eh?

However, let’s rewind an hour or so….coming in off the streets on a cold December afternoon, the first thing which hits you as you enter La Cucina is the smell of fresh pizza wafting from the bustling, open-galleried kitchen. Our waitress confessed that her favourite was the ‘Sole Mio’, and when you see the staff walking out with a pizza box from the kitchen at the end of their shift (very good discounts if you work here apparently), you know that the food must be pretty special!

And so it was. Tim, the maitre d’ recommended the Starter Specials – flatbread with pear & gorgonzola along with stuffed mushrooms, or ‘fungi ripieni con scamorza, rucola & pinoli’ to give it its proper name – why do things always sound so much better in Italian? My partner opted for the Aperol Spritz as an aperitif, whilst I plumped for an elegant white Orvieto.

For our Mains, we stuck to the Specials – why ruin a winning formula? – red mullet with saffron fregula (small pasta balls which hail from Sardinia) and veal involtini (stuffed with herbs), bathed in a rich deep velvety sauce, the sort you only usually see glistening from the pages of upmarket food magazines. Paired with a robust Nero d’Avola (literally, ‘The Black Grape of Avola’, a small town in south east Sicily) in order to stand up to the strong earthy flavours, I felt like I could have been sitting in a small local tavern, having just come in from a hunt or after doing something else manly – in other words, authentic cooking….or terroir if you’re an avid reader of the aforementioned upmarket food magazines.

We’ve already covered desserts (still not amused by my partner’s larceny there), so let’s skip onto coffee and the complimentary limoncellos – feeling adventurous by now, I skipped my usual wimpy cappuccino for a proper, hairs-on-chest espresso, dripping with caffeinated intent, before downing the digestif in one and just about resisting the temptation to bang down my glass on the table. That’s what La Cucina does to you – transports you and unleashes your inner Italian!

The temperatures had dropped considerably as we made our way to central Oxford and a family meal at Jamie’s Italian on George Street, bang smack in the centre of Oxford.

I remember when Jamie’s opened, back in 2008, you couldn’t get a table for love nor money. We had booked, so we were the lucky ones as about twenty hopefuls crowded the entrance to this tardis of an eatery – it must seat well over 100 over two floors – clearly demonstrating that Jamie hadn’t lost his touch. I hadn’t realised that Oxford was the first of what is now a 40 strong worldwide empire.

You’ve got to hand it to Jamie and his team, they know how to rustle up a good meal. We couldn’t fault any aspect of the dining experience, from the warm welcome to the expert service – Lucas did a sterling job – to Adriana who was our delightful hostess for the evening.

Ed and I went for the Italian pâté bruschetta which was divine – silky smooth chicken-liver pâté with pancetta, vin santo & Parmesan. Jack plumped for the Artisan Breads (comprising freshly baked focaccia, ciabatta, seeded crackerbread, sourdough and grissini with extra virgin olive oil, balsamic and tapenade), which I must admit I had a nibble on when he wasn’t looking and the tapenade was absolutely delicious. Tina had the crispy squid with garlic and lemon mayo, chilli, parsley and fried garlic.

Jamie wouldn’t do any old garlic bread would he, he does Ultimate Garlic Bread, warm artisan buttermilk buns with garlic butter, Bella Lodi and rosemary – Beth certainly enjoyed it! Abi was saving herself for her main which she said was amazing – wild mushroom and winter greens risotto, comprising creamy carnaroli rice with winter greens, roasted mushrooms, mozzarella and extra virgin olive oil. Ed, Jack and Beth all had the Italian Steak Frite, flash-grilled prime beef steak, served with Italian-spiced skinny fires and rainbow slaw. Another triple hit with the youngsters! Clean plates all around.

Tina and I both chose from the Specials Board – delivered expertly by the charming Lucas. I’m not a big mushroom fan, but Lucas sold the ‘Fantastic home made wriggly pappardelle pasta with ‘happy’ free range Norfolk chicken in a creamy wild mushroom and mascarpone sauce finished with crumbly ricotta’. It sounded tasty and it lived up to the billing… absolutely scrumptious! Tina chose the ‘Beautiful risotto of Scottish langoustine tail, sweet tomatoes, chilli and samphire, topped with extra virgin oil’. Another success!

Amalfi Lemon Meringue Cheesecake for dessert was absolutely phenomenal! Velvety mascarpone and lemon cheesecake topped with Italian meringue, served with lemon curd and blackcurrants. Full marks Mr Oliver, and you’ve got me liking mushrooms and cheesecake! Whatever next? Bread and butter pudding and marzipan? Now that would be an achievement!

The refurbished Quod Restaurant & Bar reopened earlier this year following a concentrated six week refurbishment, with the highlights a brand new bar, kitchen and menu.

Before casting our eye over the new menu, we were knocked out by the new bar, not literally, but it’s a stunning focal point which helps to open up the central part of the restaurant which, hitherto, had been a panelled area for staff to congregate. By opening up the bar, the atmosphere has been enhanced, not that it needed a boost as it’s already undoubtedly one of Oxford’s most popular and vibrant restaurants.

The new look menu combines European classics with a strong presence of the finest seasonal British produce. I particularly enjoyed my Avocado vinaigrette with crab and Salmon fishcakes with lemon butter sauce. The restaurant blackboards announces daily specials, with roast beef, lamb or pork available on Sundays, from the owners Rofford Farm whenever available.

Founder, Jeremy Mogford is known for many of Oxford’s most iconic settings, including the Old Parsonage Hotel, Gee’s Restaurant, the Old Bank Hotel and Quod, which he opened in 1998. ‘Quod has always been ‘all things to all people’, attracting the widest range of customers, great for a quick bite, an after-work cocktail, a long lunch on the terrace or perfect for a special occasion. I feel that it’s been absolutely imperative to retain everything we love about Quod, yet taking this opportunity to make it even better’ says Jeremy. ‘We look forward to welcoming back our huge following of regular customers to join us for a drink at our new bar, where they can continue to admire their favourite paintings by young, prominent British artists’.