22 Best Oxford Restaurants – A Local’s Guide!

Oxford is a small city but there are a few areas of town you should earmark based on their quirky nature or reputation for top Oxford restaurants and cafes.

The only place in Oxford I’d tell you to avoid is probably George Street and Cornmarket because they’re overrun with chain restaurants. The food isn’t great and you also won’t be supporting any local businesses. While those two areas aren’t my favourites, you shouldn’t avoid the city centre altogether as there some great Oxford restaurants and cafes around. Also check out…

Jericho: One area I’d point you towards is Jericho in North Oxford. As well as some great cocktail bars, there are lots of independently-owned restaurants here that have been here for years. You can walk there in 10 minutes from the city centre.

Read next: Where to eat and drink in Jericho, Oxford

There are two branches of this Oxford restaurant under different names but both the Jericho-based Rickety Press and Magdalen Road’s Rusty Bicycle offer the same menu. For tasty food in informal settings, this is one of the best places to eat in Oxford for a casual lunch or dinner.

Both restaurants offer a short but sweet menu of excellent wood-fired pizzas and oozy, delicious burgers. My favourite pizza is the Chorizo Picante with chorizo and red chilli.

I can also vouch for the burgers: the Moo & Blue beef patty laden with bacon chipotle jam, gooey gorgonzola and slices of pear was AMAZING. The side dishes like rosemary or truffle fries and cheesy garlic bread also should not be missed.

Come mornings and weekends, both restaurants serve delicious American-style breakfasts like pancakes and chicken & waffles. They also serve a range of teas and coffees, plus their craft ales are known to be excellent.

Prices: Reasonable with pizzas and burgers from £9.

Vegan friendly? There are a few cheese-less veggie pizzas and a pulled jackfruit burger that I’m keen to try.

Address: 67 Cranham Street (Jericho) for the Rickety Press and 28 Magdalen Road for the Rusty Bicycle. If you’re looking for restaurants in Oxford city centre, the Rickety Press is closest to town.

There’s fantastic Asian food in Oxford including this cosy restaurant serving authentic Japanese food. Run by a married couple, this restaurant in central Oxford has been serving home-cooked meals for over 20 years.

Tiny Edamame restaurant on Turl Street is a real hidden gem that you probably wouldn’t spot walking by. With a small, cosy feel and shared tables, there’s often a queue out the door but I recommend waiting it out for some of the best food in Oxford.

I visited on a weekday lunchtime and tried the delicious sushi bowl dish while my friend had a rich, steaming bowl of katsu curry. For the amount of high-quality sashimi in my sushi bowl, I was really impressed. I’ll be back to experience the Thursday sushi night.

It’s worth checking the website before visiting as some of the menus only run at certain times. Currently, lunch is served every day of the week apart from Mondays and Tuesdays, dinner is only served on Fridays and Saturdays, and sushi is set to Thursday nights.

Prices: Main dishes start from £12.

Vegan friendly? Not overly, although many of the dishes can be made with tofu in place of the meat.

Address: 15 Holywell Street.

You can’t talk about food in Oxford without mentioning Oli’s Thai and you also can’t talk waiting lists without acknowledging their three-month one. While getting a meal at Oli’s Thai is somewhat of a mission, you won’t regret it especially if you’re a foodie visiting Oxford. Don’t let this be the meal that got away!

Oli’s Thai serve authentic Thai food in cosy settings. They have a short-but-sweet menu which is my favourite type because you know the ingredients and fresh and every dish is a classic. The confit duck Penang is genuinely my favourite Thai meal I’ve had outside of Thailand. The meat was so soft and tender. The apple, cashew, chilli and mint side salad was also delicious.

If you don’t want to book three months in advance, turn up promptly at 5pm and squeeze in at the bar. It’ll be worth it: Oli’s Thai is by far the best Thai food in Oxford and maybe England!

Prices: Mains are between £10-14 and the sides are around £4. Not bad as I imagine they could charge much more.

Vegan friendly? Bearing in mind the whole menu is only eight dishes long, it’s not a bad offering. Choose between the aubergine curry or the tofu with lemongrass and chilli.

Address: 38 Magdalen Road.

If riverside dining appeals, another tempting restaurant in Oxford is The Folly. On an island beside the Thames, it also offers outdoor dining and boating opportunities. 

Expect upmarket British/European dining with classic (mainly meaty) dishes with gourmet details. For £59 you can opt for a six-course tasting menu, then there’s afternoon tea for £22 with scones, cakes, finger sandwiches and tea.

Make sure to book in advance; the Folly is a popular spot thanks to its reputation and ambient setting. 

Prices: Mains from £20.

Address: 1 Folly Bridge.

Vegan friendly? Expect 2 options for every 4 meat ones.

Gee’s always comes up in reviews of the best restaurants in Oxford. With so much good press, I checked it out and can confirm the hype is warranted.

This rustic restaurant set inside a Victorian greenhouse serves Mediterranean-inspired food. Choose from starters including wood-fired octopus with chickpeas and chilli, and main dishes like wood-fired guinea fowl, seafood linguine, aubergine parmigiana and Aberdeen Angus ribeye steak.

Prices: On the higher end with most mains around the £20 mark and starters about £10. For an affordable meal, visit between 12pm and 6pm on weekdays for the express lunch menu which is £15.95 for two courses.

Vegan friendly? There are on average two vegan dishes on the menu at a time. The express lunch menu when we visited included a vegetarian option but not a vegan one. Not the best!

Address: 61A Banbury Road.

Zheng is not only the top Chinese-Malaysian restaurant in Oxford but all of the country, as hailed by food critic, Giles Coron. After loving Malay food in Malaysia, I was sad not to find much in the UK.

Luckily, Zheng has cured my cravings and then some with their authentic, flavoursome meals. I’ve yet to try the Chinese dishes but the dim sum looks great.

We opted for the chef’s choice meal and were served cereal prawns, an oddly delicious dish in a sweet and salty light batter, and a whole sea bass flavoured with spicy sambal sauce (a favourite in Malaysia).

Other authentic Malay dishes I would recommend include the rendang curries, char keow teau (flat stir-fry noodles with king prawns) and nasi lemak, the Malaysian national dish made with sambal, rice, anchovies, peanut and cucumber. As you can guess, choosing is tough at Zheng!

Prices: The chef’s meal is a treat at £20-30pp, but mains start from £7.50 when dining from the menu.

Vegan friendly? The curries, rendang and satay dishes can all be made with tofu and there’s also a veggie dim sum option.

Address: 82 Walton Street.

White Rabbit is possibly the best restaurant in Oxford for pizza despite the high competition. The Alice in Wonderland-inspired eatery is creaky, quirky and everything a British pub should be. Although pizza isn’t typical British pub food, they’re delicious and cooked in a real woodfire pizza oven.

When it comes to pizza toppings, you’re spoiled for choice. Highlights include the Diavolo with mozzarella, pepperoni, peppers, anchovies and chillis, as well as the Zola with gorgonzola, pears and pancetta. I’m curious about the ‘Mad Hatter’ which is a chef’s choice pizza made from whatever they think is good.

You order at the bar, and service is quick.

As well as pizzas, White Rabbit serve a few salads, desserts and paninis at lunchtime. Being a pub, there are endless beers, ales and wines to choose from. As a summertime bonus, White Rabbit has one of the best pub gardens in Oxford!

Price: Most of the pizza choices are around the £12 mark.

Vegan friendly? There are about 5 vegan pizzas and plenty of veggie ones.

Address: 21 Friars Entry.

The Coconut Tree is another restaurant in Oxford that I visited in its early days and have loved watching flourish. It’s a little far out of town in St Clements but you can easily hop on a bus to town or unlock a hire bicycle.

The Coconut Tree serves Sri Lankan food and if you don’t what that is, you need to visit the Coconut Tree and find out! The dishes are ordered tapas style which is a great way to try lots of different things especially if you’re with a group.

Pierre Victoire is one of the best French restaurants in Oxford. While the menu changes regularly, you’ll find several signature dishes like moules marinières, escargot, tartiflette and crème brûlée. The low lighting and romantic table settings for two make this the perfect place for cosy dates.

I visited for the delicious cheese fondue which was served with sausages, bread, mushrooms, pickles and potatoes. We then moved on to the equally decadent chocolate fondue with marshmallows to dip.

The lunch and dinner fixed menus are also worth visiting for: you’ll enjoy dishes like calamari, steaks and indulgent puddings. Just really tasty French food in romantic settings!

Price: Very reasonable for French food in Oxford when you dine from the fixed menus. Two courses for £30 or three for £35.

Vegan friendly? Not really.

Address: 9 Little Clarendon Street.

I love this relaxed restaurant and bar on Cowley Road. There’s plenty of open space, huge wooden tables, ping pong tables, fun wall art and cocktails in jam jars (I’m a fan of the cucumber-infused Gin Gin).

In the daytime, Big Society is a relaxed restaurant suitable for families but after 6pm is for over 18s only and turns into a lively bar later on.

It’s an American classic menu comprising wings, juicy burgers (including the pulled pork variety), hot dogs, fried chicken, ‘slaws and overflowing chilli chip combos. Don’t miss the banoffee pie!

Prices: Everything under £15.

Vegan friendly? Not overly although they do offer a veggie burger.

Address: 95 Cowley Road.

Banana Tree Oxford is one of just two branches outside of London. They serve a mixture of Asian dishes rather than one cuisine which is something I usually avoid… but Banana Tree just works!

During my first trip, I opted for the Malaysian laksa noodle soup in a flavoursome coconut broth. Also on point is the Vietnamese bun bo salad bowl (vermicelli noodles, peanuts, greens, a sesame rice cracker and chilli dip) and the Indonesian rendang curry (slow-cooked beef in a rich, nutty sauce). I’m working my way through the whole menu.

Prices: Most mains are around £15.

Vegan friendly? Banana Tree serves some of the best food in Oxford for vegans with a whole separate menu for meat-free dishes. These include stir-frys, noodle soups, wok noodles, curries and seven choices of starters.

Address: 63 George Street.

Cheap restaurants in Oxford

Visiting Oxford on a budget? Perhaps money’s too tight for a sit-down restaurant in Oxford or maybe you’re in a rush and want a no-frills meal on the go. Some of the best food in Oxford is some of the cheapest, in my humble opinion.

As well as the Covered Market, there are cheap and cheerful cafes dotted all around Oxford serving a mix of world cuisines. I would suggest…

Despite the modest exterior, this is the best Indian restaurant in Oxford serving traditional Indian dishes like thali (small plates, pictured) and South Indian specialities such as dosa (crispy batter with various dips) and palak paneer (cheese cubes in a spinach sauce).

Prices have jumped up slightly in recent years but you won’t find anything on the menu for more than £12.

Address: 25 Park End Street.

At this popular takeaway bar in the Covered Market, even the healthiest of lunches are seriously tasty.

You can get a small salad box (which is actually massive) with ingredients including meat, fish, cheese, falafel, sides and various toppings. The small box is £4.50 if you go veggie or £5 including meat. A large box will set you back £7 but debatably feed a family of four for a week.

My favourite combination is stuffed vine leaves, chickpeas, braised greens, sun-dried tomato pesto, cheese and seeds.

Address: Covered Market.

I’d been meaning to try Pieminister for ages and it didn’t disappoint. If you want a meal to keep you full for the rest of the day, nothing says hearty like a traditional English pie.

While my ordered tower of mushy peas, steak and stilton pie and mashed potato might look tidy now upon its pool of gravy, it only took 5 seconds to turn into a messy pile of deliciousness and – I won’t lie – only about 3 minutes for me to devour the whole thing. Pies cost around £8.

Address: Covered Market.

This authentic Italian pizza restaurant in Oxford is great for a quick eat. You order at the till where it’s hard to choose between so many freshly made pizzas (starting from £3.50) and the colourful counter of cakes and baked goods.

Since the pizzas are freshly made on-site each day, they’re prepared as early as breakfast. Bbuona continues to serve pizzas throughout the day and night which you can buy by the slice or as half or whole pizzas. They also serve gelato and coffee.

If the atmospheric interior wasn’t enticing enough, maybe the £6 Aperol Spritz cocktails will seal the deal!

Don’t miss: the cannoli, a biscuit tube filled with sweet ricotta and pistachio cream studded with chocolate chips. These are famous in Sicily and I can see why.

Address: 102 Gloucester Green.

Georgina’s, Covered Market

Georgina’s serves some of the best cheap food in Oxford in comfy, cosy settings. It’s owned by Brothers Cafe next door and while the food is great at both, I personally prefer the quirky vibe in Georgina’s (imagine fun posters and menus on colourful chalkboards).

Georgina’s serves Greek mezze with loads of veggie, healthy options and baklava for dessert.

Address: Covered Market.