Aziz

Mention curry in Oxford and it's not long before Aziz crops up in conversation. Something of an institution, this Cowley Road restaurant divides opinion: from raves to rubbishing, I've heard it all. Maybe the wildly varying accounts are what kept me away until now. After all, Oxford has no shortage of decent Indian restaurants.

But in preparation for my 25 May radio show on the topic of Indian restaurants, I decided to branch out from my curry houses of choice and try out Aziz. Turning up with two friends at 6.30 on a Tuesday, I was surprised to be asked whether I'd booked. I know it's a popular spot, but given that only a handful of tables were full at that point, it seemed a little unnecessary. More surprises were in store, as we were seated by an ageing waiter in a full suit, complete with dickie bow and the rather modern accessory of a bluetooth headpiece. Not exactly something you see every day. The menu was much more familiar territory: a manageable selection of starters (priced from £4.15–6.75) followed by a range of special meat, poultry, fish and vegetarian dishes, plus the usual curry classics. There's nothing radically different about the menu, but it covers all bases and caters to all palates. Some of the specials sounded interesting, such as kodu gosht (lamb with pumpkin, £9.75) and eitcha bagaun (medium-spiced prawn with aubergine curry, £9.75). Dishes are priced from £7.75 for a vegetarian main to £12.95 for some king prawn dishes: although prices don't climb too high, I would expect to see some cheaper vegetarian options.

Mamma Mia

In hindsight, taking a group of people currently resident in Florence to an Italian restaurant in Oxford probably wasn't my most inspired idea. We Brits may have taken Italian cuisine to our hearts and annexed its deliciousness, treasuring it almost as much as a Sunday roast, but that doesn't necessarily mean that our offerings will compare with Tuscan fare. In this tale, they certainly don't.

The evening didn't start well. That's a lie: it started far too well. One happy hour cocktail in the Duke of Cambridge led to another and soon my protesting stomach was warning me that it was already 7.30pm. Our original desitination, Branca, was packed, so we tried our luck at Walton Street's other Italian, Mamma Mia. The second branch of the popular Summertown pizzeria, this welcoming spot has been open a couple of years. It's smart and inviting, with cheery decor and friendly staff.

If you're in the mood for pasta or pizza, Mamma Mia is the place to be. If you're not feeling the 'Italian foodsuffs beginning with p' vibe, you'd do well to give it a miss. Although the antipasti are traditionally Italian, in the rustic 'what nonna used to make' vein, the rest of the menu is limited to wheaty treats and salad. The antipasti are worth more than a glance: simple, rustic-sounding starters including baked goat's cheese with fresh tomatoes on ciabatta come in at around £4.95. If you want a double dose of wheat (or have a small appetite), you can also opt for a starter-size pasta portion. The rest of the menu is reasonably priced, with a decent selection of pasta and pizza options from the standard (margherita, £6.75 and spaghetti puttanesca, £8.55) to the more interesting (goat's cheese, spinach and red onion pizza, £8.55, or rigatoni with smoked salmon in a cream and dill sauce, £8.95). If you fancy a bit more of grandma's traditional cooking though, you won't find it on Mamma Mia's menu.


The Italian contingent (who were actually Brazilian, English and French, but let's not complicate an already tricky situation) didn't have much appetite after their lunchtime fish and chip feast, so they opted for antipasti or to share plates of pizza. Y's baked goat's cheese on toast went down a treat, while N and D enjoyed their baked mozzarella wrapped in aubergine and parma ham (£5.95), praising its creamy texture and combination of flavours.

Whitebait & baked mozzarella

The whitebait (£4.95) was described as 'decent', but their Mediterranean pizza (topped with smoked chicken, chorizo, red onion and capers, £8.95) didn't receive many compliments. The base was a little underdone, the crust far from crispy (as the Florence-dwellers have come to expect) - this surprised me, as I remembered the pizza at Mamma Mia's South Parade branch being excellent. The Brazilians were similarly underwhelmed with their pizza.

Trichy Dosa

 UPDATE: As of July 2012, Trichy Dosa is now Sherpa Nepalese.

Poppadoms, curry, rice, naan bread: standard Indian fare. Dosa and idly? If you live in the UK, probably not so much. Since the opening of Trichy Dosa in late 2011, these staples of South Indian food can now be found on the Cowley Road, so there's no excuse to limit your repertoire.

I first encountered a dosa in Malaysia. The large, thin savoury pancake didn't say 'Indian food' to me so much as it said 'smear me with nutella and devour me like Lent starts tomorrow'. (Well, to be honest, it didn't say anything - it was a pancake). Devour it I did though, dipped in the sauces it came with. And it was love at first bite: for the rest of my stay, a dosa a day was an essential requirement. Served solo or filled with vegetables, cheese or meat, these pancakes made of rice batter and black lentils are simple yet delicious if done well. Needless to say, I was pretty excited at the prospect of a visit to Trichy Dosa.

The restaurant itself is unremarkable; a plain Jane making no mark on the design scale. The leather-backed chairs are decent, but the lack of tablecloths cheapened their look somewhat. The neutral effect inspired by the bland decor was cancelled out by another type of decoration, though: decorations of the Christmas variety. Yes, at the beginning of February, tinsel still adorned Trichy Dosa's walls. Epiphany rules may not apply here, but for me it suggested a lack of care and lent an oddly unseasonal air.

The waiter's warm greeting appeased me a little, but once we got stuck into the menu we were lost. Rather than ordering a thali plate of mini-portions of different dishes (from £8), our group of 3 wanted to test out a range of dosa and idly (steamed 'savoury cakes', according to Wikipedia). Given the low prices of the dosa (from £3 for a plain pancake to £5 for a chef's special), we weren't sure whether they were meant to be ordered alone or as accompaniments. Most didn't seem to have fillings, so we assumed the latter. In addition to thali and dosa, there were also vegetarian and meat curries, idly, rice and breads on offer, as well as a range of starters. As South Indian food isn't common to the UK, an overview and some ordering guidelines on the menu would probably help: we overheard other groups musing similar thoughts. With some help from our waiter, we opted for 3 different dosas (onion, paneer and lamb), 2 curries (chef's special vegetable and chicken chettinadu) and some idly (jasmine, out of curiosity). Fortunately the wine list proved more familiar territory: a bottle of decent house white set us back just £10.95.

After a reasonable wait, our dishes arrived. For a moment I thought I'd stepped back in time and found myself in my school dining hall circa 2000. Served on huge white plastic trays reminiscent of school dinner trays, the presentation of the dosa isn't going to win any prizes. Although inelegant and cumbersome, the trays are fairly practical, with different compartments for dipping sauces. Eating did provide some logistical problems though - did we eat our curry with the dosa? Did we decant it from the dish onto the tray? When it comes to South Indian food, we were all clearly novices. So we did what any novice should do and got stuck in.

The paneer dosa (£3.50, unfortunately not photographed) most closely resembled the lightly crispy slices of heaven I'd polished off in Kuala Lumpur. Filled with Indian cheese, it was light and tasty. The other two dosa were made from coarser semolina batter, and were much 'flatter' and heavier. Our unanimous preference was for the paneer dosa: the onion and lamb dropped out of their respective dosa too easily, making eating them a bit of a messy experience (although our technique was no doubt partly responsible). N pointed out that it wasn't exactly 'date food'. The chicken curry (£6) was well-received by N and S; its creamy sauce well-spiced. I was less enamoured of my vegetarian option (£6), which was more sauce than vegetable content, although the addition of some paneer did help to win me round. The portions were also a little on the small side. Despite this, we still struggled to finish: the dosa were huge, and the idly (4 for £4.50) were also sizeable. These puffy, glutinous cakes are difficult to describe but I'd recommend trying them: the texture was a delight, even if the jasmine flavour wasn't really discernible.

Like our selection of dishes, my thoughts on Trichy Dosa are mixed. I think our experience would have been enhanced by knowing what to order: if any of your friends know their South Indian food, it might be as well to consult them before visiting. Although for the purposes of a review I wanted to sample a variety of dishes, I can't help but wonder whether a thali plate would have been a safer bet for a first visit. Our food was cheap and filling, but it failed to rekindle my daily desire for dosa. Which, wallet and waistline considered, is probably a good thing. I think it's great that Oxford has a South Indian restaurant though (Dosa Park on Park End Street falls into the fast food category). For this reason, Trichy Dosa's a welcome addition to Oxford's dining scene, and if you've never tried South Indian food, I'd recommend a visit. Just be sure to seek some ordering advice.

Verdict: 6

Trichy Dosa is at 209 Cowley Road, OX4 1XF. Tel: 01865 241493. Take away also available (delivery or collection)

Chiang Mai Kitchen

Hype is a dangerous thing. When it’s PR-generated, we’re all naturally suspicious, but word of mouth is usually so much more reliable. After hearing excellent reports of Chiang Mai Kitchen for several years, I was thrilled to be invited to a work dinner there. It’s probably the priciest of Oxford’s Thai restaurants, so I’d been saving it for a celebration (or February at least), but thankfully there was no need.

Walking in at 8pm with high expectations, I was glad we’d made a reservation: the place was packed. Nothing unusual for a Friday or Saturday evening – but it was Monday. We were shown to the last free table in the restaurant’s cosy upstairs. Set in a historic building, Chiang Mai is charmingly higgledy-piggledy, its oh-so-English wood-beamed dining area given a Thai touch with the addition of gold statuettes. Glamorous it isn’t, though: tablecloths are the paper variety and the menu was well-thumbed and spiral-bound. I wasn’t impressed to note a stain on our tablecloth – yes they were busy, but surely there was time to quickly exchange a sheet of paper?

The menu quickly improved my opinion though. If you’re indecisive, you’ll find dining at Chiang Mai a challenge: there are just so many tasty-sounding dishes to choose from. With a page each, starters and salads are manageable, but when it comes to the main event, there are options galore – chicken, pork, beef, seafood, fish, vegetarian dishes, curries; it’s all covered. There’s something for all palates too – spicy dishes are indicated with chillis; 1 denotes medium spice and 2 is seriously hot. With starters ranging from £5.60–7.90 and mains between £8.30 and £14.50, it was less expensive than I imagined – but of course, the price of noodles or rice (from £2.70) must be factored in. After a good ten minutes ruminating, we placed our orders. 45 minutes later, as the other diners had almost all emptied out of the restaurant, we were still waiting to eat.

After some prompting, our starters appeared. M and I had both opted for the tofu (£5.60), which was deep-fried and served with a spicy peanut sauce. Thank goodness for the sauce – we both agreed the tofu was bland and a little watery in the middle, as though it had been sitting around for a while rather than jumping straight from the fryer to our table. The portion was generous, though, as was C’s Mieng Gai (minced chicken with spinach, £6.60). This dish was particularly well-presented (apologies, we were too ravenous to care about photography at this stage), the spinach leaves forming a pretty floral pattern on the plate. She was surprised to discover it was served cold, though. The peanuts sprinkled on top certainly gave an extra dimension, but were whole rather than chopped, overloading the dish somewhat. The chunks of lime also included were a more successful touch, adding a fresh flavour. Unlike the Mieng Gai, S’s fishcakes were hot: both in terms of temperature and spice. With 4 pieces, this was another sizeable starter, and was complimented on its taste.

The Gardener's Arms

With a cosy wood-panelled interior complemented by a log fire in winter and a beer garden for those occasional days of British summer, the Gardener's Arms on Plantation Road is a perfect unfussy English pub. Except according to their website, it's 'Oxford's premier vegetarian restaurant'. With a completely meat-free menu, at least part of that label makes sense, but without even wading into the mire of the pub-gastropub-restaurant debate, the idea that the Gardener's is a restaurant is confusing. Yes, it's currently the only place in Oxford to currently serve exclsuively vegetarian fare in the evening, but with a menu of burgers, curries and wraps, its edible offerings place the Gardener's firmly in the pub category.

Established with the aim of providing an environment where carnivores could dine with their vegetarian friends and not miss that meaty presence on their plates, much of the menu seems designed to appease meat eaters while satisfying the palates of those who forgo flesh. As a result, textured vegetable protein (TVP) makes more appearances than I'm used to seeing on vegetarian menus, with chilli and meat-substitute burgers sitting alongside vegetable-based offerings. There are plenty of the latter too: a mushroom pie, an Indian thali platter, Greek salad and a selection of calzones, among other dishes.

I opted for the thali platter (£9.95), which consisted of the curry of the day (a dhansak on this occasion) served with rice, poppadoms, mango chutney and sag aloo with some salad adding another shade of green to the plate. The dhansak was mild and tasty; the sag aloo slightly unusual with what appeared to be thick-cut chips nestling among the spinach. The portion was enough to satisfy even the hungriest of diners, and the selection of small dishes is ideal for variety-seekers (or the indecisive).

Indian thali platter

Less successful was T's Mexian platter (£9.95): chilli served in an intriguing-sounding 'boat' (which turned out to be a not at all nautical dish, sadly) topped with grilled mozzarella and served with flatbread and a tomato and red onion salsa. T was less than impressed: expecting a vegetable-packed chilli sauce, he found himself faced with a dish of over-seasoned TVP with just a few kidney beans and a rather token apperance from some green peppers. The flatbread was a little on the stale side and the salsa rather tasteless.

Mexican platter

The chilli was definitely the dud dish of the bunch: both A's veggie burger quarter-pound veggie burger (£8.50) and N's spinach, tomato, olive and feta flatbread calzone (£8.95) were much more successful. N confessed that on previous occasions, she hadn't even noticed that the burger was vegetarian: meat-eaters afraid of the green stuff should take note. Served in a basket with chips, it was certainly classic pub food: tasty, filling and unfussy.

Veggie burger

The flatbread calzone was another success: a huge portion that defeated N, it was packed with spinach, tomatoes and cheese, yet wasn't too salty despite the often thirst-inducing combination of feta and olives. We all felt it was a bit on the pricey side for something you could easily make at home, though.

Spinach, tomato, feta and olive calzone

As pubs go, the Gardener's is a winner: with a laid-back atmosphere and no indication that they would ever dare stray into over-sanitised gastro territory, it's an ideal spot to settle in for the evening with a drink or two. Despite not eating meat, I'm not entirely convinced I'd go out of my way to dine there, though: if I found myself famished over a drink there, I wouldn't hesitate to order, but I don't think I'd make a special trip to Jericho just to dine at the Gardener's. A meat-free menu in a pub is definitely a welcome sight, as drinking dens aren't exactly famed for their ability to cater well to vegetarians, but the idea that the Gardener's is a restaurant created false expectations in my head. It does good (if pricey) pub grub: if you want a burger and a pint then great, but if fine dining's what you're looking for, look elsewhere.

Verdict: 6.5

The Gardener's Arms is on Plantation Road, Jericho. Tel: 01865 559814. 

The Nosebag

If you want to grab something to eat on the go in central Oxford, your options are almost limitless. Gourmet sandwich chains, supermarkets and independent coffee shops all cater to our hurried needs. But what if you're looking for a quick sit-down lunch or even (gasp) a rapid bite to eat in the evening? There are times when we just don't want the rigmarole of restaurant dining: being seated by a waiter, perusing the menu, ordering, waiting. At The Nosebag, there's none of that: just hearty, home-cooked food served up quickly without any fuss.

As that description suggests, there aren't any frills and fripperies involved in dining at The Nosebag. An inviting if old-fashioned wood-pannelled cafe on St Michael's Street, it's located above the Makan La Malaysian restaurant and run by the same owners. Offering a wide selection of reasonably-priced salads, baked potatoes and soups, The Nosebag also has lunch and evening menus of more substantial fare. Options are chalked-up above the salad bar and orders are placed and paid for at the counter.


A Friday evening may not be the most typical time to visit, but there were a few other customers enjoying main courses, soups or just cups of tea during the evening. With 5 meat and 5 vegetarian dishes on offer as well as the lighter options, both carnivores and herbivores are well catered for. After some debate (quite a novel experience for me, having 5 choices), I plumped for the green vegetable and taleggio risotto with rocket, while M chose the massaman curry (both £9.40).

After a short wait, two laden plates appeared in front of us: the rumours of stomach-defeating portions seemed to be true. For less hungry customers, one meal between two would suffice.

Green vegetable and taleggio risotto

The advertised 'green vegetables' in my risotto were asparagus, courgette and peas, but there was no rocket to be seen. The rice was unusual, thick and soft, quite unlike normal risotto rice. I have to say there wasn't really much flavour until I prodded at the chunks of cheese to melt them into the rice: without the addition of some tasty dairy, the risotto was rather bland. Add in the taleggio however, and it was goregously creamy. Ah, the powers of cheese.

Massaman curry

M's massaman curry definitely wasn't lacking in flavour: featuring sweet potato, cauliflower and chickpeas, it was well-seasoned, hearty and full of cardamom. So full, in fact, that a bit of pod-dodging was required. A minor gripe though: it was tasty and filling.

Apparently The Nosebag's cakes are delicious (and also served in gigantic portions), but for the sake of my waistline I abstained, although a mere £1.90 for their famed pear crumble cake was certainly tempting.

If you're looking for unfussy, quick and filling food in the town centre at any time of day, The Nosebag is well worth considering. It may not have the fanciest setting or the most elaborate of menus, but it will have something to satisfy most appetites and budgets. The main courses are perhaps a little on the steep side, but I suppose that's what comes of having such a prime location.

Verdict: 6/10

I'll be discussing more vegetarian-friendly places to eat on BBC Radio Oxford on 23 September from 1pm.

The Nosebag is at 6-8 St Michael's Street, OX1 2DU. Tel: 01865 721033.

Quod

The two glasses of champagne on the table should have been a giveaway, but it was actually the suit that did it. When my friend D called to say he was back in Oxford and asked me to meet him at Quod on bank holiday Monday, I was pleasantly surprised. When I arrived to find him smartly clad and elated, I knew something was afoot. And I was right: his four years of hard work had paid off and my very clever friend had just been awarded his doctorate. Wonderful news absorbed and champagne in hand, surely nothing could spoil my lunch.

Self-promoted as 'the busiest brasserie and bar in Oxford', Quod is a bit of a High Street institution: all gloss and chrome, it's true that it's usually bustling with tourists and locals alike, drawn by its atmosphere and sleek good looks as well as its menu. I must admit that since a brush with a main course portion of ravioli featuring a mere nine parcels of pasta (£1 per spinach-stuffed sheet) many years ago, I haven't been Quod's biggest fan. But on a day like this, I was willing to give them a chance.

As it was a bank holiday, the £11.95 two course menu wasn't on offer, so we perused the selection of modern British/European brasserie fare, from seasonal dishes such as fennel, cucumber and dill salad (£5.50) and roast chicken breast with courgette and saffron risotto (£13.95) to burgers, pasta and some interesting-sounding pizzas (including courgette, broad bean and spinach with lemon and pecorino). Avoiding the £11.95 artichoke ravioli, I opted for a starter of gazpacho (£5.95), while D went for the steak tartare (£7.95).

Steak tartare

The idea of raw meat may be completely alien to me, but D's quite the fan of uncooked flesh, and as a chap with high standards I was happy to believe his assessment of the beautifully-presented dish as an eight out of ten. Topped with a quail's egg still sitting in a half shell, the patty of beef came with tomatoes and cucumbers already blended into the mixture: apparently this isn't usual and D prefers to mix in the vegetables himself, but the quality and taste of the well-seasoned meat made up for it.

Gazpacho

I should have known better than to order gazpacho. After sampling heaven in a bottle thanks to Pedro's mum, chilled blended vegetables will never taste as good again. I can only assume Quod's blender was on the blink though, as I received a dish of cold chunky vegetables with two cubes of ice nestling on top of them. I have been presented with 'rustic'-style gazpacho in the UK before, but the ice cubes in a £5.95 portion served in a restaurant of this ilk was just plain lazy. Unfortunately, the tomato, cucumber and pepper mush didn't improve on tasting; it was under-seasoned and far too chewy. My jaw didn't get such a workout with Pedro's mum's gazpacho, that's all I'm saying.

Seafood risotto

My main course of risotto of the day (an interesting idea, especially if most of them are vegetarian, thus sidestepping the wild mushroom trap) improved matters somewhat. Seafood-based, I wasn't quite sure of the exact ingredients given the volume at which the waitress whispered its existence to us, but I detected prawns, clams and possibly mullet. Just creamy enough, the rice was perfectly cooked and the flavour of the fish was subtle rather than overpowering. I chose the smaller portion, which was just enough following a starter.

Spaghetti bolognaise

'School dinner', I said when D's plate of spaghetti bolognaise (another special, chosen in honour of his impending move to Italy) slid onto the table. 'If the steak tartare got an eight for presentation, this is a two', he agreed. A bowlful of pasta topped with what seemed to be a mere ladleful of sauce, this dish was a letdown: although the taste was OK, the pasta-to-sauce ratio was completely imbalanced.

I was right that nothing could spoil my lunch, although the gazpacho certainly tried. Underwhelmed once again by Quod, I was too overwhelmed by D's good news to care. I can't say I'll be rushing back: although the risotto was tasty and enjoyable, a sense of trading on their reputation prevailed. And when you're serving iced gazpacho, it's time to question whether that reputation can be maintained.

Verdict: 6/10

Quod is at 92-94 High Street, Oxford OX1 4BJ. Tel: 01865 202505.

Red Star

If you're looking for cheap, easy and quick eats, noodles are where it's at. Owing to the numerous chains that have sprung up in recent years, the communal tables of the noodle bar are now a familiar part of the UK landscape. On Cowley Road, independent Red Star offers diners a taste of Asia on a very tight budget: a winning formula in an area packed with students.

With soup noodles and rice and noodle dishes starting at just £5 and more elaborate options such as bento boxes weighing in at around £8, Red Star is in no danger of breaking anyone's budget. Its comprehensive menu features classics from all over Asia such as chow mein, thai curries and yaki soba, with some less-common options appearing among the chalked-up specials. On a previous visit, the 'healthy choice' of spicy ma po tofu with steamed rice (£5) from this selection went down a treat. On my latest visit, though, it was all about the noodles.

Taking our place on the wooden bench, A and I noticed a young chap huffing and puffing over a bowl of presumably rather spicy soup. As we waited for our dishes to arrive, we watched him turn redder and redder in the face until he smacked his empty bowl down on the table in the manner of someone who's just won a long and embittered battle. Clutching his stomach, he announced his success to the waitress: he had just completed the 'chilli challenge' of eating said soup in thirty minutes. Given that he then repaired to the bathroom for almost thirty minutes, I don't think that's a gauntlet I'll be accepting anytime soon.

Around ten minutes after ordering, our safer choices of yasai yaki soba (£5) and beef ho fun (£5.50) arrived. Portions are generous, and I was particularly impressed with the high egg and vegetable content of my  noodles (beansprouts, courgette, onion, green & red peppers and sweetcorn) for the modest price. There was a definite soy taste, and a hint of ginger which could have been slightly more pronounced to add a little depth to the flavour. A declared his ho fun 'pleasantly greasy', and I had to concur: the stir-fried noodles are a little on the oily side, but not in a bad way. 'Light' isn't the word I'd use, but you definitely don't feel the need to atone for any dietary sins after eating.

Red Star's a definite winner in the price-quality ratio: a varied menu of tasty dishes and quick, efficient service make it worth a try if you're looking for a budget bite in the Cowley Road area. Oh, and chopstick-challenged types like myself will be happy to hear that forks are provided on request.

Verdict: 6

Red Star is at 187 Cowley Road, Oxford OX4 1UT.

The Red Lion

In Oxford's pre-Wetherspoons days, The Red Lion was a rough and ready boozer called The Goose with such tempting offers as 4 bottles of Reef for £5. So when I heard it had undergone a facelift so extreme that it would make Liza Minnelli proud and turned into a gastro pub, I had to check it out.

The makeover rumours were true: the faded sofas and grubby floors are long gone, replaced by stylish light wood furnishings and soft lighting. The initial impression is of a slick modern restaurant rather than a pub, and although The Red Lion has kept a lounge bar area, it's clearly aiming primarily at diners rather than drinkers these days. With an extensive and varied menu (and wine list too, for that matter, with reds and whites sub-divided into Mediterranean and World categories), there's far more on offer than the usual pub fare.

While classics such as burgers and fish and chips will keep the traditionalists happy, The Red Lion also offers creative pastas (such as strozzapreti with goat's cheese, tomato and spinach, £10.25) and stonebaked pizzas (including crispy duck, £10.45), as well as an extensive 'spit roast/stove' section which should keep even the most die-hard carnivore happy. Meaty choices range from spit-roast chicken (£12.45) to ribeye steak cooked in smoken paprika butter and served with watercress and chips (£16.45). Beefing up the menu even further are continental-style sharing plates and a selection of modern European starters, such as arancini risotto balls with peas, mint and feta (£5.95). As if all this wasn't enough, there's also a list of chef's recommendations on each table, which we unfortunately only spotted after ordering. The swanky-sounding dishes (3 starters and 3 mains) were a little fancier than those on the menu but around the same price, so it's definitely worth checking them out. On our visit, options included confit duck leg served on caramelised white cabbage with black cherry sauce (£13.95).

I finally opted for the blackened cod fillet served on a bed of egg noodles and pak choi, with mango and chilli salsa (£14.95). The generously-sized fillet was beautifully presented and delicately spiced, with the mango chunks adding an interesting complementary flavour. Filling but fresh-tasting and light, it's an ideal spring dish. The pak choi made a pretty minimal contribution and I did feel the price was a little high, but the quality of the flaky fish almost justified the mark up.

Blackened cod fillet

A's classic burger (£10.95), served up on a rustic wooden board, was served in a wholesome-looking sunflower seed-topped bun with a side dish of fries. Well-cooked and tasty, the addition of a hefty portion of salad may have contributed to A's 5 a day, but it also contributed to lowering the burger's temperature and made for some slightly unwieldy eating.

Classic burger

S chose a stonebaked margherita pizza, good value at £7.95. Topped with plenty of mozzarella, cherry tomatoes and fresh basil, it was a well-executed version of the quintessential pizza.

Margherita pizza

The dessert menu features a number of modern British classic puddings, such as brownie and ice cream, treacle tart and Eton mess (from £4.75). We opted for a sticky toffee pudding (average, made less of an impression than the creamy vanilla ice cream it was topped with) and an Eton mess (delicious, with slightly sticky homemade meringue that was just the right side of sweet), but as the lunchtime rush had begun, we had to wait over 20 minutes for our desserts to arrive.

Eton Mess

Located near Gloucester Green in central Oxford, The Red Lion is ideally located for a mid-shopping lunch break or a pre-drinks dinner. Opened just over a month ago, it already seems like a popular place, and with a wide-ranging menu of good quality, beautifully-presented modern dishes, I can understand why. It didn't entirely set my palate on fire, but it's definitely a welcome addition to Oxford's dining scene and a much-needed alternative to the multitude of chain Italian restaurants on George Street.

Verdict: 6/10

The Red Lion is at 14 Gloucester Street, Oxford. Tel: 01865 726255.