Riverford Supper Club at Oxfork

Since the closure of The Ball Green Door, I'd been hoping for another supper club to pop up on the Oxford scene. So when news of Riverford's summer supper club at Oxfork dropped into my inbox, I was quick to sign up. The second seasonal collaboration between organic produce purveyors Riverford (best known for their fruit and veg box deliveries) and East Oxford café Oxfork promised to be a fruitful one. With both businesses keen to promote local produce and eating with the seasons, the idea of holding a supper club where Oxfork chefs whipped up a meat-free menu with Riverford goodies sounded like a winner to me.

With priority for tickets given to Riverford customers, would-be diners had to part with £25 to secure a seat at the supper club. Held on a Wednesday evening in June, the event consisted of nibbles from Riverford's new range washed down with a glass of prosecco, followed by a three-course meal. I had expected to find our fellow diners mingling and chatting on arrival, but instead everyone was seated. To be honest, apart from sharing a table for 4 with 2 other diners (the layout of Oxfork doesn't really lend itself to group dining), little about the evening was reminiscent of a supper club in the more usual sense. Perhaps 'pop-up restaurant' would be a more appropriate tag, given that the venue isn't the chef's home, but as Oxfork is a permanent fixture, that doesn't seem quite the right label either.

Semantics aside, it looked like we were in for a good evening: who doesn't like being greeted by a glass of fizz? Every seat was full; there was a lively hum running through the restaurant. N and I took our seats and sampled a selection of the pre-dinner nibbles on offer from Riverford's 'picnic' range: olives, a couple of dips accompanied with crudités, plus two pies – a homity pie and another unspecified assortment of pastry-encased veg. The homity pie in particular was tasty, with a slightly spicy flavour. As we picked at our entrées, a member of the Oxfork team and Oxford's Riverford representative Jake talked us through the way the evening would unfold: three courses, with organic beers and wines available to purchase by the glass or bottle, followed by coffee and hopefully questions with the chef.

Broad bean and cheese bruschetta

Sunday lunch at The Cape of Good Hope

Conveniently located as a compromise venue for meet-ups between residents of OX4 and the rest of the city, The Cape of Good Hope is somewhere I'd choose to quench an alcohol thirst. With a decent wine selection and a range of ales, beers and ciders on tap, it doesn't disappoint. I've also been known to order one of their fish finger sandwiches a few drinks in. But I'd never really thought of going there specifically to eat.

A few weekends ago, a series of unfortunate incidents involving country walks and blisters meant that M, S and I missed the window for Sunday lunch out in the Chilterns. Caught out at that awkward time of 5pm with nothing consumed since breakfast but cake, we returned to the city. Our first port of call, The Black Boy, didn't start serving food again until 6. I was in danger of gnawing at my own arm, so we proceeded to The Cape. And it didn't let us down: Sunday roasts are served all day. Their normal menu changes daily, and features pimped-up pub classics with some locally-sourced ingredients, such as Gloucester Old Spot sausages with crushed pea mash and red wine gravy. On Sundays, they dish up a selection of traditional starters (including potted smoked mackerel and a cured meat platter), roasts and a few mains, among them fish & chips, a West Country beef burger and a fig, goat's cheese, pecan and squash tart.

Nut roast

The Oxford Blue

Having a man attempt to attach a carpet to the wall behind your head isn't exactly a typical Sunday lunch experience. But then again, not much about the experience of dining at a new establishment is typical. Based on this little incident at the Oxford Blue, I'm quite happy about that.

The former sports pub just off the Iffley Road has been taken over by the team formerly behind Bottega in Jericho and transformed into a chic but cosy spot for a drink and a bite to eat. With white walls and a few interesting decorative touches, it's inviting but still remains within the 'pub' realm. The wine savvy of the management team is evident on the menu, though: each dish is paired with a wine chosen from their list. With tipples including Spanish whites and Portuguese and Hungarian reds, it's an interesting selection – picking up exactly where Bottega left off. Prices are fair given the quality and wide range, but a touch steep for the area, with house wine £4 a glass (i.e. 50p more than in the lovely Rusty nearby).

The menu sticks to more familiar territory, with chef Mark Bradbury (formerly of Smiths of Smithfield and Branca, among other restaurants) cooking up modern British dishes with a gastro twist: the 'Bannister burger' (£10.95), Korean barbecue lamb with kale and baked smoked haddock with cream, spinach, cheese and a poached egg (both £14) feature among the 6 main courses. Mains are reasonably priced, but the starter selection is on the expensive side, with dishes from £5–7.50. Sides aren't included, adding to the bill by a further £2.75. The menu itself features an interesting reverse side, full of facts 'Oxford blue'-related facts: a nice touch.

Oxfork

Any Oxford resident who likes their grub will have heard of Oxfork by now. Unless you're a Twitterphobe with selective deafness when it comes to word of mouth, you'll no doubt know that the former pop-up restaurant converted 39 Magdalen Road into a café over summer, firmly cementing this corner of East Oxford as the city's new go-to gastro destination.

Tellingly, the hype behind the venture wasn't generated by those behind Oxfork, but largely by those excited by the prospect of a cosy but chic café serving well-prepared seasonal dishes sourced from local suppliers. Trendy East Oxford types may like to shop and eat local, but if they can do so in a quirkily-decorated, relaxed venue, so much the better.

Visiting on its opening weekend, it was clear that the hype had worked: by the time I turned up on Saturday lunchtime, the demand-supply balance was looking a bit precarious. The cheery staff were rolling with it admirably though; one of the chefs even delivered our order and apologized for the delay. Oxfork's brunches and lunches were clearly in demand.

Although I love the idea of brunch, as a vegetarian who used to pretend to be allergic to eggs as a child, such was my hatred of them, the options available often leave me a little cold. Thankfully for me, although Oxfork's menu is an egg-lover's delight (benedict, royale, scrambled, poached, in a sandwich...), there are a number of other choices for the less enamoured: a vegetarian breakfast, a variety of treats on toast and porridge. And as brunchtime runs into lunchtime (no noon cut off point here), I was also able to pick from the daily lunch menu. From the short selection of dishes chalked on the board, I opted for the potato and thyme soup with wild mushrooms (£4), while S went for eggs florentine (£7.50). Perusing the menu, I was struck by the price of the egg dishes: £7.50 seems pretty steep, especially when you consider that the Oxfork breakfast (sausage, bacon, fried egg, beans, slow-roast tomato, mushrooms and sourdough bread) is the same price. Still, there's no denying the quality of the ingredients: all the eggs used are free-range, sourced from a farm near Witney.

The Magic Cafe

In many meat eaters’ minds, the word ‘vegetarian’ used to conjure up images of lettuce leaves and hunger, or bland platefuls of unsatisfying lentils and brown rice. When canvassing my male friends’ opinions on meat-free meals prior to my latest radio show, I was surprised to receive an open-minded, positive response: turns out it was me living in the past and taking a sexist stance on meaty meals, not them. Whether for economic or health reasons, more and more omnivores are choosing to forgo flesh on a regular basis, opting to base a higher number of their meals around vegetables. Even famous carnivore Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall has recently experimented with eating an almost exclusively vegetarian diet with unexpectedly positive results: seasonal vegetables can be the stars of a dish rather than the supporting act.

With all this in mind, I finally visited the Magic Café for lunch. A bit of an East Oxford institution, the Magic Café serves breakfast, lunch, tea and cakes to an eclectic crowd including plenty of families no doubt enticed by its laid-back atmosphere and low prices. Surprisingly in a city like Oxford, there are only two exclusively vegetarian eating establishments to choose from, the Magic Café and the Gardeners’ Arms, both feeding residents’ meat-free needs for years. With a full menu of vegetarian and vegan breakfasts from £2.50 and daily lunch offerings from £3, the Magic Café currently only caters to hunger pangs during daylight hours, although this looks set to change with their first evening opening on 7 October.

Selection of salads

Visiting on a weekday lunchtime, offerings included a mixed vegetable vegan soup (£3), a pie of the day (Russian koulbiaka, £3.50), a selection of salads and a chickpea and apricot tagine (£5.70). S opted for a full plate of salad (£4), heaped with waldorf, Greek, cous cous and leaf varieties. Fresh, lively and filling, it was much tastier than a soggy supermarket sandwich for only a few pence more.

Koulbiaka

L’s koulbiaka met her high expectations: as a former resident of Russia, she was familiar with the traditional version of the dish, made with salmon rather than mozzarella. Also containing rice, egg, mushrooms and peas encased in pastry, it was a flavoursome and filling lunch. Served with herb-flecked cous cous, homemade houmous and pitta bread, my hearty tagine was a lovely autumnal dish: rich, packed with vegetables and with just a hint of apricot adding a subtle extra dimension of flavour. Combined with the extra accompaniments, it certainly kept me full for the rest of the day.

With its boho interior and unfussy but delicious vegetarian food, the Magic Café is definitely one of the old guard of vegetarian restaurants. No flash fixtures, no wacky creations on their menu: just a tried and tested formula which keeps customers happy (and with its plentiful portions, full). And with evening openings hopefully set to become a regular occurrence, a new chapter in their history may be just about to begin.

Verdict: 8

For more ideas on where to eat vegetarian food in Oxfordshire, you can listen to my appearance on Jo Thoenes's show on BBC Radio Oxford on 23 September here until 30 September.


The Magic Café is at 110 Magdalen Road. To book for Dodo’s Vegetarian Restaurant at the Magic Café on Friday 7 October (vegan and vegetarian options available), call 01865 794604.

The Rusty Bicycle

I first discovered The Rusty Bicycle one Sunday at the end of last year when, in the midst of moving house, my long-suffering dad and I tried our luck at the Magdalen Arms. There was no room at the inn, but the barman did me a bigger favour than he realised when he pointed us up Magdalen Road in the direction of the Rusty. With a more relaxed, friendly feel than the MA, we soon felt at home tucking into Sunday roast (dad) and a Moroccan bean and halloumi salad (me). And here's the disclaimer before you read on: I've been a relatively regular customer ever since.

As discussed in my review of sister pub the Rickety Press, I like a smartly decorated yet still casual pub with a selection of good food on offer, so the Rusty is right up my street. I have fond memories of devouring the tastiest fish and chips I've eaten below Birmingham (I maintain that northern chippies do it best) followed by a delicious Earl Grey infused sticky toffee pudding. I nearly had to be rolled home afterwards, but it was worth it. My mum has notoriously high standards, but even she deemed the Rusty worthy of a repeat visit after trying their mushroom risotto (the fact that they do fizz by the glass also helped).

Post-Rickety Press visit, I decided the time had come to review the Rusty's culinary offerings. On arrival, I was a little disappointed to discover that the menu is now more limited in scope: a selection of nibbles, sharing boards, wraps, burgers and a few salads and healthier bites are what's on offer nowadays (roasts are still available on Sundays, though). Everything sounded tasty and was reasonably priced, but the selection isn't exactly extensive. Perhaps the menu's been reduced for summer, but I hope the fish and chips makes a comeback at least.

A & I kicked off our evening with a pot of houmous with 'harissa rose relish' and pitta bread (£3), which was (not to put too fine a point on it) absolutely delicious, or as my rather sophisticated notes attest, 'fit'. Presentation was perfect, with the chickpea, onion and harissa relish adding substance and a touch of spice.

Yummy houmous

Stomachs suitably stimulated and half of my reduced menu-related toys back in the pram, we awaited the arrival of our wraps. And what wraps they were: nobody could accuse me of having a small mouth, either literally or metaphorically, but even I was unable to get my laughing gear round one of the Rusty's 'chunky khobez wraps'. That's the thing: they're not really wraps. They're more like flatbreads enclosing the customer's filling of choice: a visually appealing presentation device, yes, but not really designed for ease of eating. And I suppose 'wraps' is easier to fit on a menu.

Sweet potato falafel wrap

Lamb kofta wrap

Ease and elegance issues aside (this is pub grub after all), my sweet potato falafel wrap (£5) was both flavoursome and filling. The homemade falafel were moist and tasty, and the addition of a spiced yoghurt dressing and a pot of that gorgeous houmous were excellent complements. As for the wrap, I alternated between attacking it with my cutlery and tearing strips off it to smear in the dip. A's lamb and feta kofta wrap with tzatziki (£6) was another appetizing option, with high quality, well-cooked lamb enhanced by the Grecian accompaniments.

To conclude, we opted for a Sailor Jerry's chocolate pot (£3) from the small dessert selection, which also features G & D's ice cream. Expecting a miniature dish of chilled rum-infused chocolate, we were initially nonplussed by the espresso cup of what looked like warm milk chocolate mousse. And then we dipped into it. Don't judge a chocolate pot by its temperature: this cup of chocolatey, rummy goodness was delicious.

So, we had a tasty and cheap meal in a lovely pub with a great atmosphere. It wasn't exactly what you'd call a gastro delight, but it was a definite cut above standard pub fare, with high quality, seasonal ingredients served up in interesting combinations. I can't help but hope that the extended menu makes a reappearance come autumn, but I'll still be returning regardless - for the houmous if nothing else.

Verdict: 7.5 (but 10 for the houmous).

The Rusty Bicycle is at 28 Magdalen Road, Oxford OX4 1RB. Tel: 01865 435 298.

The Magdalen Arms

If you live in Oxford, you'll have heard of the Magdalen Arms. If you're interested in food, you'll no doubt have heard the story of how Florence Fowler and Tony Abaro of London's Anchor & Hope transformed a formerly dingy drinking den into what Guardian critic Matthew Norman labelled 'one of the finest gastropubs in the country'.

High praise indeed. With such grand claims to live up to, punters arrive at the Magdalen Arms with high hopes; expecting to tuck into the best meal they've ever had in the supposed culinary wasteland of Oxford. And with a menu of seasonal and largely locally-sourced dishes that changes twice a day (yes, twice: there are some differences between the lunch and evening menus) from an acclaimed chef and his team, you can understand why. In recent months, however, it seems that a fair number of diners have disagreed with Mr Norman's assessment: for almost every online review waxing lyrical about the guinea fowl, there's another bemoaning the slow and sometimes surly service or the cost of dining there. Which camp was I going to fall into, I wondered?

I must confess that this wasn't my first visit to the Magdalen Arms. After popping in for a drink on a few occasions (house wine is just £3.15), I dined there one evening in January. As a pescetarian, I was disappointed to see that there was only one vegetarian and one fish dish on the menu; a rare sight in the UK these days. The fish was mackerel, which I don't like, so by default I had the vegetarian option, which was pasta. It was pretty tasty pasta, but being of the 'why order something you could make at home' school of thought, I wasn't thrilled at paying £11.80 for the pleasure.

On this visit, there was once again one fish and one vegetarian dish among the eight main courses. And again, the vegetarian was pasta - a pretty lazy meat-free option, if you ask me. The seven starters were slightly more balanced, with asparagus and pea soup (£5) and new season's beetroot and horseradish salad (£5.80) nestling among another appearance from my mate mackerel and meaty treats such as pork and rabbit rillettes served with cornichons and toast  (£5.60). I wasn't inspired and they'd run out of the chicken liver parfait that D & N wanted by our 8.30 booking, so we skipped ahead to the mains.

Half of the mains are individual dishes, half are to share. Ranging in price from £35 for the Hereford steak and ale pie for three to share to £70 for slow cooked local lamb shoulder for four or five to share, these jumbo portions certainly make good business sense, but unless you and your dining companions have similar tastes and significant appetites, you're left with a restricted menu. Not wanting to review the Magdalen Arms based on another pasta dish (tagliatelle with aubergine, capers and parmesan, in case you wondered), I asked if the roast pollock with chorizo, potatoes and aioli could be made without the chorizo: it could. D & N both chose baked Gressingham duck leg with bacon, carrots and turnips, and we ordered a dish of spring greens (£3) to share.

The forty minute wait gave us time to polish off the home-made sourdough bread basket provided on the table: tasty, but salty. We also noted with raised eyebrows that it's not just the vegetables that carry a £3 price tag: while the first portion of bread is free, a second one will set you back the same amount. Bread devoured, we had ample time to cast our eyes over the other diners in the red-walled, 'shabby chic' dining room ('this chair looks like one of my grandmother's', observed D). A mixture of couples, families and groups, our fellow punters seemed to be enjoying the sharing dishes (a definite bonding experience for the couple on a date next to us), but we spotted one customer's plate of braised beef going back to the kitchen almost untouched.

After an apology from our friendly waiter, our dishes arrived. The duck was well-presented and just fell off the bone, so I'm told - N praised it highly, while D was more reserved in his judgement. 'It's almost the perfect dish. The texture's right, the consistency... but it's too salty. It irritates me'. Ah, when a pesky salt cellar stands in the way of perfection.

Baked Gressingham duck leg - excuse shocking camera phone photography

The chefs are clearly fans of sodium chloride, as my pollock also had a definite tang. The portion of fish could have been more generous, but its taste made up for its medium size: meltingly soft, flaky, delicious. The new potatoes were buttery and an excellent complement; the aioli gorgeously garlicky, and some unexpected salad leaves were a nice touch. After our moan about the price of the spring greens, they were served in a generous portion and tasty enough to quiet our complaints.

Roast pollock without chorizo but with new potatoes & aioli

Guided through the desserts (6 and a cheese selection) by our waiter, we plumped for a cherry and almond tart served with homemade vanilla ice cream, chocolate and hazelnut cake with creme fraiche, and a baked vanilla cheesecake with strawberries (£5 each).

Cherry and almond tart

The cherry and almond tart was the star: the bottom layer was rich and slightly sticky, adding moisture to a beautifully flavoured slice of delight. The ice cream was also excellent and would be well worth ordering on its own: far from synthetic, it actually tasted of vanilla.

Baked cheesecake

The other two desserts divided opinions, with N labelling the cheesecake 'thick' and D and I disagreeing - as a baked cheesecake, it's expected to be dense. The chocolate and hazelnut cake was nutty yet flaky, but I felt its rich flavour was slightly (and unexpectedly) overpowered by the creme fraiche. Weak points aside, I'd order them all again. Especially that tart. We almost had a plate-licking situation.

Chocolate and hazelnut cake

The bill came in at £72.70 for two courses each, one side dish and a bottle of wine. It's certainly not a budget-busting bill, but nor is it the usual tab for a Wednesday night, even in a gastro pub. The pricing of the Magdalen Arms' menu makes it treat territory rather than an ordinary meal out. As we paid, we debated its value: although we all agreed that our meals were of a high standard, we agreed that a reduction in cost would make us more likely to return, but understandably good quality local produce doesn't come cheap. It's not quite worth the hype: yes, the food is very good (if on the salty side), the use of local meat and vegetables is commendable, as is the fact that everything is homemade with care. But perhaps Mr Norman ultimately didn't do the Magdalen Arms any favours with his lavish praise: there's now a slight sense of importance about the place. The limited vegetarian and fish options are a personal stumbling block for me: surely 2 fish dishes or the occasional includion of another vegetarian choice isn't too much to ask? And while the daily changing menu is a selling point for some, it makes life more difficult for those with specific dietary requirements as the menus aren't available online. Imagine the potential for disappointment on securing a coveted table only to find that you can't actually eat anything. But if you're a flesh fan, none of this is an issue: you have the run of the menu.

Verdict: a much considered and debated 7.5. Go, but go with an open mind and rein in those expectations.


The Magdalen Arms is at 243 Iffley Road. Closed all day Monday and Tuesday lunchtime. Reservations recommended. Tel: 01865 243159.

Everest Nepalese

Residential Howard Street isn't exactly somewhere you'd usually consider when deciding where to eat out in Oxford. Just a few years ago, Cowley Road was as good as it got in the OX4 postcode, but with tempting new additions such as the Rusty Bicycle, the Magdalen Arms and the Indian Room popping up on the map, excellent dining options are definitely spreading east. This residential street has been put on the map by Nepalese restaurant Everest, which occupies half of the converted Donnington Arms pub.

The dining area isn't the biggest of spaces, with around twelve tables of varying sizes. It's a testament to Everest's popularity that by 7.30 on a Tuesday evening, almost half of them were occupied. The decor is smart but simple, with comfortable leather chairs and a touch of tasteful artwork. The focus is definitely on the food, though: the smart menu features mainly Nepalese dishes (as you'd expect), with a few Indian numbers thrown in no doubt to please the palates of the curry-conditioned population. Similar to Indian cuisine in its extensive uses of spices, Nepalese food is similarly varied, with dishes as diverse as dumplings, noodle dishes and bean and potato masala on Everest's menu.

The  menu begins with a page of starters, priced between £2.95 and £5.95, including the dumplings in question (momos), which I've heard excellent things about. There's a page of vegetarian dishes, tandoori options, chef's specialities (including the interesting-sounding manu farsi; lamb and red pumpkin cooked with ginger, red pepper and garlic), as well as a number of classic Indian dishes and biryanis. I skipped straight to the vegetarian specialities: mostly Nepalese, many  can be ordered either as a main course (£6.95) or as a side (£3.95).

Annapurna vegetables and kadai chicken

I opted for annapurna vegetables (potatoes, okra, cauliflower, mushrooms, courgettes, aubergine, broccoli and green beans, £6.95), with plain rice and a garlic naan. The vegetables were perfectly cooked, with just the right amount of bite, and the depth of flavour was impressive. They were light-tasting and moreish: portion sizes are generous but not over-facing, justifying the price tag for the vegetarian dishes at least. My dinner companion S opted for a kadai chicken (with onion, capiscum, green chillies and gren peppers, £7.95) from the Indian classics section, which was flavoursome but rather too greasy for her liking: once she'd transferred it over to her plate, the serving dish was left with an unappetising reservoir of oil at the bottom. That said, the taste prevailed and she ate the lot. The naan was generously smothered in garlic and fortunately escaped the grease trap of the kadai chicken.

With a wide variety of tempting-sounding dishes on offer, Everest is a good value introduction to Nepalese cooking. If you're looking for something a bit different than the usual options of pub/Italian/Indian/Chinese, give Everest a go: with such a range of dishes on offer, you're sure to discover something new. Given the greasiness of the Indian dish compared to the Nepalese, it's probably best to stick to what Everest is all about.

Verdict: 8 for the Nepalese, 6 for the Indian

Everest Nepalese is at 147-151 Howard Street, Oxford OX4 3AZ. Booking recommended at weekends. Take away available (collection or free delivery for orders over £15 in a 5 mile radius). Tel: 01865 251555.