Dine out in Oxfordshire

From the grandest country house to the most modest neighbourhood cafe, restaurants in Oxfordshire are making good use of the rich local larder. Turl Street Kitchen is an excellent example, preparing simple but skilfully made dishes such as a deliciously tender braised free range chicken with chilli, fennel, tomato, white beans and aioli. Over at the Rose and Crown, meanwhile, a starter of Norfolk pink potted shrimps served in bubbling butter with a side of fresh brown bread is a great way to start any meal.

Oxfordshire has always been an outward looking county, with so many international students and academics. You can also see these influences on the menus of so many Oxfordshire restaurants, with inspirations coming from across the globe. Popular cuisines such as Chinese, Indian and Thai are well represented but there are also some more unusual eateries. Moya Slovak, for example, specialises in excellent Slovak dishes, such as the outstanding rezen, with tender pork loin steak coated in seasoned breadcrumbs and served with Slovak potato salad. Mezze House Lebanese, meanwhile serves delicious Middle Eastern food and their Mezze Special is a wonderful celebration of this cuisine.