The best restaurants in Oxfordshire

Overlooking Bledington's green and duck pond, this 16th-century former cider house is now an award-winning gastropub.

Low-slung ceilings, a cosy bar area, and the well-priced fifty-bin wine list plus elegant British gastropub classics and global influences, mean a long countryside lunch or dinner is definitely on the cards.

A Grade II listed Victorian glasshouse in North Oxford, Gee's has evolved from a 19th-century greengrocer's into an all-day modern British dining room with Mediterranean flecks.

Smoked eel with beetroot and fennel salad, along with gazpacho and grilled squid feature, with the conservatory setting doing much of the work for date nights and celebrations alike.

Tucked into the Stonor Valley outside Henley, this pub-restaurant is led by chef Ben Watson, a Gordon Ramsay and Core by Clare Smyth alumnus, alongside front-of-house partner Priya.

Their modern British menu carries subtle Indian influences, and the popular Sunday roast and general cosy feel draw diners well beyond the Chilterns.

A stone-walled coaching inn in Bampton with boutique bedrooms upstairs, The Market Tavern moves easily from a full cooked breakfast through bar snacks to seasonal dinners.

Classics like beer-battered fish and a venison bourguignon pie sit alongside guest ales and well-chosen cocktails for whatever time of day you arrive.

Set right on Kingham's village green, this chef-led gastropub has become a local favourite in one of the Cotswolds' foodiest areas.

The kitchen favours proper, seasonal pub cooking over fine-dining flourishes, and the relaxed, bar-first atmosphere suits those who find the area's grander tables already booked.

Crowning the Ashmolean Museum with sweeping views over Oxford's spires, this daytime-only restaurant and café is best suited to lunch rather than dinner.

A classic English afternoon tea and a bright, glass-walled dining room make it a museum visit worth extending. Though easygoing lunch fare and cocktails with a view are worthy arguments too. 

Head chef James Erasmus champions long-standing local suppliers across an elegant a la carte and a six-course tasting menu, best paired with a stay in the cottage rooms.

High on a hill above the Cotswolds, this converted 17th-century malt house ranks among Oxfordshire's most complete destination restaurants.

Independent since 1904, this riverside institution pairs Oxford's famous punting with proper, seasonal dining right on the water's edge.

Anglo-French and modern British dishes come backed by an award-winning wine list built for leisurely meals. Willow-shaded and endlessly romantic, it fills a gap in the county's roster of independent waterside restaurants.

Inspired by the beer bars of post-prohibition 1970s Bombay, this lively bar-cafe sits on one of Oxford's oldest streets.

Expect local DJs, inventive cocktails and shareable curries such as Aunty's Anda, plus an all-day breakfast menu ideal for a relaxed, affordable occasion with friends rather than a formal sit-down meal.

A beautifully restored 17th-century Grade II listed inn just ten minutes from Bicester Village, The Plough pairs exposed beams and open fires with elevated pub classics.

Classic Mediterranean and gastropub fare, alongside a traditional Sunday roast, make it a useful, family-friendly stop after a day's shopping nearby.

Established over fifteen years ago in Jericho, this brasserie has built its reputation on honest, uncomplicated feel-good cooking.

Big, Mediterranean-leaning flavours and quality ingredients define the menu, served in a large, bustling dining room. It's best suited to relaxed, sociable dining rather than a quiet, intimate meal.

Housed in a thatched 16th-century building, this Little Milton pub was reinvented in 2022 under chef Nat Berney, who trained for years at Le Manoir aux Quat'Saisons.

Expect refined British dishes, with historic examples ranging from whole plaice with rose harissa and citrus butter to pea and mascarpone orzo.

A red-brick country house in Abingdon, with lawns sloping down to the Thames, houses this all-day restaurant, which suits everything from a family pit-stop to a Sunday lunch.

The menu keeps things approachable, spanning club sandwiches, fishcakes and comforting classics like apple crumble and warm chocolate brownies.

An Oxford institution since 1998, Quod occupies the Old Bank Hotel with views over the Radcliffe Camera and St Mary's Church.

Head chef Rohan Kashid's modern European menu suits everything from lunch to late-night cocktails, and the Italian garden terrace gets busy in summer.

Named after the Agatha Christie novel, this Wallingford neighbourhood restaurant comes from local owners Sam, Aimee and Rob, who also run The Keep nearby.

Executive chef Aimee Collins builds seasonal menus around sustainable, local sourcing, and the weekend brunch is so good that locals return to try it time and again.

This unpretentious Buckland pub trades on quality pies, proper burgers and a Friday fish and chip special rather than chef-driven fine dining.

Highlights include widely spaced tables, a sprawling garden and a family-friendly Sunday roast, with space for both chilled catch-ups with friends and special occasion dinners.

Founded by Tak Tokumine and now a familiar name across the UK, this branch inside Westgate is Oxford's dependable, affordable ramen stop rather than the country's most ambitious bowl.

We like that assurance. Plus, the Chicken Katsu Curry Ramen is a cult favourite, backed by some great sake cocktails.

A stone-walled coaching inn in Bampton with boutique bedrooms upstairs, The Market Tavern moves easily from a full cooked breakfast through bar snacks to seasonal dinners.

Classics like beer-battered fish and a venison bourguignon pie sit alongside guest ales and well-chosen cocktails for whatever time of day you arrive.

Perched right on Folly Bridge with its own floating terrace, this family-owned restaurant is a rare independent in central Oxford.

Expect seasonal British cooking across a la carte, tasting and afternoon tea menus, plus year-round outdoor dining that makes the riverside setting one of Oxford's most popular destinations.

Relaunched in 2025 inside a carefully restored 16th-century building, this Cuddesdon pub is now overseen by executive chef Nat Berney, a Le Manoir alumnus.

Head chef Rick Owens delivers polished, produce-led pub cooking, with Thursday pie night already a firm local fixture worth planning around.

A converted 19th-century warehouse right on Folly Bridge, this Fuller's pub pairs classic pub drinking and an extensive gin selection with a pretty riverside garden.

British pub classics and hearty Sunday roasts suit a relaxed lunch, with 20 boutique bedrooms upstairs for an overnight stay. 

Run by husband and wife Pascal and Laura Wiedemann, this Summertown bistro serves proper French cooking with a playful edge, from moules a la creme to Kirsch choux buns.

Pascal trained under Henry Harris at Racine before co-founding Terroirs, and it remains one of Oxford's best fiercely independent tables.

Part of the original Crazy Bear estate, now around thirty years into its flamboyant run, this Stadhampton pub pairs proper British classics with a fantastic Thai menu under one roof.

Chandeliers, dark wood and plush armchairs set a theatrical backdrop for dishes like pad Thai and cote de boeuf.