I've been dragged here several times over the years and it's really not my kind of place. The atmosphere is of a look-at-me yuppy meat-market. The drinks they stock are designed to be exhibited to fellow drinkers rather than actually drunk, and the continuous loop of runway fashion show footage on the TV screens just tops off the overall impression of empty-headed fatuousness.
This time we actually ate here. A team of tech geeks. Of course, we didn't feel out of place because for all its atmosphere the Living Room doesn't seem to draw the crowd it targets any more, at least not on a weeknight.
The menu is predominantly Italian-inspired but with a wide range of other influences including some British favourites. Unfortunately for the price you pay, the execution left something to be desired. The risotto I ordered was the wrong side of al dente, leaving me with crunchy mouthfuls of powdery rice. The treacle tart I ordered for desert was pretty much the same as the ones you can buy in any supermarket, except that they'd tried to stretch one of those to 12 portions.
Being honest for a moment, I always get grumpy when I'm in Oxford and I end up in a pub that doesn't serve decent ales, so it may not be as bad as I make it sound. But there are certainly far better places to be and to eat. read more