Really great Lebanese food in a nice environment, seemed popular and authentic which was surprising…read morein the middle of residential Oxford. Only downside was relatively small plates. Good and cheap wine though!

Al-Shami is a decent spot for Middle Eastern food in the town of Oxford. Now our friend has raved…read moreabout this place since moving to Oxford for school, going to this spot about 1-2 times per week. She actually said that their falafels were better than Zaki Kabob in Berkeley which Ryan S. couldn't believe because to him ZK is "God of Kabobs." You get a complimentary platter of whole and chopped vegetables. Interesting presentation as it came with a whole green bell pepper, a whole tomato, radishes, and cut up carrots and pickled something or other. The falafels were good but not solid. The chicken kabob was moist on the inside, dry on the outside. Stand outs for the meal were the feta cheese and spinach spanikopita-like appetizers and baklava-like dessert. It is pricey at £50 which translates to $80. Yikes...

Comptoir Libanais has become, since my initial visit 10 years ago to their South Kensington…read morelocation, a chain of at least 24 restaurants. I've now only seen two of their restaurants but with their colorful, stylish, vibrant decor they are immediately recognizable. The branding is excellent. The Oxford location of Comptoir Libonais sits on the outside edge of a big Westfield Mall and though the decor immediately identifies it, there was something very tired about it. It felt less special and was less pristine than it should have been. Tables were left uncleared for far too long after guests left. My wine glass arrived dirty, with a very small pour (replaced with a large pour, as ordered, and a clean glass when I pointed it out). It took far too long for anyone to come to my table. Despite good food the collection of missteps left a negative impression, like nobody who cares is actually watching over this outpost. This would easily be a 4-star review were it based on food alone but there is no escaping that it is the collection of a dining experience that influences one's overall feelings about a place. Comptoir Libonais Oxford could and should be doing a far better job. (Note: 12.5% service fee automatically added to bill)

The food is delicious! So fresh, packed with flavor, and hearty portions. The mixed grill was…read moredelicious. It was the perfect touch to the mixed grill. There is ample seating in the restaurant and it's connected to the Westgate Shopping plaza so shop and dine or vice versa! They tend to get really busy around dinner time so it's best to make a reservation.

Great food! Plenty of vegan options. Very friendly service. Cheap.read more

Been to Elham's 3-4 times the past few months. The presentation is unusual in the sense that the…read morefood is served like I am at my grand parents house during the holidays, rather than a typical order off a menu restaurant. This is the best part. I would say I know good Lebanese food (because of my background) and this certainly hits the spot. Their tabouleh is amazing, as is the eggplant, and they use proper Syrian bread, not that fake Tesco naan stuff. 5 stars!

Enjoyed a few small dishes here one afternoon back in September. The place was dead as it was a…read moreweek day but that is absolutely no reflection on the quality of the food or the very enjoyable Lebanese beer we washed it down with. It can clearly seat plenty of customers so if the locals have any taste at all I expect it does a great trade during evenings & weekends. It certainly should do if our experience is at all representative.

Friendly and informal atmosphere with great food. We opted for vegetarian dishes and covered the…read moretable in 16 or so cold and hot mezze dishes between six of us which made for a top dinner. Food was served pretty quickly and we enjoyed fresh mint tea at the end.

This is a really late review--many apologies about that. I was going through the drafts of my…read morereviews and realised this one went unpublished. Of course, now there's a lockdown, but this is before all that. Westgate Street Food Social is a spacious area with a variety of food options, places to sit, and pretty good wifi. The space is nice for university students to work, and my friend and I went there a couple times. However, you always have to have some food, or you'll be chased out. It seems silly to me that this is the case, seeing as every time I've visited, it's been empty. Anyway, it's a pretty nice place--but perhaps needs to be more lenient on visitors!

4 stars for benito's hat alone. I don't think ive ever had a burrito that wasn't from benito's hat…read moreand I'm not starting now. Benito's hat aside, complaints are that food ranges from a little overpriced to INSANE at the Tommi's burger joint where it's like a fiver for a milkshake and the security are like stormtroopers patrolling about so you feel like you have 2 eat faster to avoid their wrath.

This place is just fantastic! Offers a range of delicious starters, mains, and desserts and it's…read morehumours is to die for! Honestly, do yourself a favor and try it with the Lebanese bread. The mains were also awesome - very soft meat and flavoursome sauces, can't recommend highly enough. It's also affordable, which only enhances the experience.

The central location of this restaraunt is probably it's major selling point. If you're a student,…read moreyou may love the place, loud music, belly dancers and a constant supply of food! However, be prepared to pay a premium for food that is of mediocre quality compared to the fare available elsewhere in the city.

Slightly grimy cafe - maybe it was just the brownish decor but I felt it could have done with a…read moregood clean. But the food was tasty and 4 of us ate well for not a lot of money.

Shiraz is now called 'Cafe Nour' and is (I assume) under new management.read more

I dined here on a recent trip to Oxford. I was split between two dishes I wanted to try and was…read moreunsure of what dish to order so the waiter allowed me to try both by giving me half portions of each dish. So I ordered the Meshwi Mesakal (grilled chicken, lamb & kafta) and the Ferouj Nour (pan fried chicken Egyptian style). And I'm glad to say that both were quite delicious and highly recommended. To drink, I tried their yogurt drink with apple juice. The apple juice didn't really make it more sweet but it thinned it out a little. So, the drink was not overly sweet and the consistency was more like a shake but not as thick. Give Cafe Nour a try if you ever find yourself in Oxford. The prices are reasonable and the service is great!

Food was great and surprisingly I could not finish my portion which doesn't happen often. Service…read morewas a bit off but can't really judge a place this small on one single waitress who kept getting everything wrong. all in all pretty good experience.

My favorite bar / place to party in Oxford!…read more This is a super spacious, BEAUTIFUL building. It was originally an old church that's since been refurbished. You can still admire the beautiful stained glass windows, though. There's a ton of space to mingle with friends or strangers. When we came at night it tended to be dimly lit with loud music playing, definitely a club type atmosphere, so you could get lost in the crowd pretty easily. Of course, they may have since changed that vibe since it's been a few years since I visited...but I loved it at the time. The friendly bar staff also fixed me the best White Russian I've ever had, too, so that definitely helps with the nostalgia factor. :)

A church converted into a pizza and beer and wine spot, this spot made a tasty thin crust pizza…read more There's come cool, hopefully, local art adorning the walls. At 7 p.m., the place was empty. Man, if this was the states, everybody and their mother would be waiting for a table. One pizza is about medium size and just enough for one person. My only small complaint was that it was extra oily but take a napkin and sop it up. Indoor and outdoor seating available.