This is a great place to enjoy some good Italian after exploring Oxford all day. We went during the…read moreholidays and I have to say they did a great job with decorating and giving it a very holiday, welcoming vibe. The staff were friendly and attentive (but not overly so because they did let us chill out and talk for a bit after our meal). For food, I really enjoyed the mushroom risotto- it does have a pretty heavy mushroom taste so if you like mushrooms you'll love it. I found adding chicken cut the taste a little; I'm not sure if I'd have liked it as much if I didn't add the protein. My friend ordered the crab fettuccine...it was okayyyy. Wasn't enough crab for me personally and wish there'd been more bisque to make it a smidge more creamy. The bruschetta was a nice appetizer but was only two slices so wouldn't recommend for more than 2 people. Side note: if you're looking for a good wine, the Chianti was delicious and complimented the meal well. We were able to walk in with no reservations for 2 people but any group larger than that, you need to be prepared to wait or make your reservation ahead of time. There were a couple groups of 4 people in front of us and they quoted them a 2 hour wait because of the amount of reservations they had. Could have been just because of the holiday time.

We had a quick dinner experience here before catching our train back to London. The host was…read moreincredibly gracious to try and squeeze us in without a reservation. We were given a table for an hour, which was plenty of time. My boyfriend, who wasn't that hungry, ordered the beef tortellini small plate, and I got the lasagne. Both were satisfying and seasoned well. The best part of the experience was probably the ambience, particularly since it was the holiday season. The interior was cozy, well lit, and had an intimate feel, which makes the restaurant a popular place for Christmas parties.

We stopped in with a large crew, and they were friendly and accommodating. We didn't see any other…read morekiddos dining, but our little was welcomed with smiles. Thank you, Europe, for lovin' the kids. They readily accommodated her creamy tomato sauce spaghetti request (wasn't on the menu). I wasn't super impressed with the pastas or pizzas, but the salads damn near broke my mauf. Fresh and simple, and quite honestly BANGIN'. Italians make the best salads. Don't you ever forget it. I enjoyed a slice of tiramisu for dessert and let me tell you, someone stole grandma's recipe. It was packed with espresso, cocoa, creamy whipped cream, just all things EPIC to put it simply. I'd recommend dropping in for vino, the salads, and tiramisu or the chocolate cake, which my husband enjoyed.

One of the best Italian food I've had since my trip to Italy. They have a lot of vegetarian…read moreoptions, which was another upside of us choosing this restaurant. We got (forgot the actual names) - garlic cheese bread: gooey stringy cheese on top the softest chewiest bread! - baked penne: my hubby said it was amazing - spicy mushroom spaghetti in cream sauce: never had spaghetti that tasted like this before! Sauce was made fresh with chili peppers in it. Creamy with lots of flavors. So yummy! Service was warm and friendly. We were hosted like friends. Decor was nice: traditional and humble. The coloring and decor basically says: you are here for some delicious hearty and traditional food our family has to share with you in our most sincerest way!

Review for summer 2019:…read more You know that feeling of exhaustion from heat, endless walking, dodging too many tourists and you just want a piece of heaven... well, you can find it here! We had our sites on another eatery, however thankfully for us we found this gem instead! Do not expect aircon inside, however you will be greeted with friendly staff, pleasant tasting food and plenty of tables inside and out to dine. Cuisine took me back to some places I visited in Italy, and the staff's Italian between one another I think also influenced my experience! Their pizza is FAN-tis-tico!

Summer in Oxford feels like summer at Fisherman's Wharf in San Francisco -- tourist-ridden. While…read morerestaurants on the high street offered refuge from the crowds (and the unusual UK heat wave), I was craving something a bit more unique to Oxford. Alas, there's a location in London as well. But this cozy, homey pizza restaurant certainly stood out from the dozens of chain restaurants that we had walked past earlier. The restaurant's interior, with tasteful splashes of color, feels a bit like an Italian grandmother's kitchen -- imagine shelves full of pasta boxes. After an early morning visit to the Ashmolean Museum, we got there shortly after 12:30 p.m., which means that we had just missed the lunch rush. I doubt it would have been a problem had we decided to dine earlier, as there are plenty of tables in the restaurant. The pizzas are rectangular and come in both whole and half versions. (Buongiorno E Buonasera encourages you to order the latter so you can share.) There's a sign somewhere in the restaurant that derides untraditional pizza -- I can't remember what pizza blasphemy it cites, but pineapple on pizza, chicken on pizza... you know the drill. As I don't eat red meat (part of me wished that they served a pizza with chicken, but c'est la vie...), I mentally prepared myself to order a margherita pizza. Which, you know, is delicious in its own right, but I wanted something a bit more daring. I shouldn't have worried. Still authentic, the vivace pizza checked all of my boxes: tomato sauce, mozzarella, peppers, chili, and basil. An extremely filling lunch for less than £10!

Ticks all the boxes. Price, taste, value for money. Generous portions for the pasta dishes (Can…read moreeasily feed two if you've got a small stomach like me). Pizza dough is a little under salted for my taste but have a nice bready chew if you're not into the cracker-thin ones that are impossible to fold. Definitely one of the top 5 near-ish the City Centre.

My sister-in-law loves this place, and after our dinner there, it was clear why…read more The decor is nothing fancy, but the food is solidly delicious. You pass by the pizza ovens in the front, so you can see the work going into your food. We were seated in the upstairs portion (not sure if there's seating downstairs since now that I think about it, it was only staff heading down the stairs at the back). We'd been visiting a few pubs before our 7:30 booking, so we immediately ordered our main dishes. I got the spaghetti alla puttanesca, Jimmy got the Pizza de Mario (has to be good if it has the business name in it, right?), and Jane got the tortelloni alla calabrese. J and J also had the house wine, a montepulciano, that much improved with breathing. The food arrived fairly quickly, and all was delicious. The puttanesca, with olives, capers, and anchovies had a nice briny taste. The cream sauce on the tortelloni was divine - balanced between the cream and the tang of the tomato, very comforting. The pizza with bacon and sausage, artichokes, olives, was nicely crisp on the bottom and not too sweet on the sauce. We left all the plates clean! Prices seem quite reasonable for the quality of the food and the portion size.

Stopped here on a Thursday evening with my family and asked for a table, they looked at our party…read moreof six and declared, "no we are not doing that" and turned us away in the rain. Extremely rude.

It's modern well known italian restaurants in Oxford for some #1 and according to foursquare it's…read more#3 if you want to be precise. I had massive portion of antipasta vegetariani for 12 GBP for 2 then excellent rabbit came as main course. Service is friendly, helpful and does not really rush. You've got some tables outside as well. The italian beer morretti is served from the original bottle not from draft if you have some extreme preferences. The only thing that really surprise me it's lack of wi-fi on site after so many years of trading in Oxford, restaurant la cucina still didn't managed to provide one. I always do check in, take pictures and let know my friends about interesting places to be and la cucina is one of them.

Definitely one of the top pizza places in Oxford, that's mostly a deli. Meats, pasta, pick and mix…read moreolives, frozen tubs of bolognese and tiramisu, etc. Walking area is pretty narrow inside the shop, so there's no real waiting room if you're ordering a pizza (which are takeaway only), so order ahead to save yourself the long wait where there really is no standing room.

I always thought this was 'just' another Italian restaurant until I sheltered under the roof by the…read moredoor in a rainstorm. It's actually a wonderful Italian deli - just the sort of place you find in Cowley. They've got an exciting mix of different foods with suitably Italian-sounding names. It's absolutely brilliant if you want to try cooking your own Italian food at home, but using proper Italian ingredients, rather than Sainsburys' attempt. Even if the idea of cooking foreign food terrifies you, there's something for you, with a great range of prepared food and the staff's useful advice on how to serve it. I imagine it would go down very well at a dinner party. They do sausages, cured meats, dried pasta (loads of funky shapes and sizes!), cheese and desserts (mmm tiramisu). They take telephone orders and are really flexible and helpful with orders. Don't fancy taking stuff home? They serve food there as well! Pizza for £4-£7, pasta where you choose your sauce first and then the sort of pasta to go with it, and even main courses like lasagne and meat dishes. Main dishes come with an Italian version of chips - absolutely delicious, Spinache and Parmesan or Fagioli della Mamma: a tomato sauce with bacon, beans, onion and chilli. Pop in for a bit of Italian food love see you in there!

Good pizza, but not anything life-changing! I had the Bbuona…read morepizza. The flavors were terrific, and the ingredients were fresh. It is a significant portion of what you pay for. The place was packed! Yet, the staff was quick and friendly. This is a great place to share pizza with friends.

The pizza (pinae) was fantastic. Loved the dough. The atmosphere, street side eating, was great…read more The staff was extremely friendly. Highly recommend.

The service is a 5 star!! Our server was so nice and helpful. We had a hard time deciding and she…read morewas so patient. The wine recommendation was excellent! The tomato salad wasn't worth. The pizza was delicious and fresh! I liked it a lot but it wasn't anything super unique. I recommend the pizza with goat cheese, arugula, and add some hot honey! The ambiance was nice. There were families and friends but also dark and intimate enough to take someone on a date.

Just a consistently really delicious, lovely, and clean restaurant! I had garlic cheese bread,…read morespaghetti puttanesca, and an affogato - so yummy!!

We were waiting all summer for this Swoon location to open on High St, and it has not disappointed…read more Husband and I have enjoyed a range of flavors from the nociola to their visiting flavor. Also took Mum here and she loved it. Definitely bring your Mum, Pop, and best friends here!

Would give 4 1/2 stars. Very tasty ice cream and friendly service. A pleasant place to sit and it's…read moreopen til late. Quite a good Italian gelateria vibe.

It's a gorgeous spot, somewhat under-promoted perhaps as it's been open over a year and has very…read morefew reviews! I'm not complaining though, as I had a peaceful pizza lunch with enough to take home for another meal. The mushrooms on my pizza were just regular (I think I'd expected some fancy variety) but the crust was lovely and perfectly presented. The ambience and the staff were great, and the prices were surprisingly reasonable! Will happily return :)

The two stars are for the staff alone. They were all lovely…read more Frankly I can't believe this place has got so many good reviews: a) the pasta isn't made in house, it isn't even fresh, come on! That is nonsense. b) because the pasta was from a packet I opted for the pizza bolognese: awful. Possibly even from frozen c) the rocket salad was more cheese than leaves d) the wine had definitely been open for longer than is desirable Nil points. And really disappointing- I'll walk a little further to Pizza Express, nay even Pizza Hut next time...