Top 10 Restaurants in Oxford (2026 Guide): Where Locals Actually Eat
Oxford’s food scene is a locked garden: from the street, it looks polite and predictable; step through the right gate and it’s alive with smoke, spice, and stubborn creativity.
Follow the paths locals actually walk—away from postcard streets and laminated menus—and the city feeds you properly. This guide opens those gates, starting with the restaurants Oxford residents return to again and again.
The truth in 2026 is this: Oxford’s food scene has matured into something strategic. If you choose the right restaurant, at the right time, in the right seat, you’ll eat extraordinarily well. Choose wrong, and you’ll overpay for mediocrity.
This isn’t just a list. It’s a field guide to the best restaurants in Oxford in 2026—with current opening hours, real prices, insider timing tips, and exactly who each place is best for.
Best Restaurants in Oxford (Updated for 2026)
Every restaurant below is open in January 2026, actively reviewed, and relevant now—not a nostalgia pick from a 2019 list.
Quod Restaurant & Bar
Quod isn’t popular because it’s flashy. It’s popular because it’s reliable at a level most restaurants never reach.
Located inside the Old Bank Hotel at 92–94 High Street, OX1 4BJ, Quod has quietly become Oxford’s default meeting point for academics, locals, and visitors who don’t want to gamble with dinner.
What to order: Maldon rock oysters (£4.50 each), sea bass with leeks (£32), weekday set lunch from £24 for two courses.
Opening hours (2026): Daily, 7:00am–11:00pm. Breakfast until 11am. Afternoon tea 3pm–5:30pm.
Vaults & Garden
You don’t come to Vaults & Garden for speed. You come for perspective.
Hidden beneath the University Church at Radcliffe Square, OX1 4AH, this 14th‑century space remains one of the most atmospheric places to eat in Oxford.
What to order: Full Oxford breakfast (£14.50), homemade soup & bread (£9.95), classic cream tea (£8.95).
Opening hours (2026): Monday–Sunday, 8:30am–5:30pm. Quietest before 10am.
Kazbar Restaurant
Kazbar is where Oxford goes when it wants to feel like it’s somewhere else.
On Cowley Road at 25–27 Cowley Rd, OX4 1HP, Kazbar remains one of the city’s most dependable late‑night dining options.
What to order: Iberico pork ribs (£9.50), patatas bravas (£6), mixed tapas for two (£32–£38).
Opening hours (2026): Mon–Thu & Sun 5pm–11pm, Fri 5pm–midnight, Sat 3pm–midnight.
Cherwell Boathouse Restaurant
If you want to understand why Oxford diners care so much about setting, go here.
At 50 Bardwell Road, OX2 6ST, Cherwell Boathouse offers riverside dining that still feels earned, not staged.
What to order: Seasonal tasting menu (£65), Wednesday steak night from £18, Sunday lunch from £28.
Opening hours (2026): Lunch 12pm–2:30pm, Dinner 6pm–9:30pm. Closed Tuesdays.
The Perch
The Perch proves that proximity matters less than intention.
This 17th‑century riverside inn is just a 10‑minute cycle from the city centre, yet feels a world away.
What to order: Sunday roast beef (£24), seasonal pies (£18–£20), local ales from £5.80.
Opening hours (2026): Daily, 12pm–9pm (9:30pm Fri–Sat).
Ashmolean Rooftop Restaurant
Most rooftop restaurants trade on the view. This one earns its place.
Perched above the Ashmolean Museum, this is Oxford’s most civilised daytime dining spot.
What to order: Bavette steak (£29), smoked mackerel (£14), afternoon tea (£29.50).
Opening hours (2026): Daily, 12pm–5pm. Jazz Thursdays resume April 2026.
Turf Tavern
The Turf is proof that history doesn’t have to be precious.
Tucked behind Holywell Street, it’s one of the oldest pubs in Oxford—and still one of the busiest.
What to order: Gourmet burgers (£17–£19), pork sausages & mash (£16), rotating guest ales.
Opening hours (2026): Daily, 11am–11pm.
Gees Restaurant & Bar
Gees feels like a secret greenhouse that accidentally became a restaurant.
Located in Jericho, it remains one of Oxford’s best Mediterranean‑leaning dining rooms.
What to order: 55‑day aged sirloin (£38), grilled poussin (£26), Sunday roast (£27).
Opening hours (2026): Daily, 12pm–10:30pm.
The Folly Restaurant
The Folly understands something many restaurants miss: dinner can be an event.
Overlooking the Thames near Folly Bridge, it’s a favourite for long lunches and summer evenings.
What to order: Pork belly (£25), crab linguine (£24), afternoon tea (£27.50).
Opening hours (2026): Sun–Fri 12pm–9pm, Sat 12pm–10pm.
The Ivy Oxford Brasserie
The Ivy works because it knows exactly what it is.
On High Street opposite the Covered Market, it’s dependable, polished, and designed for conversation.
What to order: Lobster linguine (£32), Ivy shepherd’s pie (£19), classic afternoon tea (£29.95).
Opening hours (2026): Mon–Thu 8:30am–10:30pm, Fri–Sat 8:30am–11pm, Sun 8:30am–10pm.
The real secret of Oxford dining in 2026 isn’t knowing where to eat.
It’s knowing when, why, and what to order. Once you do, the city opens up—quietly, confidently, and deliciously.
