It is a truth universally acknowledged that Oxford students will take every opportunity to show off their erudition. With this maxim in mind, when your reviewer and eight of his chums returned recently to their Alma Mater for a reunion weekend, he was reminded of the famous line of Jean-Baptiste Alphonse Karr: “the more things change, the more they stay the same.” In simple terms, the places where we dined some thirty years ago have stood the test of time.
Wind the clock back to 1994 and dining anywhere in the UK was a very different experience to 2024. Many still dressed up to go out for dinner. Menus typically came in faux-leather binders, if you were lucky; laminate if you were not. Indian and Chinese food were considered exotic, even if the format was often a takeaway. Almost no-one had heard of tahini, zatar or rose harissa, let alone Yotam Ottolengi. Remarkably, it was considered normal to smoke in restaurants. All that said, both Gees (on Oxford’s Banbury Road) and Chiang Mai Kitchen (located just off the High Street) were already happily plying their trade.
The former was the sort of place wealthy parents took their student prodigies to in the 1990s. Housed in a Victorian conservatory in leafy, wealthy north Oxford, Gees exuded a certain class that was not familiar to many – your reviewer certainly included. Back then, the angle was comfortable British and French classics. More recently, Gees has pivoted to a more Mediterranean pitch, highlighting that its conservatory ‘bursts with warmth.’ It certainly did when your reviewer and his dining comrade visited for a business lunch prior to the weekend festivities. The conservatory dappled in early Autumn sunshine, although the ambience may feel less pleasant in rainy winter.
The Mediterranean offers chefs a broad palate from which to create. Gees keeps it mostly simple, but what we sampled spoke of execution and focus. Your reviewer is a perennial sucker for braised octopus. The restaurant’s iteration was a successful one, with the meat showing depth and flavour without being overly chewy. The potatoes provided balance and were not too heavy, while chorizo added piquancy. A beetroot tartare pleased for my comrade’s opener. Mains delivered too in the former of grilled lamb cutlets (pictured) and fish of the day. Were there a quibble, then it would simply be that portion sizing was too generous, almost the inverse of the prevailing trend elsewhere. Prices matched London levels, with mains costing £30-35. A great venue, backed by confident service, but still probably a place aimed for benevolent parents or business lunches.
Saturday evening saw our group revisit Chiang Mai Kitchen. Thirty years ago, your reviewer had never eaten Thai food. He has not looked back since his first experience. While peak Thai probably occurred in the early 2000s (remember restaurants above pubs such as Ben’s at the Warrington in London’s W9 district?), Chiang Mai has continued consistently executing. Guests come to the venue not just for its food, but also its location. The owners turned it into a restaurant in 1993, but a building has stood on this site since 1637. Its Tudor legacy can be seen in the beams and portioning into smaller rooms.
Every nook and cranny was occupied on our visit – and for good reason. As with most Thai venues, the menu is extensive, pleasing all potential passions. Our servers recommended that we share dishes – the Thai custom – and this broad approach was followed. Mixed starter platters allowed Chiang Mai to showcase its culinary competencies. Mains impressed too. Your reviewer was delighted with the novelty of his dish: a venison stir fry with red curry paste, Thai aubergines and fresh peppercorns. It combined leanness and spice, harmony and power. At £50/ head (with drinks and service included), it represents a veritable bargain, particularly relative to Gees.
The remaining meals were occupied with pubs. The Old Bookbinders had gone through a notable gentrification in our thirty-year absence from Oxford. Gone is the sawdust from the floor, replaced by a French vibe. Its coq-au-vin is to be recommended. Out of town, we walked to Marston’s Victoria Arms on day-one and Binsey’s the Perch on day-two. Both can be highly recommended for food, beer and atmosphere. Were your reviewer to venture a prediction, then this quintet of previously named venues may all still be around in another three decades.