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“A stunning place”

After a slew of more ‘brinners’ (breakfasts for dinner) than anybody should ever eat, my second foray into the world of food — at The Cherwell Boat House — felt more than overdue.

Up there with the smartest high-end restaurants our modest city has on offer, this establishment challenges your illusions about food by pricking at your taste buds like an acupuncturist in ways that are both delightful and completely unexpected.

The restaurant is situated, as one might guess, by the gurgling river Cherwell. Enroute, one passes through trees bathed in the orange glow of streetlamps. Once past these, a sleek and modern restaurant emerges. In the restaurant, we are seated by the window through which one can see punts, skeletons of a quickly diminishing summer, rocking in the calm evening current. To mirror this, the menu is dubbed ‘Late Summer’. It has changed now, but the pricing is the same: One course costs £16.25, two courses cost £21.50 and three courses cost £26.75 with certain speciality items in each course costing extra. My companion Zoe and I have three courses each.

For the first course, Zoe has the artichoke crème caramel (£1.50 extra charge) and I have the tuna tartare (£4.25 extra charge). Both dishes arrive as perfect cylinders with the sort of presentation that emphasizes the fact that I am slightly out of my depth here. Her dish is great and mine is incredible. It is undeniably European, but the wasabi kick and the thickness of the tuna has an obvious Japanese influence.

Next come the mains. I have the steak with foie gras (£10 extra) and Zoe has the fillet of John Dory. The steak is not the best I have ever had but it is cooked nicely and the sides are wonderful; the foie gras sits on top of the steak and the peas decorate the plate below. There is an overwhelmingly smoky taste throughout, yet the chef avoids any hint of burning. Zoe’s fish is cooked perfectly and is bathed in a sauce with hints of orange zest.

Lastly, we come to the desserts, and I coose ‘Textures of Strawberry’ (£4.50 extra charge); strawberries presented in five different ways. My favourite of these is the macerated strawberry, which has strong ginger notes. I’d never considered putting ginger and strawberry together: two great flavours, but both fairly dominating. However, my taste buds are pleasantly surprised by how they blend and compliment each other for a tangy sweetness that clings on to the last few evenings of summer. Zoe has the chocolate marquise with cherry compote. The chocolate is coated with pistachios. The tartness of the cherries hits you hard on the tongue at first before melting into the bitter chocolate.

I talk to the manager, Briss, at the end of the meal. He tells me about the restaurant’s history, which spans half a century. The focus is traditional English, but with a strong French influence. This makes sense given that the Boat House prides itself on its wine selection, which has won several awards over the last few years.

The new chef believes in simple food with simple ingredients — I take this statement in my stride, pretending that the complexity of what I ate tonight didn’t blow my immature mind.

The final word is this; it is a stunning place. Yes, it is expensive but it leaves you feeling like you’ve truly learnt something about food.

Go here with your parents. Go here when you make your illustrious return to Oxford. It will probably outlast us all.

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