How Not To Cook But Still Eat: Restaurants Reviewed and Recommended by the View team

Oriental

Wok & Roll, Woodstock Road Not only having an excellent name, their Chinese is tasty minus greasy fingers that always make you feel guilty for that extra duck pancake.

Red Star, Cowley Road You can be in and fed in less than 30 minutes, and at the most only £10 out of pocket of £4.50 at the least. And you will be well fed; portions and quality are worth twice the price.

Lai Kwai Fong, Cowley Road Karaoke, alcohol and Chinese-who’s dream night out is this not?

Indian

Mirch Masala, Cowley Road It’s won awards so someone other than us thinks it’s worth trying out. They’re not take out kebab prices but the set menus offer a various amount of spice and flavour for £30 for two and Sundays offer an £8.95 buffet.

Aziz, Cowley Road Yes we invented the Chicken Tikka Masala, but the best is made by someone who actually knows what they’re doing as opposed to just poorly imitations. Prices are higher than others in the area but Aziz not only provides the heat and spice any Indian can have but the taste and quality of the food shows that this is the original and not a knock-off and therefore worth that extra few quid.

Dil Dunia, Cowley Road Student friendly to the point of BYOB being on the menu the food quality and prices are definitely front-runners against the many Indian restaurants along the Cowley Road, we would recommend places all over Oxford, but the best are simply along this one seemingly endless road.

Italian

Roma Pizza Oxford, Cowley Road Good balance of sauce and cheese is hard to come by but these guys deliver (both in quality and in actually bringing the pizza to you) and offer competitive prices.

Jamie’s Italian, George Street Yes that Jamie Oliver. He doesn’t take bookings, working on a walk in basis, but the food is always worth the wait, not painfully over the top prices and fresh organic healthy etc etc food-just the type of thing you’d expect of him really.

Bleroni Café, Walton Street It’s pretty standard for the best types of Italian to be old fashioned, family run and this place lives up to the stereotype, but there’s some canny modern thinking member of the family who decided to get wi-fi installed so you get to taste something authentic whilst following the artificial world of the internet.

Pub Food

Pie Minister, Covered Market Great for lunch, sometimes tough to get a seat but superb, proud-to-be-English food.

Sunday Roasts at The Cape of Good Hope, Iffley Road Scrabble on the table and meals to make you think your mom is in the kitchen, friendly relaxed atmosphere to while away the Sunday hours.

City Arms, Cowley Road £1 a pint Mondays, pub quizzes, football screens, comfy sofas and chips as cheap as chips make this the easiest place to hang out outside of your own home.

Lunch Time Treats

Heroes Café, Ship Street Cute, cheap but comes with background music supposedly selected by a twelve year old on speed, the sandwiches and pasties make up for that though.

Ben’s Cookies, Covered Market Don’t ask about calories, just let the lovely old man (unfortunately not Ben) hand over the best cookies in the world that melt in your mouth and are usually just out the oven.

George & Delia’s, Little Clarendon Street, Jericho/Cowley Road/St Aldates, ChristChurch. Homemade ice-cream, cakes, and decent coffee with pop quizzes on the wall and open until midnight most nights with wi-fi: perfect for the sugar rush you need to finish your coursework that you’re welcome to do here.

Special Occasion/More Than Just Change In Your Back Pocket

Prezzo, Oxford Castle Pretty expensive but very nice quality Italian food, chilled and sophisticated, for a special occasion.

Browns, Woodstock Road Piano players, an extensive cocktails list and beyond temptation Raspberry & Chocolate Brownie, Browns will fill you with a sense of sophistication without having to dress in a tux.

Brasserie Blanc, Walton Street If you class a posh night out to be top quality food, surroundings and friendly but snooty waiters then you won’t be disappointed at the restaurant under the thumb of Raymond Blanc. An excellent array of steaks and foods you can’t pronounce populate a menu with prices only about half your weekly shopping budget.

The Only Mexican Worth Mentioning

The Mission Mexican Grill, St Michael’s Street/King Edward Street It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a student in possession of a hangover or for that matter just a long day being young, broke and up against deadlines, must be in want of a burrito. Whether it be the vegetarian option, or the marinated chicken, steak or slow roasted pork – the Mission kitchens are home to my culinary first love and I worship there whenever I can. Go there for the table sauce if nothing else but also try the Fajitas, authentic tacos and of course Mexican beer.

Written by Alexandra Rochester & Nancy Stole