Raoul’s Bar
32 Walton St
01865 553 73 Raoul’s on Walton Street has an astounding selection of
cocktails. I have never been so spoilt for choice before, and
being my usual indecisive self I had to resort to asking the
barman for his recommendation. He displayed an impressive
knowledege of the list and proceeded to whip up a delicious
fruity concoction featuring raspberries and peaches – there
is something for everyone on this list. The cocktails range from
the classics to more eclectic house cocktails, as well as serving
a fine selction of wines and beers. Raoul’s itself has a
very intimate atmosphere, albeit slightly pretentious, but if you
can take this with a pinch of salt it’s worth a visit. On
the evening we went, it was full with a very laid-back and
relaxed crowd of people, making it a highly pleasant place to
drink. The background music is just right – not so loud that
you can’t hear yourself speak, but enough to provide an
excellent atmosphere and backdrop to the evening. The clientele are mainly early 20s to early 30s, ranging from
girlie nights-out to first dates, from after work drinks to a
late night cocktail, and Raoul’s seeems to cater for all
these occaions, moving seamlessly from early evening to late
night. Be warned though – due to its popularity, it becomes
quite packed later, which although adds to the ambience and
enhances the upbeat atmosphere, makes it quite hard to get a seat
– but in a way this is a testament to the popularity of
Raoul’s. The only drawback is the lack of natural light,
which is slightly diappointing on a summer’s evening. All in all, Raoul’s is fast becoming a well-known
established bar in Boho Jericho, and is definitely worth a visit,
for arguably the best cocktails in Oxford. Although quite pricy
at £5.50-ish a cocktail (plus Happy Hour prices earlier on) they
are fairly big and worth every penny; and once you have tasted
one of the delights on offer, you will want to return, both to
work your way through the menu and to enjoy the atmosphere in
Raoul’s.ARCHIVE: 4th week TT 2004
DRINK: Raoul’s Bar
