A taxi journey to the far reaches of Summertown, a precarious negotiation of a spiral staircase in heels, and the entry into a large, candle-lit room, and the scene is set for our visit to Portabello Restaurant, Bar and Grill. Cut-off from standard student fare both by its location and its swanky demeanour, Portabello has the feel of a welcome escape. It is the kind of restaurant you always imagine a proper adult ‘restaurant’ to be when a child: slick, attentive and serving delicious classics. The food is somewhere between Anglo-French cuisine and The Guardian Weekend’s recipes pages, mixing simplicity and style in a delectable range of dishes.
The ‘Superfood salad’, which is for some unknown reason the only item on the menu listed with the addition of scare quotes, caught my eye. I was certainly not disappointed by this starter (also available as a main) which combined all my favourite vegetables with a pomegranate molasses dressing. The dressing, in fact, was divine, more so than anything healthy can possibly be, leading me to believe that despite the broccoli and pumpkin boost, I hadn’t eaten much healthier than anyone else. Other starters included pheasant, ham and apricot terrines and salmon pieces, all of which I’m assured were delightful, and were polished off quickly enough to render that verdict believable.
Unsurprisingly for a place with ‘Grill’ in its name, Portabello is well-equipped for steaks and burgers. There’s no unnecessary fuss when it comes to them either: the steak frites arrived with a small amount of peppercorn butter and a tiny pile of wilted rocket, while the fries came in individual silver buckets. Having tackled a tough steak with a blunt knife only the night before, I was grateful for both the meat’s tenderness and the presence of decent cutlery.
Vegetarians need not despair, though meat-free options do tend to be more on the experi- mental side than their meat counterparts of fish pie, chicken, and lamb shoulder. Many of our party opted for the spinach and pine nut cakes, which, while very nice, proved a little starchy towards the end of the second one.
It may not be cheap on a student budget, but neither is it out of the question when it comes to special occasions: main courses range between £13 and £18, and fixed menus offer some good deals. I heartily recommend making the voyage up to South Parade, if only for your graduation lunch. Comfort food is rarely so simultaneously urbane.
