Sitting at the top of the Ashmolean Museum, inside their rooftop restaurant, with its big glass windows and the sunshine pouring in, it is easy to forget my worries about an ongoing essay crisis or anything of the sort. I would really recommend visiting on a sunny day because the sunlight streaming in is so lovely. Cherwell had the privilege of enjoying a lunch at this conservatory-esque restaurant a few weeks ago, and we are so glad that we did.
Not only did their menu have an extensive veggie and vegan selection, but everything sounded delicious as well. To start, we had the soup of the day, a coconut, red lentil and chili blend that was equally mild and flavour-packed. It was such a light, welcome beginning to our meal, with some perfectly toasted bread on the side. I also ordered their fries, not only because they offer a perfect bite of crunch and fattiness much like a crouton, but also because I’m a massive proponent of dipping fries in soup. Try it before you knock it.
Sipping our drinks, we then proceeded to the main course, that was a pan-seared mackerel with a beetroot and horseradish remoulade, spinach and French frisée. The presentation was excellent, the dish looked divine, and the fish was cooked perfectly. Every supporting component was also excellent and it was overall a very well balanced dish. What’s interesting to note is that their menu specifies that their meat and dairy is UK-sourced, with an emphasis on sustainability and produce quality. This kind of attention to the food and its environment is not only refreshing to read, but also extremely important to me as a consumer. To finish off our meal, we opted out of dessert because we were stuffed, though in retrospect, the dark chocolate vegan torte was screaming my name. We were offered a complementary glass of prosecco and an espresso to round off the meal, and we left feeling refreshed for the day. The waiting staff were all very accommodating and professional, and the overall experience, from the atmosphere to the food, was an overwhelmingly positive one.
