Sometimes you want more than just a meal, to celebrate a birthday, an anniversary, a graduation. You want somewhere that feels like it appreciates the occasion, with delicious food, unrushed service – a restaurant with atmosphere. I was chatting with my college dad about the best restaurant in Oxford, and he insisted that the title belonged to the Parsonage Grill, which has certainly priced itself into that category of special occasion meal. A friend and I, both curious and hungry, set out to see if it lived up its lofty reputation.
The Parsonage Grill can be found in the Old Parsonage Hotel, a charming period building neighbouring St Giles’ church. The reception has a crackling fire in a hefty stone hearth – much appreciated on a chilly afternoon. We are received quickly and sat in the main dining room. The dark walls are decorated with a menagerie of portraits – superficially tasteful, but their curation feels artificial and self-conscious.
Looking over the menu, a consistent theme emerges; this is simple, elevated British food, with some creeping French influence, served at an elevated price point. The wine list, though short, is considered, and, comparatively, priced very reasonably. We started with some fresh sourdough and butter, which although not baked in-house, was divine – incredibly soft, and a generous portion. For our first course we decide on the steak tartare, the twice-baked goat’s cheese and thyme souffle, and one oyster each. To drink, I had a dirty martini. The steak tartare was seasoned thoroughly, mixed in with diced sweet pickle (rather than the typical, more acidic cornichon), garnished with a raw egg yolk, and served with potato crisps. It was serviceable, but for £17.95, I would expect more creativity, or at least a larger portion. The souffle, however, was the star of the show. It was perfectly light, with a moreish tang from the goat’s cheese, complemented beautifully by the thyme. Unfortunately, the oysters were watery, far from the briny intensity we were looking for.
For our mains, my friend ordered the venison loin, which came with a celeriac puree, salsify, shallots, and a juniper berry jus; I picked the wild mushroom risotto, served with pickled red onion and rocket. Much like the steak tartare, the venison was respectable. It was cooked well, and the simple accompanying vegetables worked nicely, particularly the creamy celeriac puree. But for £38, its price invites comparison to top London restaurants that deliver more ambitious and creative dishes, and therefore it fell short of my expectations. Risotto can often be at the risk of being a bit one note, particularly texturally, however I can confidently say that this was not the case. The rice was silky and parmesan-forward, balanced by the meaty chunks of mushroom; there was a refreshing piquant snap of the pickled onion, and the peppery kick of rocket. Whilst £25 is still not cheap for a main, the portion was generous, and the flavours assured.
For dessert, we opted to share a fig pavlova, which was largely unexceptional. Yet the inclusion of basil added an interesting herbaceous note, boldly complimenting the whipped cream and meringue – it is this sort of flair that I would’ve liked to see more of. Fundamentally, I fail to buy into the major selling points of the Parsonage. If I can see any great strength of this restaurant, it is consistency. The food is simple, well-executed, and competent. It’s a restaurant for relaxed conversation where the food isn’t a focal point. Though I went in with high expectations, I don’t think the Parsonage quite lives up to them.
What we ate: Goat’s cheese & thyme souffle £12.95, Steak tartare £17.95, Venison loin, celeriac puree, salsify, shallots & juniper berry jus £38.00, Mushroom risotto, pickled onions, rocket £25.00, Fig pavlova £10.50, Porthilly oysters £4.25 each, Dirty martini £15.95
