Reviewed
Mar 2004
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Having discovered the great food offered by All Bar
One while in London during a vacation, I have now become a regular at
the Oxford version. It would be easy to overlook All Bar One as being
simply another chain bar, rather than a restaurant, and the view from
the street is of its long bar displaying various wines, and the large
"over-21s only" sign. However, once inside, there are actually
a large number of tables for enjoying a meal.
I have become a fan of the sharing plates available in the evening,
at the affordable price of one for £4, two for £7.50 and
three for £11. The selection offered includes hummus with a pile
of pitta bread, tiger prawns and a Thai dip, spicy meatballs, and satay
chicken. These can be added to by a (huge) bowl of chips for £1.95,
or a selection of breads with olives and sundried tomatoes accompanied
by balsamic vinegar and olive oil for £4. For those (men!) with
larger appetites, a variety of "big plates" are offered, including
a beef burger in ciabatta with chips, sausage and mash, chicken and
pesto pasta and giant mushrooms with asparagus. These larger dishes
come in at around £7-10. At lunchtimes the fare is slightly altered,
with more smaller options, such as soup and sandwiches at about £4-6.
All Bar One naturally also offers a large selection of wines and beers
from around the globe, with the wines starting from around £9.
The service when I have visited has generally been very good, although
at the weekends it can get very crowded, which means that a long wait
at the bar to order food can follow. It also tends to get quite smoky
in the evenings, which may be a problem for some during a long wait
at the bar. However, the convenient High Street location, affordable
prices, and tasty food make All Bar One a great option for a group night
out or a long boozy lunch.
Victoria Head
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