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Opening hours: 12noon-11pm, every day.
Wheelchair friendly.
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111 Walton Street Useful links: Oxford Restaurants Oxford Hotels Oxford Pubs & Bars Oxford Gig venues Oxford Concert venues Ads by Daily Info:
  
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If you're after crappy service and substandard food at an extortionate price, this is just the place for you. I've not been to Branca for ages, but ventured there again last night, thinking things may be better. I had calamari, at £6.45, which turned out to be chewy. Hoping for a turn for the better with the main course, it was actually the opposite, with the corn-fed chicken, at a whopping £12.45, being dry. I fail to see the appeal of this place - nice as it is inside, it cannot make up for the poor quality of the food and the service without a smile! We left, £60 the poorer between the two of us, and greatly dissatisfied.
14/03/09 We went to Branca last night and had a really terrific evening. We both ate fish (tuna and seabream) which were well cooked, with beautiful accompaniments. The service was fantastic. A faultless meal. Recommended. Logie, 07/02/09 Came here for the first time last week and was pleasantly suprised by its good value. The lunch deal is great - around £8 for a main and drink. I had a nice glass of house white and a delicious spinach and cheese risotto - so perfectly cooked. The complimentary bread was a lovely touch as well. Will definitely visit again for lunch. ALS, 15/08/08 This is a very good example of how to get things right. The place has been busy since it opened and it's easy to see why. The staff were friendly as always as we arrived and attentive at the table. I do not like being fussed and I think our waiter tailored our service accordingly. I have been a reasonably frequent customer of Branca since its opening and enjoy the lively atmosphere at the weekends. It is nice to have somewhere that offers the bustle of a bigger brand with the attention to detail and consistent cooking of a smaller operation that knows exactly where it is going. We were told that the menu changes seasonally although we were happy to see that a couple of dishes remained from our last visit (tiger prawn linguine and the calamari). We decided against sticking to what we knew and went slightly off piste to the specials boards, where the chargrilled halibut and chicken with preserved lemon and olives were terrific. The drinks were chilled and the service had a light clean touch, we will be back sooner rather than later. We are not blessed with many nice places to eat in this city and could do with a few more like this. Keep it up! S. Frank, 26/07/08 It all started off so well. Branca is a restaurant with a nice atmosphere: much more spacious than expected, pleasantly bustling but not noisy, full of well turned-out people with even suntans who seem to be enjoying themselves. The menu promises well too: not overwhelmingly long, balanced, interesting but unpretentious. We were greeted by nice staff, who, although appearing not to have a record of our reservation, led us straight to a table where we waited quite contentedly for our starters, trying not to eat too much of the rosemary focaccia and olive oil so fragrant and light you felt you could have drunk it by the glass. The starters, to begin with, were gorgeous, but started to feel over-flavoured by about half way through. The king prawn bruschetta with aioli was delicious to start with, but I soon felt over-faced with oil-drenched bread, while the seared smoked salmon was better, but still on the heavy, smoky, side. I don’t know – it was almost perfect, but ended up rather wide of the mark. Perhaps they need to serve smaller portions, or go a little easier on the seasoning, but we were not well set up to appreciate the main course. I’m of that school of cheerful diners for whom the experience of eating in a restaurant is pretty much always fun, and who don’t usually get upset if everything isn’t a hundred percent. Unfortunately, though, the Branca experience wasn’t for me, and the main courses suffered in a similar way to the starters. Again, it should have been great. A perfectly cooked duck breast was let down by an uneasy combination of a huge portion of cannellini beans and (otherwise sharp and tasty) salsa verde. The (once again wonderfully cooked) rib-eye steak came with an alarmingly gelatinous red-wine glaze, which clung to everything on the plate like an adhesive. I don’t know what their thickening agent is, but it was actually slightly scary. Their puddings were quite good, but, exhausted by what came before, we found the chocolate torta a bit much, and even the elderflower sorbet was less palate-cleansing than we might have hoped. I’m not an expert in Italian food, but I’m certainly no stranger to it, and I really struggled with this meal. It’s such a shame, as their chef clearly knows how to cook meat, their wine recommendations are great, prices acceptable (£80 for three courses, two people, with drinks), and they clearly have a lot of loyal customers. Maybe stick to the pizza and simpler dishes next time. Susie Cogan & Ian Threadgill, 23/06/08 Branca, what can I say once a firm favourite and always on our shortlist of places to eat at when in Oxford, now sadly a victim of its own success. It seems to have lost all of that friendly laid back charm it once possessed in abundance and has fallen into the trap of beauty over substance. My husband and I ate there two Sundays ago and instead of being made to feel welcome were made to feel that we'd interrupted some private party. Staff seemed more interested in entertaining each other than getting our drinks which sat made at the bar for at least 10 minutes. The food to be fair was as it always is, good, clean flavours and simple but service left us with a sickening taste in our mouth. Anon, 05/02/08 I do remember that Branca was overpriced and disappointing, and that the food tasted chain-y and uninspired, but I honestly can't remember what I ate. That should really be enough said. Branca is one of those places that spends 100 florid words describing a dish that would do well to have at least four or five ingredients shaved off. There is really no need for fish and chips to be called: 'panettone hake with piedmontese petits pois and real, triple-semifreddo chips' and then cost £16.96. A typical Oxford trap for the posh student looking for a Gordon Ramsay restaurant. Kate, 03/02/08 I am quite fussy about quality and standards and I have yet to have a vegetarian pasta sauce to better Branca's butternut squash, sage, garlic and parmesan one. Great service and atmosphere and choice of wine by the glass too. Amnesiac, 02/10/07 I don't understand why people have a problem here - I've never had a bad meal. So the pasta isn't smothered in sauce, and keeps it simple and fresh. Perfect. Pizzas are excellent, and the lunch menu deal is brilliant value. Spent a while in Italy and it's the closest to proper Italian food I've come in Oxford - if you don't like it, go to Bella Italia! Tomassi, 04/08/07 First and last visit to Branca as they have a very poor selection of vegetarian dishes only one to choose from on the starters and a couple of mains. After asking for a different type of pasta I was presented with what only can be described as 'student quality' pasta i.e. I could have done a better job at home. After returning the dish I stuck with the mixed leaf salad and even that was poor. Stear well clear - especially if you are a veggie!! Eat out, 08/07/07 Oh dear - I'm surprised that those writing below have been disappointed, as I've always found Branca to be of a consistently high standard. I've never had anyone be rude to me there, and have enjoyed all sorts of meals - from weekend lunches with friends, birthday dinner with my partner, midweek afternoon meals, etc. - without having a single complaint (most recently in December, when the rare beef fillet with rocket, watercress and beetroot with truffle dressing - followed by linguini with tiger prawns, rocket, chilli and lemon - was delicious). Admittedly I haven't been there more than 10 times altogether, so maybe I've just been lucky (and haven't had time to tire of the menu). I can also see that the place could appear a little intimidating, as it is fairly 'trendy' and does get very busy and fairly noisy. And whilst you could possibly do a little better for genuine Italian food in Oxford, you could certainly do a lot worse - at least Branca's menu is interesting and varied and the food is well prepared. It seems to me to be reasonably priced too - and served in an attractive venue. The Dining Queen, 28/03/07 Sadly Branca seems to have gone down in the last couple of years. It used to be my one of my favourite places to eat in Oxford. Gradually standards have slipped and it is now quite a disappointing place to have dinner. Having had a few disappointing experiences with it the last few times (it was OK but nothing special) we decided to give it one last chance. Sadly once again though we felt a bit let down. The food which used to be excellent and very fresh tasting was lacking in flavours and very ordinary indeed. It almost feels as though recipes have been handed down to a new chef who does not quite know how to execute them. The service is still very good (to us anyway as reading the other reviews some people seem to have had some seriously negative experiences), friendly and efficient but the place somehow has lost its "VA-VA-Voom". The atmosphere felt a bit cold and the restaurant had an aura of being unloved and more "canteeny" than usual. This is such a shame, as it used to be a great place to have a bite before going to the Phoenix but our visit yesterday made me wish we had opted for a delicious and kinder to the wallet burger from Pepper's. It wasn't awful just not good enough . It will probably be a long time before we give it another chance... Pamplemousse, 18/03/07 Never again! This place has a lovely atomsphere....and I can't figure out why! The food was awful and the service utterly terrible...and it isn't even cheap! We nipped in for a quick bite at about 9.30 on Monday and pretty soon wished we'd nipped elsewhere! The waitress was as grumpy as a certain dwarf, the only smile to cross her lips arriving as she pointedly placed the bill down with a pen to add tip...needless to say it was swiftly replaced by her previous grimace when she noted that for once I managed to stay firm and not give the tip she so richly didn't deserve. And we haven't even got onto the food! I had spag bol, full of optimism for a lovely slow-cooked ragu spooned generously over a mound of al dente pasta...ha ha ha. Soggy pasta with massively over-reduced tomato gunk tasting of nothing but cheap mince and tomato puree. My better half went for a special of a supreme of guinea fowl with mozzerella, black olives and sundried tomatoes and mash. She did finish it...but then she is 8 months pregnant and would probably eat the hind leg of a syphilitic horse. Unfortunately my taste buds are still reasonably intact and on tasting I think she'd have been better of with the horse. Never ever ever ever ever ever ever, you get the idea, again! yuck!, 19/02/07 My company work 'do' was at Branca last week and after reading some of the reviews on here I feel compelled to write and lend some support. On arrival we shared a bottle of Champagne at the bar before being shown to our table. The only real fault I found all evening was that the table we were given was not big enough for all 6 of us with glasses and bottles of wine. We ended up shifting half of our glasses etc. on to the larger, empty table right next to us. However, on to the food! To begin we were given complimentary foccacia bread which was, without doubt, the best appetiser I have ever had at a restaurant. Herby, salty and moist with olive oil, it was a fantastic way to start the meal and I had to restrain myself from gorging on it and getting too full up! We ordered everything on their antipasti section as a mixed starter to share. Although there was not much of it, the food was divine. Particularly good was the rare fillet of beef with beetroot truffle dressing. There was just enough for everyone to have a taste and to whet our appetites for what was to come. For my main I choose the rare grilled tuna: roasted tomato, borlotti bean and olive salad. It was cooked to perfection and the tomato and olives complimented it perfectly. My colleague also ordered this dish but asked for his fish to be "cooked through" and this was done to his liking with no problem. Other choices included the butternut squash and ricotta ravioli on spinach, which was equally delicious (I know as I had to finish it off! The spinach was excellent and not over-cooked as is generally the case) the sea bream, which also looked good and the porchetta. We had absolutely no complaints with our main courses and everyone had empty plates afterwards. I have to confess that I can't remember what people ordered for their deserts as by that stage, I was stuffed and had retreated to the bar to enjoy a very pleasant dessert wine. However, their plates were again empty when I returned. Comments on the staff and service I've seen seem unfair and in my experience, unjustified. We were welcomed and treated nicely throughout the night. Overall, I was very pleasantly surprised by the quality of the food, the staff and the restaurant itself. Oxford needs more places that can deliver these standards to the people who want them - who minds paying a bit more if the food is so good? DrMukti, 22/12/06 Who the hell do the staff think they are. This is NOT a movie set so why try to impress? Why not just get on with the job in hand? Anon, 09/12/06 Blimey - this place is brilliant. What it lacks slightly in atmosphere (being a bit like a long thin noisy warehouse, albeit with sparkly lights, vintage posters and an olive tree growing out of the floor) it makes up for in bucketloads with the food. A mixed 'tapas' style plate of antipasti for two, at £3.65 per item, was a superb starter, the mouthwateringly flavoursome bite-size portions just whetting our appetite for the mains. Lamb shank was a bit too minty for me (but huge), and since I was having guineafowl with aubergine caponata, that wasn't my problem - and my partner had no complaints. The guineafowl was exquisite, the caponata (of mixed mediteranean veg) was deliciously sweet and accompanied perfectly. Superb wine and Italian birra Morreti to wash it all down with - ace. Lizbut, 01/12/06 Branca is absolutely my favourite restaurant in Oxford. In the day time it's great to take my small children to (they have a children's menu and provide crayons and colouring books too) and equally brilliant to meet girlfriends for lunch. We normally choose one of their yummy risottos and a glass of wine. They do special lunchtime deals so it's actually no more expensive than plenty of other places you might think of as being cheaper. The staff are mostly a pretty glamorous bunch but surprisingly friendly and attentive. The children have a couple of favourites who are especially nice to them. Evenings in Branca are also a treat. It seems to make everyone happy. I looked around last time I was in there (we took some friends who were up from London for the weekend and they loved it) and saw students on a night out, cosy couples on a date and more than one birthday party going on. I really can't get enough of Branca. Well done to you - you've got it so right in the way that other Oxford restaurants don't seem to manage. Sarah, 22/11/06 Branca is over-hyped and over-priced. There is a real problem in Oxford: too little competition and lots of reasonably well-off locals desperate to find 'good' places to eat. As a result the quality/price equation tends to be poor pretty much everywhere. When we visited, we paid £15 for a fritto misto that consisted of a couple of prawns, a bit of hake, and one tiny scallop (there was no squid left, so they gave us free chips..but only when we suggested it). It was poor value. The staff seemed more bothered about being cool than giving their customers good service. I really felt that this place was resting on its laurels. I would not recommend it. anon, 11/11/06 This Monday I happened to visit Branca with my father, having walked past the restaurant numerous times. The décor is of a modern-chic-bland style, by which I mean at first glance interesting, at second glance chain-like, but this is probably also because it is a large restaurant, seating 110 in total. Candles were lit in red candleholders, and the tables were nicely spaced to preserve intimacy and still maintain the socialising aspect. The bar really is the centrepiece, and the selection of drinks is very good. For an apéritif we took Kir Royale, which was elegantly served in Champagne coupes, and was very enjoyable, but arguably had too little Kir. There was complimentary focaccia bread, an ample amount for two. It was fresh and chunky, served in a clay bowl, though I don’t advise the combnation of focaccia and Kir Royale. Fortunately, the bread is left for the duration of the meal. We shared a fried calamari with lemon and chilli dressing antipasto, the calamari were coated in batter and very tender, the dressing was gentle despite the chilli and complemented the calamari well without dominating the taste. Next, my father chose the roast duck breast served with braised casteluccio lentils and balsamic sauce. The duck was rich and juicy, but the lentils made it a bit boring. The presentation was simple and effective, and the aroma was warm and inviting. The balsamic sauce added just the right piquance. I was to choose the chargrilled fillet of sea bream with lemon, shrimp and pine nut butter, as recommended by our waiter, but the restaurant was out of stock. This should not be held against them, as it was a Monday evening and so probably the least popular time. Despite this, there were more than a few people there. As it was, the only fish dish available was the fritto misto, and so I chose a pasta dish instead, the butternut squash and ricotta ravioli, served with sautéed spinach. This was a very self-indulgent combination of velvet butternut squash blended with smooth ricotta; the ravioli were large and well seasoned. Being a fan of spinach, the accompaniment did not disappoint me; it was firm and fresh, providing a refreshing bite against the pasta. We took a red wine and a Chardonnay, and tap water. I did not try the red; the Chardonnay was medium dry with a tangy aftertaste which went particularly well with the pasta. There was no problem getting tap water. Dessert was a strawberry coppa with meringue and ice cream for me, and coconut rum ice cream for my father. The light vanilla ice cream and swirled strawberry sauce and the crisp meringue added interest to the texture. The flavour was natural and subtle. The coconut rum had a more powerful taste, but was equally refreshing. The only improvement could be in the presentation, as the ‘coppa’ was deceiving, in fact both desserts were served in bowls. We finished with espresso, which was served with amaretto biscotti. The total came to roughly £60, which is reasonable for the food and drink, but I would not say that the food was of an exceptionally high standard or that it was very distinctive. Indeed, Branca’s aim is to provide an ‘honest and straightforward Italian menu’, which is achieved very well. There is some choice in vegetarian dishes, in fact the pasta was a vegetarian choice. There is also a children’s menu, which is more basic and limited, although it is reasonably priced. Branca also do lunch and early supper offers. I like to assess bathroom facilities, and was very impressed by Branca’s. They are spacious, clean and well decorated, with luxury liquid soap and fragrant pot pourri. There is an interesting spiral stair to descend in order to reach them. Obviously, I speak for the female bathrooms alone. The service was efficient and the staff were knowledgable about the food, but perhaps information about availability should be better distributed (see main course). On the other hand, this gives me a reason to come back and try the fish next time, which I will probably do. However I would advise the Times’ comment that “The menu was intelligent and restrained, much better than those students deserve” has been removed from their website. Daria, 19/05/06 I went to Branca with my partner on a Saturday night and really enjoyed it! The whole setting and atmosphere was lovely. I would say it was very stylish inside and the waiters were very polite and friendly. We ordered a starter which was very nice (prawns), and our main was lovely along with a bottle of wine. I had the chicken dish and my partner had the steak dish. Very delicious! It was our first time in Oxford and we throughly enjoyed it and would definitely go again. The prices were o.k, some of the starters i would say are a little pricey but besides that excellent. 10 out of 10 for Branca. Stephanie, 04/04/06 Having now been on the Jericho scene for a while, Branca continues to be one of my favourite restaurants in Oxford. Having dined there on more occasions than I can count, at varying times of the day and week, I have yet to be disappointed by the food, ambience or service. The décor is light, airy and chic, and the atmosphere one of sophisticated friendliness. Branca has managed to achieve a stylish environment without being overbearing or pretentious, which is why it works so well and has become such a popular venue. We visited twice this week, once mid-week for their lunch deal (which has sadly just increased from £5 to £5.95, therefore taking it just over the perceived 'excellent value for money' deal that it was) and once for a friend's birthday on a weekend evening. Complimentary foccacia bread is served when you are seated at your table, no matter whether you are there for lunch, dinner or one of their meal deals. It is best eaten with a dash of olive oil and a sprinkling of rock salt. For the lunch deal we each chose a pizza and a glass of house white, and the pizzas certainly do not disappoint. Branca offers three pizzas on the regular menu, and from this we chose the parma ham and red onion, and the pepperoni, mozzerella and chilli. I can also recommend the gorgonzola risotto which I have sampled many times before. On our second trip as part of the birthday outing we opted for the duck with a side of chips, and the mushroom and goats cheese ravioli with a side of rocket and parmesan salad. Both choices were excellent. On the wine front the Lugana (£17.95 per bottle) and the Arpeggio (£11.45 per bottle) were chosen as the white (I only sampled the former, which was lovely), and the red wine choice of the Barbera (£3.85 for a glass) was well received. Starters are in the region of £6; mains range from £8 for a pasta dish, to around £17 for the fillet steak. Side dishes are around £2-3 each. The lunch (12-5 Mon-Fri) and early supper (5-7 Mon-Fri) deals are good value, with the former comprising either a starter, risotto or pizza and a glass of house wine or a Peroni for £5.95, and the latter comprising two courses with a glass of house wine or a Peroni for £10. Should you be looking to buy a present for a fan of the restaurant, you can purchase Branca gift vouchers. I would thoroughly recommend giving it a try, and from the popularity of the place there are obviously many people who also believe it to be worth a visit. Nicki Sneath, 10/05/04 Tempted by a two-courses-for-ten-pounds deal into a virtually empty Branca on a sunny and frolick-filled May Day, I was in a good mood but prepared (by the review below!) to face disappointment. Apart from the irritating discovery that a glass of wine counted as a course, however, I was impressed. A huge pizza with everything was too much for my partner after his equally delicious (if glutinous) butternut squash risotto, so I helped him out after polishing off my oven-baked tomato, mozarrella and rocket salad with a glass of house white. My partner's glass of red (Barbera Çavergana) was equally tasty, and free bread was ample. Expensive, yes; rich, yes; trendy, yes. But reasonably friendly too (despite the intimidatingly attractive staff), and we didn't feel out of place, even in our post May-Eve scruffiness. Worth at least one visit. Su Jordan, 01/05/02 Branca is the newest addition to the string of bohemian establishments along Walton Street, cashing in on the fashionable atmosphere that has grown up around Jericho in recent years. It has certainly made an impact, being highly noticeable with its curved glass facade and modern styling. The focus is allegedly on Italian food, though on further investigation we found reason to doubt this. The compelling exterior is certainly not let down by a very unusual interior decor, catching the eye everywhere you look. It's not entirely cohesive, but always interesting, with some wonderful touches: the olive tree growing indoors under glass at the back is especially elegant. The Japanese-style bathrooms are also attention-grabbing, though more thought seems to have been given to appearance than to functionality: a recurring theme here. After all of this, it's easy to forget you're actually there to eat: and at this point, things start to go a little downhill. There's a rather limited menu and some of the dishes looked less than irresistible: the vegetarian choice is especially bad. One of the few dishes on the menu that actually purported to be suitable for veggies turned out to be incorrectly labelled, and contained (shock horror) one anchovy, which they seemed unable to leave out. Still, with pizza and pasta available as well as meat and fish main courses, it's unlikely to be an insurmountable problem. The starters varied in quantity as well as quality, from a substantial crab risotto - interesting, although not quite piquant enough - or a rather paltry Rocket and Parmesan Salad, which was simply that. The soup and the squid were perfectly passable, if uninspiring. An average main course will set you back £10, so it was a little disappointing that the portions weren't larger. Having said that, plenty of care was taken with the presentation, and the flavours were balanced well: I never realised tuna and tomato made such a good combination. Corn fed chicken with artichokes, potato wedges and aioli was also a wise choice. It was fairly uninspiring, but the chicken was obviously organic, and tasted well, and the artichokes lifted the flavours of the dish. We didn't bother with dessert or wine, but the 'Chocolate Nemesis' looked interesting. They only offer Italian wines, which may not be to everyone's taste. The immaculate presentation was kept up right to the end, with a pleasant Latte served in an elegant tall glass. 'The Damage', as they put it (cue hollow laugh), came to £65 for 4 (relatively restrained) lunches: a full dinner for two with wine and/or cocktails would be at least this much. Interestingly, for a place where such an inordinate amount of money has been spent on presentation, the service was absolutely appalling. Our waiter was disinterested and seemingly disenfranchised from the sleek atmosphere Branca aspires to: 3 pieces of bread amongst four of us were dumped on our table, the drinks didn't arrive until a few moments into the starters, and our bill was wrong. Furthermore, the maitre d' was a great deal more interested in hob-nobbing with the waves of Jerichoese that inhabit the place, than performing any of the actual functions of his job. Overall, Branca aims to cater for a rather select crowd, mainly of young, affluent and highly fashion-conscious professionals. An awful lot of networking was going on round the bar, even on a Wednesday afternoon, and everyone seemed to be kissing everyone else with great determination. If you're not a part of this particular world, Branca may be a bit mystifying, and certainly seem dubious value for money. If that is your scene, then to be honest you're probably there already most evenings... Alastair Wilson & Sarah Montgomery, 10/05/01
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