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Opening hours: Mon – Fri: Lunch 12 noon – 2.30pm Sat & Sun: All day. Mon – Thurs Dinner: 6pm – 10.30pm. Fri and Sat: Dinner 6pm – 11pm. Sun Dinner last orders 10.30pm.
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When my sister suggested we went to Gee's for a family dinner out (our mother's birthday) on Monday evening I was quite surprised. I hadn't been there for quite a few years. Expecting it to be empty we encountered a lively atmosphere and quite a number of people there. I'm a bit of glut and insisted on either tasting or cross questioning everyone about their meal. I, luckily, had the wild bass, this was cooked perfectly and served with crushed new potatoes and hollandaise, an excellent choice. My sister had the duck confit with boulangere potatoes which she said was better than she'd had in Paris. My Dad had the braised beef with beer, after much persistance he let me try a bit and it was very tender and tasty. My Mum's Spring lamb she said was vey good, praise indeed from an excellent cook herself. The kids had a burger and fish and chips each which looked very good but they wouldn't let me try but managed to finish off without any nagging. The service was spot on, helpful but unobtrusive. The bill very reasonable, this was appreciated by my father. The decor is as elegant as I remember and with all that glass we were able to enjoy the light until the sun went down. Roger Clarke, 06/05/09 It's like football at the end of the season, some teams (restaurants) go down and some come up. Gees, I fear, are slipping... certainly when compared to some of the new stars which are most definitely on the promotion list. Even the music is old fashioned and staid at Gees - they need a change. It's all a bit like the food, one reflects the other. For me and my partner on a special occassion out Gees didn't work for us - cramped tables and being hurried to finish so they can re-use the table was a definite no NO! In MHO if you want value in these austere times then look elsewhere - you could do a lot worse, save a packet and have a better time. Zubair, 01/05/09 Last Sunday my wife and I went to Gee's to celebrate our 25th wedding anniversary. We had eaten there once before many years ago and were curious to see if the standards would be as high as they had been then. Thankfully nothing has changed. The food was of the highest quality (Rofford farm spring lamb in particular was excellent), whilst we found the staff to be friendly, efficient and professional. A wonderful way to celebrate a special occasion. CR, 18/04/09 I visited Gee's last week with my mother for lunch. I was really quite impressed with the two course lunch menu, as I've heard Gee's was quite expensive, and this was not bad at £12.95. I particularly liked the steak frites. The waiter was very charming too. I've been meaning to visit every since I've been in Oxford and I have to say I enjoyed it very much. It appears they change the lunch menu quite often so I'll have something different to look forward to on my next visit as well. Lakluki, 18/04/09 I was genuinely shocked by how bad the food at Gee's was when I tried it for the first time a couple of weeks ago. It has the reputation of being one of the best restaurants in Oxford... how?? I was there for a special occasion, and didn't mind spending some money, but for these prices you expect something special. Sadly the food was average, bordering on laughable. The spiced monkfish curry would have been disappointing if it cost £6 at my local Indian, but the fact that Gee's has the gall to charge £17 for a tiny portion of courgette and squash swimming in tasteless sauce with over-cooked rice is genuinely baffling. The 'cottage pie' was some mince with mashed potato swirled on top like a Mr Whippy gone horribly wrong. After seriously disappointing mains, we waited way too long for our desserts, which arrived with the ice cream already melted. Why do people keep coming here? The room is lovely, and the service is welcoming enough, but the food needs some serious improvement if Gee's is ever going to keep its undeserved reputation as one of Oxford's best. CT, 17/03/09 We visited Gees last night after a two year embargo. The reason for this had slipped our minds. The food is old fashioned. Most annoyingly our evening was upset by being asked to leave the table to sit in the bar for dessert. The table had been booked for a second sitting at 10 pm a fact which had not been disclosed when we booked the table. Our charming waiter was so embarrassed that he slipped the bill onto our table unnoticed and then he apologized that we were being moved along by his manager. The tables were cramped and over burdened with extraneous paraphernalia. Our waiter was helpful and had mastered the skill of providing you with all you require without being intrusive. The food was edible but not outstanding given what else is available in Oxford and at more reasonable prices. The starters arrived before the aperitifs were drunk, which given that they were cold (duck parfait) seemed inexcusable. The main course of pork belly with apple sauce was fatty although the juices were lovely. The braised beef was chewy and tasteless and reminded me of my mother's which is not a compliment to the chef. The food is mediocre. The management do not seem to have the right balance of allowing their guests a sumptuous and relaxing evening whilst seamlessly maximizing profit margins. The crass emphasis on the former has totally put us off and the embargo resumes....perhaps forever this time. amelia, 01/02/09 Gee's compared to other restaurants in its field is nothing more than 'ok' in my opinion. The atmosphere is very pleasent but every time I go in there the menu has changed. I know this is a good thing to follow seasons etc as expected, but I mean they keep changing their entire style. Would much rather eat elsewhere for food and wine and Gee's for atmosphere. 02/09/08 In Oxford, a city full of eye-grabbing architecture, you are spoilt for choice as to the most picturesque place to eat your dinner. A converted chapel, a medieval grade II listed building, a former prison complex or boathouse, anyone? Gee's is a glitzy alternative: a chandelier-lit Victorian greenhouse sparkling on the northern edge of the city centre, hard to miss as you ride up Banbury Road out of town. As mentioned already on this page, though the venue broadcasts some of its special qualities from the street, once inside there is also an attractive and art-filled bar, pretty spotlighting and fresh flowers at the tables and, on Sundays from 8pm, smooth live jazz with your steak (the steak, incidentally, being as good as you'll get in any of Oxford's top five restaurants or beyond, and currently served in a green peppercorn sauce). Plonk yourself down on the banquette seating (though wrap up warm if you're doing this at night in winter) and prepare yourself for attentive yet unobtrusive service, fine contemporary British cuisine and smart dining companions. The wine list really is as extensive as Gee's make out on their website, but be careful, as choosing wine well still requires either a special skill or an indifference to your bank balance. Cocktails in the bar afterward are also of the London bar price rather than the Oxford bar price, and in general, expect to pay a couple of pounds more per starter or main than you might do elsewhere. Whilst the menu is not vastly extensive or surprise-laden (the trend for 'contemporary British' seeming to lend itself to a certain similarity of menu across Oxford's top-end venues at the moment), the dishes are reliably tasty (though I wasn't convinced by the supposedly 'fluffy' crab beignets, which felt a little too heavy and too much for a starter, my sea bass on langoustine risotto and fennel was a successful riot of flavours – though bring a toothpick for the fennel) and well-executed, with a good deal of care obviously going into presentation as well as production and selection of fine ingredients (again, see below). My Argentinian Pinot Gris complemented both parts of my fish dinner well, and whilst I might have done better choosing the intriguing parsnip ice cream for dessert (has someone been watching Heston Blumenthal?) instead of the absurdly filling crème brûlée, I somehow still managed to fit it all in (whilst making a mental note to eat less of their delicious fresh walnut bread first next time). After dinner, if you can still move, you can treat yourself by adjourning in a civilised fashion for a Cuban cigar, port plate (£8.50 for a selection of 3 x 35ml), cocktail or plain old coffee in the small bar. For return visits, you have several options, including traditional roast at Sunday lunchtime (actually, until 10pm; two courses for £20 or three for £24) and express lunch/pre-theatre dinner during the week (two courses £15, or three for £19ish). Gee's in the summer too is a whole new experience - perhaps one day they will establish the huge exotic plants which would provide the final icing on the cake. Su Jordan, 07/02/07 Anybody interested in fine dining in Oxford will at some point have been to, or have it on their hit list to go to, Gee's. Set in a huge Victorian conservatory (once a florist & greengrocer's) and facing onto Banbury Road, it always looks implausibly twinkly and inviting - worth a visit for the building alone, never mind the food. 03/08/04 Gee's is housed in a conservatory built in 1898. Originally used as a florist, it now functions as a light, spacious restaurant in which a good mix of tourists, students and locals can enjoy an interesting a-la-carte menu and a diverse wine list. After sampling the excellent breads, offered by an obliging waitress, we considered the menu. There's a wide selection of starters, including a variety of fish and sea-food dishes priced between £3.95 (soup of the day) and £7.30 (seafood risotto). My companion plumped for the latter whilst I chose the king scallops, seared with asparagus, baby spinach and a mint gremolata (£6.95). Both came in generous portions. The scallops were large and succulent, although the overall effect was impaired by the mint dressing: it's bitterness somewhat overpowered the tender asparagus spears. The risotto, in contrast, had a deep and rounded flavour, the slightly al dente rice contributing to a complex texture. From over a dozen main courses (£9.65 to £16.95), my companion chose the Scotch rump steak (£13.75), whilst I selected the roasted duck breast (£13.95). In anticipation of our main courses, we sampled an Australian Shiraz Cabernet (£16.00) that our helpful waiter had recommended from the wine list. Our dishes arrived soon after. My companion was slightly put off by the presentation: the steak atop mashed potato with a couple of large field mushrooms poking out. However, on tasting the rump her fears were assuaged. My duck was more traditionally presented, nestling alongside dauphinoise potatoes and caramelised chicory. The breast was welcomingly pink, perfectly complemented by a Madeira sauce. In the interests of thoroughness, we felt obliged to consider the dessert menu. Again the selection was excellent including taleggio cheese, warm fig and mascarpone tart, and "chocolate" (sic). However, we adjourned to the bar to escape the no-smoking policy in the restaurant and drink our machiato coffees (£1.75 each). Including a bottle of sparkling water (£2.85), the bill came to £64.30. Gee's dinner menu probably isn't the best value in town, but it's relaxed ambience, excellent service and generous portions combine to good effect. For those on tighter budgets, it maybe worth trying their lunch menu, £9.50 for two courses. Mark Schofield, 24/06/00
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