Aziz
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Opening hours: open daily: 12:00-14:30 & 18:00-23:30, except Fri: 18:00-23:30.
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228-230 Cowley Road Useful links: Oxford Restaurants Oxford Hotels Oxford Pubs & Bars Oxford Concert venues Ads by Daily Info:
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Just wanted to say thank you to beeswing for the warning about billing mistakes. As a party of 4 and having been for a few drinks before hand we probably would not have checked the bill had I not been aware of previous reviews. Having dumped the bill on us within seconds of declining coffee we found that we had been overcharged for drinks by £16, which might have been understandable had we ordered more than one bottle of wine. There was no explanation for this or apology - just a big smile, which is reflective of their general attitude towards service. The food however, is very good (if you can put up with the abrupt staff and being hurried through your meal). I'd like to see them start doing itemised bills. Until then, my advice would be to keep an eye on the bill. CJ, 05/05/08 Aziz has great food but they didn't win their awards for the service. I've been three times now and every time I've had to ask twice for them to get me another drink. Definitely best curry in Cowley, but 4500 miles from Dehli in the centre is also worth a try. noob, 03/05/08 I went to the Aziz for the first time last night and I cannot recommend it highly enough. When we arrived (at about 8.45pm on a Tuesday night) the place was already packed. We took a seat in the waiting area and munched on some bombay mix, ordered drinks and perused the menu. We were seated at about 9-ish which we felt was reasonable. The poppadoms were great and brought promptly with a fantastic dip and pickle tray - the chilli pickle especially was brilliant and a change from the usual lime version. All the food we ordered was really excellent. In our party were one vegan, one vegetarian and two meat eaters, and all raved about the quality of the dishes and there was plenty of it! The rice portions were very large - you probably don't need one each. The vegetable side dishes were fabulous and easily accommodated being vegan, as was the paratha. We did have a bit of a wait for our main courses but they were very very busy and did apologise. The staff were all smiley, friendly and attentive, especially the barman who noticed the minute your glass was empty. I'll definitely be back! Audrey, 09/04/08 My parents and I dined at the Aziz a while ago (and I a few times previously). The service was in fact ok: prompt, courteous etc. The problem is that the food is the most Anglicised I have ever eaten. Bland dishes, little in the way of spice at all. Oh and of course you have to be aware that because they have a high profile, their prices are reflectively expensive. I feel that the interior of an Indian restaurant matters so much less than the foundations of any eaterie - the food. blackmightcrash, 28/03/08 I'm not normally one for posting reviews on websites, but I'm a little surprised by some of those I've seen here, so I decided to add my own opinion to the debate.. I've been a regular diner (at least twice a month) at Aziz for almost 10 years now, and have used the restaurant for a variety of occasions, ranging from an evening meal with friends, to business functions, I have never had a bad meal there, and I've never had a dinner guest who didn't love it too.. I've taken colleagues from all over the world to try Bangladeshi / Indian food in what is clearly the best restaurant of this type in the Oxford Area, and they have all enjoyed their meals, with all the waiting staff able to help advise those who are unfamilar with Bangladeshi cuisine on their menu selections. The head chef produces consistently excellent food.. The recent refurbishment has done wonders for the interior of the restaurant, which it's probably fair to say was starting to look tired and dated, but now creates a calm and relaxed atmosphere. If I have to lay some criticism, then perhaps as such a regular diner, I'd like to see the menu change a bit every now and then, or for Aziz to re-introduce the 'specials' menu which has been absent for a while now, but I have several 'favourites', and I'll continue to dine there as regularly as ever. If you're looking for the best curry in Oxford area, then make no mistake, go to Aziz... in contradiction to one of the other reviews on here; 'The king is very much alive and well!!!' Dave L, 16/10/07 I'm a loyal regular at the Aziz on the Cowley Road - the restaurant always manages to charm me back, despite getting my order wrong and/or overcharging me almost every time I visit. I guess it's because the food is good! There are plenty of vegetarian options and it's particularly nice to have a few more unusual choices as well as the usual run of the mill selection. Two of the starters are particularly nice - the dahi vadi (small lentil dumplings in a yoghurt sauce) and the chott potti (potatoes, chickpeas and chopped egg with tamarind sauce). I've always found the food to be very good and the portions are generous. Although eating out at Aziz isn't cheap, it has a nice ambience and always feels a bit special - perhaps not super-special but it is definitely a cut above the average Indian restaurant in Oxford. Something goes wrong every time, though. There's always something (being charged for poppadoms we didn't order, forgetting our starter, forgetting to charge us for one meal and then not saying thank you when I pointed it out (!), incorrect bill, etc) so do watch out! However, I always find that the waiters are polite - they may not be effusive but I'm sure I've seen a few smiles. On balance, I'd watch out for mistakes but the food is excellent and the atmosphere is pleasant. I'll definitely be going back. beeswing, 06/10/07 Ok, after reading loads of reviews I totally disagree with most of you. I was at Aziz with my parents, the food was amazing and service was ok. But after all I'm there for the food not for the service. 9/10! The Swede, 06/10/07 A friend and I dined in Aziz last night, a Wednesday evening, and by the time we left the place was packed. On the whole I'm left wondering why it has such a strong client base. Most of the reviews below stress the poor service and the good quality of the food, but the last two times I have been I felt even the food was mediocre at best. The sauces for the popadoms were of low quality, while the popadoms themselves could have just come out of a packet. I ordered a biryani, and while this time the food was okay (though only okay), the portion size was guaranteed to leave me feeling overfaced. I am not by any means a frugal eater and large portions may be a bonus for some, but often lessen enjoyment since you are tempted to keep going when your belly says you have had enough! When we declined a dessert, the bill was automatically dumped on our table, though we had not finished our drinks or indicated we wanted to pay yet. The food is vastly overpriced - I see no evidence of the quality of food or service that would justify it. PJB, 04/10/07 Having been a "regular" at Aziz for many years, I find it impossible to believe some of these reviews. OK, so the service has never been the most smiley, but is generally efficient and professional, if variable at times. The food is always excellent, with a consistency that I have not found at any other restaurant in Oxfordshire. The quantity is sufficient, never too little. The cost is approriately priced. In defence of Aziz, some of these reviews are plainly ridiculous, may I point out : - "hard sell" on poppadoms - well this is obviously ridiculous given that Aziz only charges for 1 basket, irrespective as to how many one consumes !!! - Tap water - well come on, who drinks tap water when supposedly trying to enjoy a night out at an excellent restaraunt. They are a business after all ! Aziz has quite rightly in my opinion been nominated yet again n the curry awards for it's quality and excellence. On my last visit on a Tuesday evening, there was a booking for 80 students from Ox Uni, apparently regularly used by the dons/lectures at beginning of term !. A restaurant that is full and turning people away on a miserable Tuesday evening remains a popular, first class restaurant. For any doubters, give Aziz a break. Go back and have faith, this remains a first class restaurant, comfortably in my opinion the best Bangladeshi in Oxfordshire. Paul B, 23/09/07 Ate here one evening last week. Service atrocious, food mainly ghastly and horribly overpriced. It has put me off curry restaurants for a long time. The four of us were seated at table that was too small and when the waiter came with an extra dish there was no space on the table so he just handed it to me! Not managing to finish the meal I asked the waiter if we could take the rest away. He managed to "throw away" most of the curry dishes and presented us with two portions of rice and some nan to take home.... The bill came to over £110 which for what we received was astronomical. Lesley, 21/09/07 I have never been to the Aziz's in Oxford, so not sure on that review! But if any of you are ever out Burford way, The service, Food and Atmosphere is AMAZING!! so suprised to hear that the sister resteraunt of the most perfect Indian I have ever had has had such bad reviews :-( 5* for the Burford Aziz, Highly Recommended. G, 18/09/07 Oh dear, Oh dear .... The king is dead. Now I've got to find another one! VERY POOR ON ALL FRONTS. I have tried now 4 times to give them the benefit of my loyalty, having been a very frequent user for 10 years - no more. Poor food, attrocious service (and attitude) a shaddow of what the AZIZ used to be. Stretched too far? I have even tried their newer place by the river - no better. Ho hum back to trawling Oxford for a new king of Indian food in Oxford. Shakey Jakey, 06/08/07 If your idea of a good night out is service without a smile then hot foot it to the Aziz. We arrived earlier tonight that the person who had booked and were waved airily into the restaurant even though no one else in the party had arrived, without actually being shown a table - on our own initiative we retreated to the bar to wait. Service was simply rude for the most part - was it because we we were women? I was pushed out of the way and wine bottles literally plonked on the table unopened (thank goodness they had screw tops); the food when it arrived was in disarray with orders mixed up and (- dare I say it?) - the portions were far too large and my dish with prawns was decidedly undercooked. I would say suits ravenous students only. Please do not go to the Aziz on the Cowley Rd if you want a special night out. Gill, 10/07/07 Mixed experience at the Aziz of late. Used to be my favourite Oxford indian, but now I'm beginning to look further afield. Went with a party of six and the service was mediocre, at best. Long time to get served, glasses left on table, orders forgotten to confused. The food was reasonable and my husband raved about his tikka mixed grill. However, my chicken jalfrezzi was uneventful and friends who had various vegetarian options (sobzi pathia, sag aloo) complained of their blandness. Generally ok, but standards are falling and they should look to improve if they want to keep up their client base. Not the Aziz I used to know... Monkey Queen, 16/06/07 I am happy to read that i am not the only one with mixed experiences at Aziz, love the food, but hate the hard sell on the papadams, and being made to feel guilty for just wanting tap water. Also last time I was there we had a bit of food left and I asked to take it with us. 10 minutes later the food didn't come back, and when i asked about it, they denied that I had requested to take the rest home and didn't even apologise or anything. Had been thinking about trying Cowley road branch in case it was better, but after reading the reviews here, don't think i'll bother. Jane, 12/06/07 I just checked their webisite and they don't even offer a set menu so it's no wonder we got the lunchtime buffet leftovers, which, if we'd gone to lunchtime buffet, we could have had for half the price and wouldn't have had to worry about the appalling service and miniscule portions. And the vegetarian 'choice' was rice, tasteless vegetables and some equally tasteless spinach. If you go as a large group don't accept the 'set' menu! MarkG, 20/03/07 I am amazed this restaurant gets such good reviews. I went there very recently to try it out, as my local, the Bilash in Botley, was fully booked. The service was disjointed and impersonal. I ordered exactly what I had last eaten at the Bilash - popadums, Chicken Bhuna, pullao rice, Bombay potato and ghobi allo (they didn't list ghobi bhaji). The popadums tasted similar to those ones you can buy and cook (!) in the microwave - too dry and no hint of having been recently cooked in oil. The Bhuna sauce was mainly tomato based and nothing like as rich and tasty as the Bilash version - go there and try it, it's good. I could go on. I have no axe to grind against the Aziz or for the Bilash but, please, all this past glory in 2001 or whenever it was - it counts for nothing if there is no consistency. That's what we curry lovers want. Roger, 18/03/07 I have just ordered a takeaway from Aziz. I got home to find that the rice I had ordered and paid for was not there. When I telephoned they were rude, arrogant and unhelpful. No refund or replacement was offered. The food we had was good, but as all these reviews say, the rudeness of the service does not make up for it. There are plenty of other good Indian restaurants in Oxford. The extra price and rubbish service does not make it worthwhile. Disappointed, 01/03/07 This is a follow up review to my last one. I went to Aziz for my birthday on January 6th. The food as always was delicious. They seated us promptly, even before our entire party of 11 arrived. The waiter was good, attentive and polite. They did bring the house wine already open to the table and it did taste watery to me. I thought that was a bit off though I made no complaint. When the bill came they were very difficult about making change for us. So all in all, a mixed bag as usual. I guess the lesson with Aziz is to expect that the food will always be good and the service variable and ask them to open your wine at the table! Meg, 24/01/07 The food at Aziz is unfailingly excellent, and the service, while a little slow sometimes, is usually good. But my advice would be to book well in advance for busy times, and to arrive earlier than your table is booked for (even if there are only two of you) and be prepared to wait - an 8.30pm booking does not usually guarantee a table until at least 9pm! 09/01/07 Three of us went to Aziz in Cowley Road for Christmas lunch. The restaurant was packed with English families of all generations. It was a buffet lunch. The food was delicious, the house wine good, and the service charming and attentive. I cannot speak too highly of this restaurant. We really had a Christmas lunch to remember. Thank you Aziz! C H-J, 08/01/07 I went to Aziz on Cowley Road in the summer and had an absolutely delicious butter chicken korma. We did have to ask for our drinks twice, but otherwise the service was pretty good. I think they might have been more attentive had we been drinking wine rather than coke. I am returning tommorrow for my birthday with 10 people. Hopefully we will have a great meal and I can post another positive review! Meghan, 05/01/07 Well, last time I went it was the best curry I'd ever had; the service was fine; it was moderately expensive, and I enjoyed myself. Remember people posting on these things are likely to be the annoyed ones. 03/01/07 Aziz has a reputation for cooking the best Indian food in Oxford (at least they did before they expanded). Unfortunately, the service has always been so insultingly rude (ranging from the waiters all the way to the manager) that my friends and I have finally decided that even the food does not make up for it. It might be worth trying if you are particularly keen on Indian cuisine and do not mind the poor service, but certainly not the place to take your granny after the graduation ceremony! Manu Bardo, 30/09/06 Last night I made my first visit to Aziz in Cowley Rd. The service was satisfactory, although not over-attentive. The decor was interesting and pleasant. The food was mostly good - all tasting freshly-made. My only real complaint was that the Chicken Tikka Masala was way too salty. I'm a real salt fiend, and even I thought it was too salty. At no point during the meal did any member of staff ask us how it was. When I mentioned it at the end, I was asked why I'd not said anything during the meal. The answer was, no-one bothered to check on what we thought of our meal, and the staff seemed too busy to interrupt. MaxT, 10/09/06 I have been a regular at the AZIZ for over 10 years now (must have eaten there way over 100 times) and having tried virtually all other Indian restaurants in Oxford it has consistently remained my favourite....until now. The last 2 meals I have eaten there have been at best average and the last take out I picked up had to be sent back for a refund! What is going on?! I know thay have expanded and now have 4 restaurants (2 in Oxford) - maybe they have had to move the head chef and as a consequence the cuisine has suffered. I will try once more this coming weekend, in fact at the new place on Folly Bridge....but this is my last try before I trawl around for a new champion. Come on Aziz - SORT IT! Shakey Jakey, 16/08/06 Whilst the food at Aziz may be delicious, the service is not. I have been to the restaurant twice now and both times, there has been a problem with getting our table, despite booking. In itself, this would not be disastrous, yet we have been put off by the attitude of the manager towards us: essentially, that we should be jolly grateful for eating there! Last night, we were kept waiting for three-quarters of an hour after the time that our table was booked: again, irritating (it was my birthday) but manageable. At the end of the meal when the bill came, I politely asked whether the drinks that we had had during the three-quarters of an hour wait might be taken off the bill as a matter of courtesy. I was told that this was unreasonable and that 'rather than demanding at the end of the meal, you should have asked for something free at the beginning and I would have chosen what that would be.' Surely asking at the beginning would be demanding, when the restaurant had failed me? Going to a restaurant and being spoken to by the manager as though I was a naughty schoolgirl when I am paying is not my idea of a relaxing evening. What a shame. Victoria, 21/05/06 Aziz has a reputation as the best curry house in Oxford. Although, sadly, I can't admit to having tried quite all of the alternatives, I was certainly curious to discover whether the food was worth the long trek from my house in Jericho, especially given that I had to pass so many of my old favourites on the way. My first impressions were certainly favourable. Having arrived slightly early we relaxed in comfortable chairs, nibbling on the Bombay mix provided, while our tables were readied. Once seated, we ordered a round of popadoms and some draught Kingfisher while we perused the extensive menu, enjoying the literary gems interspersed with the dish descriptions. When the chutneys arrived with the above, they were an excellent selection and full of flavour. The menu was varied with a superb combination of traditional flavours and restaurant specialities. Being a vegetarian I was delighted with the number of meat-free main courses on offer. In addition to the menu there was also a daily specials card on the table. A difficult choice made, I ordered Palak Paneer. When it arrived, the dish was richly flavoured with a good balance of cheese and spinach. The Paneer cheese was probably the best I have ever tasted; light and not at all greasy. My friends chose Chicken Dopiaza and Bangladeshi Fish Curry. The chicken was very tasty with a good heat. Perfectly textured, the meat was well combined with the spices and the dish had clearly been prepared with some care. The Bangladeshi curry was delicately flavoured allowing the natural taste of the fish to come through well without sacrificing the rich spices. A pleasant surprise when our food arrived was a complimentary vegetable side dish of lightly spiced root vegetables to share. The rice portions were generous and the naan bread light although the puri bread was slightly greasy. The atmosphere of the restaurant was quiet and intimate. It seemed like the kind of place you could bring a date without the common Oxford worry of a rowing eight or a rugby team taking over your evening! The service was attentive and friendly without being overbearing. The ambience was certainly suitable for an occasion demanding more than an average curry. Despite this the prices were not too expensive for an indulgent treat with no occasion to excuse it! Highly recommended. For a main meal, bread, rice and popadoms you should expect to pay about £11-13 (maybe a little more for some special dishes). Laura Duggan, 09/04/04
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