Zizzi

Reviews

Saturday night, in a party of seven, not having booked, looking to eat in the George St area. I have to admit to feeling slightly resigned that this wouldn't be the best dining ever. Still, who can get a pizza wrong, eh?

Well, now I know. Service wasn't too bad, but didn't start well. Asked by one of my dining-mates what the extras on a pizza might be the waitress told him "anything" - as if you could have chunks of braised elephant on it if you so desired. Great, I thought, I'll be able to have my usual Napoletana even though it's not on the menu.

I asked for olives, capers and anchovies like it was an Italian restaurant. Hmm... no capers or anchovies. Ah well, margherita with olives it is. There are many worse things in this world.

The length of the wait for the food suggested some care was being taken over it, though perhaps it was just there was a queue for the microwave. It looked ok - good even. Promising, given the circumstances.

Here we are - pizza with olives. crust was... spongy, as if this had been a pizza for too long and was beginning to think about other career options. Tomato sauce: identifiable. Same goes for the mozzarella - in the right context this would've been fine. A la Grecque olives were an unsettlingly - and pretty unpalatable - Greek twist on the Italian classic. All served just-warm. Overall, the worst pizza outside of an off licence freezer.

I can't help but judge Italian restaurants against the best in Oxford, but that night I'd massively lowered my expectations. Zizzi's was more a customer-processing plant than a restaurant. A bad night maybe; perhaps the staff are being paid too little to care, but I'd give it a miss.

Matt S 31 Jan 2014

Birthday meal in Oxford Zizzis. Early meal, 6pm. Waitress was unfriendly, kept vanishing or rushing past saying she would be back in a minute. Then watched her stand chatting at back of restaurant while we waited. Food average, pudding was luke warm and when we complained (having eventually managed to get waitress to come over) there was no apology, just an ' I suppose I could heat it up' but by then it was a congealed mess. Back to Mr Oliver's across the road for us in the future.

Kat 13 Feb 2012

Just went for a birthday meal at Zizzi Oxford. Overall I was very disappointed:

Service - It was a very quiet Monday night but staff seemed very stressed and were running about and generally giving rather sloppy table service. We were initially served by two different staff at the same time which confused both us and them. Our main waitress was rather scruffily dressed. She also disappeared twice in the middle of taking our order and after a long delay, threw our water down on the table at us in a frenzy. I also did not appreciate hearing her loud informal conversations with other staff members whilst eating our food.

Even a few simple changes in the service would make a huge difference. For example, simply asking if a table would like to see the desert menu rather than blindly listing all of the deserts and drinks would make the customer feel more relaxed and in control of their dining experience rather than feeling completely pressured into 'How many additional sides can I make you have with your meal?'. The staff wanted us to feel relaxed and comfortable in a very pleasant restaurant setting, however their lack of professionalism, attention to detail and inability to deal with serving a few tables left us feeling nervous and unsure of what to expect next.

Food - The food preparation time was reasonable but my fish stew was luke-warm and badly served. The dish had calamari, salmon and prawns which were okay but not particularly flavoursome. The crusty bread was rather plain and was drowned in the tomato sauce which made it soggy. The rocket side salad needed jazzing up a little with a good mixed dressing. My meal was really nothing worth repeating and I felt it really was not worth the money.

Other people in the group had a rustic pizza (which was good but also not hot enough) and the seafood spaghetti and the tuna salad. These dishes were good but overall, the meal was not up to the standard I would expect from Zizzi.

Overall, I really felt let down by this dining experience. You may be thinking I am just a very critical and largely negative person but in the past, I have had some lovely meals in Zizzi restaurants. The contemporary decor and ambience of the restaurant are good reasons to visit but the restaurant is badly let down by poorly trained staff and a lack of attention to the small things that make eating out special.

10 Apr 2011

Zizzi prepared some of the worst risotto I ever ate: scotto (overcooked), you could not distinguish anymore the grains of rice. The zabaione dessert on the menu doesn't even mention the two main ingredients zabaione is meant to be done of: eggs, Marsala.

Go there only if you expect to eat inauthentic Italian food.

29 Jan 2011

Our first experience in Zizzi didn't go as we expected. For two pizzas to take away we waited far too long considering that the restaurant had only 8 tables to serve (I wonder how they cope when it's full). While we were waiting we could notice that other people coming in had to wait a long while before someone came to welcome them. Our pizzas were fairly good but I am not sure if they were worth the wait and the bad service which is certainly not Italian since if you go to a restaurant in Italy the service is usually very quick and efficient!

A. Gilmour 26 Dec 2010

I have to agree with Dr Mukti. I was asked for my order before I had had time to pick up the menu, then as the evening went on the service became slower and slower. A generally unpleasant experience. Perhaps the management should do something about this, and we might see a few positive reviews following this one.

Tim Latham 4 Aug 2010

Note from a gluten-free reader:
Zizzi's has several pasta sauces that are gluten free and if you bring your own pasta will cook it for an entirely gluten-free meal. They also have a couple of antipasto dishes that are gluten-free (if you request they not include the bread sticks!). And they have gluten-free desserts (ask them to not include the wafer with the gelatii and ice cream).

3 Dec 2009

I'm sorry, but Zizzi's provided one of the worst dining experiences I've had for a very long time. My younger sister wanted to celebrate her birthday with a decent sized group and she felt that the safe option of an Italian based venue with lots of room was her best bet for a successful evening. She couldn't have been more wrong. Despite my gentle prodding on arrival that we should ditch it and have a drink somewhere while we waited for a table elsewhere (one glance at the harried staff and the disgruntled customers was enough to set some serious alarm bells ringing) she decided that a last minute change of venue might cause problems and we settled in for what proved to be a very long, drawn out evening.

Not only were they massively under-staffed, but our waiter seemed particularly unhelpful. Tap water was requested no less than six times (I did count!) and arrived half way through our mains. The food was pretty poor too with one member of our party opting to go without supper rather than eat her Lasagne. I offered her half my pizza, which to be honest, I was glad to be rid of. My sister didn't enjoy her Spaghetti Bolognese and upon sampling it I concurred that it was overcooked and a very sorry excuse for what should be a pretty simple dish. The boys were less fussy and managed to get through their dishes (in the interests of fairness, that did include another Lasagne) but even my brother, a glutton in no small sense, didn't enjoy his pizza much. I shared a starter with him, which was fine (the Antipasto platter), though both of us ruefully remarked the next day that it's hard to go too far wrong when putting meat on a board. I really am trying to think of something nice to say, but the whole experience was pretty unpleasant and I won't be going back. Had the service been even marginally better and the food slightly more palatable, it might have been okay. Let's face it; we weren't expecting Michelin quality food in the first place. As it was, I guiltlessly left a restaurant without tipping for the first time in years.

Dr Mukti 3 Nov 2009

Zizzi has a wonderfull range of pizzas and pasta.
With garlic bread as a starter it makes the atmoshere even better.

bb.lookgood 26 May 2009

Dreadful! We went on a Saturday lunchtime and were ignored for three quarters of an hour while we waited for our meal; when we asked if it was coming as we'd have to leave soon, our waitress said she thought we didn't want it that soon - no apology.

The staff stood around arguing amongst themselves in earshot of the customers, dropping things on the floor and leaving them there, and attending to empty tables whilst ignoring us.

All in all not a good experience.

Jen and Mark 29 Mar 2009

I have always enjoyed my dining experiences at Zizzi in the past. However, I went there for a meal last night and was very disappointed with the service. My friend and I were seated at about 8pm in the admittedly rather busy restaurant (especially considering that it was a Wednesday night). However, being busy is no excuse for the fact that the staff not only took 5 mins to acknowledge our presence and seat us, one member of staff having walked past us twice without making eye contact, but then a further 15 to take our drinks order.
The food itself (risotto verdi) was very good, and I have no complaints on that count. However, the staff didn't check whether it was alright at any point during our meal, or indeed clear our plates until nearly 25 mins after we had finished. We were offered the dessert menu, but after 20 mins there was still no sign of it (despite the fact that the waiter was resetting the tables around us). Eventually (with some difficulty) I caught the waiter's eye who brought us dessert menus, with no apology.
I do not expect 5 star service on a busy Wednesday night, but the level of service at Zizzi was unacceptable. All customers deserve attentive, friendly and efficient staff and I have no doubt that this is an issue that Zizzi will want to address before my next visit.

La Plus Heureuse 5 Mar 2009

To say something good about my experience at Zizzi last Friday, at least the staff were very attentive and friendly. I expect they need to be now that Jamie's Italian over the road has queues stretching onto the street! And sadly, I think this place used to be much better a couple of years ago. I noticed that it could really do with an overhaul - our seating was in need of sprucing up and their new summer menu was really short. I had the oven baked chicken, mushroom and bacon pasta. The pasta was swimming in cream and oil. The tomatoes in my side salad were fine but the leaves were starting to brown. My partner had some kind of ravioli which looked rubbery and didn't taste much better. We had half a bottle of the house wine, which I wouldn't recommend!

We paid about £32 for all this, and I wish we hadn't!

Emsy76 27 Jun 2008

Went to Zizzi last night ( 04.02.07) with my partner and my daughter and her boyfriend for her 26th birthday. We booked in at 18.00 hrs to give us plenty of time to order and eat before the theatre at 20.00 hrs. We were seated and served drinks by a seeminly very efficient waitress and ordered a main meal( no starter as we only have 1 3/4 hrs before we had to be in our seats at the New Theatre). Well some 45 mins later and no sign of the meal i asked a passing waitress where our meal was. She said 5 mins, however did seem too hurried to speak and did not even check first. By this time we had all finised our drinks and no one had bothered to see if we wished to order more!!!. Some 15 mins after i was told 5 mins and now 19.00hrs i asked another waitress about our meal but was told 5 mins again. at 19.35 and with no sign of service we left £20. on the table and walked out. I beleive our meal had just been placed on the service counter. Too late. I will not be going to Zizzi again.

Marion 5 Feb 2007

So it seems that in the couple of years that the last review was written, Zizzi's is definitely still going strong.

As ever, the choice is wide and the portions generous. On a recent group dinner, a friend chose two starters and that was enough to fill her up!

More interesting than your usual 'pasta/pizza' place along George Street, you will be sated at £15 per person, including wine (but not dessert for which there is not likely to be a need anyway as the mains do the business!).

The overall atmosphere is welcoming and helpful considering the crowds the staff contend with. Even more impressive is that regardless of the large groups, the food turns up in good time.

Excellent.

WL 14 Dec 2006

I always think of Zizzi's as a Pizza restaurant, and while it does have a range of salads, meat dishes and pasta options on offer, it's the pizzas which seem to pull in the punters. In my opinion the pizzas are definitely amongst the best in Oxford, with a good range of toppings available and excellent thin and crispy bases. I have heard mutterings that perhaps the toppings are a little sparse, but despite being an adherent to the school of thought that there's really no such thing as too much food, I've never found this to be a problem. I would be deeply embarrassed to even hint at how many Zizzi pizzas I have consumed during my time at Oxford, but I can safely say that I have enjoyed all of them. Particular favourites of mine are the Sofia (chicken, bacon, pepperoni, yum!) and the Capricciosa (prosciutto ham, egg, anchovies, olives etc). Prices range from £5.15 to £7.60, which seems pretty reasonable for a whole plateful of delicious pizza.

Better still is the takeaway offer which allows you to collect any pizza from the menu for the bargain price of £5. Believe me, this offer is getting me through my finals! If you choose to eat in, the restaurant is unlikely to let you down. I've enjoyed excellent service every time I've visited, and the ambience is equally suited to a big party of twenty or a more intimate dinner for two. Wine is averagely priced at £10.95 for house red or white and is perfectly drinkable.

Honourable mentions to pizza alternatives must go to the Salmone arrosto - a delicious dish of herb-crusted salmon with crispy 'Tuscan' potatoes and spinach, and the Insalata tricolour - a salad of creamy mozzarella, avocado, tomatoes and basil. Both are very good indeed. I have one tip though - if you go for one of their garlic pizza breads as a starter, definitely share it, as it literally is an entire pizza base. I don't want to come over all 'Dr Atkins', but one of these plus a pizza would be a bit carb-rich for anyone!

Victoria Lorne 9 May 2004

Zizzi’s is the all-new Italian restaurant to grace Oxford. Situated opposite the George Street Cinema and next to the Mongolian Wok, Zizzi’s is handy for a pre-theatre or post cinema pasta, and it was for the latter that my boyfriend and I decided to try it out.

The décor is deeply cool - natural fabrics, lots of wood, hundreds of candles and lovely large tables. The room is on three split levels, which makes the large space seem much more intimate, and we snuggled into our suede sofa-seat, piling up the scatter cushions, worrying that the menu might be priced according to the décor and therefore out of our range.

Luckily when the menus arrived we could really relax. Prices are about average for Italian food in Oxford. Slightly dearer than Ginos, but cheaper than Ask, pizza costs about £6 (Margherita costs £4.95) and pastas comes in at £6.50 ish (Bolognese costs £5.50).

We shared a huge garlic bread studded with rosemary and sea salt, freshly made from thin crispy pizza bread (£3.75), which filled us up so much that we didn’t fancy a starter, but from nosily observing our fellow diners, I can verify that the salads and foccacia with goats cheese and aubergines (both about £4) looked particularly nice. Our pastas were delicious. Students eat so much pasta that eating it in a restaurant is a bit of a coals to Newcastle scenario, but this was amazing. Lovely and garlicky and cheesy and delicious - and plentiful. I had fusili with a generous amount of roasted Mediterranean vegetables, and a homemade pesto sauce. My boyfriend chose penne Della casa after I shared my observation that since the bloke at the neighbouring table only managed to finish half of it there might be enough to fill him up (he likes a big portion does my boyfriend). This baked pasta and chicken, roasted peppers and broccoli in a gorgonzola-cream sauce with goats cheese and parmesan, was deliciously rich. After all this, pudding was sadly out of the question. Next time I might try to eat less lunch before hand, and fit in one of the tiramisus, or ice creams. The chocolate bias on the dessert menu is something that I will have to bring girlfriends out to sample with glee (I think that we would appreciate it more!). As for wine, the house red was smooth and ridiculously easy to drink, and at £11, was not bad value. In true Italian style, it would have been nice to have another bottle, wait a bit, and then reconsider puds! Next time ….
The atmosphere of Zizzi’s is luxurious and pleasant. The little tea lights give the place a welcoming soft glow, and the emphasis on texture makes the whole eating experience tactile and pleasurable. The food is miles ahead of any of the other restaurants serving the same thing, and, unless this is only beginner’s luck, I would recommend it to you for whenever you need a really good meal out. At about £15 a head, it’s good value too. Take your friends, take your date, take your parents. What a versatile and useful place to know about!

Katherine Knowles 11 Feb 2002

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