The High Table Brasserie and Bar

Bit of a mixed bag really. Having been twice for lunch in the last couple of months I was rather surprised at the difference in the experiences and can only imagine they have a new chef who is a bit muddled, which is a shame, as my first lunch was the nicer of the two!

First time around me and my companion ordered from their well-priced set lunch menu (around £10 if I remember correctly) and I enjoyed a huge portion of very good, salty whitebait. He ordered the terrine which also looked generous in size and very appealing and we both opted for the smoked haddock as our main course which was traditionally served with a perfectly poached egg, spinach and some potatoes. We very much enjoyed it and actually compared it favourably to our usual choice on the High.

Second time around, sadly, was not so great. We were a party of six and, two of us having Taste Cards, had forewarned them that we would be taking advantage of the 50% off of our food deal. This quite rightly meant that we were unable to order from their set lunch menu, so I don’t know if they are still offering this or not.

What immediately struck everyone in the group was that their menu is really quite limited with about four or five choices for each course. This wouldn’t really matter if everything appealed but sadly, it just didn’t strike the right chord for the majority. Soup of the day was potato and leek, which apart from being a little boring, actually looked delicious from my side of the table. The crispy baby squid to my right looked plentiful in portion but was served with a rather odd orange sauce all over it which I’m sure must have detracted from the ‘crispy’ side of things…

The men in the group both ordered the tortellini which looked fab and appeared to go down a treat and, along with the final person in our group, I ordered the potted smoked mackerel. It arrived, rather disconcertingly, under a layer of crème fraîche, which wasn’t really a problem, though I had expected it to be on the side (I’m not a big fan of anything creamy so this would be very much each to their own…) and while the mackerel underneath was very good it was impossible to reach without digging through a substantial amount of creamy goo. Having said that, it was plentiful and well beyond my limits for a starter, which delighted some of the group who polished off what I was unable to finish.

Main courses were more disappointing than the starters. We had two fish of the day (Rainbow Trout), one steak, one duck, one pork and I chose the baked hake rarebit. I always think it’s quite mean when restaurants choose not to offer any substantial sides with a main course, forcing you to buy them, which was the case here. My colleague had to order chips to go with her steak which, priced at £17ish for the steak, was not cheap to begin with. Everyone else made do with what they were given, but it was a pretty poor offering and those of us who had chosen fish dishes simply had a small amount of veg (in my case) or a salad which came with the fish of the day.

I wasn’t overly impressed with my hake feeling that a proper rarebit dish should have a bite to it (Worcestershire sauce and mustard being key factors) and the decision to accompany it with a basil pesto wasn’t a good one. It left it feeling very much like a plain piece of fish with a slice of cheese on top which isn’t quite what I’d had in mind.

The duck to my left looked very well cooked but unfortunately, my colleague didn’t receive her steak as rare as she had requested. The chips looked quite bizarre, almost as big as roast potatoes, but there was no complaint made and I can only assume they tasted better than they looked. To my right, the pork arrived with rather flaccid shavings of ‘crackling’ which not only looked horrid but were also described as tasting ‘like eating pork fat’ which isn’t really the point of crackling.

I am fortunate to work with people who adore cheese as much as I do, so, with the exception of one, the majority of us decided to opt for cheese for desert! We decided to share two small boards which I think cost about £6 each and included a selection of five cheeses. I remember that the menu said ‘a choice of five…’ but we were just presented with a board which was fine, but not technically correct.

The cheese was okay, if dull. I suppose the most interesting thing on the board was a Manchego, which you don’t often see, and I did like the fact that they served it with quince. I’ve no idea what my colleague’s desert was like (or indeed what she ordered); I was busy with the cheese. We lingered over coffee and digestifs and along with several bottles of wine the bill came to around £210.

For six this would be remarkable but it is worth remembering that all of our food was half price. I suppose that really sums up my opinion of the High Table: the food is alright but I might describe it as good if it were half the price it is.

Dr Mukti (DI User), 24/03/11

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Party of 14 Saturday night and the service was good and the food was out of this world. The chef did every thing to accommodate us (including the fussy eaters). I would definately recommend this restaurant to everyone. All 14 of us thoroughly enjoyed the meal.

Nicky (Unverified), 22/12/09

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I would not normally begin a review with a string of superlatives, and I don't intend to start now. However, I will tell you that it's proving a struggle to contain them as I write; for The High Table, as a gastronomic proposition, serves to focus your attention entirely upon the heights of its culinary achievement. Even to speak its name is to be reminded of this fact. But does this narrow focus entail a lack of detail in the rest of the picture?

Entering from the High Street, there is room only to step into the porch before the doors open directly onto the tables. It was a quiet night, but we encountered no reception as such: no maître d', no reservations desk, no hat-stands or coat pegs. Instead we were left to wander in and around the minimally-furnished dining area for half a minute or so until our hostess greeted us and asked us where we would like to sit (which I always appreciate). Yet this small delay was no oversight, I decided: this was part of the experience. This was acclimatisation. Those thirty seconds were an opportunity to pick out the feature furnishings against a gallery-white backdrop; a chance to forget the fuzzy sights and sounds of the outside world and to begin to focus, without being hounded and herded towards our seats before we were ready.

Looking down the menu did not take long. There were no more than half a dozen starters and main courses to choose from, plus an unlisted special - again, I felt, deliberately chosen to focus the mind upon the quality on offer, rather than to distract and divert with abundant choice - though the wine list was extensive. I was immediately drawn towards the wood pigeon starter: a warm salad of grilled salsify, green beans, beetroot and walnuts. It spoke to me directly, my decision uncomplicated by dishes equally appealing to my taste; each choice within each course distinguished itself very evenly from its neighbours on the page. This means that when it arrived, of course, I felt like I could not have made a better choice - an ideal place for restaurateurs to put their customers! - but I was simply not prepared for how immaculately prepared this dish was. The pigeon was cooked to tender perfection; the vegetables provided the ideal contrasting textures; the presentation was high art. It really was superb. My companion's mushroom risotto also met with favourable opinion, though less emphatically expressed; perhaps there's only so much you can do with a risotto after all.

On to the main course, then; I almost begrudged our hostess taking my plate, as if she had stolen a souvenir of a fleeting romance. But it was here, as the Trio of Gressingham Duck was placed before me, that I started to get it: I'd been led to choose these dishes with singular conviction, but now, as with the starter, I was being confronted and challenged with a plurality of presentation. A confit leg, a peppered breast and fried rillette served with creamed potato, sautéed vegetables and amaretto jus really demonstrated the extent of thought behind this dish, not to mention the skill and care taken in its execution despite the fact it took next to no time to emerge from the kitchen. The peppered duck breast was no less captivating than that of the wood pigeon - simply without fault. I was not as overwhelmed by the leg or the rillette in this instance, nor the vegetables, but they were nevertheless well done and provided the dish with excellent breadth. I couldn't resist trying the special, however, as it was placed before my partner - pork belly with sautéed potatoes - seriously, you have never, ever had anything like this much joy from a pork dish. It was just a whole different animal, so to speak. The potatoes, too, were astonishing - this is what 'special' is.

It was just as we were ordering dessert that a group of about a dozen came in: it was clear that they had booked, as their table was already set. Despite the forewarning, we did notice that the two staff serving seemed a little stretched to accommodate an increasingly full restaurant. Perhaps in consequence, our desserts took a little longer than we would have anticipated. I used the time to look around; little touches of décor we had not previously noticed (including a reception desk by the entrance from the Eastgate Hotel lobby) provided ample material for conversation whilst we waited. And sure enough, when the desserts came, they proved to be every bit the talking point - most particularly the dark chocolate fondant that arrived on the recommendation of our hostess.

Having achieved the zenith of our enjoyment, however, the only way was down: the totality of the experience was marred slightly by a bitter, badly-ground espresso, to which a chocolate, biscuit or mint would have proved a welcome distraction had one been present. As no extra staff became available throughout the evening, it did take a little while to ask for and receive the bill, upon which the special had not been listed: however, a simple subtraction revealed its presence within the total price. And as we left, the layout and staffing arrangements meant that we were unable to thank or be thanked on our way out of the door. But I take comfort in reminding myself that these small details could be considered distractions from the focal point: the food. My mental portrait of The High Table is strong and detailed where it matters; my memory of the rest will blur as a background should.

Jamie Huddlestone & Jen Pawsey (Unverified), 26/11/09

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Just had a truly wonderful lunch at The High Table today, even more so when it was less than £13 for two courses and I think £14.95 for three. The balance of flavours in my apple, chicory and Oxford blue cheese starter were just right - not one flavour outshone the other - and my friend's hock terrine was incredible too. I followed it with pork belly with the softest mashed potatoes and creamed butternut squash - my only complaint was that the crackling was so crunchy, it was hard to cut! My pal's sea bream was also delightful apparently and it all looked so pretty on the plate... so much, but we struggled through!

Eight clean plates later sadly none of us had room for dessert but I have eaten them before here and again, they are wonderful and the presentation is beautiful.

Excellent service, great food and wonderful value - I shall definitely be back for lunch and dinner. I urge people to give it a go especially with the new chef - a hidden gem!

sarah (Unverified), 09/11/09

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We ate as a party of 3 at High Table on Saturday 15th August. It was a quiet night at the restuarant with only 4 other tables.

As it was a celebration, we ordered a bottle of house sparkling wine, which was delivered swiftly. Then my fellow diners each had a starter (Soup of the Day and Stuffed Mushroom), which were delivered within 10 minutes and were very very tasty. So far, so good.

As the starter was taken away, we ordered a second bottle of wine, and carried on chatting. And chatting. Eventually, at twenty to ten, we managed to flag down a waiter and query where our main courses had got to - we were told they were "just plating up". After a second query, to a different waitress, the food eventually arrived at nearly ten o'clock - about 50 minutes after we ordered. I had ordered steak, but was not provided with a steak knife - eventually we had to go up and collect one for ourselves. The food was absolutely delicious - we had steak, duck and lamb - but this was marred by the length of the wait.

When we complained, we were told that the Head Chef was away, which had caused the delay. The fact that other tables ordering after us were served promptly caused us to question this, but we will return and try again when the Head Chef is in, and re-evaluate.

All in all, a disappointment. Especially since, with prompt service, it would have been a really lovely evening with great food.

hannah (Unverified), 18/08/09

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Me and my fiancé wanted to spoil ourselves and have a really romantic dinner somewhere special. We were walking down High Street and decided to have a look in the High Table. It didn't look like much from the outside due to scaffolding all around the building, but it was gorgeous and modern inside. It was a Tuesday night so there were only 2 other tables dining. Our waitress was extremely friendly and let us have a taste of two different wines before choosing one so we could decide which bottle to buy.

The food was incredible. We finished off the complimentary bread quite quickly as we were both so hungry, and they were more than happy to top us up with some more. My fiancé had a steak (perfectly cooked rare) and I had the chicken with vanilla cream sauce. Sounds odd, but tasted amazing. For dessert, the best crème caramel I have ever tasted!

We had a wonderful time with amazing food and great service. We will definitely be back.

Haylee (Unverified), 02/08/09

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I booked the High Table for a party of 10 people for my graduation. I cannot stress sufficiently how big a mistake this was. I duly noted down on my blackberry all the things these guys did wrong.

The restaurant is owned by the Accor Hotel chain and I was contacted by staff offering fixed menus to simplify the staff's efforts. I offered the menus to my family members but the day before the booking I am informed it is not possible to have one set of guests on one menu and one set of guests on another. No flexibility at all, even after discussing on the phone the special occasion and my family travelling over from continental Europe.

I booked 1.5 months in advance for 10 people and on the day I was given 2 separate round tables of 5 close to the door. I protested and asked for better seating and got the "Take it or leave it" shrug of the shoulders approach from the staff.

We ordered prosecco dry as aperitif and got warm sweet Prosecco Moscato (used as a dessert / after supper beverage). When sending it back the staff explained in Italian (I am Italian) that normally English customers cannot tell the difference. We ordered a platter to share for all (10 people) explaining what we wanted and the waiter did not get it and came back back with one small platter and no plates for all the rest. 10 mins later plates arrive for all and another 2 small platters.

The service is incompetent and slow, the food is average at best and at worst inedible.

Despite the high sounding name this place is on par with the most disappointing of college meals (and I have been to most college halls).

Niall in Oxford (Unverified), 10/03/09

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Ate here just before Christmas 2008.
Service - good.
Value - good.
Main course - v tasty.
Pudding - sticky toffee pudding with no sticky sauce (v dry) and a watery, bland cold custard - v disappointing!
Overall - not bad. Probably try a different pudding.  :)

Sarah (Unverified), 26/01/09

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Against previous reviews I decided to take my friends to The High Table for a birthday celebratory treat on Friday evening. We arrived in the lounge bar and were greated with a warm smile from a chap we later came to discover as Sammy. His choice of cocktails was exceptional as was his manner. We were shown to our tables, jackets taken (nice touch) and seated with menus. The ambience was vibrant as other christmas parties were around us and suprisingly the noise level was most acceptable. We ordered our food and wine. The wine came promptly and the starters followed out 15 minutes after ordering.

The food was delicious! The staff even though busy, were attentive. I later discovered that a new manager had recently been appointed and also the head chef had only been there a few weeks as well. A manager is only as good as his team - if I were him I'd be very happy.

All of my party of ten were new to the Brasserie and are organising return trips in the new year. Thank you for making my birthday treat memorable!

D & M Pitcher (Unverified), 22/12/08

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Having read the review below, I'm puzzled. I dined at this restaurant on the same day and I have to admit, the food was lovely. The service, however, awful. Waiting for my wine, waiting for my water. My wine arrived mid-way through my starters (no mean feat! My starters took twenty minutes!) and that's with reminders. Flagging a waiter down was somewhat similar to getting a taxi in London on Saturday night. Manager? Not anyone I could recognise, just a very busy poor member of staff trying to do their best in exceptional cicumstances. The place was rather busy but all faces looked rather similar to mine: disappointed!

Come on chaps, people are expecting more! Oxford has a lot of good restaurants. The High Table used to be included. Not any more in my book. What's happened? I, for one, will be spending my money elsewhere.

SocialEater (Unverified), 04/11/08

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I was impressed. After posting a fairly negative review on the High Table in February, lunch there recently turned out to be a pleasant surprise. Five of us dined, as a birthday treat for one of my colleagues, and we did an admirable job of sampling from the many different menu choices available. These ranged from a brunch menu (served until 5pm, which made me incredibly happy, as some of my favourite dishes: Eggs Benedict, Scrambled Eggs and Smoked Salmon, Poached Eggs on Smoked Haddock – Eggs, generally, you get the picture, aren’t usually available in restaurants after 11am) through to light bites and their standard menu. A gripe, before I continue to gush… their website was advertising a set lunch menu which is two courses for £9.95. Unfortunately, this had not launched the week we were there – bad marketing and embarrassing for the poor waiter to explain to us.

On to the food! I ordered Seared Scallops with Avruga Caviar and Confit Leeks from their main menu. It was sublime and exceptionally good value for £7.95 (I had the pleasure of devouring 3 large scallops, presented in shell with buttery leeks and a good blob of caviar). My colleagues ordered a Goat’s Cheese Salad, a plain Herb Salad, Baked Feta and Chicken and Morels Ravioli. All of them looked to be good, ample portions and nobody left any of theirs (though Feta was offered around, as it was a large block of baked Feta – enough to faze even the most avid cheese eater!).

Mains included a Mushroom Lasagne that looked tempting, a Spring Vegetable Risotto which looked very tempting (it was good), Sausages and Mash, Sea Bass and Smoked Haddock and Poached Eggs: guess who..? I have to say, my haddock was fractionally overcooked, and the sea bass across the table looked in a similar state. I think this may be a reflection on what previous reviewers have been commenting on – the service is slow and disorganised. Friendly, but slow. We walked in to eat at 12.45pm and left to go back to work at 3.50pm. Not that I’m complaining on this occasion, of course.

My final comment, and the diamond in the crown for the High Table, is on their desert. Of the three of us that ate deserts, we all chose the same thing: it was too tempting not to. Vanilla Pannacotta, Elderflower Sorbet and a Honeycomb Tuille. It says it all, and for me, is heaven on a plate. It didn’t disappoint and I have to confess, I fell into an eerily catatonic state as I shut down to savour those gorgeous, beautifully fused flavours…

Dr Mukti (DI User), 31/10/08

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I have been to the High Table a few times, and never have I been ignored by the staff. Recently however I waited over 20 minutes at the bar for service before finally asking one of the chefs for some service. Finally a guy came, and when I explained I had been waiting the attitude I received was somewhat disappointing - 'disinterested' would be putting it mildly. If this is the new management, good luck to them - they're going to need it. I hope this was a bad day, and things improve!

13/10/08

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I have eaten at The High Table a number of times and have found it to be an excellent venue. However, I ate there last night and found the service slow, perfunctory and a lack of awareness by the management. This is a shame. There just didn't seem enough staff on. The food, as always, was excellent but it was marred by having to wait for our wine, water and ask for our bill no more than four times. A shame. I may be back, but I'm not sure. It's just too expensive for this level of service.

Sue (Unverified), 06/09/08

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We love the High Table! The ambience, staff, food and wine are exceptional, and excellent value. This is a great place to take friends or just to enjoy an evening as a couple. The only thing letting it down is its location - as it is between areas, it is a bit of a secret place. In my eyes this makes it a treat, as everything has to be spot on to encourage you back. It certainly works for us!

Liz (Unverified), 10/04/08

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This is one of the best restaurant in Oxford (if not the winner)! I had a fab meal - the scallops beautiful, main course pan fried chicken - never had better!!! Of course could not say no to dessert... chocolate fondant... yummy, rich and amazing! The wine was lovely too. Very welcoming atmosphere and deco very me:) I will be back soon for sure.
Very well done to the chefs.

a.p. (Unverified), 16/03/08

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I have just had one of the best meals I have had in Oxford in a very long time - the service was spot on - we were served by a lovely waitress and guided on wine - great wines by the glass- by the female manager, who I take to be the boss: very efficent and I believe an ex-employee of Raymond Blanc? The scallops are amazing - and I'd recommend them to any - friend or foe! I followed this with a Cap steak, the special of the evening, whilst my guest had the cod with saffron. Wines to match, by the glass, were matched perfectly and unusually.
I disagree with the chap above and found the restaurant to have a lovely ambience, geat food and great wine.
This is what Oxford needs! Support it! Good service, great food and a place with wonderful wine, by the glass! Sorry, I can't get over that. I'll be back, very soon.. and I'll try some more of their wines. Great Yum to them!

lucy (Unverified), 08/03/08

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Fortunately for The High Table, good talk saves the food. Of course, even this is hindered by their ridiculously large tables which are obstructive to chatting and, unless you’re Stretch Armstrong, hand-holding. Hardly romantic.

We dined on a Wednesday evening, my interest piqued by the previous review and further tantalised with their very good menu. The restaurant was empty and, I thought, a little too cold for comfort. We had a very pleasant Australian waiter who was friendly and efficient and did his best to pacify me when things went horribly downhill. Let's start with the good news; the Chicken Liver and Foie Gras Parfait is delicious. I bitterly regretted acquiescing this dish to my partner and battled an instinct to filch off his plate relentlessly. I opted for the Mackerel Escabeche which was mediocre. As mentioned, the restaurant was cold which is perhaps why the fish, surrounding vegetables and indeed even the plate, was ice-cold. This is of course intended as a cold starter, but the dish should be a fair bit warmer than it was served, allowing for the oily fish to mingle nicely with the vegetables and herby marinade. A minor gripe you may think, but it ruined the flavours for me - pretty impressive when you're dealing with Mackerel, Garlic and Coriander.

My partner ordered the Rump Steak, blue. He was satisfied with the flavour but I would have described the steak he was served as medium rare. When you're paying £17.95 for a steak, it's nice if the chef knows how to cook it to order. All of these culinary faux pas I could have forgiven. However, (here comes the bad news), my main was so appalling it had to be sent back. I ordered the Oxtail Bourguignon (also £17.95), expecting a delightfully rich, meaty dish with creamy potatoes. It arrived burnt. Not even slightly overcooked, literally charred on top, black as coal, burnt. Either the Chef was blind or I presume they hoped we would be very British about it - stiff upper lip and no complaints! Unfortunately, I hugely resent paying for bad food and cheap The High ain’t. In their defence, they removed my plate without question and, as they were now out of Oxtail and couldn’t replace my supper, removed it from our bill entirely.

It’s a shame this restaurant isn’t quite reaching the benchmark it’s charging you for. I don’t mind paying for good food; eating out is one of my greatest pleasures, which is why it’s almost heartbreaking when you’re built up with a good menu only to be let down with poor execution. I’d be willing to hope that their kitchen are having teething problems and may return to allow them the benefit of the doubt, but unless they buck their ideas up sharpish, they’re going to have some very unhappy customers.

Dr Mukti (DI User), 27/02/08

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That slightly ropey but affectionately remembered late-night choice, Merton’s Bar, has recently been replaced by The Eastgate Hotel’s new restaurant, The High Table. The management have effected a complete change in atmosphere, replacing the nightspot-come-refectory décor with a snazzy monochrome dining set-up, an upmarket and fairly pricey Anglo-European menu, and an ethos of traditional service.

The main menu is impressive. Not too long, it offers a nice mix of restaurant favourites: chicken liver parfait, rump steak, and rack of lamb, alongside some more intriguing choices such as Oxtail bourguignon or English Coast Skate-wing with a Grenobloise sauce. I got quite excited over my starter: succulent seared scallops served in shells with buttered leeks and smoky Avruga caviar – gorgeous, just generous enough, and presented like a real treat. The main course of Confit of Gressingham duck leg with artichoke mash was very good, but though its accompanying blackberry sauce was sharp and pretty nice in its own right, I didn’t feel it did the dish any favours. The steak was cooked on the rare side but beautifully done with a rich pepper sauce, the crème brulée delicious if ever so slightly on the cool side, and the ice-cream definitely superior (we liked the sable biscuits). The wine list is comprehensive and exciting, while the house wine is nice and reassuringly affordable. I can see that your bill here might mount up, but we managed to spend just under £70 on three courses and four glasses of wine.

I’m not completely convinced by the new design, which carries the faint echo of a paean to eighties chic, but there’s no denying that the generous use of space, while not exactly cosy, maintains a feeling of privacy even when the place starts to fill up. We shared the restaurant with a large and very youthful birthday party, but felt we were having an intimate meal throughout, even when the table immediately next to us was occupied. The service also has evidently been given thought. We were charmed (and ever so slightly frightened) by the brisk, humorous and efficiently friendly restaurant manager, who took great but un-intrusive care to check that our meal was going well. Her attention to detail had clearly communicated itself to the green but carefully trained waitress, whose good-natured and nervous care made us very comfortable.

This place has great potential. It’s still a little quiet, and the open layout shows this up, but when more people have discovered The High Table, when they start dropping in to sample the cocktails and the more casual bar menu (I’ll definitely be in for potted shrimps and ten sorts of cheese), and when it develops its own stash of regulars, the atmosphere should warm up and the restaurant get the attention it deserves.

Susie Cogan (DI Staff), 18/02/08

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