Gee`s Restaurant, Oxford

Wow! Is how I have to start this review of a great dining experience. Gee's lives up to its promise.

We decided to go there as a special treat. Gee's is hard to miss from the outside. It is a converted florist's conservatory dating from 1898. Not large or showily perched in the Banbury Road but striking enough to have attracted our attention many times as we headed for the pubs in North Parade. The occasion was the end of the temporary ...
...to Oxford at least four times a week. And we were baby sitting some lovely cats who live in a very nice house so no need to get back to Surrey. Out to enjoy ourselves with vengeance!

After a warm up in the Gardener's Arms, but having been to an exhibition in the Bodleian before that - we're not complete lushes!, we toddled on to Gee's for a 6:30 booking I'd made via Toptable (www.toptable.co.uk).

The place is absolutely ... more

Wow! Is how I have to start this review of a great dining experience. Gee's lives up to its promise.

We decided to go there as a special treat. Gee's is hard to miss from the outside. It is a converted florist's conservatory dating from 1898. Not large or showily perched in the Banbury Road but striking enough to have attracted our attention many times as we headed for the pubs in North Parade. The occasion was the end of the temporary contract which involved twenty one months of commuting from Surrey to Oxford at least four times a week. And we were baby sitting some lovely cats who live in a very nice house so no need to get back to Surrey. Out to enjoy ourselves with vengeance!

After a warm up in the Gardener's Arms, but having been to an exhibition in the Bodleian before that - we're not complete lushes!, we toddled on to Gee's for a 6:30 booking I'd made via Toptable (www.toptable.co.uk).

The place is absolutely lovely. We walked along the side of the long glass windows on the way to the entrance and took in the impressive and tasteful decor. Light and airy as you'd expect from a glass building and done up in a sort of French meets Victorian style. Shiny in a sophisticated way with elegant lighting. The conservatory is in an elongated horseshoe shape which is completely lined with a banquette. Comfortable only begins to describe the atmosphere.

We were greeted by the most pleasant waiter we have ever encountered anywhere. He effortlessly found our reservation - mentioned that he didn't know they were still with Toptable (and I only mention this in case they aren't should you try to book this way!) - and whisked us to a great spot in a corner which gave us a view of the entire restaurant. When we questioned the need for a booking as we were the only people there, he said 'Just wait and see.' We were perfectly positioned to do so.

Quite why we started with sherry before we ordered I'll never know. Not that there was anything wrong with it it's just not normal for us. Must have been the feeling of comfort. The wine list was short but comprehensive with a good selection starting at about £11.00. We chose a shiraz priced at about £16.00 which turned out to be excellent.

The menu is ever changing Modern British as cooked by a French chef. We both chose a starter of tomato and beetroot soup with goats cheese and smoked bacon (also available sans bacon) which was delicious. Mains include weekly specials, fish, steaks, and on the day we went, a steak burger. J. chose a steak and I went for the steak burger as it was the cheapest thing on offer and I was starting to worry a bit about the how big the bill would be at the end. J.'s steak was perfect but my burger was a bit overcooked for my liking. Not the fault of the chef but my own for listening to the pleasant waiter's advice when he said that the French chef's idea of rare was really rare. I like really rare so if I ever get to go again, I'll stick to my original order. But overall the food effortlessly matched the environment.

Quite full by this time, we had to opt out of pudding. Which is a huge shame because they looked wonderful. By this time the restaurant was completely full, too! Our time of splendid isolation was long gone. Who was there you ask? Everyone is the answer. Dressed up people, casual people like ourselves, young, old, in between - in other words anyone who could afford it. By the time we left the place was buzzing and making a reservation definitely seemed a good plan!

Gee's is not a cheap option - we paid £70 including tip (the biggest we've ever left as the service was superb - we even got the bill without hours of waiting!) for two courses with wine and other drinks (water, sherry, and port to finish). (By the way our bar tab was dwarfed by the one of the couple next to us - as far as we could tell they'd ordered a bottle each, white for her and red for him! We felt positively abstemious!)

Would I go back? Yes! Gee's is comfortable, friendly, and has great food. But I'll need to make some money first.

Gee's
61A Banbury Road
Oxford
OX2 6PE

01865 553540
www.oxford-hotels-restaurants.co.uk
Part of Mogford Limited 

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