One time when my parents came to visit me in Oxford, they stayed at the Old Parsonage on Banbury Road. We enjoyed a lovely dinner there, and I'm going to write a little about my experience of it to help you decide whether you want to stay there too.

The Old Parsonage is a charming and serene establishment located a short walk from Oxford city centre (5 or 10 minutes maximum) and less than an hour from London if travelling by car. During the summer, the building itself is almost obscured from vision by masses of greenery and blossoms. In the winter, it is often shrouded in snow and is the picture of idyll (despite its urban location). The main building is separated from the main Banbury Road by a short stone fence, past which there is a veranda area where diners can eat alfresco. Luckily, a large tarpaulin umbrella shelters diners from the changeable British weather - if you are nice to the waiters, they will show you the tables that stay the driest should it rain heavily. From May to the close of September there is also a barbeque on the veranda every Friday, Saturday and Sunday. There is also jazz on some Friday nights out on the veranda.

ROOMS

All rates are quoted per night, per room inclusive of tax and exclusive of a delightful English and/or Continental breakfast (though a tad of restraint at the breakfast table is advised, given it is highly undesirable to explore the historical wonders of Oxford with a heavy meat-laden stomach). Rates are valid until 31st December 2007, with £160-£200 for a double room, and £225 for junior suites (I assume with twin beds for children). It is advised that you reserve in advance, especially if you long for one of the ground floor or deluxe rooms. Extra beds are available in some of the bigger rooms for a nightly charge of £30.00. Baby cots are available at no extra charge on request. Interestingly, well behaved dogs are also cordially accepted, and will be welcomed upon arrival with a basket, blankets, bowl, and 'gourmet dinner'.

RESTAURANT

The Old Parsonage offer a variety of menus available at different times during the day. Breakfast is served 7am - 10.30am, all day menu served 12pm - 10.30pm, set lunch menu served 12pm - 2.30pm, afternoon tea (an Oxford tradition) served 12pm - 5pm. I enjoyed a Jersey crab and avacado salad for a starter, half grilled Jersey lobster, sauce Vierge, and potato and chive salad for the main course, and Eton mess with brown sugar meringue for dessert. My apprehensions about a decadent but frugal meal as is often the case with haut cuisine were quickly annihilated as the waitress brought to me one heck of a half lobster (with a delicate hand-washing pot filled with lukewarm water and a slice of lemon, and a claw-defeating apparatus). Though I attempted at first to approach the lobster with lady-like elegance, I quickly ditched the knife and fork and grappled with the lobster by hand - the only way I'm afraid. My dad destroyed his rare beef fillet, choron sauce and chips (the nine very even-looking and sizable cuboidal chips were arranged in a 3x3 formation) and subsequent Eton mess with approving chewing noises, and my mum was quite taken with her crispy squid (no ink in sight), whole bream, caper and herb butter, and Jersey royals, and assorted sorbets. Everything was just as fresh and delectable as promised, and the menus focus strongly on the local seafood.

The waiting, bar, and reception staff were highly amiable and helpful. They often offered their assistance without prompting but did not crowd. Room service was quick and efficient. In the restaurant, though the food was freshly cooked, it did not take ludicrously long to wait for our food. The Old Parsonage is family-friendly in terms of the room and restaurant dining facilities that it offers, such as cots. However, given the lack of space in the indoors dining area, the layout of the hotel, and the general atmosphere of the place, it may not be the most appropriate place to bring young children and infants. Furthermore, the cuisine may not appeal to young children.