John D.
Yelp
Pub Together
We decided to celebrate Valentine's Day early and go out on the weekend, as opposed to the actual date when we're both working and exhausted. After a bit of searching, we came upon the Oxford here in Downtown Sunnyvale.
We found the Oxford intriguing, as they claim to be emulating a British-style pub, but the menu spanned mostly Asian and Indian cuisine. They also have a nice bar scene with a bevy of signature cocktails, wine, and beers--as well as a few of their own house brews on-tap.
The Good:
*Reservations available thru OpenTable
*Outdoor seating
*Great ambiance with fun but classy décor and lighting
*Daily happy hours, even on Saturdays.
*Cocktails are strong and delicious. After two, I practically had to carry Carissa to the car. :)
*And speaking of strong, their signature R2Brew2 Triple Black IPA packed a mean punch at 12%ABV. This beer is dangerous as one can hardly tell how strong it is, as it had a nice hoppy sweetness that masked its strength very well.
*Mamu Kibbeh (vegan?) was spicy, earthy, and tasted almost beefy from the mushroomy goodness inside. The concomitant sauces were also quite tasty and served as creamy and herby accompaniments.
*Shepherd's Pie was quite good; the creamy mashed taters on top had a nice crunchy crust, and the interior was packed full of lamb, carrots and peas. My one complaint was that it ate a bit dry, but otherwise nearly perfect.
*Carissa really enjoyed her Chicken Kebab & Quinoa Salad (which is really an app), and I took a few bites and approved of their smooth, tasty hummus and well-cooked chicken.
The Meh:
*While all the food was delicious, I felt like their menu was a bit all over the place. Almost like they have a bit of an identity crisis.
*And, speaking of menus, they really need to update the one on their website as it didn't reflect what we were handed at the time of our visit.
*Service was OK for the most part. They're not the friendliest lot, but hardly what I'd call grumpy. They were just kinda there and did their job with efficiency.
*Chocolate Banoffee was pretty good, but we both had a hard time tasting the banana and toffee, for that matter. It just ate like a rich chocolate torte, which isn't a bad thing, just not as advertised.
The Ugly:
*While we love Murphy Ave here in DT Sunnyvale, it can be a bit of a hassle finding parking. Luckily, we're old and like to eat early, so we had no issues. However, by the time we left, there were lots of cars circling the parking lots looking for spots
TLDR: Delicious food, a great atmosphere, fantastic drinks, and acceptable service makes this a great spot for a date night or a special occasion.