Turl Street Kitchen

Decent cafe that also provides guest house accommodation, and exhibition space. It's located very centrally in Oxford, in the heart of the colleges, and museums. Inside there is a long bar and there is table service with plenty of seats although a good tip is that if you have a buggy or are in a wheelchair then if you go through the door on your immediate left you enter the ground floor room that looks out onto the street. Otherwise you'd have to go up a few steps and then either turn right or left and round the corner to find seats. The breakfast menu serves sausage or bacon baps, full English, poached eggs, and other staples. Coffee is OK, there are better places nearby. They also do Sunday roasts and evening meals. Recommended.

the staff were nice, the vegetable dish were fresh and fantastic. the duck tasted nothing but salt -- avoid it. the best was the pecan pie desert!

This place is great! Friendly service, plenty of tables and the food is delicious! You can tell they use good produce. The chicken dish came with stock so delicious we ordered extra bread to soak up all the juices.

Great food. Great location. Friendly staff. In particular, kudos to the CHEF. The food is prepared and cooked to PERFECTION. Comes out piping hot. Will definitely come back again.

Along with some of the other reviews, lots of available tables that we weren’t allowed to sit in because of reservations... at 1030am? It was a Saturday so I could understand it would maybe be busy and it was fine as we had a seat in the bar section. However, were told we couldn’t have a menu to look at as they were at the bar. Staff were a bit standoffish about it. The bar was crowded with people ordering take away and we could not get to the menus to look. So we settled on tea and pastries because that’s what we knew they had. Thankfully the tea and pastries were lovely. I’d come back for those, but maybe at a less busy time.

Clearly a popular place in Oxford for lunch! Service was attentive even though there was a mix up with our drink order. Wish there was a bit more variety in the menu. Ordered the "Cauliflower Bake" and was pleasantly surprised. Full of flavour!

I loved this place, our breakfast was incredible and the staff was so nice and zen. Thank you it was perfect

Great value for money in terms of portions of food and nice soft centre poached eggs that burst on the crisp brioche. Excellent service as staff also gave a hand drawn map for directions . Highly recommended!

I came here with an Oxford graduate student cultural explorer to get a sample of very modern day British... super interesting experience. The great! - The ambiance: It was an interesting mix between farmhouse and more modern pub... it felt fresh and warm at the same time... - THE FOOD - very modern British... as in traditional British ingredients made with new ways for excellent flavors... I had the braised lamb - the best lamb product I have ever had ... - Some of the staff - our server was a delightfully lovely person who was very patient and caring... and also told us a great story of how she burned her finger... - location location location - just look on the map... - they change the menu daily! - always exciting... Why it didn't get 5 stars: The host (or head staff person) was rather angry and unwelcoming upon entry. Maybe it was an off day for her... but it definitely started the mood off in sour direction. Great for: Americans looking for a British culinary adventure that isn't cliché, reunions... Has potential for: 3rd dates, food critics Bad for: first dates, break ups, big families, kids, wild and exotic pets, tourists trying to do something touristy...

Turl Street was one of the places that my friend recommended when I visited Oxford, so I decided to give it a try. I ordered the fish and chips and it was way better than the fish and chips I had in London. Or anywhere else for that matter. It came with crispy potato wedges, and some great tartar/dill dipping sauce. Service was friendly/fast - we were in/out in under an hour. Would deffo recommend if you find yourself in Oxford, looking for a place to eat.

Long wait time - waiters don't seem to know what they are doing + very inconsistent food quality. Went to this place twice within the past 5 days. The first time (Tuesday): food was amazing - I ordered a bean toast with some poached eggs. Even though our food was served after awhile (over 35 mins), and they had forgotten the eggs, the end result was worth it - beautiful crunchy toast with hot beans, topped with melted cheddar cheese, and garnished with fresh greens. It was not however my experience yesterday. 50 (!!) minutes in we were still sitting there waiting for our food sipping tea. After seeing everyone else eating (even those who arrived way later than us), we asked the waiter about our food. Apparently, they have forgotten about us. I guess things happen. The waiter finally brings me my order - the beloved bean toast with poached eggs - it was bad. Toast was barely toasted, beans were lukewarm, and they sprinkled some grated cheese on top without melting them even a bit. I mean nothing that I ordered required crazy cooking effort - it was literally toast, precooked beans, poached eggs and cheese. You would think it's easy enough. Very annoyed - will not be coming back and will dissuade people I know in the area from coming here for food.

The worst bouillabaisse I have ever had. To rub salt into the wounds, they add both an "optional" service charge and a compulsory donation to the bill. There are plenty of good restaurants in the Oxford town centre. Don't fall for this one just because it's conveniently located.

Ended up dining here after being declined by other 2 restrants, which were ''Pierre Victoire'' and ''COTE'' and fully booked. But this restaurant quite satisfied us!! I ordered the dishes recently put on this review site at first but they didn't have them any more. They told they change their menu quite often. ~ham hock~ The sourness of the gribiche sauce really went well with the ham which was tender. ~Mushroom&Spinach Pie~ It really hit the spot. Creamy rich sauce, the moist pie, well cooked mushroom and lightly seasoned massive spinach went well together with a nice harmony. ~Slow braised beef ~ Tender, perfectly cooked.But It was a big portion and also had much fat on meat. It's better to share this with someone. All dishes were well presented and amazing! Nice decoration and ambient lighting made us feel relaxed.The prices were also good ; ) quite liked this restaurant!! But when I visit Oxford next time, I'd try ''Pierre Victoire'' which also looked nice. Being declined because of fully book made me more eager for that!!

Came here for brunch today right before my class and felt my experience was okay. I got the avocado toast, jasmine pearl tea, and a iced latte to go. I was disappointed that I only got one piece of toast, the avocado spread was sour but the cilantro on top was very fresh and good. For the price I pay for that entree I should be getting at least two pieces of toast. The iced latte was awful, and the cup they gave it to me leaked through. They need better sustaining cups. The only things that were good were the tea and the service. Not sure if I'd come here again.

The food was good but not great. I think they are trying to figure out how to do a good creative dinner but haven't gotten there yet. The tuna was in a pot with a layer if butter/fat over the top. The mackerel was good. The local greens were simply frisee and radish. Oddly they seem to only serve a couple tables for dinner, seating early, and closing up the front of the restaurant so it looks closed. Must have a reservation in advance. I liked the reviews I saw for breakfast/ lunch; but I don't recommend dinner at this time.

The menu changes but the quality of the dishes have always been in the 4 to 5 star range for me. On one particular visit, I had a mind blowing butternut squash salad, while on another the friend I went with had the best vegetable wellington of his life. This place is used to raise money for charity, and the menu is usually vegetarian friendly and creative. I was lucky enough to come one time when they had breaded plaice with clams (it's like fish and chips, but without overrated chips and much more sophisticated).

Summary: + Great ambience + Food is hit and miss + Vegetarian dishes are usually good + Breakfast is rubbish. Don't go. + Lunch onwards are much better + free WiFi + Staff a little arrogant + Still a lovely place to enjoy the ambience (Review based on breakfast) Overall: This charity-ran restaurant is always crowded with local people and students who seek for little break from their busy daily chores. The rustic wooden floor and matching tables and chairs add warmth to its cosy dining space. I have had lunch here a few times and had generally pleasant experience although the quality of food seems to be a little inconsistent. I guess that's the risk of changing the menu everyday as they do. But I still admit there is a certain charm to this place that makes me want to forget about the minute details of my previous visits. Menu: I studied the menu as the person in front of me places his order at the counter, which is located in the front of the restaurant. I was slightly disappointed when I saw that there were very few items to choose from. Also, none of the items on offer seem to be filling enough for my big appetite. The menu included fruit granola, selection of pastries, and DIY toasts. I need a big breakfast with at least three eggs to keep me going for the day. It occurred to me that they probably don't open kitchen at this time. Nothing in the menu requires cooking. Granola is just about mixing. Anyone can boil eggs. And DIY toasts,, well, that is like an ultimate form of service outsourcing. Perhaps a pastry person comes in early morning to do the baking. Or they even source that from another bakery in the area. The breakfast menu is uninspiring to say the least. I mean, no eggs for breakfast? I would rather they didn't open for breakfast at all. But I quickly decided to shift the scope of my expectation to go light on breakfast and have a substantial lunch later on to make up for it. After all, it's not everyday that I get to have a relaxing breakfast in a nice café in this picturesque town. So I ordered a granola yogurt with fruit and an almond pastry with a cup of tea. Food: The granola mix was slightly moist and the berry sauce was refreshing. The almond pastry was nice and crispy on the outside and soft inside. But neither of them was particularly impressive. Overall, the breakfast at Turl Street Kitchen was very disappointing. If you need to have a filling breakfast like me, and don't fancy paying for the sort of "complimentary breakfast" that is served in a budget hotel, this place is not for you. This place is highly overrated but breakfast is particularly bad. I would still recommend this restaurant for its lovely ambience. But please, not breakfast.

Stopped by this place while studying abroad in July 9f this year, and it was awesome. The food and service was good but what makes this a 5 star review is the chocolate brownie dessert. It's the best chocolate dessert I have EVER had. The brownie was moist, warm and buttery, while the chocolate sauce was rich and gooey. The warm brownie slightly melted the home made whipped cream, which made a wonderful type of new sauce when mixed with the chocolate sauce. The fruit on top created a nice tart and refreshing bite, complementing the rich dessert perfectly. If I go back to Oxford, it will be for this dessert alone.

The menu changes daily with fresh ingredients, so I can't recommend just one thing. However, the plate I had was excellent. No complaints.

Came here for breakfast on Sunday morning. It was busy but there was a spot at the counter so we opted for that spot for two. They don't have an extensive menu but the place was packed so we took that as a good sign. We both ordered the full English breakfast and tea and coffee. My decaf latte was delicious and very well designed, but the rest of the meal... was lacking. English breakfasts vary, we all know this, but most of the time it comes with mushrooms and cooked tomatoes, along with hefty portions of bacon or other meats/sausages, etc. To start, my poached egg was poached so hard that there was no runny middle. Maybe my fault for not specifying but poached eggs...usually are runny in the middle. That aside, lets talk about the bacon... of which I think I had 4 or 5 pieces... that were all stuck and cooked together as one giant glob. Now I know that bacon isn't cooked like the U.S. cooks it .. all crunchy but I usually do think they should be cooked separately.. instead of as a bunch. Looks bad and leads to uneven cooking.. which of course it was. The black pudding which I normally like... was just hard and tasteless. No other way to describe it really. So then you come to the mushrooms.. or should I say literally ONE GIANT MUSHROOM CAP that is just placed on the plate and a couple of cooked tomatoes. The giant mushroom was just bizarre. It's like the cook had a bad day and took it out on that particular dish. Hubby's wasn't any better but his dish -which was the same as mine came without sausage. I had some white sausage thing, which wasn't the best. All in all, while Google rated it highly, I would have not gone if I had seen yelp reviews like this. Staff was busy, but service was decent. It's busy, I get it so that didn't bother me. However, the food which I could have cooked better at home wasn't worth the money we spent. Go elsewhere and spend your money on food. Ambiance is nice and I think it would be a fun place to just go for drinks and hang out with friends. Definitely not for food.

We are picky eaters and chose to eat lunch here after carefully perusing Yelp and Trip Advisor. What a treat!! The atmosphere is thrift-shop casual, but the food is fresh-tasting, original, and well-seasoned. Produce is local. Delicious enough to come back today! Highlights of the two meals were the smoked haddock cake, scalloped veal, and chicken on a bed of buttered cabbage--delicious! And proceeds support their sister charity, so doing good while you eat well!

I don't know why the reviews for this place aren't better. Conveniently located off a quiet street, TSK boasts several lovely study spaces for students, top-notch cappuccinos, and extensive vegan/vegetarian options for breakfast and lunch! I love sitting upstairs with some avocado toast, a warm cup of coffee, and reading to a cloudy day.

The atmosphere at TSK is commendable. Lots of people working and using the free wifi. Many spaces to work and people will generally share tables with you. There is more sitting room upstairs as well. I did not think the filtered coffee or espresso was anything to write home about. The filtered coffee tastes like it had been brewed many hours prior. Both the coffee and espresso were unpleasantly acidic. My guess is that the milk from cappuccinos and lattes masks the poor flavor.

Read about this place online and the staff are super friendly here. The wait was originally 25 min but since I was by myself, they let me sit in the cafe area without waiting. I ordered the grilled fish, which was very well cooked. Everything here is fresh and locally sourced.

Chose the vegan option which was fried zuchinni and chickpea fritters amazing, locally sourced, lovely service nice atmosphere and also steps away from our hotel - recommend!

This dinner is a bit of a running joke now between my husband and I - because we realized after we left that the only thing we'd really enjoyed was the bread. We'd picked Turl Street kitchen for a nice date night, but were fairly disappointed. All the menu descriptions were great, but execution pretty poor. To start I had the soup - it was incredibly salty (there was a lot of blue cheese in it). My husband had the special which I think was an heirloom tomato salad - (when we got the bill we realized it was super expensive probably because it said "heirloom") - which was fine but nothing special. Our main course was also not great. My husband had ordered the fish which came literally swimming in a ton of thick buttery sauce - really too much. And i had ordered a vegetarian dish that sounded a bit like ratatouille with beans and kale - it sounded quite delicious but there were about 2 beans in it and it was difficult to eat as a meal, one of those vegetarian dishes without real flavor or heartiness. Fairly disappointing. We decided not to stick around for desert and went elsewhere.

The food was below average and the service was not so good. Not recommend. Not gonna come here again.

Used to be a favorite spot to sit and read or study, but they've turned the best room into office space, making things more crowded and cramped upstairs. The patio is perfect in nice weather. Coffee is never hot enough, and the drinks are pricey. Staff is hit or miss; some are EXCELLENT, while others think they're too cool for school, resulting in rude service.

Had been here for dinner and really liked it so we were keen to go back. Went for breakfast and have unfortunately it was rubbish. Service was very slow, coffee turned up cold and food was very basic for the price. It's a really nice place to sit and would be one star but for that.

Turl Street Kitchen is a quaint working space that also offers food. The Kitchen is split into three areas--the restaurant is to the right from the main entrance, bar is to the left, and the cafe (sitting area) is upstairs. I didn't sit down to eat at the Kitchen restaurant, but I did order an iced americano and a muffin to bring upstairs and accompany me while doing some work. The muffin was meh (American muffins are the way to go, y'all, haha), but the coffee was strong and delicious. There were a large handful of people on the couches in the cafe area, and it was rather quiet. Free wifi is definitely an added bonus! Tl;dr - nice place to recuperate and/or get some work done if you're in Oxford.

Perfect place for breakfast, specially if you're visiting Oxford and staying near Cornmarket St. We stayed at the Tower House guest house and got to free breakfast at Turl Street Kitchen, which made our stay even better! They have friendly staff and healthy breakfast options - would definitely go back!

A lot of people love this place, I'm less a fan. It's expensive for what you get, which I don't even particularly enjoy. Many other places in Oxford that I'd prefer.

Good, affordable coffee, delicious but pricy menu items (I am always unsure about the unconventional items when I order but happily surprised by how amazing everything has been - I just trust them and order anything now), and a cozy, nicely lit interior. Desserts aren't as standout, but still good. Would be 5 stars except the price and the limited meal hours (I'm constantly just missing lunch).

People always complain about British food. They just don't know where to go. TSK is a meat and potatoes kind of place, but the meat is fresh (probably never frozen); the side veggies are unique, fresh, and organic; and the menu changes regularly. The ambience is also very quaint. It feels like you are sitting in a living room with a fireplace. Frequently, they will have local singers do a show at TSK. They also have a bar and several beers on tap.

We had a wonderful breakfast and later a yummy brownie. I even had a Roobios latte made especially as per my request! Annie was great help.

The tables are rustic looking and the atmosphere is top. Had the hugest salad I have ever seen here! It kept me going all day (took half away with me!) The tea was lovely and the service was nice. What they are doing here is phenomenal. I was very happy with the quality of what I ate and I felt good knowing I was supporting the Hub (it's come so far!) Amazing job, guys :)

Good food, nice setting, pretty quick service, little pricey, constantly changing menu. I've been here a few tines and the food has been good every time. The location is great. The service has always been quick and friendly. The style of food is a good mix of classical, modern and local. The options on the menu are usually good, if limited for vegetarians. The problem can be the changing menu. If you book a table for Sunday afternoon, you have no idea what's going to be available. I don't really like this as I quite like to plan ahead. It's a little bit pricey, but the food is good and money goes to student services so can't complain.

Great food! We were all very pleased! Our waitress (whose name I wish I had learned) was very kind, friendly, and on top of things. We had questions about the menu and she took the time to go through every choice with us. She didn't rush or act annoyed and gave us detailed descriptions. I ordered the Chicken and leek pie and chips... It was so delicious! I also liked the atmosphere. It was very calm and relaxed... perfect for a nice dinner with family.

Went there for my lunch and ordered an expensive soup, which turned out to be really gross. The service was high and was sort of mandatory since it was already on my bill. Would not go there again for sure.

Farm to table style restaurant. Menu changes daily. Delicious and generous portions. Would eat here regularly if I lived near Oxford. Not filled with tourists. Located off the high street.

It's hard to sum up Turl St Kitchen, because the menu changes every day, to accommodate fresh, seasonal, local ingredients. This is great, but means that many dishes are often hit-or-miss. The food style is very homey, and sometimes this ends up detracting from the good ingredients. Often the food can be rather bland and a bit of a mess, which can make the mains disappointing. This happens a bit too often, I'm afraid. The sides are usually good, but sometimes they can be way too salty or way too bland. It's very inconsistent (sensing a theme, here?). The desserts are usually fantastic. The service is also inconsistent - I've been seated and then waited 15 minutes just for someone to come over to take our beverage order (even after clearly staring in the direction of the point-of-sale system). TSK is also a hang-out/tea-all-day kind of place, which means that it's open late and also between meal service. You can grab a chair in their comfortable sitting/living room and have some tea (usually quite good), a latte (decent), or a hot chocolate (appallingly terrible). I'm not sure if I've ever had such bitter, tasteless, flavorless hot chocolate in my life. There is also a full bar, which gets rather busy in the evenings, but the atmosphere is a bit boring for a bar. The sitting room is a nice place to hang out and relax, and they do offer free Wi-Fi. The dining room is quaint, comfortable, and a nice place to be, even between meal times. I've had some delicious meals at TSK, and I've had some very disappointing meals at TSK. When you change your menu twice a day, this is to be expected, but it's rather unfortunate, as there are some great dishes on the menu, from time to time. It's also not particularly cheap (roughly £30 for dinner for two). Getting a table for dinner on a Thursday-Saturday night almost always requires a booking in advance, which involves calling the restaurant and leaving a message, and then receiving a call-back to confirm - this system is very annoying. If the food and service were more consistent, and the prices were a little lower (or the food were better overall), it would be a four-star place. As it is, however, I don't see anything overwhelmingly special about this place. It's just "OK".

Super friendly atmosphere and workers. Delicious fresh ginger beer. And very tasty local, fresh food. Menu changes daily. Last night I had the beet root/Gorgonzola/mixed greens salad (yum!) I don't know what the dressing was, but it was so tasty! Then I had the squash lentil stew, also packed with flavor. When I asked for bread, I was charged an additional 1£ but it was well worth it. Fresh baked, whole grain. I have 3 nights in Oxford for a conference and I think I will go back for another meal before I leave! Also, as I was alone, I sat in the more casual area at a table I shared with a stranger while he read a paper and I passed some time on my iPad. Free wifi.

No variety for breakfast. No eggs??? Service was uncaring Coffee is weak Go elsewhere!

Good farm-to-table items, though the daily menu can be limiting.

Wonderful breakfast and service, reasonable price. Couldn't ask for a better experience, I had the English breakfast and my wife had the avocado, lime, and coriander on sourdough with poached egg, both were excellent!

My favourite place to bring visitors to Oxford - delicious food, wine, and coffee, and a great ambience.

Everyone loves Turl Street Kitchen. It's a great meeting place, it has great vibes, great selection of small batch liquor, great coffee. The room upstairs with the couches is probably the coolest place to be in Oxford. That being said, they really need to get it together! Recently rolled out a new system in which you do not order at the counter. The server behind the bar will tell you to take a seat and then.... never comes to take your order? Like gets too busy with other things and then just forgets you have arrived? This has happened to me on multiple occasions. It also makes it extremely difficult to spend a short amount of time here, because when you do manage to flag down a server, you have to do it again to ask for the bill. I do not think this is the servers' fault, I think it's probably a poorly conceived idea sent down from upper management. They really shouldn't have this system if they don't have enough staff to support it. Additionally, they only serve food during very specific hours. In the afternoon this place is a food desert. Have you ever encountered a sit down cafe that doesn't have pastries? Well this one doesn't. If they do it's one plate of cookies, no variety. I recall at some point they did have a wider variety of cookies and cakes and very very good apricot danishes in the afternoon. Where did they go? What am I supposed to have with my afternoon tea?

Great food. Lovely relaxed atmosphere, I recommend you eat here. You won't be disappointed.

Amazing. The hour I spent drinking tea and eating soup and bread made me want to move to Oxford immediately. Absolutely visit this location. It is quaint, the people are lovely, and the atmosphere is delightful. I cannot wait to go back!

Delicious, fresh food & great service in a relaxed surrounding. I was in Oxford for a few days & ended up visiting this place a handful of times, I recommend it!

I visited this place to catch up with a friend over a morning cup of coffee. The restaurant/café is nicely proportioned with plenty of rooms. The staff were also friendly and helpful. Coffee is good too. However, I would avoid the filter coffee. Very weak. I only had one negative experience while I was there: I found the place a bit on the chilly side which completely ruined the experience for me. Had the place been warm and the filter coffee been decent I would have given this place five stars. Would still recommend a visit.

The cheap and cheerfullness of this place belies the freshness and quality of the food served. I was impressed with the regularly changing menu. The soup, salad and Lamb really were good quality, decently cooked, well presented. Friendly and efficient service, a simple wine list to go with the lack of pretense, but still with a couple of high end options if you fancy it (Grand Cru St Emilion for example). Simple decor, scrubbed floors and wooden table tops, and a relaxed atmosphere. Would return.

I've eaten here many times with different family and friend groups, including small grandson. I've had consistently good experiences, even with some odd behaviour from the boy. Really good food, surprisingly rare in Oxford, friendly non-pretentious staff (another welcome surprise) and reasonable prices. The menu changes daily and it's worth going earlier for widest choice it's also worth booking if you can be that organised. Lovely bread and butter.

Comfortable, friendly, and easy to meet friends in large or small groups. Bonus: fireplace and soft chairs in the lower room.

The soup was terrible, thin, and overly doused with cilantro--yuck! I couldn't even finish it. Service was inexcusable. We had to ask TWICE for the check and then waited about 15 minutes for them to run our cards. Apparently they only have ONE credit card machine. Waitresses were very rude and inattentive. We will not be back.

Fantastic place to grab a beer. Good food as well.