Restaurant-Guide.com
hand picked restaurants

For some time I made the mistake of thinking that no group of restaurants in the region of 200 locations could hope to maintain the quality for which I was looking.

Then one day I decided to put my prejudices to the test, walked into Oxford Ask! and discovered that I could not have been more mistaken. Their claim to serve freshly prepared quality food in stylish and comfortable surroundings with friendly and efficient service proved to be absolutely spot on.

Since then I have also discovered that a degree of consistency seems to operate throughout their restaurants, and that certainly does take some achieving, implying a degree of management that is enviable. They are perfect places for an impromptu snack, a bit of culinary grazing, or the full works, and families are catered for particularly well.

Their trendy décor usually comprises tiled floors and black furniture with well set tables that sparkle with glass, silver and spotless linen. Ten starters include crostini and bruschetta, followed by a range of salads, pasta and al forno, oven baked pasta, some with chicken.

The pizzas are stone baked in the oven, creating a crisp, authentic and delicious flavour, and they all come topped with mozzarella and tomato. Calzone introduce a touch of opulence with a folded pizza baked in the oven and topped with garlic butter and melted grana padano, whilst inside expect to find chicken or a vegetarian mix.

Amongst the specials may I warmly, in every sense, recommend the polpette al forno, a popular Milanese dish of beef meatballs sautéed in garlic with fire roasted peppers, caramelised onions, chilli and pomodoro sauce, with penne pasta, topped with cheese and oven baked.

An enticing selection of desserts list banoffee pie and tiramisu amongst them, and the coffee tastes like coffee, which may sound banal, but I guess you know what I mean.

Thanks to a well selected wine list speculative drinking can offer handsome dividends, even with prices rarely crossing the £20 barrier.

Oozing with character and charm, Koh Thai Restaurant flaunts its artistic taste with dark wood flooring, exposed brickwork and deep orange hues that accentuate the beauty of the traditional Thai artwork and the modern murals covering the walls. Stylish in décor yet comfortable and relaxed in feel, Koh Thai makes for a fine casual dining alternative.

A buzzing kitchen brings to the table an inspiring range of Thai cooking in the tapas style that includes tofu and mushroom satay, mussels wrapped in bacon, and Thai grilled pork. Amongst dishes that go well with both noodles and steamed rice, Penang curry, rich peanut gravy with coriander and fine beans, infused with lemon grass and simmered in coconut milk, is a popular choice.

Amazing concoctions of premium ingredients, the freshest fruits and quality garnishes consequence into heavenly cocktails to enjoy.

This very straightforward pub offers uncomplicated food cooked before your eyes in the surroundings of a traditional country town hotel. It also works on the principle that anybody who wants to eat after 2.30pm can do it at home, a not unreasonable proposition that must help keep the home skills turning.

Homely dishes such as bubble and squeak come to table adorned with a couple of rashers of home cured local bacon, and kedgeree is a favourite breakfast dish.

Use of local produce is paramount, no mere gesture, and the local rabbits contribute to an excellent casserole, a plate of which will probably render domestic culinary skills in the evening superfluous. The prolific Channel waters offshore provide abundant supplies of crustaceans and there are those who will say that a Lyme Bay crab has no equal for sheer flavour.

Palmers Brewery is the local source of some strikingly different beers, most of which are available in first rate condition at this friendly and completely natural local local.

Shaftesbury is perched on a hill top overlooking Blackmore Vale. La Fleur de Lys shares those views even better from its position on the edge of the town. As the name might imply the menu has a Gallic influence but using the best of local ingredients to meet the varying needs of the clientele. Results are certainly modern in style, without being over-clever. House wine at £12 is supported by a French leaning list with some of the higher price bottles a real find.