Tucked away in a narrow street behind the busy River Thames, and just seconds away from the artistic steps of the Tate Modern, lies OXBO. This modern and spacious dining hub, with a bustling bar and warm environment, makes the perfect place for a lunch or dinner whilst exploring central London’s finest monuments. Open year-round and all day, we visited one Friday evening to explore the drinks and dining options before a night out.
Headed up by Head Chef Ollie Couillaud, the menu is vibrant and broad. Featuring locally sourced cuisine and keeping up with seasonal produce, it is a people pleaser, ensuring kids and adults alike will definitely find something that they fancy. It extends from Italian nibbles like Buffalo mozzarella, sundried tomato & pesto bruschetta and starters like Minestrone, goat’s cheese, pesto & focaccia croûtons, to the more Spanish influenced Grilled sardines on toast, with confit global artichoke, red pepper mousseline or French Confit duck with Foie Gras & king oyster mushroom ballotine. Mains include British favourites like Aberdeen Angus beef burger with streaky bacon, cheddar, garlic mayo & fries, and Marinated salt marsh neck of lamb, with spiced couscous, coconut yoghurt & mint streaky bacon. Sides are the classics of French fries, mixed leaf salad and Tenderstem broccoli, though there are some interesting additions. My guest and I shared the Wild mushroom arancini with truffle mayo to start, which were delicious, followed by two starters – Warm Spring vegetables with crispy egg, shallots, chives, fig leaf vinegar and truffle mayo and Grilled asparagus with peas, broad beans, aubergine caviar, chickpea and mint crisps. The crispy egg was divine, and the Grilled asparagus fantastically fresh, rendering both starters excellent choices.
For the mains, my guest had the Grilled sirloin steak with baby leaves, French fries and peppercorn sauce, whilst I had Medallions of monkfish with grilled asparagus and crushed purple potatoes. As a side, we shared a bowl of the decadent Foxy fries, a poutine style dish with Sweet & sour pork belly, melted cheese, lime mayo and pickled kohlrabi. The steak was large and well done, cooked to my guest’s liking and sufficiently fatty to proffer lots of flavour, whilst the Foxy fries made a very hedonistic and moreish accompaniment. My monkfish was tender and sumptuous, whilst the crushed purple potatoes an interesting and surprisingly zesty accompaniment. To drink, we started with two cocktails, both of which were fantastic (the Sahara Rain with Remy Martin VSOP, Absinthe, Ginger Liqueur, Rooibos Tea Syrup, Cava, Lemon and Bitters, and the Mango Tango with Cazcabel Tequila Blanco, Mango Puree, Orange Syrup, Fresh Mint, Tabasco and Lime) and we ate our meal with a bottle of Chablis. For dessert, we had a wonderful selection of ice creams and sorbets, which made fantastic palate cleansers, before diving into our favourite dish of the day – the Olive oil cake, a honey and white chocolate mousse, with strawberry cremeux and honeycomb. The olive oil flavours added a delicate savoury, herbaceous note to the honey and white chocolate, enhanced by the strawberries fruitiness, whilst the honeycomb gave a pleasant crunch and sweetness. An absolutely brilliant end to our fulsome meal.
To showcase its fantastic food, OXBO does more than just dinners and lunches. It is also known for its Bottomless Brunch, voted as one of the top brunches in London 2019 by the Evening Standard and GQ magazine. This 4-course extravaganza comes with 2 hours of unlimited bubbles. Alternatively, if evenings are more your thing, there’s the option of an hour long extravaganza of unlimited bubbles for just £35pp or £60 for two people with the A La Carte menu on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday from 6-8pm. Exceptional value for an exceptional time, no doubt.
Next time you are in London’s Southbank and looking for a bite to eat -whether it’s a date, family outing, or business meeting, definitely swing by OXBO, a people pleasing restaurant where you’re sure to find something you like.
OXBO
Bankside
2-8 Great Suffolk Street
London
SE1 0UG
United Kingdom
