The Oxford Guide

A burger place, in Oxford, with an emphasis on organic ingredients. This caters to those wanting an informal restaurant meal rather than being part of what is perhaps the popular perception of burger joints as places for cheap fast-food. Similar in concept to GBK this is slightly more upmarket, with a better drinks-bar, full table service and of course the local and organic concepts hinted at in the name. A Clinton Pugh restaurant, the interior will be familiar to anyone who visited the Lemon Tree - rendered curved surfaces both defining the space and creating seating areas, with lots of extra details adding to the relaxed ambience. The decor is really quite remarkable. The large garden area at the back is particularly special, with palm trees and other planting in what feels like quite a large space given how big it actually must be!

September 2008 (Socks)

Although basically only serving burgers, there's quite a range, including classic beef-burgers with a fair range of toppings, chicken burgers (including one with tandoori-seasoning called Moonlight, a reference to the Moonlight Tandoori restaurant formerly on this site), vegetarian options and a fair number of options specifically for children. The burgers aren't cheap (mostly over £9, with side dishes such as chips and dips being a few quid extra each) but in context this is a reasonable amount to charge for the experience and the quality of the ingredients. Some might feel that there just isn't enough food though [- your single £9 burger looks quite small all on its own on your plate! - Anonymous]

We went on a Saturday lunchtime in September 2008, the burgers were delicious, we had a great time, the staff were friendly (although they all called us "guys" which started to annoy) and they catered for the kids really well with high-chairs and colouring sheets while we waited. The freshly squeezed "juice of the day" (apple, pear and ginger) was delicious. We didn't have room for pudding, but I can see this place, in combination with the newly opened branch of G&Ds being a real hit.

October 2008

They appear to have noticed that they were too expensive, and the burgers are now a little cheaper (plain burger is 6.50), and comes with salad or chips or coleslaw. Unfortunately the burgers have also gone down hill. The new ones are really quite small and thing. You can get the old 6oz ones for an extra 1.50 on the price, which isn't that bad.

March 2009

They appear to have turned into a bar more like Kazbar. Didn't stop to look at the menu, they might still be selling the burgers. Update: appears to be called Cafe Tarifa.