Diners' Choice: Good for special occasions restaurants in Oxford

OpenTable

Updated June 05, 2025

Looking for the best special occasion restaurants in Oxford? You’re in the right place. Each month, OpenTable analyzes nearly 2 million global diner reviews from the past four months. We sort the results by location and category to help you discover new favorite restaurants. It's a great partnership: you reserve, eat, and review. We listen...and deliver the results for all to benefit. Enjoy!

Cherwell Boathouse

4.8

4.8 (32)

£26 to £40

Modern European

Oxford

About the restaurant

Step into the Cherwell Boathouse and experience the hidden gem of Oxford. Our menu showcases the finest ingredients, skillfully prepared to ensure each bite is a delight.

Make the most of our extensive, award winning wine list and our fantastic cocktail menu, as well as a range of non alcoholic options.

Top review

David

Dined 2 days ago

I was hoping Cherwell Boathouse would be lovely but was not at all expecting such an exquisite experience. The location is stunning, the food was refined and delicious, the wine selection was out of this world, and the people were wonderful. I cannot reccomend it enough

Branca

4.7

4.7 (2490)

£25 and under

Italian

Oxford

About the restaurant

Welcome to Branca, our large and lively Italian brasserie in Jericho. For us food is all about quality ingredients, honest cooking, big flavours and uncomplicated dishes. In other words buy decent stuff and keep it simple.

Top review

James

Dined on Jun 14, 2025

Fantastic service with helpful staff, lovely seasonal selection of food and drink with complimentary bread and prosecco for special events. Restaurant was light, spacious and clean and was overall a fantastic dining experience out.

Discover more

Popular dish

Fish Stew

No1 Ship Street

4.7

4.7 (2536)

£26 to £40

Contemporary British

Oxford

About the restaurant

No.1 Ship Street offers Oxfords most exciting food alongside its most astute service, over two floors. A Modern British brasserie with daily fish specials that include oysters, mussels and lobster.

Top review

JamesJ

Dined 5 days ago

Chose to eat here as a late Father’s Day meal. The menu was excellent, great service and the food was wonderful.

Discover more

Popular dish

Crème Brûlèe

Sticks'n'Sushi - Oxford

4.7

4.7 (209)

£26 to £40

Sushi

Oxford

About the restaurant

Located on the Roof Terrace in Westgate Shopping Centre, enjoy classic and creative sushi, sticks and Japanese-inspired cocktails with stunning views of Oxford’s historic spires. Perfect for quick lunches, leisurely dinners, celebrations and graduations. A sushi restaurant - even for those who don't like fish.

Top review

Chris

Dined 5 days ago

Great food, lovely staff and a relaxing ambience.

The Folly

4.5

4.5 (1517)

£26 to £40

British

Oxford

About the restaurant

The Folly, Oxford's unique riverside restaurant.
Join us for elegant food, superb drinks, a charming atmosphere, and a unique location perched on the banks of the River Thames in the heart of historic Oxford.

Book your table online and visit us to indulge in some fantastic modern British food.

Top review

Meryl

Dined 3 days ago

I love coming to the Folly, everyone is so nice, the room is quite beautiful and the food is excellent and interesting. I would come more often if it was a bit less expensive. :). Thank you.

Gees

4.5

4.5 (3087)

£26 to £40

Mediterranean

Oxford

About the restaurant

Gees Restaurant & Bar is an independently-owned, restaurant, bar, and terrace set within North Oxford’s famous Grade II listed Victorian conservatory, once home to the Gee family’s greengrocers and floristry, just a ten-minute walk from Oxford’s city centre.

Enjoyed by locals and visitors alike for the past four decades, Gees serves a distinctly Mediterranean-inspired menu using the best seasonal ingredients, simply prepared and expertly cooked by head chef Lee Parsons, featuring regional dishes of Spain, Portugal and Italy.

The private dining space, Gees Gallery, upholds an authentic and organic feel, with bare stone walls, oak panelling and a flash of rich green marble, featuring its own private bar, entrance and art collection. Gees' Secret Garden provides an enchanting al fresco setting for delectable dishes and chic cocktails.

Free parking for two hours is available just a short walk away on Canterbury Road and Bevington Road.

Top review

David

Dined 2 days ago

An anniversary meal was noted and rewarded with two glasses of fizz on arrival. Service was present but not onerous and even when busy (as it became) we were still well attended too. Scallops were superb and I enjoyed a very pleasant in house burger.

The Ivy Oxford Brasserie

4.5

4.5 (7560)

£26 to £40

Contemporary British

Oxford

About the restaurant

The Ivy Oxford Brasserie is located on the bustling High Street in the heart of Oxford. Enjoy an accessible all-encompassing menu, serving British classics from dawn until dusk, including breakfast, elevenses, weekend brunch, lunch, afternoon tea, light snacks, dinner and cocktails.

Top review

tomVIP

Dined 1 day ago

Excellent meal and service provided by Ada. We will be back again soon

Discover more

Traditional Fish and Chips

The Manor Garsington

4.5

4.5 (45)

£25 and under

Gastro Pub

Oxford

About the restaurant

Our British gastropub offers relaxed fine dining with a cosy, family-friendly atmosphere and our chefs create hearty dishes using seasonal ingredients.

Enjoy a blend of traditional pub food with modern culinary flair. Or join us for a classic Sunday lunch with local vegetables, crispy roast potatoes, Yorkshire puddings, and rich gravy together with your choice of meats or veggie options.

Our wood-oven pizza is a must-try. It's cooked to perfection in under two minutes and boasts a crispy crust and smoky flavour. You can enjoy it in our restaurant or via Deliveroo for home delivery. Come and experience all of this and more in our al fresco dining setting, where you'll find a nearby children's playground, perfect for families.

Our countryside venue is also ideal for rustic weddings and events, accommodating 15 to 300 guests between the Tipi Tent, Luxury Marquee and Heated Pergola.

Come and see for yourself!

Top review

Tim

Dined 4 days ago

After a less than perfect walk, we arrived here grumpy and sweaty, but the amazing food - really world standard - soon put a smile on our face. We had a selection of small platters - tapas really - along with excellent skinny fries. The Pica Pau was really outstanding, and the asparagus was delicious too. A cut above most pub food, and the service was attentive and friendly, despite the place being very busy. Excellent!

Parsonage Grill

4.4

4.4 (2175)

£26 to £40

Contemporary British

Oxford

About the restaurant

Founded in 1989 by Jeremy Mogford, Parsonage Grill is a Cotswold-esque bolthole located within the 5 star 17th century Old Parsonage Hotel in central Oxford on Banbury Road.

Famous for its intimate, bohemian, clubby atmosphere, the Parsonage Grill and its private dining space, the ‘Pike Room’, displays a carefully curated collection of eclectic oil paintings, original stone fireplaces, leaded light windows and a Bloomsbury club ambience throughout. Outside, inspired by the legendary Jardin Majorelle, created by Yves Saint Laurent in Marrakech, a beautiful walled terrace sits dappled in the sun. This newly revitalised space seamlessly blends traditional British elegance with the vibrant energy of North Africa.

The Parsonage Grill team take pride in creating classic British dishes with a modern, light touch, and are open every day of the year to enjoy breakfast, lunch, dinner and our famous afternoon teas, in the company of Oxford’s academic and literary luminaries...

Top review

Agnes

Dined 3 days ago

We always love to visit Old Parsonage and Quod when in Oxford. Both places always deliver wonderful food and ambience. The minor difference yesterday over our lunch at noon was sound of bells from the nearest church which was going on for a hour! 😂 My partner ordered 2 glasses of champagne and both times champagne was flat and second time not chilled enough. Otherwise the waiters, food, outside table were really lovely. We will definitely be back soon.

Discover more

Experience

Afternoon Tea at the Parsonage Grill

Côte Brasserie - Oxford

4.4

4.4 (138)

£25 and under

French

Oxford

About the restaurant

Welcome to Côte Oxford, your go-to French restaurant in the heart of this historic and picturesque city. Our refined yet welcoming atmosphere, makes us the perfect destination for both locals and visitors. Just a short walk from Oxford Train Station, the High Street and the beautiful University Parks, we're ideally located for your city adventures. For those who enjoy dining outdoors, Côte Oxford offers a charming outside seating area. Whether you're relishing a leisurely lunch or a relaxed dinner, our al fresco space provides a delightful setting to enjoy classic French cuisine while soaking in the lively atmosphere of the city.

Top review

Chris

Dined on May 22, 2025

Good food but busy and rather warm in the restaurant - time of year plus time of day - pre & post theatre diners, probably

Explore Diners' Choice best of Oxford

Explore more Diners' Choice lists