Cherwell Boathouse Restaurant in Oxford

Good location. Good food and drinks selection. Parking an issue. Lots of people using the punts on a good day, so footfall while dining. Understaffed. Good service when served. Delays in taking orders and delivery of food and service. Our 3rd lunch here as mid way between London & Birmingham.

Participated in a wedding taking place there and the event was great. Loved the atmosphere, the punting obviously but also had great food and drinks!

Delicious food with very friendly and efficient service. The location is great.

Wonderful ambiance, delicious food, and our server was the best we’ve experienced in the last decade. I believe his name is Albert. Give that man a raise.

Nice place for our Sunday evening anniversary celebration

Excellent dining experience. We went there for our anniversary, and had a lovely time.

This was delightful! Amazing food, though small portions, genuinely friendly staff who were always there when you needed them and a truly beautiful location. It's expensive but utterly lovely

Thank you for such great hospitality!

We had several lovely dinners here. Best service we've had in ages - friendly, charismatic, accomodating and friendly. My partner is gluten free and they were incredibly helpful. All the staff we've interacted with deserve a 5 star. Food is very good. Great sashimi starter. My partner had lamb and he was very happy with his meal. My main (halibut) was good but needed a greater variety of flavours to be truly memorable. We enjoyed our dinner and we plan to come back.

We had Sunday lunch at the Cherwell Boathouse this weekend for a birthday celebration. The staff went above and beyond for us (even singing happy birthday). It was a wonderful lunch and such a great team serving the food. Thank-you so much. Finished the lunch off punting down the river. A perfect day!

Had my sixth form Prom here and had a great time. Had some drinks, paid around £6 for a vidca Lemonade. Also went punting from here and few weeks ago which was also great fun.

We had a fantastic anniversary meal here last week. The food was delicious and the staff were lovely. The tempura prawns starter and the Coley dish were outstanding. Our table was outside right by the river which was so special. The atmosphere was great. Highly recommend!

Recently had a great experience at the Boathouse. The food and service were excellent. All the staff were very friendly and attentive. I had the confit sea trout to start, which was fantastic, followed by the rump of lamb, which was perfectly pink as requested. A fantastic evening and will be back the next time we are in Oxford. Can highly recommend The Cherwell Boathouse.

Great food, great wine list, lovely staff, beautiful location.

Amazing restaurant. The vibe was so nice. The food was delicious and we were happy with the service as well.

Left without dining on our anniversary due to poor service and disrespectful treatment. We booked a table two months in advance for our anniversary and were genuinely excited to visit. When we arrived, we were given the worst table in the restaurant—right next to the toilet. I asked for an explanation or an alternative, and the staff (a young woman at the front) told us that tables are “randomly allocated” regardless of how early the booking was made. She also said it was my fault for not emailing to request a better table—something that was never mentioned on the website or during the booking process. On top of that, her attitude was it’s joking and dismissive, and we were made to feel like we were the problem. In the end, we left without even eating. We just didn’t feel comfortable spending our anniversary somewhere we weren’t respected, no matter how good the food might be. Really disappointed. We expected much better from a restaurant of this reputation.

Was looking forward to this my birthday lunch (which wasn’t acknowledged) but the lamb rump was very undercooked, so rare it was almost blue. They were too busy & understaffed to get their attention, & it would’ve taken ages to get it back (service was slow because☝️) so I just ate it. The Black Forest dessert was very disappointing. Barely any ‘Black Forest’ and about 5 times too much thick cream that was super sickly. Ate some, but left most of it. Waiter told us the chef is not interested in feedback so wouldn’t say anything on our behalf. To add insult to injury I ended up with a horrible bout of food poisoning (raw lamb?) and spent the evening and night in the bathroom. I’ll spare you the details. Needless to say I won’t be going back there again.

A beautiful place to spend an afternoon when the weather is fine. The service was friendly, the menu interesting, it's not often I am spoiled for choice and my choices were tasty, if only the portion size slightly lacking. With punting on the river, wedding parties arriving and wildlife on the opposite bank, there was a feast for the eyes as well as pallette.

We were treated to dinner here for my 60th birthday. Food and service both exemplary.

Fabulosa comida, ubicación y personal. Tuvimos que modificar nuestra reserva varias veces debido a problemas de viaje, el personal era muy servicial y servicial. Como vegetariano, honestamente puedo decir que la moussaka de lentejas fue el mejor plato que he comido. Los postres estaban muy bien presentados y absolutamente deliciosos. Para las críticas que dicen que los precios son caros, yo preguntaría en comparación con qué? Hermosa comida, ubicación y personal profesional, no vienen con un presupuesto de Wetherspoon! Pensamos que todo tenía un precio justo para un restaurante, sin mencionar en Oxford. El personal era atento pero, no dominante, divertido y eficiente. Joe muy amablemente nos dejó ver la carpa como un lugar potencial para una boda familiar. Puedo imaginar bodas aquí se llevan muy bien y qué paisaje para los invitados a disfrutar. El personal es realmente encantador aquí. No podemos esperar a visitar a la familia en Oxford de nuevo, solo para regresar para otra cena. No es la mejor foto porque, estaba demasiado decidido a disfrutar de ella, antes de que se me ocurriera burlarme de mi hija con una foto de mi postre! Gracias por una noche encantadora.

I was there with a family group to remember and celebrate the life of my Uncle. Super organisation in a lovely place with a brilliantly thought out and well prepared menu.

Una maravillosa comida familiar - Keith cuatro generaciones de 89 a un año - comida encantadora y excelente comida en un entorno hermoso. ¡Gracias por un día de oro!

Lovely hidden gem of a place tucked away next to the Cherwell. The food, wine and service were all excellent- we had a great evening and will certainly be back.

Delicious food, well priced, great service

¡Qué éxito! Fuimos aquí por primera vez para un gran almuerzo familiar de domingo. El equipo del restaurante proporcionó un servicio perfecto. Fueron extremadamente útiles en el período previo al día; el sistema de pre-pedidos hizo que los pedidos y el seguimiento de los pedidos fueran simples y el personal en el día estaba en control de todo, lo que hace que pagar como familias separadas en el día sea fácil. El personal de la mesa estaba a punto y servía la comida eficientemente y con cuidado. Una experiencia excepcional. Espero que volvamos el año que viene para nuestra reunión anual. Gracias.

The restourent is very sweet...i like it I want to work this restourent

Amazing food and service - would defin

El personal no podría haber sido más servicial, bien informado o acogedor. Teníamos algunos platos muy bien preparados. Se encargan de servir el vino correctamente. Para una ocasión especial que se haga *realmente* especial... para una comida sabrosa y a un precio muy razonable... para una sensación de calor en un frío sábado de febrero por la noche... No veo cómo podríamos haberlo hecho mejor que Cherwell Boathouse. Muy, muy, muy recomendable. Una noche de cinco estrellas.

Lovely waiting staff, excellent food

Un gran almuerzo con amigos 5. Muy bien cuidado. Tranquilo un lunes a la hora del almuerzo. La comida era ejemplar y la carta de vinos excelente.

Still one of the best and friendliest restaurants in Oxford and a fantastic riverside location. With going just to watch the flotilla of geese sailing down the river to roost or the inexperienced punts wobbling by while you enjoy a great meal with fantastic wine.

Had a really good meal there last night. Excellent food, probably the best of it's type in Oxford, great service, location and very reasonable prices - we shared a starter, 2 mains and shared a dessert. With a bottle of wine the whole meal was under £100. Excellent bread is included. That's fantastic value for this level of cooking.

Delicious food, the staff is lovely.

Comida, servicio y ambiente encantadores. No mucho más caro que la mayoría de las comidas en cadena en estos días, pero muy superior. ¡Estamos deseando volver!

The Cherwell Boathouse was the perfect venue for our wedding in September 2024. We were drawn to the beautiful riverside setting immediately, and from our first conversations we found them friendly and open in their communications. The package was better value than other venues we looked at, and we appreciated that they were clear about the costs. Throughout our engagement they were responsive and patient with all our questions. We really appreciated their flexibility with our diverse range of guests, who had different needs and preferences around access and food. They were also lovely on the day itself, even creating us a 'VEGAN' sign for our vegan cupcakes since we forgot to make one! The setting and its aesthetic are so beautiful, but Trish and the team deserve special compliments on their service as that is what really made the day. Thank you all so much for a day to remember.

Tuvimos un excelente almuerzo del domingo. El personal era increíblemente servicial - nada era demasiado problema y me hicieron sentir especial en mi cumpleaños. La comida era deliciosa - carne asada que se derritió en la boca y muy bien presentado. Como guía turístico en Oxford seguiré recomendando este restaurante a mis visitantes.

14 of us went to the Boathouse for a reunion dinner. We all enjoyed our food and the service we received was fantastic. We are already thinking that we will return for our next reunion!

Several months ago I organised to eat at this venue - we were 34 in total. The pre-order was online (great idea) this mean no confusion on the day. Service was excellent, even had some great Christmas decorations up. Food was great - no mean feat with so many covers at the same time. Would return.

You can have a great view of the river here. I didn’t, but the food, wines and ambience made up for that. It’s not cheap here, but it’s a great place for a special occasion. I had mullet with horseradish sauce followed by a selection of interesting English cheeses. Both yummy. There’s a very good wine list, with unusually interesting wines available by the glass. I had a flight of sweet white wines with the cheeses, an unusual option which I much appreciated: muscat de baumes de venise, Cadillac, Jurançon. A rare treat. Friendly staff too. A success!

An incredible setting to host an event! I had the pleasure of photographing a wedding at Cherwell Boathouse this season and it was beautiful. A waterside setting, with the bride and groom punting in for their arrival, a fabulous wedding breakfast in the marquee followed by an epic party in the lower boathouse. Highly recommend this venue for any private or corporate events.

This is a great restaurant. However, the pricing is getting a bit out of control now and I wonder if it is any longer good value. I had the duck breast, which was priced at an eye-watering £35. It was quite tender and pink through (probably a sign of the sous vide treatment). I buy Gressingham duck breasts from Waitrose for £7.50 for a pair. However the magic that the Cherwell Boathouse apparently casts on one noble breast supposedly justifies a near 1000% premium. Really? I have been a regular here over many years but I think it is starting to get a bit ahead of itself at these prices. I have been twice to the boathouse in the last month - I certainly avoided the duck breast second time around!

Fuimos servidos por personal extraño, antipático y agitado que parecía decidido a ser miserable, quitar y reemplazar atléticamente los cubiertos, reprendernos y servir asado de domingo extrañamente delicioso, pero difícil. No importa, nuestro viaje a Oxford fue muy agradable, pero este lugar fue una gran decepción.

If you like posh and pretentious you'll probably love the food, which looked amazing, tasted weird, and left me still hungry, yet slightly nauseous. The exception was the sticky toffee pudding which was very nice, but what was that next to it on the plate? Milk sorbet?? Who thought that was a good idea? No doubt it takes a lot of skill to sorbet milk like that: still just tastes like fn milk though. Custard too proletarian for you? Stars for the excellent service and welcoming staff, but the food was not my cup of tea.

We live in London, but our daughter is at university in Oxford so we drove up to see her and decided to eat here for a Sunday roast. Restuarant and views are lovely and the food is a good standard, but I wouldn't say excellent. The staff are great and the atmosphere also very good however when it comes to the price, we found it quite astonishing. Coming from London, I expect prices to be high but it cost over £200 for three of us to eat a meal and only one of us had a Sunday roast. The other two had gnocchi and cod. If they got their prices right i'd go back but at the current rates charged unfortunately I wont be going back.

Although the setting was quite nice, the food was unfortunately very overpriced. We like nice restaurants and food and happy to pay but I wouldn't recommend this place. My partner had the gnocchi main, it came with 4 small pieces and a few mushrooms. Overall overpriced and pretentious for what it is.

Fabulous. Lovely friendly staff, especially the manager who was lively and informative. The food was very good all round, so pleased I could get a gluten free waffle which was yummy. Thank you to the manager and his lads singing a rousing happy birthday (all in tune) to our 95 year old aunt who was thrilled and made her day. We look forward to visiting again soon. Thank very much

From the minute you arrive nothing is too much Customer service second to none Food out of this world Customer service 5* Such a friendly inviting vibe

I'm the singer with a wedding band called The Hound Dogs - we played at Cherwell Boathouse last month and I felt I had to leave a review. All of the staff without exception were incredibly friendly and helpful - Joe even found my earlplugs which I left behind and posted them back to me. The food was also superb. If you're thinking of having a party or wedding at this venue, you can be assured that all your vendors will be at the top of their game as they've been treated with respect and warmth by the staff - and that you and your guests will enjoy the same! I'd add, it's also a beautiful venue by the river and the room looked magical in the evening.

I'm the singer with a wedding band called The Hound Dogs - we played at Cherwell Boathouse last month and I felt I had to leave a review. All of the staff without exception were incredibly friendly and helpful - Joe even found my earlplugs which I left behind and posted them back to me. The food was also superb. If you're thinking of having a party or wedding at this venue, you can be assured that all your vendors will be at the top of their game as they've been treated with respect and warmth by the staff - and that you and your guests will enjoy the same! I'd add, it's also a beautiful venue by the river and the room looked magical in the evening.

Wonderful experience eating here. Food is always spot on and the scenery is beautiful in the summer. We've eaten here on many occasions and have found the service to be exceptional.

Expensive but a lovely location. And friendly staff!

Lovely dining experience next to the river. Food and service was amazing. We had the Autumn menu.

Lunch here today. Was perfect. Appreciated the vegan options.

We held a Celebration of Life event on 29th September at Cherwell Boathouse and really can't praise it enough. Everything was so beautifully done. The venue (the Marquee) was perfect and so well prepared, the food was fabulous, and the staff were absolutely wonderful - a combination of chilled and utterly efficient which is exactly what we needed in the circumstances. Thank you so much everyone.

the staff and atmosphere was fantastic. However the food is bit too rich for me even through the portion was not big.

Evening punting followed by dinner and entertainment. Location is cool by the river as was punting. Food was good as was service and entertainment very good. Food was a little slow coming out but we did have a very large party. Definitely recommend as an event venue

We had a wedding at Cherwell Boathouse last week ( lower boathouse) and we would like to thank the entire team for their magnificent service. They have been absolutely amazing and extremely helpful and supportive in every sense. We would love to especially thank Trish, who looked after us throughout, and Joe who did an amazing job on co-ordinating everything on the day. It was a truly special and unforgettable occasion and our friends and family were very impressed with the venue, organisation and delicious food. Last but not least, was the wonderful chauffeured punt trip we had whilst waiting for our guests to arrive. We would strongly recommend this venue to anyone looking to plan a wedding. Thank you again! S & M

Superb in every way. We really enjoyed our delicious lunch.

Positives: lovely location and ambience, warm and efficient welcome and service. Negatives: food no more than average. The main course (Lamb Henry) was an unbalanced dish: the lamb was tender and well cooked, but being (as normal for shank - although this was not specified on the menu) rather fat, would have required a stronger sauce and rather more vegetables than what we found on the plate (a spoonful of mashed potatoes and few pieces of greens). By then, it was too late to order a side dish. In any case, I believe that a dish should be served complete. The desert (Blueberry Eclair) was ok, but no more than that. Another minor gripe: we were proposed and accepted an aperitif; but on receiving the bill we felt that £14 for a small glass of sparkling rosé was a bit steep. All in all, it wasn't exactly the lovely experience that we expected. Pity. Final note: as always, I fail to understand the meaning of the "discretionary" (but in fact compulsory) 10% service charge; but, at least, in this case it was mentioned on the menu available on the web site, so no complaint here.

Perfect setting overlooking the Cherwell and spent the afternoon eating divine food and wine, watching punts going along the river with varying success. Can’t think of a better place in the summer. Quintessential England. Easily matches / exceeds any top London restaurant experience in my opinion for food,setting and service. When you’ve finished you can hire a punt from the boathouse to round off the afternoon. Must do if you are in Oxford.

A wonderful institution. The restaurant is located near the river, which emphasizes the incredible atmosphere of the restaurant in the evening. Delicious food, the chicken breast is tasty and juicy. Service - pleasant waiters.

All good! Nothing else to say. It's just a great place you wouldn't want to miss!

What an amazing evening. We had the Italian taster menu which was delicious, paired with lovely wines , and as ever all the staff were warm friendly and welcoming. And such a delight to be seated outside on a warm summer's evening listening to charming Italian music. It was magical. Cherwell remains our favourite restaurant by far.

The area is beautiful and reservations are required to get a table on the river The food is very attentive to all requirements

Lovely venue for a quality meal out

After a lovely punt up and down the river we enjoyed a wonderful lunch outside on the terrace. Super service, unhurried and very welcoming. We shall return!

Friendly waiters and waitresses who let me stay even after I finished my food to read for a bit. Food was really good as well, with beautiful views of the river.

This place is quite a long walk from town, in the northern suburbs, but definitely worth the hike. Very quiet and charming just on the side of the canal. l love it when you look at the menu and you are torn because everything sounds delicious, fresh and healthy. And it actually is! And on top elegantly cooked. The friendly French host introduced us to wine pairings and we discovered this rose from Kent, we are now fans of. The eclectic ambience music mix adds to the charm, and makes the atmosphere cozy and comfortable! One of the highlights of the trip

I had quite expectations of visiting this place. They park space is tiny and was full (weekday dinner), had to look for a space outside to park which had restrictions of the amount of hours to park. The place is nice, with good view and option for panting. The main dishes are small, I ordered the lamb option, very tasty. The best dish for me was the Waterloo cheese ordered, well presented and tasty. Coffee was not the highlight, none of us were happy with the coffee after the dessert, opportunity to improve here.

The meal is decent and tastes good with a nice view. we had the longhorn ribeye and the lamb. The dishes are well furnace control.;It is a great place for weddings and family and friends gathering.Keep up the Good Work! If there are more keto friendly menu options available it will be perfect.

What a find! We shared one of three dining spaces, looking out onto the river at families hiring punts, couples enjoying their espresso martini or capuccino. The menu was extensive. We enjoyed the Sunday roast lunch and monkfish curry which were both delicious. There was a large choice of beverages with recommendation if needed. We turned up in our cycling gear expecting a brew and wow! Instead we enjoyed amazing fine dining cuisine, with really friendly and amusing staff and atmosphere. Thank you, we will be back!

Excellent restaurant - the food is delicious & the river setting really memorable & special.

Superb location right on the river so attracts plenty of people, especially on sunny days. It's well spread out as a venue, so you won't be under peoples' feet when you visit. There's a decent range of local beers too. You can also rent out a punt to make your visit even more memorable.

Amazing staff, food and experience!

Lovely restaurant located by the Cherwell punt rental, we enjoyed our Sunday roast after our punt on a sunny day.

Lovely place with great food and service. Had several gluten free options.

Great place at the river Cherwell.

A fascinating rather offbeat location by the river, I was there as part of a group booking. Service and food were good. Parking is a problem as most patrons need to park on-street maybe five or ten minutes walk away, which is probably not good if it's raining and your wife is in a long dress. We were lucky, it was warm and dry.

We stopped by one evening just to sit on the river and enjoy a bottle of Cava. Service was excellent and we were very well looked after. We watched the world go by and enjoyed our evening.

Beautiful ambience, wonderful staff

Really excellent food - I cannot recommend it enough. The service and atmosphere are also great and they are happy to accommodate additional requests. I cannot wait to eat here again :)

The Boathouse is VERY Oxford. A brilliant riverside location with punts, kayaks, ducks and well-heeled diners in abundance. A bit surprised that Inspector Morse did not put in an appearance. Food is delicious and beautifully presented although portions are rather small. Service is fine but a bit over-insistent. My wife and I both had 3 courses with two drinks each and were asked twice if we wanted anything more. Budget for around £50 per person for the full works. Which is not too bad by Oxford standards.

Lovely location on the river and beautiful for an event. I'm giving a low score on service as my wine was cleared away while I was dancing during a wedding celebration!!

Have been here a few times for events. Always had a good time. The location is fantastic.

A delicious meal enjoyed by the whole family. A 6 to 72 age group. The starters were very tasty and the main courses were delicious and beautifully presented. The orange and cranberry separate density glass of juice fascinated and was enjoyed by the 6 yr old. The marinaded/pickled fennel under the sea bream was too strong, the flavour of the fennel was lost unfortunately. Definitely worth a visit and the location could not be better

Incredible place to privet events! The personal is AAA

First time here. Went with my son & his girlfriend who had been before. I had octopus to start and lamb main both of which were excellent. To finish we all shared a cheese board. For me the food was a bit fancier than I would normally choose but I was more than happy with the quantity & quality. At about £50 a head for drinks, 4 starters & mains & a cheese board overall I'd say great value as well.

Lovely location. Over priced food, more art than sustenance. Supercilious waiter

I ended up with food poisoning after eating here.

The staff are fantastic 😊 and the food is out of this world 🌍

We had a lovely meal, location was unique, very welcoming and service was great.

Pleasurable place by a beautiful river with great staff and honest food. For Oxford insiders.

Beautiful venue for a wedding reception on a summers day

Came here again this week to host a couple friend. Had their spring tasting menu with win pairing. Wonderful experience and love the food! A big shout out to the bar manager. Two of us don’t drink alcohol. He made a special mocktail pairing for us to all the dishes and they were wonderful! A wonder dining experience in Oxford. Very creative dishes, super friendly waiters & waitresses and cosy and atmospheric environment ❤️❤️ Came for dinner for 3 on a winter Saturday. Still recommend booking ahead. We booked 2 days ahead - the main restaurant was no longer available for dinner, but observatory was still available. Observatory is in a glass room, but it’s not cold at all, as there’s a radiator for each table. Sometimes we had to turn it off, as it got to a bit too warm. The food was amazing!! Each dish was presented in a visual appealing way and with a creative twist. For example, I was trying to find the coffee mousse among the three objects for a little bit. The taste is amazing! Would recommend adding the sides of broccoli and new potatoes, as the portion is not on a big side. The service was great. We were not sure which wine to take. The waitress was patient to explain the difference and brought some portion for us to taste. The price is fair. We each had a 3-course and a drink. The bill came out as £45 per person. Will surely visit again!

イタリアでもよく聞く話ですが、良いレストランは得てして街の中心部ではなく郊外にあったりするそうです。イタリアもイギリスも、酒気帯び運転の基準が日本より緩いので、車で来てちょっとお酒飲んでも許されるという事情もあるかと。 このレストランもオックスフォードの郊外にあり、目の 前に川が流れていて、雰囲気が良いです。料理もどれも美味しく、「イギリス料理はまずい」という既成概念は当てはまりませんでした。ウェイターさんが飲ませ上手で、ついついビールにワインにグラッパに、飲み過ぎてしまいました。

Everything was well cooked and well presented, but it completely lacked any “wow” factor. Not bland, exactly, because perfectly seasoned. However, it was just “nice” … while being really rather boring. Disappointing. Also, the extra seating area where we ate is pretty unpleasant. Unattractive, shabby, too cold without the individual table heater, too warm overhead with the heater (while feet and legs are still cold).

Had a lovely afternoon by the river. Thank you.

Very good food. Very friendly service. Great wine list with expert advice.

Had the tasting course paired with wine it was delicious well worth the money . The service was excellent all staff were welcoming pleasant it was hubby's birthday they bought out a coffee martini with a candle on it which was lovely. The bread was beautiful each course was full of flavour cannot wait to return when around Oxford again. Beautiful views of the river

Had the tasting course paired with wine it was delicious well worth the money . The service was excellent it was hubby's birthday they bought out a coffee martini with a candle on it which was lovely. The bread was beautiful each course was full of flavour cannot wait to return when around Oxford again.