Gusto Italian, Oxford in Oxford

Good and tasty food. Overall very good. Too bad the espresso came cold.

Gusto means great energy, enthusiasm and enjoyment and really I think that pretty much sums up my experience at this establishment. Kicking things off, we had the Wild Mushrooms. Needless to say, they weren't kidding around when it said in the menu that it was brought back due to popular demand. We then stuffed ourselves with the cod and lasagne, two great things in the menu. Funny enough, we got the idea to try the lasagne because another review said "try the lasagne, it's good". Finishing things up, we satisfied our sweet tooth with the tiramisu and biscoff and chocolate dough petals. Tiramisu was a generous serving of two scoops and the dough petals were amazing. One small complaint about the atmosphere to be honest, it's abit dark and my girlfriend couldn't see a thing in the restaurant. However, that aside, if you're ever in Oxford and have abit to spend on, stop by this place for a good night. Get a good seat.

After getting in 10,000 steps and finding myself on High Street it’s time for a little more than a bowl of rice crispies topped with a banana and 2 cups of coffee. I am on my own now because Margaret and Victoria have headed off to Paris yesterday. I am outside of the Gusto Restaurant and I wasn’t sure until I walked in. I looked at the menu, but I decided it is time for a bit of sirloin . This is the first time since I’ve been in the UK that I’ve had table service. I miss being escorted to my table when I go out to dinner, the fact that happened made me think I was in for something special. I also miss the person who comes to the table to take your order.. back in the old days we used to call them waiters or waitresses. I know there’s a debate that a waitron may not be proper and considered disparaging as opposed to server. Well what if the person who takes your order is not the same person who delivers it to your table, are they still considered a server? The Meal Everything that came to the table was hot. Oh, by the way, it was served by a different person than the person who took my order. The sirloin was pink and delicious the roast potatoes with a bit of a skin from the roasting , a good size, Yorkshire pudding with extra gravy, hot carrots, chives, hot cauliflower, beets, and a bit of a hot cabbage type coleslaw. Dessert The sticky toffee pudding was my choice and without any exaggeration, I can’t remember ever such a tasty dessert. The combination of the chocolate on the fluffy cake along with the sticky toffee was an amazing combination. The Service The staff were very attentive. The waitron / server Laura who took my order seem to keep an eye on my table during the course of my meal. She was very pleasant and had recommendations for items to try. Great service. Thanks Laura. A 12.5% service charge is automatically added to your bill. I didn’t have any problem with that. It was well deserved.

This is a great place to enjoy some good Italian after exploring Oxford all day. We went during the holidays and I have to say they did a great job with decorating and giving it a very holiday, welcoming vibe. The staff were friendly and attentive (but not overly so because they did let us chill out and talk for a bit after our meal). For food, I really enjoyed the mushroom risotto- it does have a pretty heavy mushroom taste so if you like mushrooms you’ll love it. I found adding chicken cut the taste a little; I’m not sure if I’d have liked it as much if I didn’t add the protein. My friend ordered the crab fettuccine…it was okayyyy. Wasn’t enough crab for me personally and wish there’d been more bisque to make it a smidge more creamy. The bruschetta was a nice appetizer but was only two slices so wouldn’t recommend for more than 2 people. Side note: if you’re looking for a good wine, the Chianti was delicious and complimented the meal well. We were able to walk in with no reservations for 2 people but any group larger than that, you need to be prepared to wait or make your reservation ahead of time. There were a couple groups of 4 people in front of us and they quoted them a 2 hour wait because of the amount of reservations they had. Could have been just because of the holiday time.

Good food, reasonably priced with attentive staff. Nice ambience, especially in the little booths.

Arranged our annual works Christmas meal in the private function room upstairs, from the initial organisation with Aadhil to the actual meal, the night was seamless, food and service were outstanding thanks to Jack and his team. Highly recommend.

17 visited for a Christmas work lunch December 2024 - absolutely fantastic. Lovely private area, our own dedicated waiter (who was so efficient, professional and friendly), shout out to him, Jake!! The food was gorgeous, great selection of drinks, lovely atmosphere just perfect. Highly recommend.

Came here to celebrate a friend’s birthday and the staff were amazing we brought a cake and they got the restaurant to sing happy birthday. The atmosphere is amazing, as-well as the overall aesthetic of the restaurant. The food was amazing I will definitely be going back again and definitely recommend it for dinners out, family meals and celebrations.

An exceptional Italian experience provided by the gusto family that continues to grow every day! Bravissimo ~!!

We arrived early and expected to sit at the bar, before we had a chance to explain this while the maitre d’ was figuring out what to do who I assume was their supervisor very loudly and rudely announced “they’ll have to go to the bar they can’t expect to be seated if they show up 20 minutes early”. This was incredibly unprofessional and unnecessary especially since we weren’t being demanding or causing a fuss. This set a poor tone for our evening which was followed by overpriced and average food in a very loud and cramped environment. However our waitress was friendly and always willing to help. That was the highlight of the evening. I wouldn’t recommend.

First and last visit. Dark decor, hardly able to see food. Cold food, plates should be heated. Basic customer service from staff. Not worth the cost.

Christmas party booked for a large group with pre orders, sit down booked at 8pm but the table wasn't ready until 8:30, by 10pm we had only just had mains. When I complained I was told that it was our fault because we had not sat down quickly enough. Manager was more interested in blaming the group than accepting responsibility for the poor service. Food was ok

Lovely meal with fabulous service from Harriet. Would definitely recommend!

We had a lovely dinner at Gusto last night, our server Harriet was very attentive and friendly!

Very tasty food and a great service! They brought us food 5-7 mins after we ordered it, which was the starters and mains and it was wonderful! Had dinner in less than 30 mins for 2 people

Lloyd was amazing. His service and professionalism was above all the best experience at Gusto.

The food was amazing , Lloyd was very helpful and friendly thanks alot ..

My pizza was delicious! And my friends loved their food too.The waiter Lloyd was really friendly and helpful :) We would definitely come here again. Thank you 👍🏼

Excellent service and good quality food

We loved this dining experience and the pizza and service were lovely!

Fantastic service from Jesus in Oxford. Thank you.

Had a lovely experience at Oxford Gusto Italian. I was served by Jesus who was very polite and made me feel very welcome being an alone guest. I am working away and very tired so it was nice to have a pleasant meal in this establishment afterwards ☺️

The meal was delicious, the fried calamari was great Thank you Mihai for your warm service😊

Mihai was great! Wine and dinner delicious!

Went here for a birthday meal with my wife and had a great time. Food was excellent... My crab and prawn ravioli was delicious and my wife's pizzas also. Would definitely recommend

Server Lloyd was exceptionally attentive and helpful. Food was fine but he made the difference.

Jesus was a great host! Thank you! Everything was amazing! 100% recommend

Andrec was amazing, best service we’ve had in a long time !

Lovely food, Jesus was a fantastic host - will return

Jesus was a wonderful server, the atmosphere was amazing and the food was lovely

Food service ambiance outstandingly good at fair prices. Jesus, our waiter, was always very attentive and did his job exemplary well. We'll come back at the next opportunity!! You really feel comfortable here!

Had a really great meal. Lloyd’s service was really good!

jesus was the best waiter i’ve ever had, so attentive and kind :)

Thank you, the foods were really good and lovely ambiance, the server Jesus was also very nice and welcoming. We had a great experience coming here :)

Had a lovely meal here, good atmosphere and very attentive staff! Pasta and pizza both very nice. Had a short wait for our table, but was able to have a drink in the bar while waiting.

Nice place with lovely ambience and service very good. Sadly didn’t think the food lived up to the prices, nothing special and have had better Italian food elsewhere

Awful lunch, cold dry chewy carbonara and tough veal. Veal is supposed to be very tender. That was definitely not veal but the price charged was for veal. We will not be returning customers.

Delicious!! Thank you Mihai for service with a smile :)

The experience was very cool. It's a special mention to Mikai, who served us in a very nice way. Very good food and really nice Italian wine.

Mika was great! Give him a Christmas present 🎁

Definitely my favourite Italian restaurant in Oxford. The food is amazing and it tastes like authentic Italian dishes. The portions are very big and they also have plenty of options for people who have intolerances. The staff was extremely nice, especially Lloyd, who was our waiter. We recommend it to everyone!

Lovely atmosphere food really delicious and excellent service top notch we will be back!

Loved the food, particularly the scallops starters. Also had great cocktails and the service from Lloyd was fantastic. It really makes the evening when the staff are this good. Good atmosphere on a Saturday night but can get quite loud.

Great food, great experience! Thank you, Lloyd, for very comforting and professional service!

My kid like make your own pizza service so so much! And I love the service! Thanks Jake!

Had a great time with my wife at the restaurant. Food was wonderful and so was the aura of the restaurant. A special shout out is due to Jesűs. He was delightful - kind, charismatic, attentive and catered to our needs very well. We hope to definitely to return, in addition to the great food - to see our friend, Jesús!

Really great atmosphere, especially around Christmas time. Want to highlight Jesus as he was very friendly and attentive:)

Jesus was a great server, our first time to Gusto and we weren’t disappointed! Food was delicious and came out quickly!

Lloyd is an asset Gusto. Friendly, knowledgeable and down to earth. He made us feel at home which is so important

Wonderful customer service from Jesus very polite, and great service.

Thank you Harriet, such wonderful service in the Oxford restaurant

Mihai was our server and he was absolutely WONDERFUL! We love Gusto so much we come once a week. Drinks - amazing | food - phenomenal | vibe - SO SLAY.

Great atmosphere, great options and great food. Thank you, Jesus!

Beautiful restaurant, great service and amazing food!

We was served by Jesus, who was very polite, very welcoming and greeted us continuously with a big smile!

Amazing food and even better service. The service here was fantastic. The guy really friendly. Nothing was too much trouble. 10/10

As always a beautiful meal with excellent service ....thank you

It was a nice place with a good atmosphere and helpful pleasant staff. Food was freash and good quality, although a little overpriced. 2 main pasta dishes, 1 pudding, and 3 glasses of wine. £120.

Popped in for a quick lunch in a middle of the week. Music selection could have been better for time of day or to suit quieter atmosphere. Pasta sauce was good but was a little disappointed with pasta quality itself, was hoping for something homemade. Good service from Jesus.

Four of us met for a pre-show meal. The service was efficient and the serving staff pleasant. The food was good.

Excellent restaurant. Try the lasagna.

Amazing service, really helpful staff, and wonderful food

A wonderful Italian restaurant in the immediate vicinity of Carfax. Pleasant and warm decoration, great food, excellent wine.

Everything is excellent, but the jewel is the tiramisu.

Visité para celebrar un aniversario con mi pareja. La elegí porque se veía bastante elegante con los precios para respaldarla. Sin embargo, nos decepcionó la calidad de la comida y nos pareció que cada plato que pedimos muy soso. Las bebidas también eran medias en el mejor de los casos. El servicio fue lo suficientemente lento como para que a pesar de tener solo dos cursos todavía fuimos quince minutos más de nuestra reserva de dos horas. Para que conste, no es culpa de nuestro camarero que era claramente nuevo y haciendo todo lo posible! En el lado positivo fueron brillantes con mi alergia. Sin embargo, mirar fijamente nuestro billete de £ 85 y darnos cuenta de que podríamos haber conseguido mejor comida en Pizza Express no era la forma en que queríamos terminar la noche.

Very good service from Lloyd-prompt, friendly, and good suggestions. Really enjoyed the dough petals and the tuna steak! Affordable and good wine!

Excellent food, lovely atmosphere and great service from Lloyd

Food was bland and not worth the money - could have gotten a better meal at Pizza Express for half the price. Service was slow enough that despite only ordering two courses and eating quickly we still overran our two hour time slot. This wasn't at the fault of our waiter who was clearly new and trying his best, and took great care of my allergies. Overall? There are many other cheaper Italian places in Oxford where you'll get better food.

A terrible dining experience. Had a table booked for 5. Ordered our food, the garlic pizza bread was nice but then we ordered two carbonaras, they both came cold, tasted no seasoning, they were horrible. Came to the bill they already added a service charge onto the bill without telling you, I give them cash expecting my change since I had already been forced to pay a service change and they don't give me my change? Had to keep asking to be seen by a waiter even though the restaurant wasn't full. Worse carbonara we have ever had. Wouldn't return. Expensive but no quality.

We had a lovely time, great food and our waiter Prasana was very nice, thank you!

Our waiter Prasana was very attentive, kind and fast. Our hostess was also very considerate. Good food and great ambiance. Was SO NICE!

The service from everyone we met in entry was phenomenal, especially our primary server Prasana who made sure we were taken care of at every step and even asked the kitchen about any changes we inquired about and generally made us feel comfortable. 10/10 would recommend, incredible experience.

Came in for dinner with my family and had the most wonderful meal - made even better by our lovely server Tash. She was so helpful, giving us plenty of great recommendations and nothing we asked was too much. Shes a credit to the business. Will be back for sure!

Our waiter Prasana was fantastic, super attentive and always around if we needed something. Food was decent and excellent vibe in the restaurant. Would recommend

Everything was amazing except for the tarragon on the pizza which was not advertised on the menu and I didn’t not like the taste of the herb. Other than that amazing

Gusto Italian is a restaurant located in the historic Mitre building on High Street in Oxford. It serves contemporary Italian food, wine, and cocktails. The restaurant has a sophisticated but homely interior, with original features, beams, panelling, and plasterwork. It has a variety of seating options, including cosy nooks, private rooms, and a large open-plan dining area. The menu features a range of Italian dishes, including pizzas, pastas, risottos, and seafood.

Delicious food and great service from Jake. A lovely leisurely lunch. ( Clean washrooms as well - always important!)

Tash was a fantastic waitress, very attentive

Very pleasant surprise Super cozy place, delicious food and excellent service from Mihai

Great food, atmosphere and Alejandra always impeccable!

Delicious, we ate delicious and Jesus was lovely 🙌🏻🙌🏻

Great food on offer from the expansive menu. Really liked the matching wine suggestions for each meal. Lloyd was a good waiter, would chat but not overdo it, had great recommendations and best of all, the meals weren’t rushed or made to wait too long. Highly recommend

Great food, great atmosphere, great service, especially from Jesus. Will come back again.

Looks very high scale, but pastas are pretty affordable and taste great.

Thank you Prasana, great service!

Really lovely meal and excellent service - Lloyd, our waiter, was particularly good.

I’ve eaten at Gusto several times and have never had a bad meal. The staff are always attentive but never rush you. Great menu and always excellent wine.

Harriet has recommended me a pizza which loved 10/10 service as well as food. Harriet deserves a PROMOTION

The food, drinks and ambiance were great!! Would love to go back!! The filled petal bread appetizer are a must!!

Lloyd great service! Great food!

Prasana provided me with delightful service

Lovely food and staff. Lloyd was especially nice and helpful.

This is my first time trying this restaurant, I tried the fillet steak, it was melt in the mouth for the dessert I tried the salted caramel ice cream and that was fantastic, the service was brilliant and so is the atmosphere, I can't fault it , I definitely coming back again.

The place is very nice and the waiters are friendly. There was a waiter named Jesús who spoke Spanish who was very friendly. The food is normal, typical Italian. For me the best was the garlic bread.

Great food, even better service from Prasana. Would recommend 😋

Lloyd was great, we felt very welcome and food was unreal ☺️

Our lovely waiter Prasana was wonderful. Food was pretty good too.

Fantastic Italian spot in Oxford! The food was delicious, capturing authentic flavors, Lloyd on the staff was sweet and attentive and the cozy ambiance made for a perfect dining experience. Highly recommend!

A very nice place to eat, quality food. And the waiter who served us, Lloyd, was super friendly and professional.

Top place to eat Italian food in Oxford! Jesús treated us very well and recommended some delicious dishes. Thank you so much for your close treatment! :) We repeat for sure.