La Taberna in Oxford

A cosy, busy little tapas restaurant, with a vibrant atmosphere. Service struggled to manage demand in timely manner. Good range of tapas, unfortunately two key ‘warm tapas’ not available at the time of our visit. Chicken tapas, and chickpea & spinach dishes were both original & excellent. Unfortunately whitebait with chips, and calamari were unnecessarily over seasoned with salt. Wine by the glass limited to house wine only; could benefit from a better choice by the glass, carafe or half carafe. Staff receptive to the feedback. This is a place with appeal and worth a visit.

Escondida esta joya realmente vale la pena una visita. Es un pequeño restaurante que estaba lleno de una mezcla de parejas, celebraciones y como nosotros una reunión de amigos. El servicio fue un poco lento para comenzar, pero una vez que ordenamos las cosas se aceleró. Pedimos una buena mezcla de platos y todos eran excelentes, muy sabrosa, comida caliente que deberíamos haber pedido más. Definitivamente vale la pena una visita

Fantastic food, servers were lovely and attentive, atmosphere was cosy, bubbly but relaxed. I’d recommend for mates or dates!

Good quality Spanish food and atmosphere, slow service during busy hours and portions were small given the price

The entrance is a bit off putting, as it's a narrow corridor off the high street. But don't let that fool you. There is a cosy little restaurant with great tapas, quick service and excellent value

Tucked away from the high street, this place is a hidden gem. Lovely atmosphere. Even better food. They were really welcoming. So good, ate twice in a 3 day trip to Oxford.

Best tapas in Oxford! Great selection of tapas, and one of the best patatas bravas I’ve had. Cozy atmosphere and delicious sangria

Tasty food but small portions and quite expensive for what you get. If you don’t go too hungry it’s a lovely place to spend an evening

Lovely little place, however, the food was not that great. Either oily or salty. Red wine was good.

Had the most gorgeous evening, the sangria was delicious and the food faultless. Crispy garlic-y patatas bravas, melt in your mouth prawns, the chorizo in wine that tasted like honey! But the star of the show, the manchego cheesecake I will dream about that. My only complaint is that I don't live closer, staff were so lovely and the resturant felt really authentic with a good vibe, perfectly busy would recommend to anyone.

Outstanding tasting food. The service was amazing and the staff were so friendly and made some great recommendations and a lovely atmosphere. We will be back.

Delicious, authentic Spanish food. Lots of vegetarian options, too. The restaurant’s ambience is very fun and you feel like you have escaped to Spain for a few hours!

Decided on small plates for dinner. Found this delightful treasure. Great service food and ambiance. Totally unexpected. One of our standards.

El ambiente era genial, la comida era buena, la velocidad del servicio era pobre. Fuimos como una comida previa al teatro y tuvimos que irnos antes de recibir todos nuestros platos, ya que el servicio era muy lento. Si fueras a pasar una noche relajante, sería genial, aunque la mesa solo está disponible durante poco menos de dos horas, lo que no es lo suficientemente largo.

Very delicious and Spanish feeling for a very reasonable price

Definetly my favourite Spanish place ! Great place, great atmosphere, delicious food and amazing Sangria ! The staff was so helpful and kind ! Definitely recommend this place to everyone !

¡Definitivamente mi lugar español favorito! Gran lugar, gran ambiente, deliciosa comida y increíble Sangria! El personal era muy servicial y amable! Sin duda recomiendo este lugar a todo el mundo!

Very disappointing, painfully slow service. I know it is Valentine’s Day but there were plenty of staff in and the place wasn’t full, so not sure why no one would attend to our table, especially since we were in plain view of all the staff. It felt like we were being deliberately ignored. It was 30 minutes before we got a drink and over an hour before we had any food. After we had finished our last dish, we sat for over 45 minutes with our dirty plates, hoping that we might be able to order a dessert and another drink. Someone finally came to take our plates and we asked if we could order a dessert. 15 minutes later another person brought us the bill, so we just decided to pay and leave. My wife was very upset by the whole experience. I’ve given two stars because the food we had was nice.

Habíamos reservado una mesa para las 8 pm. A la llegada nos recibió una cola de personas que tenían mesas reservadas antes que nosotros. El chef / gerente se disculpó y nos informó que habían reservado el restaurante si volvíamos en 45 minutos que sería capaz de acomodarnos con descuento. Tuve que ir a otro lado.

Wow 👏👏👏👍👍👍 We booked here for our anniversary, best decision ever. Very welcoming and friendly staff. Small and cosy restaurant, very intimate and romantic. Warm and amazing atmosphere. Refreshing and delicious cocktails. Delicious food, wow the octopus to dye for, Crispi and rich goat cheese, king prawns with garlic and chilli, we even had some blister Peppers again so good! Again, it is a very lovely atmosphere, delicious food and drinks, amazing place and very nice and friendly staff! It's probably one of the best between the fewest very good restaurants in Oxford! Well done, guys, and thank you so much for such a high-class evening! We will definitely come back 👍

Wow 👏👏👏👍👍👍 Reservamos aquí para nuestro aniversario, la mejor decisión de la historia. Personal muy amable y acogedor. Restaurante pequeño y acogedor, muy íntimo y romántico. Ambiente cálido e increíble. Cócteles refrescantes y deliciosos. Comida deliciosa, wow el pulpo para teñir, crujiente y rico queso de cabra, gambas reales con ajo y chile, incluso tuvimos algunos pimientos blister de nuevo tan bueno! Una vez más, es un ambiente muy encantador, deliciosa comida y bebidas, lugar increíble y personal muy agradable y amable! Probablemente es uno de los mejores entre los pocos restaurantes muy buenos en Oxford! ¡Bien hecho, chicos, y muchas gracias por una velada de clase tan alta! ¡Volveremos!

Great little restaurant with delicious tapas and lovely service! We all really enjoyed it.

Very tasty tapas and friendly service. Will be back!

Had a wonderful meal here this evening. For starter a mixed platter for two which included ham, cheese, olives, little bread sticks. Then 4 tapas - calamari, king prawns in garlic sauce, meatballs in tomato sauce and cheese croquettes between two of us. Everything was delicious. We also had a bottle of white wine. At the end we had a manchego cheesecake with a fruit sauce which was wonderful. Two young men did everything, including the cooking, serving, washing up - amazing.

Fantastic meal this evening. The staff were very friendly, the service was very Spanish and the food was very brilliant. Our waiter looked after us well. Thanks.

Las tapas son bastante simples y muy pequeñas. La calidad de la comida era baja. El servicio es pobre. Sin embargo, nos cobraron un 10% por el servicio. Nos cobraron desde que éramos americanos pero creemos que no siempre cobran un 10% de servicio ni lo anuncian. Además, compruebe dos veces su factura, cometen errores al agregar también (por supuesto).

Very nice little restaurant hidden away in Oxford. Food was great with a nice atmosphere.

A fairly large group of us went to La Taberna, and not only did they accommodate us very nicely, but each and every plate of Tapas was magnificent! Couldn’t recommend highly enough, and reasonably priced too.

Nice tapas with an authentic atmosphere.

Buzzy little tapas joint with excellent service…. Cosy atmosphere and tasty food… the staff were efficient, warm and there was a good turnover of tables… nice range of food and good portion size.. the only thing that could be improved would be it less scruffy, a cleaner toilet and better dressed staff..

Lovely Spanish feel, including decor and music. Food delicious, either good choices. Couldn't fault really, although a bit quiet at beginning of the week.

What an absolutely wonderful gem in the heart of Oxford. Tapas freshly prepared with the beat of Volare 🎶 in the background. The atmosphere is surreal. Crema de berenjena was my favourite, superb Pimientos de Padron, and of course patatas bravas. Finish with Churros con chocolate 😋 🍮. Service was fast, polite with smiles.

Probablemente hemos comido en más de la mitad de todos los restaurantes en el centro de la ciudad que son adecuados para los que no comen carne y La Taberna es una buena adición en el centro de la ciudad, escondido en un callejón lateral cerca de Carfax. El menú no es enorme, pero lo que está en oferta fue muy bien cocinado con sabores muy sutiles y un servicio muy atrayente de los propietarios y el personal que claramente se preocupan por si disfruta de su comida. Hace un poco de frío en el interior, ya que tienden a mantener la puerta abierta, pero aparte de las porciones son generosas y esto es una buena alternativa si quieres un cambio con respecto al otro restaurante de tapas independiente establecido hace mucho tiempo Al Andalus! Definitivamente volveré de nuevo

Lovely restaurant, lovely food, lovely staff

Amazing service and the food was delicious. The staff were friendly, experienced and brought a real home feel. Would recommend and visit again.

Love this place.. tasty food and the atmosphere is brilliant.. you can taste different dishes and spend less money.. highly recommend

Me encanta este lugar. . sabrosa comida y el ambiente es brillante. . se pueden degustar diferentes platos y gastar menos dinero. . muy recomendable

Went for an early dinner on a saturday evening. The place was popular but not overly busy. Orders were taken promptly and we didn't have to wait for long. Food was delicious, we ordered the clams on the specials board, the prawns, beans with chorizo. The seafood was great, the beans and chorizo was a little salty on their own but perfect for mopping up with bread. Good ambience, nice food, we would recommend.

The food is from Tesco (garlic prawns) or frozen. Nothing homemade and expensive for the quality. I don't usually leave reviews but I have to. Almost 30 minutes until they asked us for the order and tips for the service that you have to pay for. You have to screw yourself. We ordered ham croquettes and they brought us cheese. It's my fault for trying to lose my nostalgia for eating well. I'm going to make a potato omelette at home every time it happens. Fatal.

Omg Food was delicious! Clams, Octopus, anchovies. Love d it!

Amazing restaurant! Amazing food! Amazing staff! Even when they run a little behind they offer you complimentary drinks, and some dishes or desserts on the house! Even though we tell them it’s okay and we don’t expect anything, they go above and beyond. We’ve been here easily 10+ times, we bring all our friends and family whenever they visit (and each of them requests to go back to this restaurant when they come back!). Even though we’ve moved away from oxford now, we will be back for this restaurant.

We shared a lovely meal here with some out of town guests. Hidden away from the Oxford hustle, La Taberna is lovely and cosy. The wine selection is good, and all the food we tried was delicious, unfussy and portions just right for sharing. Thanks for a lovely evening; we'll be back!

We were early , 6'ish, and everyone seemed to arrive from 7. Friendly happy place.

It was quite loud and they messed up our booking very badly. While we were standing there with proof of a booking for seven, they sat down a group of three on their only table big enough for seven while telling us it was busy and they didn't have space. In the end we were seated on a too small table, and only an hour after our actual booking.

4 stars because i didn’t have time to have the whole menu! I’ll have to come back! The Red sangria is TO DIE FOR! Even the bread and the olive oil, with balsamic vinegar is outstanding! I only tried the prawns, the chorizo, and the croquettes. The chorizo takes the crown! You MUST come here if you enjoy Tapas!

Had an excellent experience at La Taberna. Was nice and quiet not long after opening on Tuesday. Ordered a handful of dishes including Patatas Bravas and the Croquetas (cheese and ham). Would highly recommend both of those. Enjoyed a glass of House red which was also very drinkable. Service was very quick and tasted fresh. I'll definitely be coming back for more!

Lovely place, super tasty food and friendly staff!

Good food, good service and good value.

Fantástico restaurante de tapas. Comida increíble y gran ambiente. Vino de la casa y Sangria todo muy bueno. Sentí que estábamos de vuelta en España. Servicio muy rápido. A debe ir. Sin duda volveremos.

Tried to eat here Sunday afternoon, despite web site saying open 12-12 arrived looking forward to tapas circa 16:00hrs doors shut no notices etc. very disappointed as difficult to find tapas in the area. Having travelled left a sore taste in the mouth. Couldn’t comment on service or food as no chance to try

¡Qué joya tan escondida! Hermoso, pintoresco, restaurante tradicionalmente español. Tapas estaba absolutamente delicioso, Gambas al Ajillo con el limón y el ajo grueso, increíble! Chorizo al Vino Tinto uno de los favoritos también. El vino de la casa también era encantador. Gracias a nuestro servidor Denisa, muy acogedor y amable, sin duda volverá.

I’ve been to La Taberna a few times now and honestly every time never fails to amaze me. Not only are the food and drinks incredible, like I’m not joking close your eyes and you are fully in Spain! But the people who work here are actually the best and sweetest ever! This evening when I came in (it had been a while as I had recently moved house) the team fully remembered me and my partner and gave us the most wonderful warm welcome and treated us as if we were family 🥹 the food is always incredible and honestly one of the best places I could ever recommend in Oxford. Although the restaurant is on the smaller side, the intimate dining experience makes you feel as though you have been transported overseas. I wish I could gate keep this place but I have to say the biggest thank you to the team here for always making every experience so special and memorable. You know I’ll be back, thank you so much! Xxx

¡Las mejores tapas que hemos probado! Los ordené, ordené más. El ambiente es genial, en realidad me sentí como si estuviera de vacaciones. Servicio muy bueno, atento pero también relajado. Los cócteles eran buenos también, así como la casa roja! ¡Debes irte!

Just the best food, great atmosphere and great service. If I lived in Oxford I would be a regular. You must go!

Best tapas I ve ever had in my life

Authentic Spanish tapas place with great wine and sangria. Been here several times and have tried every dish on the menu, love the food, served quick and tastes delicious. The place is small but cozy. Staff is friendly, will recommend to everyone!

Had a lovely time. Good food. Good beer and cocktails half the price of Westgate.

Little Spanish place, food came out quickly and staff were very friendly. Just a little bit pricey for the small portions

Mi hermana y yo estuvimos visitando Oxford durante un par de días, y buscando un lugar para comer que no fuera uno de los restaurantes ubicuos de la cadena. Nos encontramos con este pequeño lugar encantador y tuvimos una comida maravillosa, además de una botella muy agradable de vino garnacha que era una ganga a £ 24. No es tan fácil de encontrar, pero vale la pena!

This Spanish restaurant in Oxford is a hidden gem. From the moment you step inside, the warm and cozy atmosphere makes you feel right at home. The food is simply incredible. Every dish is packed with flavor, from the rich and savory paella to the crispy, delicious patatas bravas. The tapas are small bites of heaven, especially the tender calamari and the spicy chorizo. The drinks are just as impressive, with a great selection of Spanish wines and a refreshing sangria that’s the best I’ve ever had. If you’re looking for a place with amazing food, great drinks, and a welcoming vibe, this is it.

Simply AMAZING! This little Spanish restaurant in Oxford is a real find. It’s got a cozy, welcoming feel, and the food is out of this world. The tapas are perfect for sharing, and every dish is better than the last. The patatas bravas are crispy and full of flavor, and the gambas al ajillo are simply delicious. The clams is a must-try—it’s hearty, flavorful, and loaded with fresh ingredients. The drinks are spot on, too, with a great selection of wines and a sangria that’s just the right mix of sweet and tangy. It’s the perfect place for a relaxed evening with amazing food and drinks.

Simply AMAZING! This little Spanish restaurant in Oxford is a real find. It’s got a cozy, welcoming feel, and the food is out of this world. The tapas are perfect for sharing, and every dish is better than the last. The patatas bravas are crispy and full of flavor, and the gambas al ajillo are simply delicious. The clams is a must-try—it’s hearty, flavorful, and loaded with fresh ingredients. The drinks are spot on, too, with a great selection of wines and a sangria that’s just the right mix of sweet and tangy. It’s the perfect place for a relaxed evening with amazing food and drinks.

Cozy and Delicious This is the kind of restaurant you want to keep coming back to. It’s small, cozy, and has a really warm and friendly atmosphere. The food is fantastic—every dish feels like it’s been made with love. The tapas are especially good, with so many different flavors to try. My favorites were the garlic prawns and the Spanish omelet. The paella is also a must-try, with perfectly cooked rice and lots of fresh seafood. The drinks menu is great too, with plenty of Spanish wines and a sangria that’s just right—not too sweet, but really refreshing. This place is perfect for a relaxed, delicious meal.

I would’ve given 5 stars for food (based on value) except that both the churros & chocolate sauce were terrible - so bad I didn’t eat them. Service was fast, food was hot and fresh and the waiter was fairly prompt. Overall I would recommend for a casual meal and a good place to share with friends & family.

It was a pleasure to stop here for lunch. The food, the customer service and atmosphere, all at very high standards so, i highly recommend this place.

An amazing experience with delicious food and excellent red wine. The warm atmosphere, complemented by great music, is only enhanced by the attentive and friendly service. The waitress truly makes this place special, she added a personal touch.

Great food and lovely service in a cosy, vibey restaurant. Seamless booking experience. Highly recommend the manchego cheesecake (though it was a special, not a regular item!). Padrón peppers also great.

Loved this place! Excellent location on High Street. Cute little place. Inviting ambience. Great choice of music. Lovely decor. Considering the prime location, reasonable prices. The best part was the staff behaviour. Very friendly, welcoming. Their smiling faces and hospitality really made my day. I stopped by only for churros (which were good) but will definitely come back for main course soon.

We had a lovely dinner here on a busy Saturday night. We were glad to have a table, as it was super busy in town. There was a cosy, bubbly atmosphere inside and very friendly service. The food was yummy, especially the Chorizo in red wine and the Manchego cheesecake. They did end up charging us for bread, which we didn’t order and thought was complementary. The lavatory was quite dirty too, but otherwise a pleasant experience that I would recommend!

A quiet oasis in the busy city centre of Oxford. Delicious tapas - the best Spanish food in central Oxford. Warm, friendly and considerate staff. Good music. Good vibes. Great for a date night.

This is my favourite place in Oxford!!! 🦋🦋 such a great vibe, amazing food and attentive service ✔️👍🏽

Excellent cooking. Great service

Having discovered La Taberna a couple of months ago, last night was my third visit, having recommended it to a different group of friends each time. The tapas is superb - delicious, absolutely what you'd get at a great tapas bar in Spain and really good value. We had another fantastic meal and are already planning the next one. I just wish I had found it sooner!

We found this place on a shopping and lunch trip to Oxford and we were not disappointed, amazing food and fantastic service- we felt like we were in Spain whilst in gloomy Oxford ☺️ special shout out to Denisa who was fabulous and looked after us so well!

One of the best Tapas menus and meals that I’ve ever had in the UK and I love Spanish food

Found this place while in Oxford for the weekend. Best tapas ever tasted outside of Spain. Rustic decor, welcoming atmosphere, superb food and friendly efficient service. Special thanks to Demisa. We'll be back!

Good food but small portions and expensive. Cute place down a little alleyway

The UK is a country with only two pages of recipes, but I was pleasantly surprised that there is such a delicious restaurant in this country hahaha. The handsome waiter was willing to make non-alcoholic cocktails for us and the service was very attentive. Also, we got four beef balls instead of three hahahahahaha. Chinese people don’t lie to Chinese people, everyone comes, it suits our taste! Go, go, go, go, go, go, go, go, go, go, go, go, go, go!

Wonderful food and nice atmosphere. One of the better tapas restaurants we've tried.

Banging Strawberry daiquiris elite customer service staff was excellent Denisa, great service also great chef! Highly recommend!!!

Denisa was amazing, very friendly. Great service!! Deffo recommend!!

I was surprised to get a place in England that made us feel like we were in Spain. A good place to have a few drinks and enjoy good tapas. The attention of the Staff was excellent. Without a doubt, I will return.

Very lovely restaurant with different delicious dishes Very polite stuff i would highly recommend if you like tapas don’t miss it !!😇

Yesterday my food was amazing, the charming waiter provided an outstanding service. And the overall atmosphere felt very warm and welcoming, definitely coming back.

The tapas were amazing, definitely a good place to come with your friends if you are looking to sit down and enjoy different platters of food whilst also enjoying the environment.

Hidden little gem that is worth seeking out. Cosy joint so would recommend booking in advance. Food was very good and atmosphere lovely. Thoroughly recommend

A nice tapas restaurant right in the heart of Oxford, slightly out the way off the High Street. Very authentic feel inside with nice decor and artwork….you feel you are in Spain :) Food is pretty good and not overly expensive and the service is also good. Good selection of wines.

We ordered a few different kinds of tapas. They were so delicious and the vibe was very good and quiet. Good for a small group gathering and chit chat

Lovely little restaurant in the city centre. They were very accommodating as we had to add 2 more guests and delay our table due to train strikes. Food was really good quality. Only improvement could have been service. We were told to order all at once and to try and order lots of the same stuff “to make it easier for the kitchen”. To me, that doesn’t really go with the idea of tapas. All in all would highly recommend.

Small portions especially for the price, lacking atmosphere (at lunchtime on a Sunday), somewhat limited menu. Overall not that impressed, would look for an alternative in Cowley (e.g. Kazbar).

It's a cosy tiny Spanish restaurant. We have been to a few cities in Spain and dined in many local tapas restaurants in that country, to our standard, the food in this new tapas restaurant in Oxford is quite average. We ordered 7 types of tapas that night, we were not disappointed but we were not amazed by any of them. But that doesn't mean there's no good points among the food. The beef meat balls were very flavoury, you can taste the beef aroma in the tomato source, too. The fresh fried pork scratch is an uncommon dish that you can find in most of restaurants in here, and the crispy texture just right on point.

Quiet restaurant just off a busy street. Staff are really friendly and the food is made fresh. Intimate feeling as the restaurant is really only a small room with 6 or so tables. Their Sangria is to die for

A nice place with calm people and good food.

What a great little find. The food was brilliant and the service was great. Visited it on a day trip to Oxford, and I'm so glad we found this place, but sad that I live so far away or u would definitely go there more often. It isn't expensive and the food is just fantastic! Great sangria too.

We ordered 4 tapas dishes and 1 churros as we aee not really hungry. The only complaint is the churros is a bit too sweet than usual.

a gem of oxford, we really enjoyed the tequilla

Denisa was amazing!! Great customer service with a smile and food was awesome too!! Defiantly will come back again.

Amazing service, always smiling and happy. Would definitely recommend. Good pricing and great food.

never order the gnocchi. It's just an ordinary restaurant, not worth seeking out.

A small, cosy restaurant with an authentic feel. The food was traditional tapas, with classics such as patatas bravas and meatballs. Don't forget to order the olives, they were amazing.