The Folly in Oxford

Great staff fab food interesting place

Alice era un gran y tenía una charla encantadora con nosotros, era tan profesional y amable! Absolutamente nos alegramos la noche! La comida era absolutamente increíble, sin duda volveremos.

Amazing food! Had the taster menu and loved every course. Excellent service and delightful waitress called Alice who was very knowledgable and explained each dish extremely well.

we had a very good time at The Folly , the food was excellent, tasty and well balanced, definitely going back !

Afternoon tea (good value) for 10, and the staff were excellent - both on email before with our many changes and requests, and while we were there for most of the afternoon today! Sandwich fillings were a little thin, but the scones and cakes (and drinks) were excellent!

1/3/2025-Saturday. My husband took me to this Brasserie restaurant for our wedding anniversary celebrations. We went to this restaurant a few years ago. Now... we are back again. We love this restaurant so much. Their food were favourable & mouth-watering. Even though they do not have salt & pepper on the time. They focus from the natural, freshness of the food. The servers service was excellent, friendly & helpful. Sorry, I didn't get the name of the server's name. She is from Japan. I like to say 'Thank you very much ' for her excellent service. We will be back soon. Highly recommended ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Great all around. The outdoor seating is worth the price!

We had afternoon tea in one of the domes outside and it was lovely! A heater and blankets provided to keep you warm. The food was good and we were able to get gluten free and vegetarian options. The two hour slot was more than enough time to enjoy ourselves.

Delicious food, beautiful venue, but lacked atmosphere. Soft furnishings would go along way to stop the booming of the more rumbustious tables and the music could cover more of the dining space Service was a little clinical, would like more enthusiasm about their delicious dishes and wines on offer.

Just had a valentine's dinner. Food and service very good. Unfortunately by the end of the meal was shivering despite having asked for a table where it was warm. Not all disability is visible.

Dishes were creative but executed with mediocrity. I had the mushroom croquettes which were fine, the crab Thermidor tart sounded ambitious but didn’t delight; it was rather mediocre in flavour. The bread selection was far worse than I’d expect for £9 from a restaurant; one was unpalatably dry; the butter selection mildly redeemed it. The main courses were of mixed quality: the pork belly was less creative but better executed, definitely worth the money. On the other hand the fish of the day, a sea-bass, though cooked to satisfaction (with fried fish skin - a nice touch) was unfortunately accompanied rather poorly. The gnocchi were alright but there was some unidentifiable root vegetable which was hard and fishy. The pickled radish gel was very nice, lifting the dish but overall the it was average at best. Moving onto dessert, the Prosecco cheesecake was the star of the show; I honestly couldn’t fault it, delicious. The chocolate and peanut creameux was passable, though there was an unusual aftertaste, though that could just be me; the banana ice cream that came with it was very nice.

Absolutely loved it, wonderful food so flavoursome with prompt and attentive service. I had the mushroom croqutes and belly of pork totally recommend it my wife loved her meal too. We shared the creme brule for desert. We also had a great table overlooking the river, cant fault this place at all. We cant wait to book again.

No me gusta escribir una crítica negativa, pero tengo que decir que tanto yo como mi marido no disfrutamos de nuestras comidas, mi pescado estaba bien cocinado, pero la salsa y verduras aparte de las verduras eran desagradables. Mi marido fue a por la hamburguesa especial la temporada y el sabor no fue de su agrado, es alguien que se come todo lo que nunca le oigo quejarse. Vimos salir tés de crema que parecían una opción mucho mejor. También creo que la comida es demasiado cara. El personal es amable y servicial.

Took our friend there for an afternoon tea for her birthday we were treated so well and the food was excellent

Took my mum for a Birthday day treat. They even wrote Happy birthday on the top plate. There was plenty to eat and a nice variety of cakes.

Absolutely fantastic food, the waitstaff were all incredible and accommodating of our birthday group. Beautiful setting by the river, lovely in the winter from inside and fantastic outdoor seating in the summer.

We went to The Folly for an anniversary and had their tasting menu. The food was absolutely fabulous; presented and described at the table well, tasted delicious. The layout and decor of The Folly are complimentary to each other. And our welcome and the service was spot on. I would thoroughly recommend eating here.

Day made our anniversary special by acknowledging it.

Lovely food if a little bit pricey. Was a bit noisy but due to a large group so moved table to try and sit away from them. My only gripe was that we had 3 courses and several waiting staff served us. At no point did any of them ask how we found the food, which I found odd as surely that is basic? And they add tip onto the bill when they can't even be sure you enjoyed it. Perhaps they know the food is very good (which it was), but I felt like for a 12.5% tip, the least they can do is ask for feedback and check you're okay.

Delicious Afternoon Tea with fizz for a Birthday meet-up by the river

I booked online after being recommended to go by our daughter, it was part of a stay in Oxford for my wife's birthday. They did not disappoint, the food was amazing and just the right amount wasn't left feeling hungry nor stuffed. The Folly sits on the bank of the river with stunning views and friendly staff the whole experience left both my wife and I feeling very happy with The Folly. We will definitely be going back next time we're in Oxford. I can completely recommend The Folly as a place to go when visiting Oxford.

Brilliant food, brilliant staff. Amazing meal. Could do with an extra heater for the colder days

Tuvimos una comida maravillosa anoche - fue un verdadero placer. El servicio, el entorno, la deliciosa comida y el vino hecho para una velada muy especial. Es caro pero con una relación calidad-precio absoluta. Gracias.

Really wonderful food, friendly, helpful service - and lovely and warm on a cold night.

I want to preface this review by saying that my intention is not to be overly critical, as we had an excellent experience with the service, and The Folly’s atmosphere is absolutely charming. However, the food and menu fell short of expectations. We started with some bar “tapas,” but as someone with Spanish, Latin and Middle Eastern roots, I can confidently say they were far from authentic. The honey butter served with the bread was a highlight—delightfully edible—but the hummus was disappointing. It lacked the flavor and texture you’d expect from a proper hummus. For a truly authentic Israeli-style hummus, I’d recommend trying Ottolenghi at Bicester Village, where the freshness and tradition really shine through at least for the hummus. For the main course, we ordered the beef fillet. While the presentation was visually appealing, the quality of the cut left much to be desired. The flavor was underwhelming, and the doneness wasn’t consistent—I ordered it medium-rare, but only a small portion of the cut was cooked to that standard. The dish as a whole was bland, and while I’m not someone who typically adds condiments to enhance flavors, a touch of salt could have made a difference. The wine selection was good, but I was surprised by the lack of French wines available by the glass, which I found a bit disappointing. Perhaps I missed something while reading through the wine menu. A Chateau Tour Haut Vignoble for £65 when in reality you find it for £30 (or less), seems a bit odd. I understand that taste is subjective, but as someone who is well-traveled and experienced in gastronomy, I couldn’t help but feel that The Folly aims high (at a high cost as well) but ultimately delivers food that is quite mediocre. That said, the staff was truly wonderful, and the venue itself is beautiful. With some improvements to the menu and execution, The Folly has great potential to match its atmosphere with an equally impressive culinary experience.

I think we all knew we would have a great experience from the warm reception we received from all the staff but particularly our server Alice. Nothing was too much trouble and she was chatty, friendly and helpful. We even got an extra heater which wasn’t going to be refused! The food was very tasty and there was plenty of it. The tea kept flowing and there was a very relaxed atmosphere. Thank you all for helping make it was wonderful afternoon for us.

We had the tasting menu last Friday, from first course to last it was amazing. Service from the staff was awesome, attentive and professional. Will 100% be back.

Whilst I know this review is a bit late, I still feel I should let people know about my experience at the Folly on Christmas Day 2024. 1) There was no Christmas atmosphere (staff friendly but no sigh of any Christmas cheer. 2) No crackers to pull??? 3) Whilst the food was delicious there was no stuffing??? 4) Surcharges way above average I will not be going there again for a Christmas lunch.

Excellent food and great service

Excellent tea at The Folly. Service was very good, Sandwiches, scones, cakes and tea were all really delicious. Table for 9 was very well looked after. Everyone enjoyed the meal. Thank you Folly team

Not the greatest afternoon tea.

Perfect spot for afternoon tea by the river. From the moment we called to make a booking, the service was impeccable. We were celebrating a birthday and were offered a separate function room, which was beautifully decorated and warm. The afternoon tea was delicious and the staff were incredibly kind and helpful. Thank you so much for a wonderful afternoon 😊

Overall the ambience was great though the restaurant needed to be warmer given it was 6 degrees. The food was not great the concept seemed to be trying too hard. Too many flavours. The cauliflower kiev lacked flavour and was really just a crumbed and fried cauliflower. The pork belly was overcooked

We wanted to escape the hustle of London for somewhere quieter, so we chose Oxford and The Folly for a birthday lunch—and we couldn’t have picked better. It’s a beautiful riverside restaurant, and we booked a cozy heated pod outside. Honestly, I couldn’t have imagined anything nicer. The food matched the ambiance—absolutely delicious, with generous portions, a great wine selection, and amazing service to top it all off. If you’re looking for a special spot for a special occasion, this is the place! :)

Lovely setting, very good Christmas lunch. The food was delicious. All the team were very friendly. Would definitely recommend this restaurant

We booked the Christmas Day set menu for a 12:15pm sitting. The process of booking and then advising what choices you wanted were all handled on an online system and was done with plenty of notice and communication, and that worked really well. On the day we arrived we had a warm welcome and was shown to our seats which was right by the window to look over the river which was lovely - noticed there was no Christmas crackers on the tables. My father was not eating pork or drinking and my mother does not eat pork either and this was noted on the placenames. The young lad who brought the starter unfortunately was not briefed between the beetroot and orange cream cheese and got them the wrong way round when introducing them, and he was taken a back when we advised it was the other way round as beetroot is normally a red colour - it just needed the chef to brief the serving staff. Items missing from Christmas menu were stuffing, bread sauce and red cabbage and an alternative like a roasted chestnut stuffing or something else should have been offered for those not eating pork. The service was friendly and prompt and there was plenty of drinks available. The toilets were fresh and clean and well kept. Overall it was a good experience, however if charging £130 per head you would expect the alternatives and and a slightly better service in knowledge and experience. Would I return? Yes as the food was tasty and I think it would be lovely in the summer by the river!

The food and the service were very good. The menu and the winelist offered many choices. For two courses each for two people, the breadboard and a bottle of wine it was GBP153, including service. We thought it was seriously over-priced, to a level that means we will probably not go again.

Lovely restaurant and great food. High Quality produce and very well presented. Staff very friendly, lovely ambience. Being by the river, I would imagine it’s wonderful in summer.

The most beautiful restaurant especially in a window seat overlooking the river. The service is spot on- attentive but not at all intrusive eg when our water ran out it was quickly and quietly replaced before we’d even noticed. We were not hurried along and they didn’t rush to give us our bill. And the food is simply lovely; very attractively presented, very tasty and I just wish I could have eaten more. Can’t recommend enough

Unique location, charming atmosphere and delicious afternoon tea.

Food was cold and had to be recooked. No atmosphere as we were the only diners. Delivery mid meal meant the door was wide open so room temperature plummeted. Main course at £32 was definitely not worth the money.

What a fantastic restaurant! We were still talking about the food today. The serving staff were really friendly and patient. The food was incredible. The place was busy but there was plenty of space and it didn’t ever feel too loud or crowded. Hope to return!

Mash potatoes with belly pork had a strange taste to say the least. Carrot cake tasted nothing like carrot cake. Pudding portions despite being over priced were very small

Lovely afternoon tea. Food was fresh and the scones weee delicious. Service was excellent as well.

Nehir kenarında bulunan bu restoranın yemekleri çok lezzetli. Noel ile ilgili çok güzel bir şekilde dekore edilmiştir. Personel çok ilgili ve yardımsever. Çok talep gören bir mekan olduğu için mutlaka rezervasyon yaptırın.

Lovely venue but VERY cold. I was so shocked that they added 12.5% service charge to the afternoon tea, which was already expensive. Such a shame.

Very good restaurant. We were here with 10+ group of friends. Everybody find something good. Food is testy. The staff if helping and friendly. Recommended!

Lovely place and lovely service . Great for allergies.

Very friendly staff. Great service and lovely food. But it was just so chilly in there. People were wearing their coats on the next table. Yes it was a cold day, but no excuse for not boosting up the heat.

Amazing venue and beautiful food! Service was outstanding, cannot wait to return! Thank you for your hospitality

Very good food and very good service

Absolutely wonderful place, buzzing but plenty of space. Delicious food, charming staff. Not to be missed when in Oxford.

I've been here for afternoon tea and dinner. It's such a lovely restaurant on the river with a pleasant atmosphere. They have outdoor pods to dine in or the interior restaurant. Really nice food. Great place for a date if you are so inclined. Nice place to meet a friend for a coffee catch up.

Lovely experience - not only was the Afternoon Tea great and very reasonably priced, the location is great and the host was really special. We will definitely come back again!

The Folly is one of the best restaurants in Oxford. We were surprised it was not more crowded, but that makes for a pleasant experience. The food is consistently both interesting and excellent, the staff are attentive and helpful, the location is convenient and the setting by the river is rather magical. Completely recommend.

The afternoon tea was of the highest quality - warm scones plus a selection of sandwiches and some lovely mini desserts. Really clean, great view of the water and great value too. Will definitely return and would definitely recommend.

Excellent food and attentive staff. Recommended! We shall return!

The Folly was a lovely, quaint and decadent dining experience. The service and food were exceptional, and the atmosphere was calm and relaxing. Thank you, The Folly!

Lovely setting, great food. Rather pricey and portions not over-generous but food imaginative and beautifully presented.

We absolutely love the folly. What a beautiful setting it is right next to the river. You are always given a warm friendly welcome from all the staff and the food is simply delicious. Thank you for another wonderful experience.

One of the nicest meals I've had in a long time. Beautifully presented, delicious food. Visited on a Sunday night and the restaurant was very quiet, which was a pity. The staff were very attentive and the service quick.

Lovely food in a great setting. Portion size was just right and the flavours were amazing.

Contratamos la cúpula blanca para el cumpleaños de nuestra hija en la calle 21. Se veía muy bonito cuando llegamos. El servicio fue muy atento toda la noche, la comida era muy sabrosa y los vinos buenos. Tenía capacidad para 25 de nosotros y era muy cálido y acogedor con los calentadores. En general tuvimos una gran noche!

Really lovely birthday dinner for my partner. The mains were 10/10- but my only disappointment was the duck starter, it looked beautiful but it lacked flavour and the duck was tepid and the flavour mix was bland/unusual. However, it may be that it wasn’t to my taste and my partners soup was very nice! Other than that, absolutely lovely and great staff and the best pork I’ve had in a long time ☺️ Thank you!

We were on a corporate trip & had our dinner with our team of 25 people. Great food & great service. We had our dinner outdoor seating inside a dome.

We went for a Saturday night treat for myself and my partner. We were going to have the tasting menu, but everything sounded delicious so instead we had three starters, two mains and two desserts! Naughty, but so so tasty. The food was all fantastic. The staff were al brilliant. They are friendly, attentive, thoughtful and provided excellent service. We sat in one of the winter pods outside and they delivered us a button to press should we need any service help. We never needed to use the button. There were blankets if we got chilly, but the pods are so cost, we were fine. We were even able to use their mini speaker and play our own music to add to the atmosphere. It was just the most perfect night in Oxford I have experienced in years. I own a local tours company and will be telling all my guests to come here. Thank you to all The Folly team for a wonderful evening.

We arrived early, but that was no problem. The friendly staff showed us to a table, answered a couple of questions and took our order promptly. Before the food arrived, a large party came and were shown to a table immediately behind ours. They were noisy, with loud voices and even louder laughter. We asked to be moved, and that was arranged with no fuss. The food was good, I was impressed by the quality and imagination behind the vegetarian dish I chose. The wine was very enjoyable. One of the staff acknowledged the noise issue as we left. We will go back, possibly in summer to enjoy the view over the Thames.

Nice location, spacious inside, only 1 lavatory I could find and the smallest piece of fish (as a mackerel starter) I have ever seen.

The service was ok, though when we asked for the bill it never came, we had to ask again and even then had to take it to the counter to finally pay. The fish was good but the Jacob’s ladder was chewy, small and the rib membrane was still on it which I didn’t know until it was in my mouth. The mains came before we had completed the starter also - v poor esp as we weren’t given an option to say no to the mains and had to move the starters to one side. The wine (valpollicella) was also ok but nothing special considering the price. We were even charged £3.95 for a bottle of still water for the table which I could only guess was from the tap. The reviews of this place were good and as I wanted a special evening for me and the wife, it seemed the perfect place, but sadly it was not the case considering the meal for 2 cost £146 all in. Won’t be promoting the place in the future but hope this feedback does improve the Folly.

It was lovely and great value. They kindly fit us in earlier, which was very kind of them.

Amazing food, lovely ambience, attentive staff. Great place for a treat.

Fantastic food & wine. Great ambience. Expensive, but well worth the money.

Went for anniversary dinner in the restaurant, I ordered a drink took ages to arrive so chased up order with waiter who just ignored us. Drink didnt come until 2 mins before food arrived no explanation as to why. Food was superb but service was terrible. I wouldn't recommend this place for couples as other places offer good food as well as great service for similar price. Maybe as a group the service was more attentive but as a couple you are ignored.

Overall disappointed, food is amazing however service was terrible, went as a couple and was ignored by the service staff , didn't even receive a drink until our food arrived, waiter ignored us would rather chat with the staff at the bar, it's a shame as the food was amazing, the staff seemed more concerned with groups than a couples in our experience, would recommend going elsewhere for the price.

We came here after a long travel day and boy was it great The drinks were amazing and the food divine I loved the classy but laid back atmosphere with the old school desks and chairs So cool I had a fish dish it was incredible and the service was great

Excellent food & service. Lovely atmosphere. We went as a group of 4 and we all had a lovely time.

We love the Folly. Warm and friendly atmosphere, great service and wonderful food. If you’re in Oxford, a visit to The Folly is a great option. We came back a second night on our most recent trip. Thank you!

The Folly was highly recommended by a friend in Oxford. We now can agree 100% with the high acclaim. The staff are absolutely wonderful hosts, the setting is warm and charming and we had our best meal yet in Oxford. Thank you!

Disappointing visit for the taster menu. Having said that, staff were faultless - friendly and attentive at all times. The food was, however, a let down. Mass produced bread for a the first course of an expensive 7 course menu was just inexcusable, an obvious fill in without costing more than a few pence. Although billed as homemade, it most certainly wasn't and tastier with more texture replacement could be found in Tesco. The rest of the courses were certainly tasty but suffered from too much budgeting, despite it being £75 per head (plus £9.37 service charge). Cutlery was, at times, poor quality and tarnished which detracted from what should be a special occasion.

Really good experience. The view is amazing, and people are really kind. Little bit disappointed about the beef burger because of the texture, but the taste was nice Cheese goat Panna cotta is nice and the risotto amazing Thank you:)

Thoroughly enjoyed ourselves at The Folly, the food was delicious and the service excellent. Would highly recommend.

Disappointing visit for the taster menu. Having said that, staff were faultless - friendly and attentive at all times. The food was, however, a let down. Mass produced bread for a the first course of an expensive 7 course menu was just inexcusable, an obvious fill in without costing more than a few pence. Although billed as homemade, it most certainly wasn't and tastier with more texture replacement could be found in Tesco. The rest of the courses were certainly tasty but suffered from too much budgeting, despite it being £75 per head (plus £9.37 service charge). Cutlery was, at times, poor quality and tarnished which detracted from what should be a special occasion.

Friendly service and great environment

Lovely experience for a birthday tea We were blessed with the weather but even if the sun hadn't shined inside was also lovely with a beautiful view. Lovely cakes and pastries, brilliant service from staff

We went for afternoon tea and thoroughly enjoyed the experience but are not likely to return for tea. The ambiance and service we fine and they had noted our request. The scones were amazing - absolutely delicious and it was great that they offer refill on hot drinks. Not a fan of sandwiches but they were fresh and tasty. There was a selection of three cakes, which weren’t freshly made. OK, but the pastry was not crisp and one of them was dry and tasteless (strawberry). A bit disappointing. As they add 12.5% service charge, the total for four people comes to £103.28, which we found too much for what we got. If the cakes had been as good as the rest, we would have been happy and would probably return with our next visitors.

Great atmosphere and tasty afternoon tea!

Absolutely amazing food, service, wine and location. Very chatty about what to do on our stay in Oxford. Deserve a Michelin star the food quality was brilliant. Wine pairings were brilliant.

Afternoon tea was disappointing and drinks very overpriced

Attentive service but feels overpriced. £22.95 for a burger Big portions View of river blocked by white canary which is disappointing The smell of cleaning spray staff were using around us to clean tables was overbearing

Great food, great service, lovely venue; expensive but worth it for a major celebration.

Lovely afternoon tea. Value for money, scones are devine.

Booked the Folly to try out the Tasting Menu.....booked table for 8.30pm and arrived 8.20pm but when we arrived the server asked and came back to tell us they stopped serving the Tasting Menu at 8pm? Very dissapointed as when we made the reservation there was no indication this was the case. Ordered a bottle of wine.....one of the glasses they brought over was dirty. Ordered starters....I had the goats cheese panna cotta with beetroot. Couldnt taste any goats cheese in this dish which I found surprising due to goats cheese having quite a distincive flavour/taste normally. For main I ordered lamb....was not asked how I would like this cooked by the server and it arrived overdone for me. Tasteless, no seasoning whatsoever on the lamb....the main question the server asks when they bring the food to the table is " would you like salt and pepper"? They then add a service charge to your bill which I found was ridiculous as this should be optional if the service is good! The tables were being cleaned as customers left the establishment by a very strong chemical smelling agent. This was very unpleasant whilst trying to eat your meal.....i would recommend something not so pungent for cleaning tables as noone want to smell chemicals whilst they are eating. For the money I found this to be of poor value and shall not be returning....

Beautiful little gastro pub in scenic location just by the river. Came here for rainy September day, but can imagine it being even better on a beautiful summer day. Interior is very nice, creating a lovely atmosphere. Service is nice and friendly. Food was perhaps a little bit on the pricey side for what you get, but not completely unreasonable. Has a nice liver pâté starter and the pork belly for main. Both nice dishes. - Value for money? Somewhat - Worth a detour? No - Best for (occasion)? - Would I go back? Yes

The Folly in Oxford offers riverside dining with scenic views. It serves modern british cuisine using local ingredients. Highlights include scallops and pork belly. The atmosphere is elegant yet relaxed. While the setting is picturesque, some find it overpriced and service can be inconsistent. It's a good choice for those prioritizing ambiance over value.

We went on the river cruise with afternoon tea, it was such a pleasant treat. The food was delicious. The trip on the river was beautiful, so relaxing and interesting, the chap driving the boat was so knowledgeable and had a lovely sense of humour. I would definitely recommend a visit

The Folly is a great venue to celebrate a special occasion. We visited for our 25th wedding anniversary and had a wonderful dinner. Staff were exceptionally friendly and courteous without being stuffy. We enjoyed all three course and would definitely recommend the experience to others. If I was to be picky the only minor criticism is that the staff could have been a bit more smartly dressed. But overall, GREAT - Thank you.

I visited The Folly for an afternoon tea, after exploring various other options in Oxford. While I find afternoon teas to be generally overpriced, this one appeared to be among the stronger alternatives (cost-value), and I was not disappointed. The tea was lovely, included veggie options, and we got to enjoy it right next to the river. I highly recommend it!

It was generally good but for the price I was expecting a bit better setup and atmosphere.

We had been before and enjoyed our food even if pricey. We returned with guests, but were disappointed with the food, and therefore definitely thought it was overpriced. The pork belly was overcooked and not well presented, and the cherry tart (£10) was almost without cherries! This is a nice venue, the service is pleasant, but the prices are far too high for the quality.

I went to have a nice Sunday dinner with my parents, and we ended up enjoying a wonderful evening. Two of us had the Catch of the Day with some vegetable extras, and one of us had the Lamb Pave. We all found the food to be excellent, starting from the creative recipes to the high standard of cooking and the little thoughtful touches. I would also like to commend how well The Folly handled two differents sets of food allergies. We also ended up having desserts (crème brulée, burnt apricot, cherry tart) which were just as good as the mains. Our general summary was "well-sized portions of excellent food, a great location with nice atmosphere and welcoming and professional service" - a definite recommendation!