The Waterside Restaurant in Oxford

Good fish and chips with good service well worth a visit to sit outside and enjoy the view. Batter was crisp and not greasy and the fish taster fresh. Enjoyable meal.

What a little gem. Our hotel only served a buffet breakfast so dried out bacon and hard eggs. Thankfully we found Kizzies. Delicious breakfast, all local produce. Perfectly cooked bacon, egg, sausages, beans, tomato, toast, tea and coffee. Lovely sitting outside by the canal in the sun.

All four courses of our Thursday night meal were amazing. I could eat the starter every day. We were made to feel very welcome and the students do a great job. Will definitely be back. I f I could give more than 5 stars for value I would.

I was a bit apprehensive when I first arrived for lunch here, as the setting was more akin to a college cantine than a restaurant. But we received a friendly welcome and the menu looked amazing, with starters including hake and main courses such as roasted pheasant and flat iron steak. And the food did not disappoint when it arrived - it was cooked to very high standards worthy of a five-star hotel. Admittedly, the service was a bit slow, so this is not somewhere to go if you're looking to have a quick lunch. But with two courses for just £7 I have to say this was the best value lunch I've ever had in Oxford. This is truly a hidden gem. It's just a shame that they aren't open more often in the evenings.

The food is first class and the trainee waiting staff very eager and friendly. It's a lovely quiet space for chatting and the prices are barely above ingredient cost. We were made to feel so special. The orange cheesecake, with some hints of bitter orange was the highlight for me. I will be back.

This is a real hidden gem in Oxford. Situated within the City of Oxford College in Oxpens with food prepared and served by supervised students. There is apparently parking on site, though we didn't use it. Each Thursday (arrival between 6.30 and 7.30pm) they have a set four course menu for £17.50. Each week is themed with no choice, so if a fussy eater, suggest you check out the menu beforehand on their facebook page: Waterside Restaurant at City of Oxford College. Best to pre-book by phone/email or to get details of future menus. Our menu was fish based: Prawn Bisque, Pan Fried Sea Bass with Seafood Ravioli & Beurre Blanc, Roasted Salmon with Whisky & Oat Crust, Saffron Potatoes, Cherry Tomatoes & Pineapple Tart Tatin, Pineapple Rum Sorbet & Coconut. Every course was gourmet quality, beautifully presented and totally delicious. Couldn't fault it. Drinks were very reasonable (bottles of wine starting at £10). Waited on by fairly nervy students, but really polite and their confidence will only build with experience. They all put in 100%, so I commend them on that. Very pleasantly surprised with the atmosphere - was expecting quite a stark, college canteen area, but the room has ambient lighting and subtle background music with tables beautifully set. Huge congratulations to all involved: it's testament to the hard work of the students and staff that this is such an enjoyable experience. They also do lunches which are well worth checking out, plus their Christmas menus are now available which look superb. Pass on our thanks to all - we will definitely be returning and I would massively recommend a visit. Photos of 3 courses shown (forgot bisque).

This is the 4th time we have visited the waterside restraurant. We have been in large group last Christmas and also tried their lunchtime menu with visiting Canadian friends last summer. All I can do is recomend this establishment and also congradulate the College Staff and students for another Fantastic meal. Today a well balanced menu of 4 courses and a good wine list. Not normaly a dessert person today the star was the Chocolate tart, Mango and coconut ice cream. We will deffinately be visiting agian for the Christmas menu this year and any time we are in Oxford for Lunch. Many thanks.

Our first visit of the new college year and we were not disappointed! This week was 'a taste of autumn' and we had 4 lovely vegetarian courses. We loved the warm kale, beetroot and goats cheese salad. The service was also great, as usual.

Lookout for the taster evenings - 7 courses for around £15!!! Vegetarian option was delicious and well presented

Food prepared, presented and cooked to the highest standard. We have eaten at top restaurants and this meal was comparable. Great value, attentive staff who were prepared to make slight variations to the menu to fit our tastes. Shame they only open on Thursdays. A must for any foodie.

We visited this “training” restaurant in April. It was great fun and the food was interesting. We attended the “fine dining” experience and had 4 original courses for £14.50 – what a bargain. It is all designed, cooked and served by the students at the college who come and ask for your feedback afterwards. Although there were areas that could be improved it was great to see such enthusiasm and hard work. We will definitely be back.

Another wonderful evening at the Waterside. It was a Japanese menu but also a vegan menu and both were absolutely delicious. Service was great as usual.

Tried a Japanese evening menu and it was lovely. the students were very attentive and polite, the cocktail and wine good and well priced, and each of the four courses was delicious. I'll definitely go back, maybe for lunch next time. And I'll spread the word and take company next time.

5 course meal called Indonesia experience. All food was good and all plates eaten clean. Very professional with good presentation, probably better than most top class restaurants. Well cooked, well presented and served. Well done Head Chef Katie and team.

If you haven't tried this place then you must do so immediately! We went to the vegetarian evening, which was 4 courses for only £14.50!! The food was superb, as good as anything at River Cottage or Terre-a-Terre, and all devised/cooked/served beautifully by students at the college.

Absolutely fantastic place, attentive staff, fabulous, seasonal food and excellent price! Will not hesitate to return and will definitely be taking any visiting friends and family with us! :) thank you for a lovely evening!

The food is very very good and the menu is always exciting with a decent vegetarian option available. 3 full sized courses for 8 pounds - really can't go wrong. Would absolutely recommend to anyone in Oxford or visiting. Staff are also very friendly. I hope this will become a regular place for me to visit!

Fantastic food, service and price, we have really enjoyed all of our visits here for both lunches and evening meals, well worth a visit if you're around.

How to enjoy the most of the sunshine? Start the day with a great breakfast at this riverside establishment.The breakfast was very well cooked and presented. Excellent black pudding and plenty of tea. We will be back.Only drawback is that lots of people know about it and the parking is limited.

Went to the waterside following previous reviews and a visit to Oxford. So glad we did too, the students were polite, attentive and all smiles. The food was exceptional, well presented and tasted wonderful, my partner and I had different starters and different mains and all dishes were perfect. If we go back to Oxford I we will definitely go again.

The food was outstanding, all four courses were of a very high standard, the sea bass was cooked to perfection and tasted incredible. The restaurant was full, a great atmosphere and the waiting staff were very helpful and efficient. I would recommend this fine dining restaurant, it great valve.

Second time I was there and this time I bought my parents, in Oxford for the week end ! Just an excellent selection of meals, sophisticated and perfectly cooked ! And a lovely, friendly and professionnal staff ! I definitively will Come back with my familly/friends.

So exactly what is amazing?..........Everything!! Lovely location overlooking the river...Good service...Incredible quality food, beautifully plated, presented, and perfectly cooked...Absolutely crazy prices - two courses for only a fiver!! They even accept Gourmet Society membership cards (I did not use mine as I felt it too mean to pay half-price when in fact double - or even triple - the price would still represent incredible value for money.The Waterside Restaurant is the training restaurant for catering/hospitality students at the City of Oxford College. Both the 'front of house' and the kitchen are staffed by the students who I presume were being supervised by their teachers/tutors although very much in the background 'cause we neither saw nor heard them!My Wife and I really enjoyed our visit and hope to return even though it is a long round trip from our home in Dorset. We both thought it was a wonderful gastronomic experience which we would like to repeat. Hazel must be one of the world's must fussy eaters and if she says that a meal is good I can assure you all that it is *******FANTASTIC! I am a retured restaurateur and hence fully au-fait with "what it's all about" and I am delighted to say that we were both well impressed.HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.

My companion and I happened to find ourselves in Oxford on a Thursday evening. Using my Gourmet Society map, I could see that The Waterside Restaurant was nearby. It was actually very difficult to find but we were guided to it over the phone by some very helpful staff. It's only about a five-minute walk from the station and is directly opposite the ice-rink. I hear that there's no parking there but that was not a problem for us. You need to understand that this restaurant is part of a The City of Oxford College campus and this is quite strange when you arrive. However, once inside, you would not know that you are on campus. I glimpsed the river through the curtains at one point but, because it was dark, I could not see the outside. Anyway, the surroundings became irrelevant once we were presented with the menu and the food. It is a set 4 course menu and I was able to order a vegetarian version with no problem. We actually ate all four of the courses as they were all light and delicious. There were bottles of wine for £9.50 and a lovely Prosecco for £12. The ambience was good and the service was fantastic although some servers and staff were clearly more confident than others. We had leek and potato soup (with and without a seared scallop) and I then had a brie and onion tartlet, served with delicious vegetables, followed by aubergine mousse, finishing with a fancy version of school pudding and custard. I don't even like sweet things but could not resist the sponge and crème anglaise. It was a couple of weeks ago that I visited so I cannot remember all the details but I do know that this was one of the best meals that I have ever had at a restaurant. The presentation was beautiful and the taste of each course was exceptional, each ingredient perfectly complementing the others. I believe that this place is open only during lunchtimes and possibly only one evening a week (you need to check). I think that it was well worth the trek and I found it easy to forget that I was on campus. The exceptional four course meal cost less than £15. And it's two for one with Gourmet Society membership. I feel that the students and tutors’ work deserves recognition and I urge you to do yourself a favour and sample these dishes. You will never find better value.

This is a great find. It is the hospitality training for Oxford City College. They offer lunch every day and dinner on Thursday evening during term time. The food is out of this world some of the best food I have ever eaten and I have eaten in some of the finest resturants all over the world and I have visited this resturant on many occasions, both for lunch and dinner. They offer wonderful value for money a 3 course dinner for around £17 and is of the highest possible standards. You will revieve a wonderful friendly welcome from the knowledgeable Maître D, Anne Marie who discreetly keeps an eye on the students. I can reccomend this resturant in the highest possible terms.

If they served ordinary food I would still recommend it as good value for money. It turns out that the food is outstanding - what you would expect from the top-end Oxford restaurants. Don't be put off by the 'trainning' label - I assume that if it isn't less than perfect it doesn't get let out of the kitchen doors. The serving staff - also trainees - are friendly and helpful rather than 'slick' (and the better for it, in my opinion). The trick is finding this place at a time when it is open - currently just lunchtimes and early Thursday evenings.

I have eaten at the Waterside Restaurant several times over this last year - as part of a couple, with our family and for a party booking. It's staffed by the catering students at Cherwell Valley College and is the best value place I have ever come across. On every occasion the 'fine dining' experience has been exemplary - the quality and presentation of food on the monthly-changing menu keeps us interested and keeps us going back. We've had the choice of venison, quail, duck, and sea bass, beef bourguignon and salmon... The prices are very reasonable - £5 lunchtime buffet on 5 weekdays and about £10 for a 3 course evening meal on Thursday only plus drinks. The waiting staff are attentive but not invasive, service is relaxed and friendly but can be speedy if you let them know your time is short!. The restaurant is warm, the décor is pleasant and the view out to the river is charming. Parking is good - free for visitors in the college car park spaces or at a reasonable price just over the road - and it's only a few minutes walk from the city centre if you're in town. My first choice every time...

Have been working with the college with a team of 35 over the past 3 months and have dined in Waterside weekly over that time. It's true the staff are learning, but their passion and energy know no bounds. With such freh talent comes the high standards driven by an exceptional teaching staff. Food is exquisite, service is astonishing! If you haven't been then you are quite simply missing out. :)

Enjoyed a wonderful Christmas meal at The Waterside Restaurant, Oxford and Cherwell Valley College. The evening was enjoyable from start to finish, excellent food, professionally prepared and served - would love the recipes for Mulled Wine Sorbet and Christmas Pudding Parfait both of which gave an innovative twist to seasonal favourites. Hopefully a taste of what's to come on the Oxfordshire restaurant scene when these students qualify and go on to work in the city and beyond.