Zayka Grill & Lounge in Cherwell

I had wanted to try this restaurant since it opened with Mediterranean food being my favourite cuisine. Today we had a reason to celebrate after I got a new job offer. When we ordered our drinks I asked the waitress for 2 portions of bread and hummus to keep us going as we had two hungry teens with us. We then later ordered starters and mains. The bread and hummus pre starter did not arrive and the first food to arrive at the table was the starters. I cannot fault any of the food and we enjoyed all the dishes. At the end of the meal the bill came and the two hummus appeared on the bill at a cost of £12. I mentioned to the waitress that these had not arrived, she was quick to point out that they had and that I had asked her to leave it on the table for the mains. This had actually been a falafel dish which had hummus on it. They then removed 1 hummus from the bill. I again pointed out that neither of the hummus arrived. The waitress then again said that I was wrong as she saw the dish which had pomegranate seeds on top. The dish she referred to was in fact babaganoush. At being argued with and indirectly called a liar twice I began to get very upset as my integrity was being called into question. The bill was well over £100 and if I could not afford 2 hummus dishes I would not be spending over £100 on dinner in the first place. Her disrespectful attitude and the way she made me feel has meant we will never return. This is a real shame as we had already said as a family how great the food was and that we really wanted to come back. The manager came over at the end and was very pleasant and apologetic. The dishes we did not receive were removed from the bill and he gave 10% off. I would like to make it clear to the restaurant however that this was not about getting discount or items for free. I am more than happy to pay well for good food and service but will not pay for items I did not receive. Such a shame that a rude waitress spoilt a happy occasion for my family.

Great family night out!! If you’re looking for an unforgettable dining experience with delicious Turkish food, this restaurant is a hidden gem. The star of the menu is, without a doubt, the lamb chops—perfectly seasoned, juicy, and cooked to absolute perfection. Each bite was tender and flavorful, making them easily the best lamb chops I’ve ever had. The “moussaka” was equally tasty The menu doesn’t stop there. From the appetizers to the desserts, every dish was packed with authentic Turkish flavors. The desserts were a highlight as well—especially the salted champagne! What’s equally impressive is how affordable everything is. The quality and taste of the food far exceed the price, making it a fantastic value for money. The atmosphere is warm and inviting, with friendly service that adds to the overall experience. The management were very attentive and took care to all our requests….you just need to get rid of the “chic” flowers and trees!!! Whether you’re a fan of Turkish cuisine or just looking for a great meal, this restaurant is a must-visit. Four stars, and I can’t wait to return!

A lovely restaurant recommended by friends. From the moment we walked in until the moment we left we had a great time, friendly and helpful staff, great food and nice drinks. The whole package was great

Amazing food. On a par with some of londons top restaurants.will definitely be returning in the near future.very friendly staff and good service.

Fantastic food, atmosphere and exceptionally friendly staff. We went with friends and all agreed all the dishes we chose were amazing and we will definitely be back! 2 of us shared 4 starters between us (as a main course) and it was plenty, the other 2 of us had a starter and a main each which was also plenty. We couldn't fault anything, absolutely perfect.

Gorgeous food, amazing service 🩷 would definitely recommend a visit. Great value for money, make you feel very welcome.

We received a very warm welcome on our arrival at Zayka. The restaurant looked clean and the decor was spot on. The staff were friendly and attentive throughout and very patient when a couple of our party were running late. There was a good choice of the food on the menu and the waitress was very helpful with helping me choose despite my indicisiveness. Food arrived promptly and was delicious. We had batata harira (nice and spicy which staff warned us about), mixed zayka shish, Zayka burger and Zayka crispy fried chicken burger. The slice of chocolate fudge cake served for dessert was huge! We had a lovely evening and the whole meal was very good value for money too. We will be back soon!

Me and my partner had a meal here, the Lebanese bread starter is very tasty and enough as a starter for a couple to share. We then had our mains, when we read then menu and asked what comes with the lamb and chicken shish, to be told a side salad and accompanying sauces of chilli & tzatziki. We order an extra Greek salad and Bulgar wheat as we like both of these. Luckily we did as when our main meals arrived they consisted of a small amount of meat on both plates and a salad garnish not a salad side which would be expected for the price. We ordered some bread half way through the meal as we were still hungry. The food tastes good but you have to order all your sides on top which then becomes very pricey after all added up. Our bill came to just under £60 for 2 people. The service was good and attentive, food was tasty but for the price you are paying you would expect a side to come with your meal/mains (I.e Bulgar wheat or salad) Probably the most expensive Turkish restaurant I have been to before.

Just returned from a birthday meal.. The ambience is lovely, decor minimal but clean. Staff were polite and attentive. The food was very well prepared and presented, some nice little touches ( pomegranate jewels had to certain foods Humous and Mosofolia)..Over all excellent experience, food very good..drinks not over priced or the food...£80.00 for 2 at lunch . We will go back ..

This isn’t a Turkish restaurant. It’s an Asian restaurant with one or two poorly made Turkish style dishes. Service wasn’t great. I can’t understand how others had 5 star experiences.

I took my best friend out for lunch. We shared the wonderful cauliflower between 4 as the portions are so big - the cauliflower is to die for! The lamb chops were great quality and beautifully cooked. Presented with beautiful salad. The manager then brought my friend a slice of cheesecake with a candle in it for her birthday. That was so sweet! We will be back! Thank you for a wonderful time ❤️

Went for lunch yesterday (19th) with colleagues from work had the Christmas Menu, absolutely delicious. Will definitely be back, just sorry we had to rush because one of my colleagues had organised a meeting, but still enjoyed it and was able to take my desert with me. Very good value

First time visiting after wanting to try it for a few months now. There were 3 of us and we all decided to try the Christmas menu as it looked good value for money. Starters were HUGE, we were a little confused as to why we could pick 2 (but obviously happy to select 2) definitely didn’t need 2 though. Mains came again big portions, one of my friends said the lamb was a little spicy for her. Then time for pudding….we didn’t have room to eat one but picked anyways. The Baklava was AMAZING!!! Slightly warmed up and the perfect size, not too big or small. Drinks flowed nicely and the staff were very accommodating and kind. They even gave us a free Christmas drink on the house - Baileys all round!!! I made the manager aware we couldn’t tag our location on Facebook (I think this would help boost advertising) and I said I’d leave a review on here instead. I’d highly recommend and cannot wait for my next visit!!!

Attended last night for a works Xmas meal, the food was good as always however the service was lacking we sat down at 6pm the place was empty but did pick up from 7pm onwards we were there for 4 hours!! The service was very slow and the drinks took 20minutes to arrive each time and on 2 occasions were incorrect so they had to go back and re make. When I have attended before I’ve always had Hayley as my waitress and she is always on the ball and my drinks are never wrong and service was spot on, was very disappointing she was not there last night as I feel they could of done with her!!

Arrived with a grup of friends on a Friday evening, the place was packed and buzzing. Although the restaurant was full and the team had their hands full, I was greeted at the door with a smile. We had starters, main courses and deserts, all of which was enjoyed . The owners were friendly and welcoming and checked on all customers, which is always a great touch. We were served by 3 waiters, who were all good and efficient. However, what did a real difference to me, was an exceptional service provided by one of the team members, Abdul. Myself and 2 of my friends all come from hospitality background and were unanimous that Abdul took great care of the customers he was serving. It makes all the difference when you have a team member, who genuinely cares about customer experience - you can't really fake that. We were sat there having a chat about how good he is in his job and with people!😄 Zayka Bicester was a great experience from all aspects, ambience, food and most of all service! Thank you!

I went with my daughter and granddaughter for my birthday,what a lovely evening.I cannot fault the food,it was nicely presented .Very tasty and service was really good,very polite and friendly.Reasonably priced too. I will definitely be returning,as will the family.

Visited with friends for dinner. The restaurant had a great atmosphere, very busy with lots of people eating and some waiting for a takeaway. The service was very good, attentive and friendly. The food was delicious and portion sizes good. I had the mixed Shish kebab I really enjoyed it. Will definitely return.

Came for dinner with my partner, was a nice atmosphere inside. Very polite waitress sat us down at our table. Drink order a little slow but got drinks quickly after & ordered food. Food was delicious, flavoursome & great prices! Would 100% go back & recommend to others. Keep up the good work👏🏼

What a brilliant place. second time we've been and the food is the best we've had in a long time. The chicken starter was superb and all our mains were beyond our expectations beautifully presented. excellent service. we'll definetly be back.

Me and a two friends went here for dinner, we have read so many raving reviews so when we left after being there for 3 hours for two courses we were fairly disappointed. The main took a hour to arrive, and once clearing the plates no one returned again, the place was fairly busy but there was still plenty of empty tables…we noticed two big larger tables getting good service, asking if they wanted additional rounds of drinks a desert menu etc, we had none of that, we ended up having to ask for the menu ourselves. Three hours is excessive for a main and desert. Food was nice, the meat on the mains was cooked nicely, I won’t express my opinion about other aspects of the food because I think it would be clouded judgment as the service did put us of… unfortunately the service really did let the whole experience. HOWEVER I would say the server who delivered the food was exceptional he really was trying his hardest.

Awful - in so many ways. Overpriced poor quality Turkish? food. Tasteless and poorly presented Uncomfortable restaurant seating Couldn't sit with legs under the table as table base reaches the floor, so have to sit sideways!

My third time to Zayka and I can't wait to go back again and try more of the delicious food from the menu. Service was great too and food reasonably priced

Wow, this place was simply amazing. The food was so delicious and well cooked. There is a good choice on the menu, we had the Hummus and cauliflower for starters, and would totally recommend both dishes. The cauliflower was a real hit! Both of our...

Exceptionally good food. Really nice staff. Will definitely eat there again if we are back in Bicester.

Amazing service, food and good prices. The place also has a great atmosphere and extras touchs. Also instagramable

Having read many good reviews on various media about this new venue, we thought we'd try it out. Sooo glad that we did! The food is amazing! The starters of humus and chicken wings tasty and good sized portions. We followed this with lamb shank...

A friend suggested we try this new restaurant in Bicester. Looked online at the menu and wasn’t really sure as it seemed to be a slightly confused Turkish restaurant, with some not very Turkish items on the menu (burgers, messy wedges). But my friend was...