Flavourmag had so much fun during our recent visit to the OXBO restaurant at the Hilton Bankside.
Situated on Great Suffolk Street, a stone throw away from Blackfriars Station and London Bridge Station. The OXBO Bankside is a breath of fresh air and almost zen-like in comparison to the hustle and bustle of London City Life.
Beautifully decorated with spacious seating and ambient lighting, the OXBO restaurant is the perfect setting for date night, Valentines Day or treating someone special to something special.
The OXBO restaurant resides within the Hilton Bankside hotel, which makes it perfect for date 3 or 4 with the person you fancy. Why…? Do we really need to spell it out? It’s situated within the sexy Hilton Bankside hotel. Book that special person in for dinner and a room in the hotel and the rest is history.
OXBO Bankside is a lovely open space, You can see the Chef’s preparing your meals in the large kitchen facing the restaurant (don’t worry, it’s a picturesque scene rather than en eye saw and once you conversation starts flowing, you probably won’t even remember they are there).
OXBO Bankside serves mouth-watering dishes featuring fresh British ingredients including regionally sourced artisan meats, fish, herbs and vegetables. The menu pricing for food is pretty comfortable to pay for, and once you taste the delights you will be please with every penny you spent.
Our 3 course meal was fantastic with everything served cooked to perfection. Having 3 of us in attendance (1 boy, 2 girls), we sampled a wide variety of dishes. For starters we indulged in the Grilled Brixham Squid, Dorset Snails and Kabocha Pumpkin Soup. If you have never tried snails and are up for a bit of exploration then please do try them here as they where yummy. We loved the squid too and you can’t really go wrong with a lovely soup for a starter to open up your appetite.
On to the mains and more indulgence, we would strongly advise trying the Shoulder Of New Romney Lamb, made with Lentils, Sweetbreads, Pumpkin, Soy Beans, Pearl Onions. This fall-off-the-bone dish is the epitome of Jamie Oliver’s ‘slow and low cooking’ tagline. Even if you’re the type of person that isn’t into meat much (as one of our attendees where), this dish will blow you away. It’s delicious, it’s scrumptious and it’s ever so soft and tender.
For the meat lover you may want to opt for the humongous Bulls Head Steak For Two. Not for the feint-hearted this rib eye steak served with a side of fries, vine cherry tomatoes and sauce of your choice, we chose the peppercorn. As we tucked into this dish, we started to realise that we probably won’t be able to finish. So if you know anyone that loves and lusts for a huge, tender-cooked steak, this would be the option for them.
You may also want to cast your attention to the Duck Breast with artichoke purée and mandarin jus served with sweet potato crisps. The perfect inbetweener if you do not fancy the Lamb or a Steak.
OXBO also boast a range of fish and vegetarian mains, so no-one will go unattended in this restaurant. Ask your waiter to suggest you a glass of wine to accompany your chosen dish and watch how his or her eyes light up as they get a chance to help you. The service is great, the friendly helpful staff will make you feel at home in no time at all. We had the lovely and most gracious Matteo (pictured below), ask for him on your visit. You will not regret it.
We slightly over indulged on our mains and starters so we all shared the Raspberry “Crème Brûlée”. The perfect ending to lovely meal in a romantic setting.
Another thing to be aware of when dinning at the OXBO Bankside is the distillery bar next door. The sophisticated setting, signature cocktails and vast range of drinks if perfect for date night or drinks with friends.
So there you have it, a delightful restaurant and relaxing bar stocked to the ceiling with drinks and a hotel all in one space. If you bring you date here, there will be no reason for them to leave.
Visit www.hilton.com and make your Valentines booking now