Foodies based in (or in the market for visiting) Oxford, heads up. In recent months Time Out critics have been eating their way through the city to discover the very best it has to offer, all in the name of overhauling our list of Oxford’s best places to eat.
Named the best restaurant in Oxford for 2025 was tapas joint Arbequina. Described in brief as ‘divine tapas in sexy surrounds’, Time Out writers Ralph Jones and Lauren Corona compared Arbequina to award-winning London tapas chain Barrafina, only ‘way, way cheaper’.
Plates at Arbequina start at £4.50 for a bowl of olives, going up to £37.50 for an entire 350g pork tenderloin. The latter is meant for two to three people, though – in general, you’ll be paying between £9-12 per item. Jones and Corona particularly recommend the ‘thick, oozy’ onion tortilla, which, at £7, is another bargain.
Coming in second place was local favourite Taste Tibet, ‘serving street food from the top of the world’. This is another budget-friendly option, as you can get an entire Tibetan ‘feast for one’ for under £20. Menus change up every week, but their momo dumplings are delicious and always on sale. Spiced Roots, ‘a casual-cool Caribbean restaurant’ took the bronze.
Check out Time Out’s new list of the best restaurants in Oxford here.
This is officially the best restaurant in the UK in 2025, according to Time Out critics
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