Bucks &amp; Oxon


<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-the-location"><strong>THE LOCATION</strong></h2>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1500" height="1125" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2022/11/The-Alice-at-The-Randolph-Oxford-©MuddyStilettos-flags-in-entrance.jpg" alt="flags and lights at the randolph hotel oxford falling from a tall reception ceiling " class="wp-image-139791" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2022/11/The-Alice-at-The-Randolph-Oxford-©MuddyStilettos-flags-in-entrance.jpg 1500w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2022/11/The-Alice-at-The-Randolph-Oxford-©MuddyStilettos-flags-in-entrance-800x600.jpg 800w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2022/11/The-Alice-at-The-Randolph-Oxford-©MuddyStilettos-flags-in-entrance-1000x750.jpg 1000w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2022/11/The-Alice-at-The-Randolph-Oxford-©MuddyStilettos-flags-in-entrance-400x300.jpg 400w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2022/11/The-Alice-at-The-Randolph-Oxford-©MuddyStilettos-flags-in-entrance-700x525.jpg 700w" sizes="(max-width: 1500px) 100vw, 1500px" /></figure>



<p></p>



<p>In a word, iconic. Alice&#8217;s Restaurant is at The Randolph Hotel in Beaumount St, directly opposite Ashmolean Museum and just off the famous thoroughfare of St Giles with the colleges of St John&#8217;s, Balliol and Trinity nearby. The&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wikiwand.com/en/Eagle_and_Child">Eagle and Child</a>&nbsp;pub, where&nbsp;JRR Tolkien,&nbsp;CS Lewis, and other members of the Inklings&nbsp;met, is one minute&#8217;s walk away. The Oxford Playhouse is to your left, the pedestrianised shopping district of Cornmarket is round the corner, Broad Street with the Sheldonian Theatre is a five minute walk, and&#8230; are you getting the picture?</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-the-vibe"><strong>THE VIBE</strong></h2>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1000" height="1000" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2022/11/The_Alice1-1330x880-c-default.jpg" alt="chandeliers in the alice restaurant oxford with pink banquette seating and high ceilings and windows " class="wp-image-139810" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2022/11/The_Alice1-1330x880-c-default.jpg 1000w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2022/11/The_Alice1-1330x880-c-default-800x800.jpg 800w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2022/11/The_Alice1-1330x880-c-default-400x400.jpg 400w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2022/11/The_Alice1-1330x880-c-default-525x525.jpg 525w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2022/11/The_Alice1-1330x880-c-default-500x500.jpg 500w" sizes="(max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px" /></figure>



<p>The Randolph has been central to Oxford since its opening in 1866, largely due to its being for so long the only five star hotel in Oxford (now joined by The Old Parsonage and Old Bank Hotels). As a student here in the Nineties, I ate at the restaurant regularly with my parents when they&#8217;d come up to see me &#8211; it was silver service, very grand, and a bit stuffy. </p>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1500" height="1125" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2022/11/The-Alice-at-The-Randolph-Oxford-©MuddyStilettosThe-Alice-at-The-Randolph-Oxford-©MuddyStilettosThe-Alice-at-The-Randolph-Oxford-©MuddyStilettos-mosaic-close-up.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-139803" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2022/11/The-Alice-at-The-Randolph-Oxford-©MuddyStilettosThe-Alice-at-The-Randolph-Oxford-©MuddyStilettosThe-Alice-at-The-Randolph-Oxford-©MuddyStilettos-mosaic-close-up.jpg 1500w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2022/11/The-Alice-at-The-Randolph-Oxford-©MuddyStilettosThe-Alice-at-The-Randolph-Oxford-©MuddyStilettosThe-Alice-at-The-Randolph-Oxford-©MuddyStilettos-mosaic-close-up-800x600.jpg 800w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2022/11/The-Alice-at-The-Randolph-Oxford-©MuddyStilettosThe-Alice-at-The-Randolph-Oxford-©MuddyStilettosThe-Alice-at-The-Randolph-Oxford-©MuddyStilettos-mosaic-close-up-1000x750.jpg 1000w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2022/11/The-Alice-at-The-Randolph-Oxford-©MuddyStilettosThe-Alice-at-The-Randolph-Oxford-©MuddyStilettosThe-Alice-at-The-Randolph-Oxford-©MuddyStilettos-mosaic-close-up-400x300.jpg 400w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2022/11/The-Alice-at-The-Randolph-Oxford-©MuddyStilettosThe-Alice-at-The-Randolph-Oxford-©MuddyStilettosThe-Alice-at-The-Randolph-Oxford-©MuddyStilettos-mosaic-close-up-700x525.jpg 700w" sizes="(max-width: 1500px) 100vw, 1500px" /></figure>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1500" height="2000" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2022/11/The-Alice-at-The-Randolph-Oxford-©MuddyStilettos-bar.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-139795" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2022/11/The-Alice-at-The-Randolph-Oxford-©MuddyStilettos-bar.jpg 1500w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2022/11/The-Alice-at-The-Randolph-Oxford-©MuddyStilettos-bar-600x800.jpg 600w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2022/11/The-Alice-at-The-Randolph-Oxford-©MuddyStilettos-bar-750x1000.jpg 750w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2022/11/The-Alice-at-The-Randolph-Oxford-©MuddyStilettos-bar-300x400.jpg 300w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2022/11/The-Alice-at-The-Randolph-Oxford-©MuddyStilettos-bar-1152x1536.jpg 1152w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2022/11/The-Alice-at-The-Randolph-Oxford-©MuddyStilettos-bar-394x525.jpg 394w" sizes="(max-width: 1500px) 100vw, 1500px" /></figure>



<p></p>



<p>Fast forward to the relaunch of the restaurant as The Alice brasserie, as part of the relaunch of the hotel after a fire in 2021, and it couldn&#8217;t be more different. A riotous colour and style mash up, there are waltzer banquettes in retro baby pink matched with chairs upholstered in green, a patterned blue fabric double height ceiling with the colossal chandelier as its centre piece, a stunning black and white mosaic floor and a lovely marble topped bar towards the end of the room, with its own chandelier. </p>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1500" height="1125" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2022/11/The-Alice-at-The-Randolph-Oxford-©MuddyStilettos-seats-.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-139792" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2022/11/The-Alice-at-The-Randolph-Oxford-©MuddyStilettos-seats-.jpg 1500w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2022/11/The-Alice-at-The-Randolph-Oxford-©MuddyStilettos-seats--800x600.jpg 800w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2022/11/The-Alice-at-The-Randolph-Oxford-©MuddyStilettos-seats--1000x750.jpg 1000w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2022/11/The-Alice-at-The-Randolph-Oxford-©MuddyStilettos-seats--400x300.jpg 400w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2022/11/The-Alice-at-The-Randolph-Oxford-©MuddyStilettos-seats--700x525.jpg 700w" sizes="(max-width: 1500px) 100vw, 1500px" /></figure>



<p>Refined? No. Fun, glitzy and different to anywhere else in Oxford? YES! And a cute contrast to the more traditional Morse Bar and panelled wood as you enter the hotel too.</p>



<p></p>



<p>FYI there&#8217;s a super cool Snug Room between the The Alice and the private dining rooms (below) for pre- or post dinner cocktails &#8211; it&#8217;s another riot of clashing colours and visual fun that I&#8217;m LOVING. I&#8217;ll definitely slouch in there with a Bloody Mary or two on my return. </p>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1500" height="897" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2022/11/210913_Graduate_Oxford_UK_0448-scaled-1.jpeg" alt="" class="wp-image-139817" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2022/11/210913_Graduate_Oxford_UK_0448-scaled-1.jpeg 1500w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2022/11/210913_Graduate_Oxford_UK_0448-scaled-1-800x478.jpeg 800w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2022/11/210913_Graduate_Oxford_UK_0448-scaled-1-1000x598.jpeg 1000w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2022/11/210913_Graduate_Oxford_UK_0448-scaled-1-400x239.jpeg 400w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2022/11/210913_Graduate_Oxford_UK_0448-scaled-1-878x525.jpeg 878w" sizes="(max-width: 1500px) 100vw, 1500px" /><figcaption>The Snug Room</figcaption></figure>



<p></p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-scoff-quaff">SCOFF &amp; QUAFF</h2>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1500" height="1125" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2022/11/The-Alice-at-The-Randolph-Oxford-©MuddyStilettos-burrata-tomato.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-139796" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2022/11/The-Alice-at-The-Randolph-Oxford-©MuddyStilettos-burrata-tomato.jpg 1500w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2022/11/The-Alice-at-The-Randolph-Oxford-©MuddyStilettos-burrata-tomato-800x600.jpg 800w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2022/11/The-Alice-at-The-Randolph-Oxford-©MuddyStilettos-burrata-tomato-1000x750.jpg 1000w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2022/11/The-Alice-at-The-Randolph-Oxford-©MuddyStilettos-burrata-tomato-400x300.jpg 400w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2022/11/The-Alice-at-The-Randolph-Oxford-©MuddyStilettos-burrata-tomato-700x525.jpg 700w" sizes="(max-width: 1500px) 100vw, 1500px" /></figure>



<p>It was quite hard to gauge from the new look of The Alice where the food was going to take us, but the answer is &#8211; to a happy place. Billed as a British brasserie with a contemporary twist, I&#8217;d say that&#8217;s an accurate description. I took my 13 year old son, Cass, as my plus one for a relaxed lunch between shopping and cinema, which kind of dictated the choices  as we didn&#8217;t feel like anything too extravagant (though if you&#8217;re looking for a posh lunch out, there&#8217;s plenty enough to tempt you on à la carte menu). Cass found an unpretentious fish and chips on the menu (£20), one of several child crowd-pleasers, while I zoned in on a superior heirloom tomato, burrata and herb salad (£13, above) for entrée, followed by a simple, warming autumn vegetable gnocchi, green onions &amp; garlic (£19, below). </p>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1500" height="1125" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2022/11/The-Alice-at-The-Randolph-Oxford-©MuddyStilettos-gnocchi.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-139798" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2022/11/The-Alice-at-The-Randolph-Oxford-©MuddyStilettos-gnocchi.jpg 1500w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2022/11/The-Alice-at-The-Randolph-Oxford-©MuddyStilettos-gnocchi-800x600.jpg 800w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2022/11/The-Alice-at-The-Randolph-Oxford-©MuddyStilettos-gnocchi-1000x750.jpg 1000w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2022/11/The-Alice-at-The-Randolph-Oxford-©MuddyStilettos-gnocchi-400x300.jpg 400w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2022/11/The-Alice-at-The-Randolph-Oxford-©MuddyStilettos-gnocchi-700x525.jpg 700w" sizes="(max-width: 1500px) 100vw, 1500px" /></figure>



<p>Desserts were impressive, and the presentation clearly nodded to the high-end capability of the kitchen, with my pavlova of autumn fruits, blackberry sorbet (£7) a little tower of beauty, and Cass&#8217;s chocolate fondant with caramel Ice Cream (£7) prettily presented.</p>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1500" height="1125" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2022/11/The-Alice-at-The-Randolph-Oxford-©MuddyStilettos-pavlova-landscape.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-139797" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2022/11/The-Alice-at-The-Randolph-Oxford-©MuddyStilettos-pavlova-landscape.jpg 1500w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2022/11/The-Alice-at-The-Randolph-Oxford-©MuddyStilettos-pavlova-landscape-800x600.jpg 800w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2022/11/The-Alice-at-The-Randolph-Oxford-©MuddyStilettos-pavlova-landscape-1000x750.jpg 1000w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2022/11/The-Alice-at-The-Randolph-Oxford-©MuddyStilettos-pavlova-landscape-400x300.jpg 400w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2022/11/The-Alice-at-The-Randolph-Oxford-©MuddyStilettos-pavlova-landscape-700x525.jpg 700w" sizes="(max-width: 1500px) 100vw, 1500px" /></figure>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1500" height="1125" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2022/11/The-Alice-at-The-Randolph-Oxford-©MuddyStilettos-chocolate-fondant.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-139799" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2022/11/The-Alice-at-The-Randolph-Oxford-©MuddyStilettos-chocolate-fondant.jpg 1500w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2022/11/The-Alice-at-The-Randolph-Oxford-©MuddyStilettos-chocolate-fondant-800x600.jpg 800w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2022/11/The-Alice-at-The-Randolph-Oxford-©MuddyStilettos-chocolate-fondant-1000x750.jpg 1000w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2022/11/The-Alice-at-The-Randolph-Oxford-©MuddyStilettos-chocolate-fondant-400x300.jpg 400w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2022/11/The-Alice-at-The-Randolph-Oxford-©MuddyStilettos-chocolate-fondant-700x525.jpg 700w" sizes="(max-width: 1500px) 100vw, 1500px" /></figure>



<p></p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-pillow-talk">PILLOW TALK</h2>



<p>I haven&#8217;t rested my head at The Randolph since its revamp, but if you are planning a stay, you&#8217;ll have 151 rooms, including 11 suites to choose from, with prices starting around £200 for the night. </p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-out-about">OUT &amp; ABOUT</h2>



<p> In the centre of Oxford everything is at your finger tips, all within easy walking distance. Aside from the tourist classics of the Sheldonian, Bodlian, and Oxford Colleges (my tips: ChristChurch, St John&#8217;s, Magdalen and Worcester should be top of your lists), you&#8217;re minutes from the young, groovy district of Jericho with its bars, indie shops and trendy cafés, and then onto Oxford&#8217;s best kept secret of Port Meadow, 137 hectares of land in the heart of the city.  University Parks are a 10 minute walk away too, where you&#8217;ll also find the Natural History Museum. </p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-the-muddy-verdict">THE MUDDY VERDICT</h2>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1500" height="2000" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2022/11/The-Alice-at-The-Randolph-Oxford-©MuddyStilettos-tweedle-dum.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-139801" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2022/11/The-Alice-at-The-Randolph-Oxford-©MuddyStilettos-tweedle-dum.jpg 1500w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2022/11/The-Alice-at-The-Randolph-Oxford-©MuddyStilettos-tweedle-dum-600x800.jpg 600w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2022/11/The-Alice-at-The-Randolph-Oxford-©MuddyStilettos-tweedle-dum-750x1000.jpg 750w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2022/11/The-Alice-at-The-Randolph-Oxford-©MuddyStilettos-tweedle-dum-300x400.jpg 300w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2022/11/The-Alice-at-The-Randolph-Oxford-©MuddyStilettos-tweedle-dum-1152x1536.jpg 1152w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2022/11/The-Alice-at-The-Randolph-Oxford-©MuddyStilettos-tweedle-dum-394x525.jpg 394w" sizes="(max-width: 1500px) 100vw, 1500px" /></figure>



<p><strong>Good for: </strong>A surprisingly good option for locals and passing trade &#8211; The Randolph&#8217;s five star credentials may feel a bit daunting but when you see The Alice you&#8217;ll be pleased you dived in. The menu is surprisingly accessible with fish, burgers and steak and chips on the menu, and with the Oxford Playhouse and New Theatre both within minutes, it&#8217;s an ideal for a pre-theatre lunch or dinner.  The all-day dining option is useful </p>



<p><strong>Not for:</strong> I enjoyed the crazy-clashy decor because it&#8217;s so different to what&#8217;s usually seen around Oxford, but it won&#8217;t be for everyone &#8211; the baby pink banquette seating is &#8216;out there&#8217;, that&#8217;s for sure. The prices are definitely premium for a brasserie so be prepared to pay £16 for your burger and £20 for your fish and chips. </p>



<p><em>The Alice, The Randolph Hotel, Beaumont St, Oxford OX1 2LN. Tel: <a href="https://www.google.com/search?q=the+alice+hotel+oxford+menu&amp;oq=the+alice+&amp;aqs=chrome.0.69i59l2j69i57j46i20i175i199i263i512j46i131i433i512j69i60l3.2857j0j9&amp;sourceid=chrome&amp;ie=UTF-8#">01865 256400</a>.</em></p>



<p></p>


Review: The Alice Restaurant, Oxford

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