I went to Oxford's first outdoor secret pop up restaurant last week and it was amazing. A truly magical experience. Held in a beautiful field with a 1930s cricket pavilion near the Abingdon road I arrived to see provence style tables laid out under the sunset. There were even persian rugs on the grass. As dusk fell the area was lit by vintage standard lamps placed around the restaurant and on the tables. Amazing atmos.
But more importantly the food! An absolute triumph. The chef has set this place up as an expression for his love of food from years of working in top restaurants and he serves it all out of a huge van parked in the field with an industrial kitchen in it. The menu is painted on the side which acts as a giant blackboard.
The 3 courses that came out of that kitchen were packed full of flavour, and of an exceptional quality. I had a starter of pea, mint, pecorino and lemon zest bruschetta - fresh, zesty and served on grilled sourdough. Main of 10 hour cooked lamb stuffed with a gorgeous tapenade with a middle eastern influenced salad - even the side of potatoes were perfect - in no way an afterthought. All served on huge platters. Desert was a rhubarb fool with lemon biscuits homemade by the chef's mum! Utterly delicious.
All in all a magical evening, couldn't have a better way to eat out in the British summer than this unique warm and fun night out. It made my whole weekend feel special.