Feb 2005

Serving a good range of modern, mainly European cuisine, The Mole is a well-kept secret tucked away in a rural location twenty minutes' drive from central Oxford.

Lunchtime fayre is of the panini/steak sandwich and chips/pasta bowl/salad variety, and costs from £5-£7ish. The salads and pasta bowls are available in two sizes, 'single or double', and you'll pay about £3 more for the upgrade.

The single/double option is also available on the starters at dinner, with prices averaging £5/£6 and £8/£9 for the main course size. The Asian salmon fishcake comes highly recommended. You can order Caesar salad with or without smoked chicken too, which is refreshing. The mains are described as 'Meat and Fish' (vegetarians are not very well catered for, it must be said), and the basil and pea risotto with the chicken breast had a good strong flavour and was extremely filling. Both mains and starters are generous, and if you have had bread and olives to start (a lot of slices for £2.95, with balsamic vinegar and oil too) or any sides (mash, salad, or roasted veg for £2-£4) you will have little room for dessert. If by any chance you have a particularly capacious stomach, you may be tempted by such options as the 'Eton Mess' (I've no idea!), the frozen chocolate and amaretto mousse with raspberries or the caramelised pineapple tarte tatin. All desserts are £5.95. There are also various British cheeses with biscuits for £6.95. Dessert wines and liqueurs to accompany any of these are readily available.

The restaurant is busy, open and airy with simple, stylish modern décor (all exposed beams and chunky wooden tables). Service can be a little slow at peak times, and we had to ask for one meal again as it transpired that it had been left in the kitchen, but the food was certainly of a comparable quality to any of the similar top-end restaurants in central Oxford. The atmosphere is informal, and the staff are friendly, and happy for you to order bread and olives with your drinks if you just fancy a tapas-style snack (they will bring it to you in the small bar area or the attractively landscaped external courtyard). Parking is ample. A good venue for a family meal out on a special occasion, a business dinner or a romantic wine-and-dine, the Inn can also cater for wedding parties, and probably more if you ask.