Oxford Street, Southampton is home to an abundance of independent businesses - from independently owned bars, restaurants and coffee shops to salons and lifestyle venues. It's somewhere Arran and I gravitate to for coffee or a stroll with our son most weekends but we haven't taken the time to eat there.
We were greeted by friendly staff and with our wine order taken and a chilled bottle of Chablis arriving not long after, it was time to talk food! Seated outside, we were perfectly hidden from the rain that fell on Southampton - it made our visit quite atmospheric and if we closed our eyes maybe we could've been in any other European country enjoying an evening out.
Ordering was hard - the selection of dishes was brilliant and not only did we have the main menu but we had a specials menu to choose from too. In the end, starters of Caprese Salad and Fried Calamari were ordered from the main menu and the Seafood Platter and Grilled Swordfish from the specials.
The food came out in good time and the starters were excellent - I really enjoyed the calamari and it was definitely one of the better ones I've tried in Southampton. It's my go-to when ordering starters and Oxford Brasserie's offering is definitely top three.
The real highlight was the Seafood Platter and Grilled Swordfish - I think both my friend and I spent the entire time happily murmuring to each other while commenting on how good it tasted. The Seafood Platter came with a selection of prawns, mussels, swordfish and scallops, it looked incredible and tasted excellent by all accounts - I pinched a couple of mussels which were delicious so I would definitely order it myself next time we visit.
I had the Grilled Swordfish which came on a bed of creamy basil mash paired with wilted spinach, sundried tomatoes and a caper tapenade. I can't even begin to tell you how incredible it was, the swordfish was succulent and the mix of flavours from the basil and the caper tapenade alongside the fish just worked perfectly.
It's one of the best dishes I've eaten in a long time and would order it again in a heartbeat.
We honestly had zero complaints with the food AT ALL - it was that good. Our only wish is that we weren't too full for dessert, maybe we'll have to start with dessert on our next visit.
We had such an enjoyable evening and the service was as excellent as the food - they were completely on the ball all evening with our food, and top-ups for drinks and everything was cleared and cleaned away quickly too.
I enjoyed it so much I actually visited again the following week with friends for lunch - I just can't keep away!
If you're looking for somewhere in Southampton for a date, dinner with friends or lunch with family, Oxford Brasserie should definitely be at the top of your to-try list.
You can find Oxford Brasserie at 33-34 Oxford St. SO14 3DS // 07498 283790
