A day out in Oxford was an excellent excuse to dip in to recently opened Cinnamon Kitchen up on the roof at the Westgate shopping centre.
It was a sunny day and the views from the restaurant over the spires of Oxford was a slight to behold, but so were the dishes placed beneath my chin.
I make no secret of my fondness for Chef Vivek Singh’s modern Indian culinary concepts (have a listen to my interview with Vivek for my podcast here). I’m fan and have been since soon after discovering his first restaurant, Cinnamon Club. So I was chuffed when I realised I was going to be in Oxford soon after he launched his first outlet beyond the confines of the M25.
Like most of the restaurant’s in Singh’s portfolio, this one’s in a doozy of a setting. Sure, it’s at a shopping centre, and that’s kinda meh and ordinary. But the views really are exceptional. The restaurant itself is pleasant too with large windows at the front and plenty of outdoor seating.
The menu was a looker too. I tried a couple of lunchtime dishes and enjoyed them both. The Tandoori Chicken Toastie served with masala wedges and chlli mayo (£7.50) was fiercely flavoursome. From the “small plate” side of the menu, I found it to be anything but and would have been a filling lunch on its own. Shrimp, Veg Fried Rice (£12) served Indo-Chinese style was also ample and amped up with flavour. I’d be happy to have either dish again but would probably be more inclined to sample other menu items on a subsequent visit.
A few scoops of ice cream and sorbet (£2.50) – cinnamon, coconut and mango as I remember – ended my lunch with cool and refreshment.
Service was swift and friendly, though I was never asked if I wanted anything other than water to drink. I didn’t as it was an early lunch and a super hot day and all I wanted to do was hydrate. And of course I could have asked if I really had wanted something more to sip. Further, I got the impression staff members were still getting a feel for the place. Nevertheless, I should have been asked. It would keep me from going back though, and it shouldn’t deter you.
The restaurant is a lovely place to eat while admiring a view of the historic Oxford cityscape.
Cinnamon Kitchen Oxford is located at Roof Terrace Westgate Shopping Centre, Oxford OX1 1TR. Find more about it and the other restaurants in the Cinnamon group at cinnamon-kitchen.com/westgate-oxford.
