Al-Andalus — Restaurant in Oxford

Awful service and management! We had a table for 4 and waited 45 minutes after ordering for the 1st plate to arrive. The paella was more than 1 hour and 15 minutes to be ready as they had 3 ordered before us. Some people arrived after us and were served before us. We asked multiple times if we had to wait a long time, very evasive answer and no consideration given. After the first plates arrived for two of us, we had to wait 10 minutes for our friends to have theirs. After that, we were served not at the same time, and some plates were missing at the end, some were barely warm. They barely say the name of the plate when serving it; they don’t know which plate goes for which table… They serve 2 or 3 tables at the same time; they don’t know their seating plan. Three different people served us, sometimes the server came, asked us for who the plate was for, we raise a hand, and then he leaves with the plate! Even if it seems busy in the kitchen, the cook went smoking in the backyard and came back in the restaurant with an awful wave of smoke and cold air. On top of that, the floor of the toilets was dangerous as soaked with water. We mentioned the bad service when we paid, they didn’t even say sorry and they justified themselves saying “it’s because we are really busy tonight”: the restaurant was half full and we saw the servers wandering around during our dinner. And it’s a tapas place! Even with full tables, you are not supposed to wait 45 minutes to have fried cheese balls and 2 slices of potatoes deepen in olive oil… I may come back to give it another chance because apparently it’s not always like that and the food was good, but it won’t be...

Al-Andalus in Oxford has quickly become my go-to restaurant since moving to Jericho earlier this year, and without a doubt it is now our favourite place to eat in the city. Every visit has been fantastic, from the warm welcome at the door to the last bite of dessert.

The food here is outstanding. The paella is one of the best I’ve ever had — rich in flavour, perfectly cooked, and packed with fresh ingredients. The tapas are equally impressive, with an authenticity that you rarely find outside of Spain. Having eaten tapas in many different cities across Spain, I can honestly say that the dishes at Al-Andalus are even better than most I tried there. The variety on the menu means there’s always something new to enjoy, and every dish feels carefully prepared and full of flavour.

Service is another highlight. The team are attentive, friendly, and make you feel genuinely looked after, whether you’re coming in for a casual meal or celebrating a special occasion. The atmosphere is lively but relaxed, which makes it perfect for dinners with friends, date nights, or family gatherings.

For anyone looking for an authentic Spanish restaurant in Oxford, I can’t recommend Al-Andalus highly enough. Between the incredible paella, the unbeatable tapas, and the consistently excellent service, it stands out as a true gem in Jericho and across...

I'd give this no stars, but it won't let me post this without a star. Absolutely awful! I never write these things and this is my first, so its made that much of an impression, that I had to write something. No one should go here. The place was completely empty at 4:00pm on a Sunday, which was already suspicious as all the other places were quite busy. A waiter who had his first day working there came to take our orders, which he did not understand and needed a translator. I ordered a glass of sangria which tasted like a frozen store bought bottle of Tesco mulled wine. My other half ordered some 'Catalonia style bread' which was an ice cold baguette with a bit of cold tomato sauce on the side. Then our order came in a matter of minutes, which also raised alarm bells. We ordered some tapas which was: a bland chicken and chorizo tapas, oily burnt chorizo, lamb that was doused in oil and tasted like dog food; and a charcoal burnt lamb skewer. My boyfriend asked them to warm up the bread which they literally put in the oven and came out burnt. Not a new baguette or apology- just the same bread but burnt. We came home and got violently ill from the presumably gone off food. I'm just mad at myself for not leaving the second we got the weird sangria and cold baguette :( Massive...