Browns Oxford — Restaurant in Oxford

Following a lovely day we decided to join our friends at Browns. We were greeted at the door by ‘We do not allow dogs’ well as these dogs are registered assistance dogs and we can prove it you do. This was followed by I am not sure where you could sit as there is a step to the seating area. As our friend whom had visited before said you can seat us in that section. Reluctantly he ushered us to a seat that was clearly in a section of the restaurant that was not in use that evening. After we sat down we ordered our drinks then after what felt like being rushed on a little we ordered our food. The lighting at the table was so poor we had to use the torch on our phone. The drinks were as ordered the (something) sherbet mock-tail was particularly yum. As for the food: the wait was not too bad. Dish 1: Chicken schnitzel - dry stringy, tough and overcooked. Served with a well cooked egg. We even had to ask if the chicken had been frozen as it tasted like it. Dish 2: Burger - although I requested it to be cooked medium (any establishment wort their salt and food hygiene standards should easily accomplish this) I was told all burgers by law (really?) have to be cooked medium to well and it depends on the temperature when probed. Reluctantly I agreed and I am sure that my burger should have been then probed long ago as I am sure it had actually reached at least 90°C it was as dry as the Sahara. Even the accompanying sauces and garnish could not fix it. Dish 3: Sea bream risotto - it was described as an overcooked piece of dry fish on a bed of tasteless rice pudding. We exchanged the chicken schnitzel for Dish 4: the mushrooms on toast starter. This was marginally better although there was enough garlic to chase even the most of resistant of vampires. They seriously lacked seasoning and flavour. A little splash of lemon would have lifted the flavour. The desert was the only thing that was going for the meal. We had Dish 5 the salted caramel profiteroles. Our waiter was very uncertain on the quantity in a portion he had to ask of which there were 5 along with dollops of cream and caramelised sugar blobs that could break your teeth. It was interesting to ask the passing waiters if they were bought in or made on site. Of the 3 or 4 waiters we asked There were many answers from I don’t know to They come from a supplier or as one waiter said “I was quite surprised seeing them made myself”. Ok who is the truth teller? Please be honest!

... So, ​‌​‌​‌​​⁠​‌‌​‌​​​⁠​‌‌​​‌​‌⁠​​‌​​​​​⁠​‌‌​​‌‌​⁠​‌‌​‌‌‌‌⁠​‌‌​‌‌‌‌⁠​‌‌​​‌​​⁠​​‌​​​​​⁠​‌‌​​​​‌⁠​‌‌​‌‌‌​⁠​‌‌​​‌​​⁠​​‌​​​​​⁠​‌‌‌​​‌‌⁠​‌‌​​‌​‌⁠​‌‌‌​​‌​⁠​‌‌‌​‌‌​⁠​‌‌​‌​​‌⁠​‌‌​​​‌‌⁠​‌‌​​‌​‌⁠​​‌​​​​​⁠​‌‌‌​‌‌‌⁠​‌‌​​​​‌⁠​‌‌‌​​‌‌⁠​​‌​​​​​⁠​‌‌​​​​‌⁠​‌‌‌​‌‌‌⁠​‌‌​​‌‌​⁠​‌‌‌​‌​‌⁠​‌‌​‌‌​​⁠​​‌​​​​​⁠​‌‌​​​‌​⁠​‌‌‌​‌​‌⁠​‌‌‌​‌​​⁠​​‌​​​​​⁠​‌‌​​​​‌⁠​‌‌‌​​‌‌⁠​​‌​​​​​⁠​‌‌‌​‌‌‌⁠​‌‌​​‌​‌⁠​​‌​​​​​⁠​‌‌‌​‌‌‌⁠​‌‌​​‌​‌⁠​‌‌‌​​‌​⁠​‌‌​​‌​‌⁠​​‌​​​​​⁠​‌‌​​​​‌⁠​​‌​​​​​⁠​‌‌​​‌‌​⁠​‌‌‌​​‌​⁠​‌‌​‌​​‌⁠​‌‌​​‌​‌⁠​‌‌​‌‌‌​⁠​‌‌​​‌​​⁠​‌‌‌​​‌‌⁠​​‌​​​​​⁠​‌‌​​‌‌‌⁠​‌‌‌​‌​‌⁠​‌‌​​‌​‌⁠​‌‌‌​​‌‌⁠​‌‌‌​‌​​⁠​​‌​​​​​⁠​‌‌‌​‌‌‌⁠​‌‌​​‌​‌⁠​​‌​​​​​⁠​‌‌‌​‌​​⁠​‌‌​‌​​​⁠​‌‌​‌‌‌‌⁠​‌‌‌​‌​‌⁠​‌‌​​‌‌‌⁠​‌‌​‌​​​⁠​‌‌‌​‌​​⁠​​‌​​​​​⁠​‌‌​‌‌‌​⁠​‌‌​‌‌‌‌⁠​‌‌‌​‌​​⁠​​‌​​​​​⁠​‌‌‌​‌​​⁠​‌‌​‌‌‌‌⁠​​‌​​​​​⁠​‌‌​​​‌‌⁠​‌‌​‌‌‌‌⁠​‌‌​‌‌​‌⁠​‌‌‌​​​​⁠​‌‌​‌‌​​⁠​‌‌​​​​‌⁠​‌‌​‌​​‌⁠​‌‌​‌‌‌​⁠​​‌​‌‌‌​⁠​​‌​​​​​⁠ would I recommend this establishment to others? Well if you love under seasoned overcooked food then this is the place for you. Based on my experience, um... I doubt it. For the drinks a possibility if I am in the area and there is no better...

Visit last year..We went to lunch yesterday, greeted without a smile as if we were intruding by what i think was a manager, we were then wisked to the table and he walked off without even a smile, we were finally greeted by our waitress around 10 minutes of seating. We ordered and when the food came my daughters burger had a large hair on the burger, lucky she noticed straight away. We told one of the people and they said they would change it. No appology or concern. We starting eating our meal and 15 minutes after asked 3 people if the burger would be long and if they could check, finally almost 20 minutes after the incident the burger arrived, obviously my wife daughter and i had finished our meals.. this actually ruined everyones meal and we had no time to order pudding as we had other commitments. I ordered the Bill ad to my surprise no one apologised for any delays which is basically rood in any restaurant, I was charged for our free cocktail, and i had to make the point that i was not happy paying service so they should take it off (even though I left a cash gratuity as the waitress acknowledged the situation and went to speak to the manager who comped the burger... She was the only person that apologised but actually only did so after i showed discontent We are not cattle and this is not what we expect from one of the oldest restaurants in our city

VISIT TODAY We went back today 9th feb as was offered a voucher..and can say i made a mistake by telling them i ws going back as my Roast beef was awful, potatoes hard as stone, cut overcooked and tough.. hard to do with a sirloin ... service was so so .. but 30 minutes after order in a less than half full restaurant for mediocre quality food ,,, Tough Sirloin.. i left half the meat and when they took the plate away no one asked why... 1/2 eaten plate Obviously a reheated yorkshire pudding Again most probably re-heated potatoes as they were so hard i could not bite into them ( my daughters potatoes were fresh) so its worrying that they reserve food) however she stated it was tasteless Gravy very salty Plenty of parsnips carrots and greens which were ok but don't expect to pay 21.95 for edible roast vegetables.. No one happy staff wise don't look comfortable or happy, customers look disgruntled on both visits, but i suppose no one cares as service is added on i wont be...

Unfortunately, we had a terrible experience at Browns. We booked a reservation online for noon for brunch and breakfast. When we arrived, we were (in a quite unfriendly way) told that they could no longer eat breakfast or brunch and that we needed to purchase bottomless brunch instead (for at least another £35 per person). The manager said that they stopped serving normal brunch at noon, even though at this point it was 12:05 and we were able to book a reservation at noon for normal brunch. It took 10 minutes of tense conversation to be able to normally order, and the manager maintained a negative attitude about it.

They did not have the dishes we wanted to order available (the lobster benedict). We placed an order for two smoothies when we ordered, and it seems like the manager just forgot about it. We were served our food, and when we asked where our drinks were, the waiter was confused and had to go speak to the manager. Only then did they start making the smoothies.

The eggs benedict we had was fine, but the steak and eggs were awful. I'm not exaggerating when I'm saying there was no seasoning on the steak. No salt, no pepper, nothing. It was also incredibly chewy and tough. I had to ask for a steak knife to cut it (the normal knives they provided could not do the job). I even had to spit out several pieces from how chewy they were.

When we wanted to leave, the payment system seemed to be down, so it took 15-20 minutes for us to even be able to check out.

Based on my experience, there are many better brunch...