Six by Nico Oxford — Restaurant in Oxford

Nice restaurant, atmosphere, and location, but ultimately service fell short.

My partner treated me for my Birthday (restaurant not told of the occasion), to the Space menu on Saturday night, generally the busiest night for hospitality.

Location and Atmosphere: The location is well placed on the roof terrace of the Oxford Shopping centre, and is in good company with several other quality establishments (or competition). The restaurant has stunning interiors, comfortable seating, and the internal temperature was well managed. The toilets were also very clean which is a good indicator that the kitchens are likely under good care.

Service: The service started off quite well, but our server was clearly unwell and had to apologise for his voice, which was on the way out of the building and midway through, so was he. When Six By Nico lost that resource, everything fell apart completely. It was slow before, but it got even slower and disjointed. The food and accompanying chosen drinks (cocktail or wine) were not delivered at the same time. We chose to hold on eating until the drinks arrived, which appeared 10minutes later at times, would have been longer if we didn't flag to someone. You could see all the drinks on the bar, we clearly weren't the only ones waiting. The table next to ours were even bought complimentary prosecco because of how long the wait was, and there were a queue of people waiting for tables who clearly had their reservations delayed. From start to finish, we were there roughly 3 hours which i'm sure hurt their ability to turnover tables. In short, I think we can all agree, this is too long for a six course tasting menu.

Food & Drink: I had the pairing cocktails and my partner had the wine accompaniments. Obviously we're not the pro's here, but I couldn't see any connection with the cocktails, and my partner found it odd that red wine was paired with pork terrine as it over-powered the 12-garnishes which were a focal point of the dish. However, we both really enjoyed the drinks. I enjoyed 5 out of 6 dishes, the ones I like weren't perfect, there were elements which I didn't think worked or were repeated in other dishes. The dish I really didn't enjoy was the biggest one - it just felt a bit bland and was accompanied with a blindfold and headphones to aid immersion. The atmosphere was so loud, however, it bled through the headphones anyway but appreciate the creativity. In any case, the dish was so bland, that it became even more obvious when dulling the other senses. There was one dish which came with a single tiny clay baked potato each which was presented on a bed of pebbles twice the size. I wasn't sure how it fit in to the wider dish. To me, I think it fit in to the category of pretentious, please provide others with more potatoes. The other dishes were nice, but 'tasting' size. The quantum of courses did mean that we left feeling full, so in the round, we were satisfied.

Value for money: Is there value here, yes. £45 per person for the tasting menu is fair I think. A starter in your average restaurant will run you £5 - £10, so if you imagine you're having 4 starters, 1 main, and 1 dessert, it equates to a fair deal. The cocktail add on was an additional £40, wine was £30. This included 5 drink pairings, which again, when compared to your general restaurant prices it proves to be very competitive.

I firmly believe the experience had was a one-off bad night. I would return if another tasting menu looked enticing, but would be turned off from returning in future if lightning struck twice. This is a completely honest account of my experience, and I would recommend you...

What a lovely experience at Six by Nico! Loved that the tasting menu approach has been modernised and is affordable here. For £50 a person, it was exceptional. Tasting menus are usually really expensive and quite old-fashioned when it comes to approach. Think jazz music and beige colour schemes. There's nothing wrong with that and there's certainly a place for it, but I was pleasantly surprised by how modernised this approach was.

I deducted a star from the food simply because my husband said that the lamb was cold and, for me, the pudding wasn't sweet enough for me, but that's my taste. I have an exceptionally sweet sweet tooth! But I do believe that the pudding was more of a pre-dessert and needed more sugar. The ricotta had got a little grainy, too - perhaps they froze it too quickly or something? However, we had ricotta in something whipped in the first course and it was perfectly smooth.

The rest of the courses were stunning. The crispy polenta was my favourite by far - such a beautiful balance of flavours and textures. I don't eat lamb and the team alternated that dish as a vegetarian alternative. There was zero fuss surrounding this which was lovely.

The courgette flower dish - courgettes are among my favourites and I LOVE courgette flowers. However, I don't think it was a flower - more just a breadcrumbed courgette. A beyond delicious breadcrumbed courgette, but a breadcrumbed courgette nonetheless.

Overall, I cannot stress enough how lovely the food was - ESPECIALLY for the price. Everything was good, some things were stand-out stunning. And while I've mentioned a few negatives here, they really are a little nit-picky.

The restaurant is beautifully decorated and was completely rammed. We got lucky and got to sit very close to the line, allowing us to watch the chefs do their thing. I loved this. Seats were also comfortable.

Waiting times were fine considering how busy they were. Only once did I feel it was a little too long between courses 3 and 4. I didn't expect the experience to last so long. This is not a bad thing - just something for people to be aware of. I think we were sat down around 5:15 and we left around 7:45PM. Again, not a bad thing at all - just something that surprised me.

I love the concept of a tasting menu only restaurant and for the themes to change every six weeks. I'm gutted I missed The Wizard of Oz one, so I'm hoping they'll redo this.

This is what I imagined the Taste Film experience to be like in terms of their food, but they missed the mark while Six by Nico prioritises the tasting experience. Would love to see more film/book themed menus. Imagine a delicious six by Nico themed tasting menu surrounding fairytales and movie classics! Totally up for that.

One of the things I think could use work is the non-alcoholic drinks. Mocktails are listed on the menu but "on request." When I asked which mocktails they did, I was told that they don't officially do them but they would make me one. I had no idea what was in it. Tasted nice enough, but I would've loved to see two mocktails listed in the menu that I could choose from.

Service was great, food was delicious. We had a fantastic time and we will absolutely be coming back...

Six by Nico Oxford – A Constantly Evolving Dining Experience

Perched at the top of Oxford’s Westgate Centre, Six by Nico brings a refreshingly inventive approach to the city’s culinary scene. The concept is simple yet brilliant: every six weeks, a new six-course tasting menu is unveiled, each themed around a different idea, destination, or cultural reference — and the results are consistently impressive.

The dining space itself is modern and stylish, with just enough Oxford-inspired touches to give it a sense of place. A large olive tree at the heart of the restaurant adds a Mediterranean charm and a calm, natural warmth to the otherwise sleek setting.

What truly sets Six by Nico apart is the imagination behind each menu. Past themes like The Chippie have reimagined classic British dishes with finesse, while more whimsical journeys such as Land of Oz have delighted diners with playful, unexpected flavours and stunning presentation. Every course is like a chapter in a culinary story — and when paired with their expertly selected wines, the narrative comes to life even more vividly.

Service is another strong point: attentive, friendly, and knowledgeable without being overbearing. The staff talk you through each dish with genuine enthusiasm, making the experience feel more personal and immersive.

At £50 for six beautifully plated courses (with wine pairings available for an additional £39), Six by Nico offers excellent value for the level of creativity, quality, and flair on offer.

Whether you’re a curious foodie or just looking for a unique night out, Six by Nico Oxford delivers a dining experience that’s as memorable as it is delicious — and with a new theme every few weeks, there’s always a...