The Folly Restaurant — Restaurant in Oxford

I want to preface this review by saying that my intention is not to be overly critical, as we had an excellent experience with the service, and The Folly’s atmosphere is absolutely charming. However, the food and menu fell short of expectations.

We started with some bar “tapas,” but as someone with Spanish, Latin and Middle Eastern roots, I can confidently say they were far from authentic. The honey butter served with the bread was a highlight—delightfully edible—but the hummus was disappointing. It lacked the flavor and texture you’d expect from a proper hummus. For a truly authentic Israeli-style hummus, I’d recommend trying Ottolenghi at Bicester Village, where the freshness and tradition really shine through at least for the hummus.

For the main course, we ordered the beef fillet. While the presentation was visually appealing, the quality of the cut left much to be desired. The flavor was underwhelming, and the doneness wasn’t consistent—I ordered it medium-rare, but only a small portion of the cut was cooked to that standard. The dish as a whole was bland, and while I’m not someone who typically adds condiments to enhance flavors, a touch of salt could have made a difference.

The wine selection was good, but I was surprised by the lack of French wines available by the glass, which I found a bit disappointing. Perhaps I missed something while reading through the wine menu. A Chateau Tour Haut Vignoble for £65 when in reality you find it for £30 (or less), seems a bit odd.

I understand that taste is subjective, but as someone who is well-traveled and experienced in gastronomy, I couldn’t help but feel that The Folly aims high (at a high cost as well) but ultimately delivers food that is quite mediocre.

That said, the staff was truly wonderful, and the venue itself is beautiful. With some improvements to the menu and execution, The Folly has great potential to match its atmosphere with an equally impressive...

My partner booked us a meal here to celebrate a special occasion. He booked everything as a surprise for me. I am vegetarian and he specifically chose somewhere with multiple vegetarian options. We sat down and ordered drinks and looked at the menu - there were 3 vegetarian options on the menu handed to us, I was really excited about the risotto as it's one of my favourite things. When it came to ordering the food, I asked for the risotto and was told it wasn't available, along with the burgers also on the menu (one veggie one normal). He didn't say they'd run out or anything like that, it sounded like they hadn't meant to put it on the menu. That left me with one option, which was aubergine. I'd never normally choose aubergine as I don't like it much. By that point, there was nothing we could really do so I had to order that. From where we were sat, we could see people eating on the outside terrace, and one of the ladies I could see was definitely eating the risotto I'd wanted to order. I didn't challenge the staff on this but it did confuse me. The service was generally good but we had to ask 3 times for some water for the table. When the food arrived the quality was very good, especially the desserts, however as I said aubergine isn't my favourite and I really wish I'd had more options. Overall, I wouldn't recommend this restaurant to anyone who doesn't eat meat, and beware that some of the menu advertised online might randomly not be available...

The setting and the meals were very nice and the staff were very nice. However, my wife and I were visiting on a gift card which clearly stated we would be choosing a la carte. When we arrived we were seated waterside on a beautiful day, the setting was casual and peaceful.

Then the menus were handed to us. Now I know that due to covid-19, limitations have been the norm. However, before we went we planned our meal online so we were prepared. The menus were terrace menus and the meals were completely different to the a la carte. We were then told that if we wanted the fillet steak it would cost an extra £10-00 each. Now nowhere on the gift card does it mention this fact nor on the website. We were also told that a la carte dining is only available in the evening, again never mentioned on the gift card or online.

As this was our 30th wedding anniversary meal and was a gift from our son, it was probably one of the most disappointing experiences I have ever had. Especially in regards to what was offered for the price.

Hence only 3 stars. Sorry, but I think you need make clear on your website any limitations and/or surcharges. It would make for a much more comfortable...