OXBO Restaurant & Bar — Restaurant in Woking

Hi, this is my feedback about our own experience in the OXBO Woking restaurant on Saturday the 9th of November. I have delayed giving this feedback because the manager, Paul, said on the night that he would contact me, but despite having my email address and phone number he hasn't made contact. So here goes . . . On Saturday, November 9th, my wife and I visited the OXBO to celebrate our 39th wedding anniversary. Despite indicating this special occasion on our booking, the experience fell woefully short of expectations. Upon arrival, we were promptly seated at a nice window table, and the food menus were provided quickly. However, the service began to decline shortly after. I should mentioned that at no point during the evening was there an inquiry about allergies, which is standard industry practice. We noticed there was no drinks menu available, leaving us uncertain about our options. After waiting over ten minutes without being served, I requested to see a drinks menu, only to be told that there wasn’t one! The waiter asked what we wanted instead, which felt quite unusual. I opted for a Peroni beer, while my wife chose an alcohol-free version. When the drinks arrived, they were served in large dimple pint glasses which were really unsuitable for the 330 ml bottles we received; this was surprising and seemed unprofessional. I asked for the glasses to be changed but the waiter had a bit of an attitude about this and reluctantly agreed to pour them in to, what he called, "juice glasses".

Our starters took 55 minutes to arrive despite the restaurant being only half full. While we enjoyed the cauliflower fritters, the long wait was very frustrating. After another lengthy delay of around 30 minutes for our main courses—totaling nearly 90 minutes from when we first sat down—I lost patience. A nearby friend who had arrived shortly after us messaged me asking "Do they serve food here!" due to her party's own long wait. A couple near us got up and left before they got their food When I requested another drink, I asked for a draught Peroni since I couldn't see the bar and was unaware of the options available. You, Paul, told me that you had a problem with the internet, which we also heard about the week before when I was in the loft bar. There was also a problem with the internet on the first night I understand. But when our waiter took our order he did so on a pad and pen. I couldn't really understand why taking order with a pad and pen is affected by the Internet? The service was extremely poor, and despite marking our reservation for an anniversary celebration, no one acknowledged it until I mentioned it at the end of our meal! The previous Friday I had hosted a party of 44 people in the loft bar on the second night of your opening and that went extremely well. Hence quite a few of us have been looking forward to trying the OXBO Woking and but given the whole experience, I can't recommend it to anyone. Avoid.

Hey Paul, in response to your response. You already have my details (I gave you my phone number and email on the night). If you can't be bothered to contact me, that sums up this...

I hope this message finds you well and with fewer decibels than we experienced recently. I’m writing to express my gratitude for your stunning Surrey County view—truly, it’s a feast for the eyes. Unfortunately, when it came to the feast for the ears, my party of seven and I were not so lucky. We had booked a table well in advance, expecting a serene dining experience to match your elegant reputation. Imagine our surprise—and mild horror—when we were seated beside a banquet for around 30 talkative guests celebrating their company dinner, complete with a CEO’s speech that was, let’s say, enthusiastically delivered. Our romantic table transformed into a front-row seat for what felt like a corporate TED talk plus a comedy show, except we hadn’t paid for the entertainment. While we understand that events happen and OXBO is a popular spot, accepting a small party’s reservation alongside such a large, vocal group felt a bit like inviting seven to a rock concert in a library. We ended up sharing not only space but also unintended audio, which, despite its entertainment value, was quite the undesirable addition to our dinner. In the spirit of enjoying your breathtaking views without the backdrop of business banter, I kindly suggest a little spatial diplomacy in future bookings—perhaps keeping intimate dinners and company gatherings at a polite distance from each other. Thank you for your attention to this noisy matter. We love your restaurant and look forward to many quieter...

We decided to visit Oxbo at the new Hilton in Woking for our Valentines dinner. The restaurant is very nice and modern. The views are stunning. I would have expected some Valentines decorations or a special, but unfortunately, nothing of that sort was done by management. The reception was friendly, and our waiter, although still green, was very attentive. One little thing was that we asked for Coke Zero, and he said ok and then brought Diet Coke, which is not the same. When I inquired if they didn't have Coke Zero, he just said no. Anyway, it's not a biggie.

The food is mediocre for the price. The camembert was not completely melted. The bread selection for £7 overtly overpriced and the butter is sweetened. The steaks were not the best cuts far too much fat, we ended up leaving more than half of the meal on the plate. When we asked for the bill, they didn't clear the table first. So overall, lovely views, friendly, attentive albeit inexperienced staff and mediocre overpriced food.

Also a little piece of advice to Paul, who will answer with his template answer of him being sorry that our expectations weren't met. Try to put some effort into replies it goes a long way when people read reviews. At the moment, you come over as uncaring...