The Folly

Enjoyed my afternoon tea experience here. Great day overall, weather was great, service prompt and polite. Scones were to die for Would I recommend? Yes, for sure!

Our stop was just a coffee break, but the staff were very welcoming, service was FAST, we were given a nice window seat and looked after. Everything was clean and well cared for, and we really enjoyed the break.

We went on the river cruise with afternoon tea, it was such a pleasant treat. The food was delicious. The trip on the river was beautiful, so relaxing and interesting, the chap driving the boat was so knowledgeable and had a lovely sense of humour. I would definitely recommend a visit

+3

Lovely restaurant along the River. Fantastic cocktails, tasty starters, and decent entrees. I wasn’t blown away by my fettuccine but it was good! I recommend a table by the window, but if all taken, no worries - the entire room is filled with natural sunlight and lovely decor, creating a very inviting and bright interior.

Absolutely lovely! We had afternoon tea with a gorgeous view of the river. Food was excellent (and very filling) and the service was wonderful.

We recently had the pleasure of celebrating part of our intimate wedding day at The Folly Oxford, and we couldn't have asked for a better experience. Our guests arrived a little earlier than we did whilst we had a wonder round the city, but from the moment we arrived, the staff made us feel welcomed, providing a great atmosphere. The service made everything feel effortless, allowing us and our guests to relax and truly enjoy our special day. We had some bar snacks and bread tapas alongside our drinks which was fantastic to keep everyone going on a busy day. One of the highlights was undoubtedly the cocktail river cruise. The cruise staff were very friendly and knowledgeable, adding to the stunning views of Oxford. Our family haven't stopped complimenting the cruise and it was loved by everyone, the blankets were a great touch as well!! It was the perfect way to celebrate with our family and create unforgettable memories together - thank you!

+6

A peaceful atmosphere and truly elevated cuisine. I came for a quiet dinner and was pleasantly surprised by how refined everything was. I had a starter of beet carpaccio with goat cheese and pistachio crumble—it was earthy, creamy, and delightfully crunchy. For the main course, I enjoyed wild mushroom risotto, deeply savory with just a hint of white truffle oil. The service was graceful and attentive. It’s a place where you feel taken care of in every sense!!!!!!

The folly is a special restaurant next to the river in the middle of Oxford. We hosted a dinner for family and friends there in December and the whole experience was amazing from beginning to end. It’s a beautiful space with lovely, warm, friendly staff and exquisite food. Highly recommended!

Lunch for 11 for a family celebration. Private room upstairs ideal for that number. Fabulous relaxed service, nothing too much trouble. Food could not be faulted. All the different menu options explored by on or more of the party. Cannot recommend more than 5 stars or I would.

Went for dinner here on a weekend to Oxford. The atmosphere and service was excellent and the food was delicious. There are vegetarian options as well as a tasting menu with an optional wine pairing. We opted for two main courses. The prices are also very reasonable. The restaurant is a walk, or short taxi ride from the centre of Oxford.

We booked the cruise and lunch package for a weekday treat. On arrival, we were guided to our table and offered water before being given the menus to pre order our food. After a short wait, we were called to the boat where our glass of prosecco was waiting for us. On a chilly but sunny September day, the blankets were very welcome. The boat is small and not too crowded. The captain told us about the different university boathouses and canal boats before we returned to The Folly. Our lunch was ready very quickly and we shared a bottle of wine. The food was all very good: really good quality and taste with generous portions. The belly pork for the main course was particularly good. We were surprised that the restaurant seemed to be very quiet but we visited outside of term time at the start of Autumn. Really enjoyed a few hours of time away from the mad world.

This meal was a gift from my husband. We booked an early table on a Sunday evening so the restuarant was fairly quiet. It's a lovely setting, right on the river and is nicely decorated. The service was very good and our food was delicious. My arranchini starter was one of the best I've had. We have already decided to return and try the tasting menu next time.

Perfect venue for my wife's birthday. Staff were fantastic. Food was devine. Lucky enough to have the weather to sit outside. Faultless

What an absolutely fantastic restaurant. I did the river cruise with a three course meal this evening, and I would give it 6 stars if I could. That staff are warm and friendly, the service is quick, but well paced. I had the pork belly as my main course and then entire dish melts in your mouth. Phenomenal. Chocolate fondant for dessert was perfect as I was dining in their outdoor area. Will be bringing my family here when they come to visit!

We had a lovely dinner at The Folly. Everything was pretty good, but the standout dish was definitely the chicken.

Celebrated my Mum's 70th with a cruise and dine from Oxford River Cruises and The Folly restaurant. Highly recommend this trip. The cruise guide Joe was brilliant. After the cruise you have a 3 course meal in the restaurant which was delicious. The staff all really looked after us. Would definitely do it again.

Lovely tasty sandwiches & cakes. The staff were very attentative and made our afternoon tea very special. Value for money and a real treat. Picturesque under the bridge next to the river. Loved it 🤗

Afternoon tea (good value) for 10, and the staff were excellent - both on email before with our many changes and requests, and while we were there for most of the afternoon today! Sandwich fillings were a little thin, but the scones and cakes (and drinks) were excellent!

I've been here for afternoon tea and dinner. It's such a lovely restaurant on the river with a pleasant atmosphere. They have outdoor pods to dine in or the interior restaurant. Really nice food. Great place for a date if you are so inclined. Nice place to meet a friend for a coffee catch up.

We didn’t eat here, so can’t comment on that but for some drinks and a little boat trip it was fantastic. The service on arrival was really welcoming, great atmosphere. Nice outdoor area by the river to enjoy.

We did afternoon tea River cruise and it was really fab!!! It was a Christmas present so I wasn't sure what to expect as I hadn't booked it myself. It was such a lovely treat. Small boat with only a couple of other families, very knowledgeable and pleasant guide/skipper, best scones in Oxford, lovely scenery, wonderfully relaxing.

Superb restaurant by the river on Folly Bridge in Oxford. Nice ambience making great use of fresh flowers, tealights, candles and fairy lights. They have outdoor and indoor seating. Service ( Nicole and Hugo) was friendly, helpful efficient and attentive. The bread platter with duo of butter ( lemon and garlic) was excellent! Good choices of mains including vegetarian dishes. We had the baked cheese cake to finish off a perfect birthday meal! Would recommend.

Overall great experience and service. Location on the bridge itself has a wonderful view that is fitting for the nice dine in experience. We had the afternoon tea which was well prepared and scones were great. Worth mentioning the afternoon tea/ coffee are unlimited re-fills so feel free to make the most of it. Also if possible, ask for a window seat to soak in the view. The Folly is also a gallery and has a cute boutique shop.

I had an amazing gluten-free three course meal as a part of my package with Oxford River Cruises. Unfortunately, the cruise was cancelled, but the meal did not disappoint. The carrot soup and sea bass were delicious. These were also the best fries I had during my short England trip. Well seasoned and thick cut. The crème brûlée was pretty solid as well. The staff was friendly and the atmosphere right on the Thames was excellent.

We had a fabulous 7 course tasting menu. We would have paid double the price for the great variation and volume of food we received. Excellent service throughout the night, great care was taken on us, especially by Nathan, who had a very busy restaurant. We would highly recommend and we shall be going back.

I wanted to go out for afternoon tea for my birthday and chose The Folly as they had the best ratings and I’m so glad I did! It was nice and quiet, we had our own pod outside that was kept warm with heaters, it was so cute and and a lovely atmosphere! The staff were so kind and hard working, very helpful for us. Worth every penny, it’s a lot more filling than you think! Sandwiches were amazing and unlimited tea and coffee. They even allowed me to take home the leftovers. I couldn’t recommend this place enough, I will definitely be returning!

Highly recommend. Had afternoon tea. It was excellent. Best scones I have ever tasted. Beautiful place and the staff were so lovely and attentive. Will definitely be going back

Loved this place! It's so cute and the food was delicious. I was visiting Oxford and did a river cruise which was really nice as well. The staff, including the boat pilot were nice, I'm bad at getting names..... But nice vibe here.

Absolutely brilliant, I was so impressed. Great seating inside by the windows but also great seating outside if you did want to be by the canal. They have outdoor seating with some covers for when it's cold. I had the afternoon tea which was £22.95 pp and the selection was brilliant. Very lovely staff too. One star only knocked off as the tea selection was slightly limited. Otherwise a very good afternoon tea with a beautiful view!

Nice little restaurant with lots of seating right by the river where the boat tours depart from. Also lots of seating inside. Food was very tasty but the quantities are small so you will probably need at least two courses. Staff were great and very friendly, food arrived hot and speedily.

+6

Beautiful little gastro pub in scenic location just by the river. Came here for rainy September day, but can imagine it being even better on a beautiful summer day. Interior is very nice, creating a lovely atmosphere. Service is nice and friendly. Food was perhaps a little bit on the pricey side for what you get, but not completely unreasonable. Has a nice liver pâté starter and the pork belly for main. Both nice dishes. - Value for money? Somewhat - Worth a detour? No - Best for (occasion)? - Would I go back? Yes

+1

took a cruise and dine experience. have to say it was great. the boat ride was great, the captain offered knowledge and insight into the area. the tour covered boat houses and iffley lock. the restaurant has a layout with inside and outside seating. the food was great quality and arrived hot and fresh.

+6

Very much enjoyed lunch here. The atmosphere and setting were great - we were celebrating two birthdays and the restaurant recognised that by writing happy birthday in chocolate on the two relevant dessert plates.. Food served in a decorative way but actually pretty traditional. It's very good but don't expect Michelin star quality.

Lovely setting. Very attentive staff. Food beautifully presented. Tasted nice but not exceptional. Pricey. Worth combining a river cruise with your meal to create an experience.

Lovely afternoon tea, delicious, sandwiches, cakes and scones. All presented beautifully. Service was quite slow and had to ask a few times for top ups of drinks as well as having to ask for milk and sugar after teas were brought out. Setting is amazing, we were lucky with the weather so sat outside and it was so peaceful and picturesque would recommend!!

I recently dined at The Folly and was thoroughly impressed by the entire experience. From the moment we walked through the door, we were greeted with a warm and welcoming atmosphere. The decor was stylish and inviting, and the staff was friendly and attentive. The food was truly incredible. Every dish was expertly prepared and beautifully presented. The flavors were bold and delicious, and the portions were generous. We tried a variety of items from the menu and were blown away by the quality of each one. The drinks were also top-notch. The wine list was extensive and offered a wide range of options to choose from. The cocktails were expertly crafted and perfectly balanced. Overall, our experience at The Folly was excellent. The food, drinks, and service were all top-notch, and we left feeling completely satisfied. I would highly recommend The Folly to anyone looking for a delicious and memorable dining experience.

Terrible distracted service this evening - they removed our starter when we hadn’t finished, and replaced with mains. All very rushed - not to mention the inept ‘whisky and soda’ - when I wasn’t asked which whisky, but automatically given a bourbon! Very expensive for so bad, especially as they charge 12.5% for service!! Read on for the last review - when we gave it 5 stars, so very disappointing this time 24/6/23 The best meal of the year (so far) - this is a pricey treat for dining, but we loved it. I had the salt baked cauliflower (who would have thought that it was possible to get excited by cauliflower!). Impeccable charming service too.

Oh dear! Great location with riverside views. First experience was the loo - crap, pardon the pun but hygiene and cleanliness were not up to scratch. Also general state of dining room, tables, etc. This begs the question as to the state of the kitchen! Staff looked like they had just walked in from the street. Some made the effort but not what you expect at a restaurant that was selling it self at this level. Food was mediocre. I had lamb that really didn't have a lot of flavour and croquets that were... out of a packet? Wine again was very mediocre. Michelin starred prices without the Michelin starred experience. Disappointing, will not be returning, not recommended by me.

We booked the New Year’s Eve set menu at The Folly and were very disappointed by the experience, especially the service. Despite the restaurant advertising a 11pm closing time, we were clearly rushed throughout the meal and finished by around 9:45pm. Courses were brought too quickly. When the waiter asked if we wanted our dessert (right after we finished our plate, which I actually hadn't totally finished yet), we said we wanted to wait a tiny bit, and he still bought it straight away. Our request to wait a bit before dessert was ignored, and then coffee was offered while wine and dessert were still in progress. We were rushed throughout the meal at every step. The service also felt overly intrusive, as soon as we stepped in: the waiter who welcomed us started asking us personal questions, which felt a bit awkward. Then during the meal we had constant interruptions and unnecessary personal questions, which made the experience uncomfortable rather than enjoyable, especially for a New Year’s Eve dinner where I came to spend time with my partner. When, after many interruptions with the waiter checking if we were done with our plates while it was not the case, we said to him that we felt a bit rushed, and his reaction was totally awkward: he apologized very briefly but instead of offering the drinks or else he started making the chat again asking questions about our personal lives (where we live, etc etc). It was very weird for us especially after expressing our dissatisfaction. Food was okay but definitely not worth the price. Far too expensive for the food and the service quality. Overall, poor pacing and a lack of respect for the diners’ rhythm significantly spoiled the evening. And please, for your own sake: clients do not come to the restaurant to engage in long chats and conversations with the waiters. They come to the restaurant to spend time with their friends, family or partner. This is such a faux-pas.

The bread was warm but tasted just ok, butter was nice, soup of the day and mackerel weren’t great, buttered veggies were fine, chicken main was overcooked so quite dry, the only one which kinda good was the caramel lava cake, I’d say this restaurant sells view more than food, view was nice and service was nice, but would not recommend.

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 culinary experience.

Went for a pre-Valentine’s dinner. Starter was fine, but our mains were over 30 minutes late because our order was given to another table! When they arrived, the food was cold and not good. We were offered a free dessert and drinks, which we appreciated, but overall it was not a good experience.