Branca Review: A Local Favourite That Missed the Mark This Time

This is only our seventh post, and we've been holding off on writing about Branca simply because we didn't want to rush it, it's a place we've eaten at more than once and always come away raving about. So when we went back recently, we went in with high expectations built on genuinely good previous experiences. This time, it didn't quite land.

Where is Branca?

Branca is tucked away in Jericho, Oxford, and it's very much a locals' favourite and the kind of place you'll find regulars popping in without a second thought. The menu ranges confidently across Mediterranean and Middle Eastern influences; burrata sits next to Moroccan lamb, and a classic burger shares space with hummus and flatbread. On paper, it's exactly the kind of varied, crowd-pleasing menu that keeps us coming back.

What we ate

Creamy burrata, padron peppers, wild garlic pesto

A nice idea on paper, the burrata was creamy enough and the padron peppers brought a gentle char, but the whole plate needed more seasoning to bring it to life. The wild garlic pesto should have been doing more of the talking here and it just didn't come through.

Grilled king prawn skewer, garlic butter flatbread, aioli

The prawns were really nice, they had a great char on them and came with a fresh, zesty sauce that worked really well alongside the garlic butter flatbread, which was warm, soft, and easily the better half of the plate. The aioli on the side did a decent job of picking up the slack too.

Moroccan lamb kebabs, summer slaw, garlic flatbread, hummus

This is where the meal fell a little flat for us. The lamb, which should be tender and full of spice, came out a touch overdone and drier than we'd have liked. It's a shame, because the flavours on paper are genuinely good and we just didn't get to see the dish at its best.

7oz burger, sesame brioche bun, fully garnished, Ogleshield cheese

Ordered medium, this came out more well-done than we'd asked for, and it was a little underseasoned too, a burger lives or dies on well-seasoned, properly cooked meat, and this one needed a bit more care. The garnish (smoked gherkins, red onion, lettuce, tomato) was fresh and well put together, and the Ogleshield cheese was a good call. We went for skinny fries over fat chips, and they were spot on and perfectly crisp and no complaints there at all.

Unfortunately, we didn't finish either main which is not something that happens often for us.

Tenderstem broccoli, chilli, lemon

A slight disappointment on the description front, this was billed as charred but came out boiled, so we missed out on the char we were expecting. The chilli gave it a bit of a kick and the lemon lifted it, but it didn't quite deliver the dish we thought we were ordering.

Heritage tomatoes, basil, balsamic glaze

Not quite what we expected. Simple in theory, but the tomatoes themselves didn't have the flavour we were hoping for, and the balsamic glaze couldn't fully make up for it.

The service

No complaints at all on this front. Our hosts were lovely and genuinely attentive throughout, checking in without hovering. If the kitchen had matched the front of house tonight, this would have been a very different review.

Is Branca worth going back to?

That's a harder question to answer than usual. We know what Branca is capable of; we've eaten well here before, and that track record counts for something. But this visit has left us with a bit more hesitation than we'd like, given the seasoning, the overcooked mains, and sides that didn't quite land either. We're inclined to give it another chance, just with slightly lower expectations than we walked in with this time.

The verdict

This wasn't the meal we know Branca can produce. Seasoning across the board needed more confidence, the lamb and burger both needed more care on the grill, and even the sides didn't quite land as we'd hoped. The service, as ever, was excellent, we just hope it was an off night rather than a dip in standards.

Would we go back? Probably, though we'd be lying if we said this visit hasn't planted a bit of doubt. We'll likely give it another go, but we'll be watching closely to see if this was a one-off or something more.

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