Tempering Oxford Review: Our New Favourite Indian in the City

If someone asks us where to get proper Indian food in Oxford, we used to reel off the usual suspects without much thought. Not anymore. We went to Tempering with modest expectations and left completely won over, already planning our next visit before we'd even left the car park. This one's a genuine favourite, and we don't say that lightly.

Where is Tempering?

Tempering is an Indian restaurant in Oxford serving a genuinely impressive menu that spans North Indian classics, coastal curries, tandoori grills, and chaat-style street food, all done with real care rather than the copy-paste approach so many curry houses fall back on. There's seating available outside too, which is a gorgeous option on a warm evening and makes the whole experience feel even more like a treat.

What we ate

We went big on this one; starters, mains, a full spread of breads and rice, and dessert. Basically everything we could reasonably fit on the table, and we'd happily do it all again. Here's the full rundown.

Starters

Gol Gappa Chaat

We absolutely love chaat, and this might be one of the best versions we've had outside of a home kitchen. The texture was spot on; that satisfying crunch giving way to soft, spiced filling and the flavours were so well balanced that we were fighting over the last one. An outstanding way to start the meal.

Mango Avocado Salad

Light, refreshing, and dressed with a beautifully judged cumin dressing that tied the whole thing together. This isn't something you'd expect to see on an Indian menu, and honestly that's what made it so delightful; a genuinely creative touch that showed the kitchen isn't just playing it safe. We'd order this again in a heartbeat.

Tempering Sizzlers

A real showstopper. Perfectly chargrilled, arriving sizzling at the table with tamarind and mint sauces on the side, and cooked to absolute perfection. Bags of flavour, great char, and just a brilliant way to build anticipation for what was still to come.

Mains

Palak Paneer

Amazing. Silky, well-seasoned, and full of depth, exactly what you want from a good palak paneer, and honestly one of the better versions we've come across.

Butter Chicken

This is the north Indian classic, and Tempering's version might genuinely be the best we've ever had. So often butter chicken ends up bland, or too sweet, or drowning in cream to the point of being sickly. This was the complete opposite; rich, well-spiced, beautifully balanced, and full of character. A masterclass in how this dish should be done.

Prawn Gassi

A coastal prawn curry from India, and one of our all-time favourite dishes. The flavour here was gorgeous; layered, aromatic, and clearly made with a proper depth of spice and the prawns were cooked to perfection, plump and never overdone. A dish we'd happily travel back across Oxford for on its own.

Tempering Grand Sizzler

This is the dish to order if you want to see the kitchen really show off, and it did not disappoint. Lamb chops, king prawns, kalmi kebab, paneer shashlik, chicken tikka, salmon tikka, and gilafi seekh kebab, every single element cooked to perfection. A brilliant, generous mix of meat and fish, and genuinely impossible to pick a favourite; we kept going back and forth around the table.

Breads and rice

Basmati rice, pulao rice, tandoori roti, garlic naan, cheese naan, and peshwari naan. Every single one excellent. Good roti is surprisingly hard to find in restaurants; this was the real deal, soft and properly made. The peshwari naan deserves its own special mention — usually far too sweet for our taste, but this was the first time we've genuinely enjoyed one, with the sweetness judged just right rather than overwhelming the naan itself.

Dessert

Gulab Jamun

A classic, and done absolutely perfectly. Warm, syrupy, and soft all the way through it is everything you want from this dish.

Ice cream (chocolate and strawberry)

Both lovely and not overly sweet, which makes them a fantastic option if you find Indian desserts can tip into sickly-sweet territory. The strawberry had real bits of fruit running through it, which was a really nice touch and elevated it well beyond a standard scoop.

The drinks

All great on the drinks front too. We had beer (a classic pairing that never lets you down) and mocktails, which we'd highly recommend. Unlike a lot of mocktails, which can just end up tasting like sugary juice, these were properly thought through; well balanced and clearly made with the same care as the food. A really nice touch, and worth ordering even if you wouldn't normally bother with a mocktail.

The vibe

The vibe here was great; relaxed, warm, and polished all at once, the kind of place that works whether you're in for a quick catch-up or a proper long meal with several courses. It felt special without being stuffy, which is exactly the balance you want.

The service

The hosts were so friendly, knowledgeable, and welcoming, genuinely adding to the experience rather than just moving plates. They clearly knew the menu inside out, offered thoughtful recommendations, and made us feel completely looked after from the moment we sat down.

The verdict

One of us grew up on Indian home cooking, and this was about as close to that as a restaurant gets — genuinely comforting, properly spiced, and clearly made with care. It rivals cult places like Dishoom, and honestly, we think it is miles ahead. This is our new favourite Indian in Oxford and again, we don't say that lightly.

Would we go back? Already planning it.

Visit Tempering

Disclosure: we were invited to Tempering, but our views are, as always, entirely our own.