Known as “the city of dreaming spires” since poet Matthew Arnold coined it so, Oxford is a town of tradition and beauty in equal measure. Few settings better fulfil a tourist’s idea of what a quintessential English city should be like. An excellent choice for a city break in England, Oxford is certainly best explored from the luxury of The Randolph hotel. This year marks their 150th anniversary; a century and a half of experience in looking after the most distinguished guests of a city that hosts world leaders in business, academia, and the arts.
Stay
The Randolph’s reputation proceeds it. Occupying an imposing building of Victorian Gothic architecture, it is well known as the place to stay for visiting big wigs and parents of Oxford students. Being right in the city centre and just minutes away from most places of note, its location can’t be beaten. Facilities at the hotel are excellent: The Acanthus Restaurant is considered amongst the very best in Oxford, two onsite bars comprise of the newly opened Cartoon Bar and the Morse Bar named after the famous TV detective, a drawing room in which to take tea, and finally an exquisite subterranean spa good enough to warrant a visit for it alone.
Our room was a classic suite, separated into an entrance space with storage and wardrobes, an immaculate sitting room, a bedroom with a desk and television, and a stone bathroom with separate bath and monsoon shower. Large windows in both main rooms offered charming views out over the Ashmolean, which combined with a tasteful palette of creams, greys, and taupe made for a tranquil and relaxing space. As a suite of rooms it was ideal for an extended stay, perhaps a long weekend, but the hotel has many smaller rooms suitable for shorter visits.
Breakfast is served in the main restaurant, and consists of a continental buffet with the option to add a cooked breakfast. The buffet includes the usual cheeses, meats, breads, pastries, fruit, and cereals that you’d expect from a five-star hotel breakfast. Full English was of course available on the cooked menu along with the now ubiquitous Eggs Benedict, but there were also more unusual options like kippers with poached eggs and smoked haddock. All of the food was of good quality, with bright and friendly service.
Acanthus Restaurant
During our stay we dined in the Acanthus Restaurant, newly refurbished following a fire which began in the kitchens due to a rogue beef stroganoff. The dining room has been given a facelift, bringing it into line with contemporary expectations but retaining its classic charm. Walls are painted forest green and adorned with college crests and oil paintings that give the room a sense of stature.
The restaurant particularly prides itself on its oysters, delivered fresh from Cornwall on a daily basis. We had six served with the usual accompaniments which were very good, as was a starter of fried cod cheeks and samphire. Main courses are mostly classic with flourishes, a good selection of fish, meat, and vegetarian options. We opted for filet of beef au poivre; a more elegant dish than I expected; meltingly tender slices of beef served with creamy gratin potato and little bundles of fine French beans. Pudding was a sticky tarte tatin to share with cinnamon ice cream.
The wine list was varied but not so large as to confuse, and our waiter made helpful suggestions throughout the meal on what to pair with our dishes. Service throughout the evening was attentive but unobtrusive, and with the grand setting and twinkling candlelight it was well suited to romantic suppers and clandestine tête-à-têtes.
Do
The University of Oxford is of course what the city is best known for. Its collegiate system separates it into colleges which open to the public at various times throughout the year, popular with tourists and aspiring students alike. The colleges make up some of Oxford’s most stunning architure, and their hallowed halls are charming to explore. Punting along the River Cherwell and its streams goes hand in hand with university tradition. Visitors can partake in the pastime (seasonally permitting) with punts easily rentable from operators in the city. Make sure to grab a bottle of champagne and some strawberries to take with you for an extra special afternoon.
The Randolph is named after Revd Dr. Francis Randolph, an eighteenth century cleric and chief benefactor to what is now one of the best places to visit in Oxford: The Ashmolean. Similar in its collection to The British Museum, it houses one of the country’s finest assemblages of antiquity and artefact. As Britain’s first public musem it is well worth a visit, and being just opposite the hotel it’s as simple to get to as rolling out of bed. Another collection of note is housed at the Pitt Rivers Museum, like a giant cabinet of curiosities it looks after the archaeological and ethnographic material belonging to the university’s School of Anthropology. Keeping with the cultural theme, another fantastic display space named Modern Art Oxford shows some of the world’s most cutting edge visual art. Oxford’s also full of glorious shopping from the covered market to independent galleries and boutiques.
With so much to do and see Oxford is ideal for a weekend away, and you won’t find a more splendid place from which to explore it than The Randolph.