Review: Namaste Village Oxford

Pssst, we’ve got a secret to share. A very vegetarian secret.

An entirely non-meat restaurant Namaste Village has quietly opened its doors in Oxford, at the Oxford Castle development by the Malmaison Hotel.

While this was a brand we'd not heard of previously, on researching we found out this is in fact the sixth site opening for Namaste Village, a growing restaurant group which focuses on an entirely non meat menu - not that meat eaters will be disappointed in the slightest with the varied and rich tasting dishes in store.

Samosas and dahi puri at Namaste Village Oxford

We were invited to visit for lunch on a sunny August afternoon just a couple of weeks into their opening.

Jemin our server who had come over from the Cambridge Namaste Village to oversee the Oxford opening explained the menu to me. Namaste Village draws on influences from all over India. The biriyani and dosas reflect classic South Indian cuisine, while street food dishes come from Gujarat and Mumbai, while their curries are based on Northern Indian recipes.

We kicked off with some outstanding Mumbai-style samosas. These were really superb, jam packed with a nicely spiced potato filling and had a crunchy fresh and lightly cinnamon tasting casing.

Dahi Puri is one of their house specials and we can see why. Do not skip these crispy hollowed delightful little bites which have been filled with chickpeas, tomatoes, chutney, masala, spiced yogurt and fresh coriander and pomegranate. They came accompanied by some fresh homemade date and coriander dipping sauces.

The black house daal offered a warm and mildly spiced taste, with a buttery texture which we dipped our roti into. The Namaste Village daal is cooked for 24 hours in the tandoor.

Namaste Village Oxford - daal

Gobi Manchurian (crispy cauliflower), was served up as tasty florets dunked in sticky, glossy sauce evoking similarities to a Chinese sweet and sour, offering sweet and spicy Indo-Oriental flavours.

As this was a working lunch we kept away from the booze and instead tried their Kesar Pista Lassi - served with saffron and pistachio, and a cucumber and mint cooler - a refreshing non-alcoholic Mojito type drink with Norfolk cordial syrup, apple juice and fresh mint.

Interiors were charming with Indian floral motifs and garlands around the walls, and the site boasts a brilliant outdoor terrace so let’s hope we have an ‘Indian summer’ in store too!

We were pleased to see a number of diners already inside on a mid-week lunch considering the place had only just opened its doors. Once the word gets out this will no doubt be talk of the town.

Namaste Village is building an authentic heartfelt and delicious dining experience. We’re excited to see their nest moves.

Namaste Village, 2 Oxford Castle, New Rd, Oxford OX1 1AY

https://namastevillage.co.uk

Monday: Closed

Tuesday - Thursday: 12:00PM - 9:00PM

Friday - Sunday: 12:00PM - 10:00PM