Ashmolean Rooftop Restaurant

Featured reviews

• G

  Google user

  ·3 months ago

  ““Oxford’s best-kept secret”. Indeed. Beautiful terrace with views of the historic Randolph Hotel across the street, charming light tea and desserts, and all on top of the superb (and free, but they appreciate donations) Ashmoleon Museum. Extra points for the endlessly courteous staff and servers.”

• G

  Google user

  ·3 months ago

  “After two years of studying at University of Oxford, organised a Leavers Lunch for 20 people at the RoofTop Restaurant at the Ashmolean Museum. The booking and pre ordering of the food was easy. On the day the staff - in particular Ganna and Nathalie - were really helpful and professional. The food was excellent excellent. The atmosphere was great and the service from Ganna and Nathalie was fantastic. Thank you for making it a memorable leaving day. 😀.”

• G

  Google user

  ·3 months ago

  “On this warm sunny Father’s Day we sat outside under the large umbrellas and thrilled to the beautiful rooftop view. It was a busy afternoon with many diners but the staff appeared very focused and attentive. We shared two of the seasonal salads- perfectly ripe sweet melon with salty feta and olives, also grilled courgette over chickpea-avocado guacamole. One decadent chocolate ganache bar completed the meal. We enjoyed the view, ambience, and innovative seasonal cuisine.”

• G

  Google user

  ·3 months ago

  “No AC, just a few fans, and they can’t reach every corner of the restaurant. It was really hot and a bit stuffy inside. Personally, I felt bad for the staff working in those conditions. I’d probably avoid coming here for lunch on a warm day. The starter was excellent. For the main course, we ordered the pasta (£26). What was strange was that the plate, vegetables, and fish were all hot, but the pasta itself was only lukewarm. I’m not sure how that happened. The vegetables were very good. However, we spent almost £90 for two people on a drink, two pasta dishes, and a dessert. Overall, it felt a bit overpriced for what we got. I kind of regret not grabbing a light meal at the basement café instead. The service was great. The staff were friendly. Full respect to the staff - I was struggling just sitting there, and they were working through it all. 🫡 Someone please get these people some AC!”

• G

  Google user

  ·3 months ago

  “I was very disappointed with our afternoon tea experience at the rooftop terrace at the Ashmolean Museum. For around £100, we expected a much better standard of service and overall experience. From the start, things felt poorly managed. Our 3:30pm booking was already tight, but at no point were we told that the museum closes at 5pm. This became even more frustrating when our food took around 15 minutes to arrive, eating further into our limited time. The sandwiches were stale, and there was also an unpleasant sewer-like smell nearby, which made it difficult to enjoy the setting. The tea itself was also badly handled — it never arrived with the food, and we had to ask for it twice before it was brought over. One of the most disappointing aspects was how impersonal the experience felt. No explanation was given about the afternoon tea selection when it was served, which is usually part of the experience and helps justify the premium price. The end of the visit was particularly frustrating. Because we had not been informed about the 5pm closing time, using the toilet became stressful, as we were chased three separate times in quick succession to leave. It felt unnecessarily rushed and quite uncomfortable. To make matters worse, a service charge was automatically added despite the poor service, long waits, lack of communication, and repeated need to chase staff for basic things like tea. This felt completely unjustified. Overall, this was a very underwhelming and disappointing experience. I expected far better from a venue associated with the Ashmolean Museum.”

• G

  Google user

  ·3 months ago

  “I was gifted afternoon tea and went this afternoon. It was a warm afternoon and the sandwiches delivered to the table had obviously been left out, uncovered as they were dry and unappetising. Two scones per person were provided but only enough jam and cream for one scone per person. The place presents as smart and chic but that is just window dressing. Probably the most disappointing afternoon tea I’ve ever been served. I won’t be going back.”

• G

  Google user

  ·4 months ago

  “Wonderful and beautiful location! We got the afternoon tea and it was overall very delicious. The sandwiches were good, and the desserts were mostly good. I was most impressed by the presentation. They have an exhibition now that is called in bloom, and the display was beautifully decorated. The service was a bit slow, but overall a good experience.”

• G

  Google user

  ·5 months ago

  “The new afternoon tea menu is interesting - this flower pot thing is divine! There's some kind of caramel cream inside and peanut brittle soil on top - one of the most delightful things to look at and eat! Lavender scones are interesting too. Not sure what the sandwich flavours are but they're a little unusual - I preferred the sandwiches from previous version of afternoon tea personally, but this new version is intriguing and fits the flower theme well.”

• G

  Google user

  ·5 months ago

  “Service was good , menu was limited and overpriced , don't come here for a hearty meal. Food was average. Mains were very limited in choice and not realy to my tast . Dissapointed! Chicken salad below £21.90.”

• G

  Google user

  ·6 months ago

  “Delicious afternoon tea at the top of the ashmolean. We went for mother's day and they gave my mum a free mother's day present which was unexpected and very kind. Staff were friendly and the food was fresh and very tasty.”