Oxford News
Dirty Bones at Oxford Westgate is a ‘decadent delight’
The American theme proved popular amongst London crowds, as did the cocktails and the Brooklyn-centric soundscape, and so the brand quickly grew.
This saw several other restaurants open, including in Oxford, which can be found on the top floor of the Westgate shopping centre.
Although part of a franchise, it does have an air of individuality that most establishments which might belong to a group struggle to bring to the table.
READ MORE: Inside refurbished Cotswolds country pub with enticing new menu
I do believe wait-staff and management have a major impact on a restaurant’s image and the customer experience.
It’s difficult to find places to have a meal out as a treat – whether you’re solo dining, with your significant other, getting the kids out of the house or meeting friends – where not only the vibe is good, but the staff are everything you’d imagine when you think of the word hospitality.
We had the pleasure of being served by Raff, who not only has a very impressive hairstyle but also guided us through our evening expertly.
He gave fantastic recommendations, speedy service, attentiveness, and an easy-going yet also incredibly hard-working attitude.
READ MORE: Legendary chef heralds shock return of closed Oxfordshire pub
The perfect mix of welcoming while not being overbearing, he made us feel like real people, and not just a task to tick off during a busy evening.
To kick off our evening, we began with cocktails.
I had the Gentleman Ice-T, which was a spin on a classic American peach iced tea, containing Gentleman Jack and Peach Liquor, Rooibos and orange tea syrup.
The best way to describe this drink is what I imagine to be a late afternoon on a Tennessee ranch, watching the sunset with your family- not too sweet and the perfect accompaniment to a warm summer’s day.
READ MORE: Historic cosy Cotswolds pub has picturesque hidden beer garden
My boyfriend had the Cherry On Top, which was a perfect addition to the evening ahead, with JD No.7 shaken with banana, cherry amaretto, ice cream with whipped cream and of course, a cherry on top.
It wasn’t as sickly as we feared, which was a bit of a relief, but it added an extra spot of fun to the experience.
For starters, we had the Jack Daniel’s BBQ chicken wings, which were tender as well as sticky and sweet in perfect balance.
We felt it was more than enough to share between two, but we had also ordered the cheeseburger gyozas, which had a lot to boast about in their own way.
READ MORE: Landlord ‘delighted’ as Rolling Stones rock legend pops into Oxford pub
The beef was Wagyu, which certainly added an air of luxury, along with melted cheese, which added even more moisture to an already succulent dish.
These gyozas went well with the cheese and sriracha sauce, and the spring onions introduced a lovely lift to the indulgent starter.
For mains, I opted for the decadent Wagyu-Tang double beef burger, with American-style cheese and truffle mayo on a brioche bun.
I was very impressed with the portion size and (almost) regretted ordering crispy lamb loaded fries as a side.
READ MORE: Waitrose introduces major change at all UK supermarkets
The beef was juicy and tender, and perfectly seasoned and well-respected by the chefs.
It was absolutely jam-packed full of flavour and felt like a one-million-pound bite.
The loaded fries were crispy, and garnished with perfectly braised lamb pieces, miso, jalapeno and chilli dressing, which balanced the richness of the meat out well.
My partner had the Koji Chicken and freshly baked waffles, served with maple syrup and cool ranch sauce.
READ MORE: Look inside new Lego store at Westgate Oxford
The chicken was audibly crispy and was cooked well on the inside, making it both wonderfully tender and moist.
It worked well with the waffle, which soaked up the hot maple, allowing each bite to sing with a sweet and savoury flavour.
The meal was a melt-in-the-mouth experience and felt like a perfect blend of all good things in the world.
For dessert, we had the delightful chocolate and salted caramel doughnut, which again was a more than generous portion.
READ MORE: Award-winning UK private school to mark 75th anniversary with celebration
It consisted of an airy and delicate doughnut, with a scoop of salted caramel ice cream and proper chocolate sauce.
The ice cream slowly melted into the middle of the freshly made ringed doughnut, which in itself carried memories of seaside stalls.
Thankfully, unlike Brighton or Scarborough, there were no insistent seagulls trying to pinch the food, so we got to enjoy every last bite.
This was the best meal I’ve had in a very long time, in an establishment that clearly takes great pride in all aspects.
Dirty Dones has taken the time to hire a fantastic team of staff who I say deserve all the credit for what was a wonderful midweek treat.
On Wednesday, September 2, it was the Concours judging and private viewings to dominate the agenda for the day.
Twelve Concours classes were held across almost a century of motoring, including The Golden Age of Motoring, 100 Years of Carrrozzeria Touring, La Dolce Vita, 60 Years of the Lamborghini Miura and Passione Ferrari.
Two new classes also made their debut for 2026, Rare Breeds of the Digital Age and Hypercar Heaven, which recognise the growing importance of contemporary performance cars within the international collector market.
Judging will take place across Wednesday and Thursday, with the show field bringing together a 70-strong collection of classics, supercars and hypercars from around the world.
Some of the cars include Aa Maserati 8C 3000, Alfa Romeo Sprint Berlinetta, a one-off Maserati 3500GT Spyder Prototipo by Vignale, a very early Porsche 356 Split Window Coupé, Aston Martin DB3S, Lamborghini Miura P400S, Bizzarrini 5300GT, Ferrari 250 GT Series 1 Cabriolet, Bugatti EB110 Prototype, Aston Martin Valiant Prototype and the extraordinary Bugatti Bolide, one of just 40 produced worldwide.
Helen Pike has decided to step down as Master of Magdalen College School at the end of the 2026/27 academic year, the school in east Oxford announced in March.
MCS is one of the top performing schools in the country, ranking in the top 20 independent secondary schools in The Sunday Times Parent Power Schools Guide 2026.
READ MORE: UK private school headteacher to leave after 11 years
The new academic year will start next week, with Ms Pike preparing for one more year in charge before she hands over to her successor, who will take over in September 2027.
The first female Master at MCS, Ms Pike guided the board of governors to one of the most significant decisions in the school’s history, to become fully co-educational from 2027.
While there has been a co-educational sixth form at the school for 15 years, the school last month announced it will become fully co-educational over the coming decade.
Ms Pike said earlier: “I love MCS, and it is a perennial privilege to lead this remarkable school.
“Being Master of MCS is a brilliant job, and I am declaring my intention early in order to give MCS the very best opportunity to find the right Master for September 2027. I shall continue to do all in my power to further the fortunes of this wonderful school until then.
“I look forward to a new phase in my own professional life, one that builds on all that I have enjoyed and achieved in my career during the past 30 years.
“Having encouraged many cohorts of pupils to take sensible risks and to do something creative and different when the time feels right, I am doing just that.”
During Ms Pike’s tenure, MCS has been recognised as a Top 20 Independent School and South East School of the Year by the Sunday Times and won Independent School of the Year for Social Mobility.
Thanking her in his letter to the school community, chair of governors, Bob Price, said earlier this year: “Helen is an outstanding leader and will go with our sincere gratitude and warm thanks for her exceptional headship.
“She will leave the school in excellent shape for her successor.”
Recruitment for a replacement for Ms Pike is now under way.
Last month, Ms Pike congratulated pupils on their “outstanding success” in this year’s A-Level exams, after more than a quarter of pupils (43) achieved three A*s or more and 25 secured all A*s.
In total, 39 pupils from the 2026 cohort are heading to Oxbridge, while 22 have secured places to study medicine.
As part of the school’s expansion plans, MCS is preparing to build a new Science, Library and Partnerships building.
A spokeswoman said the new building will offer an exciting opportunity to reimagine the senior school site as staff look ahead to full co-education.
She added earlier: “With a vision to create a sector-leading science building in the centre of Oxford, the development will enable us to support an ambitious and forward-looking science curriculum, expanding to the emerging and rapidly advancing areas of robotics, AI and Big Data.”
Holding banners which read ‘For f**k’s sake, just stop oil’, the demonstrators took to the road in Parliament Square at noon today (Wednesday, September 2).
This was as Andy Burnham faced his first Prime Minister’s Questions, and many of the protestors glued themselves to the road.
The group demanded that the UK government stop approving all further oil and gas developments, and sign a Fossil Fuel Treaty to stop oil and gas extraction.
READ MORE: Witney firefighters called out to over 50 incidents in one month
Just Stop Oil say that the police are expected to arrest all those blocking the road, and that one lane has been left free of glued-on action takers to permit access for emergency vehicles.
Andy Burnham is due to make a decision on whether to allow more drilling for oil and gas in the North Sea.
Reverend James Crote, a Baptist Minister and grandfather from Chesterton near Bicester, said: “Today is my grandson’s first birthday. I have to take action for the sake of his future.
The 69-year-old added: “The government has been dilly-dallying about whether to say yes or no to the Rosebank oil field but, if we want a future for our children, there is no choice – it has to say ‘no’.
READ MORE: Chain closes almost 200 UK restaurants with close to 4,000 jobs lost
“I am here as a Christian Minister because the Church has to speak out and demand that the government stops approving further oil and gas developments now. It’s time for us all to say ‘For God’s sake, Just Stop Oil’.”
Data from the Met Office indicates that 2026 was the hottest summer in UK recorded history, beating 2025, which was the previous hottest summer on record.
2026 was also one of the driest summers on record, delivering record-low food harvests.
Climbing temperatures have triggered wildfires across the country, and national fire chiefs said the wildfire risk facing the UK is “like nothing we have seen before”.
READ MORE: Broadchurch star selling £1.8m ‘magical’ Cotswolds mill house after 60 years
Taking action, grandmother Victoria Ann Lynch-Staunton from Leamington Spa, said: “What is happening is beyond a tragedy.”
The 71-year-old added: “I beg everyone to join Just Stop Oil or governments will continue to prioritise endless growth and corporate profit over billions of lives – yours and your children.
“Wake up and smell the coffin. It is the responsibility of all of us to act now!”
A Just Stop Oil spokesperson said today: “We are all Just Stop Oil.
READ MORE: The Grand Tour returns to screens with brand new trio this week
“Every single person who fears deadly wildfires, devastating droughts, and spiralling food shortages is Just Stop Oil.
“The first duty of government is to keep the public safe – but by greenlighting oil and gas drilling, they endanger our survival while corporates and billionaires laugh their way to the bank.
“Every one of us feels alone and powerless in the face of this insanity, but we know there is massive political and public support for our demand.
“So we’re inviting everyone to join us at an online call on 3rd October 2026 – because it’s when we work together that we are powerful and win.”
-
Oxford united FC4 weeks agoChris Gunter steps away Wales role to focus on Oxford United
-
Oxford University3 weeks agoNew to the Oxford English Dictionary this September
-
Traffic & Transport2 weeks agoWhy should I have to pay more for buses if I don’t use a smartphone? | Bus fares
-
Oxford united FC2 weeks agoLIVE: Exeter City vs Oxford United – Jersey Mike's Trophy group stage
-
Traffic & Transport2 weeks agoHow poor public transport policy is putting the brake on cities | Road transport
-
Student Life3 weeks agoOxford partnership allows OpenAI to use rare Bodleian texts to train ChatGPT
-
Oxford united FC3 weeks agoNorthern Ireland fans laud Oxford United defender Ciaron Brown
-
Oxford united FC2 weeks agoOxford United lose to Exeter City on penalties in Jersey Mike’s Trophy