Best international UK restaurant nominated for new award

Mizu Japanese Izakaya in Sheep Street, Bicester, has been nominated as the best restaurant of the year in the Ox in a Box awards.

Mizu Japanese Izakaya, Bicester, nominated for Ox in a Box 2026 best restaurant award after 2025 international win (Image: Ed Nix)

This comes after the restaurant dazzled in the awards last year, winning Best International restaurant at a ceremony at the Ashmolean Museum in Oxford.

Mizu Japanese Izakaya, Bicester, nominated for Ox in a Box 2026 best restaurant award after 2025 international win (Image: Ed Nix)

Barry Fu and his team, who opened in 2024, serve fresh salmon sushi, yazai gyozas and pan-fried vegetable dumplings with soy Chin-Kang vinegar, just to name a few of the delicious foods up for grabs.

They will fight for the top spot among 20 other competitors including Branca in Jericho, Cherwell Boathouse in North Oxford and The Folly in Oxford.

To view and vote for this year’s nominees, visit Ox in a Box’s website, where you can complete surveys in all its 10 categories.

Mr Fu said he is delighted after last year’s proud moment.

READ MORE: Review: Mouth-watering flavours at Mizu Japanese Bicester

Mizu Japanese Izakaya, Bicester, nominated for Ox in a Box 2026 best restaurant award after 2025 international win (Image: Ed Nix)

He added: “As a local independent restaurant, we are proud to be part of the Bicester community.

“We hope awards like these continue to bring attention to the town, attract more visitors, and encourage people to support local businesses.

“We would like to thank all our customers for their continued support, and we are honoured to be nominated once again.”