A classy restaurant in Cowley Road converts GEORGINA LAMING to the delights of well-cooked Asian cuisine

For me, Asian cuisine is usually relegated to the realms of a takeaway menu or a pot of Thai green curry paste. But having experienced authentic eastern food at the First Floor Restaurant I now have to revise my preconceptions.

Situated on Cowley Road, among vintage shops and a Tesco Metro store, you could be forgiven for thinking this is a low budget eatery. But as soon as I walked through the door I was transported to a restaurant of class.

It’s a Wednesday night, not the busiest night of the week for First Floor, until a birthday party of 20 and a young family of six walk through the door. Obviously a popular venue, First Floor then filled up as the night went on.

Cocktail-wise, I opted for the classic cosmopolitan (£5.50), while my date had a French martini (£5.95). Small but perfectly presented, the cocktails weren’t as good as the food. Presentation can only go so far, and the point of a cocktail for me is to have a mixed drink which lightly covers the taste of alcohol.

Instead I was given a full frontal attack of vodka with a hint of cranberry. The martini wasn’t much better, having been overshaken, and with a thick head of froth, it was hard to finish.

But all of that paled into insignificance thanks to the wonderful service. Our waiter could not have been more accommodating and First Floor has an impeccable talent for making you feel important.

The restaurant serves a la carte but as a real foodie, I chose the buffet. With starters, mains and dessert all for £13.95 per head it’s a pretty good deal. And the quality isn’t compromised either.

With a selection of Indian, Thai and Chinese, I piled up my plate with everything from vegetable spring rolls to Thai yellow curry and it all satisfied. It was not just your bog standard chicken tikka masala, either. With their own unique recipes including Chinese chicken wings, Thai deep fried fish, and curries to boot there was a lot to choose from.

The only false note came from the lamb with mixed vegetables, which felt like someone had sneaked a roast dinner on to my plate. Not great but it can be forgiven.

While the food was a little on the cold side, it’s clear to me that it was all made with passion. Each dish, according to the chefs, comes from recipes that have been tried and tested on the buffet cart. Listening to the customer has got them far it would seem. And, most importantly, it didn’t have that weighty, greasy feeling that I have previously experienced with Asian cuisine. It might be because First Floor takes pride in the quality of their food, so much so, that each chef cooks their own speciality dishes.

With two buffet plates at the weekday rent of £13.95 a piece, plus cocktails, the meal came in at £39.95. So if you want a nice, friendly restaurant for the whole family try the First Floor Restaurant.

First Floor Restaurant, is at 158 Cowley Road, Oxford. To book see
thefirstfloor-restaurant.com or call 01865 200203/200977