Believe me, I didn't need an ounce of persuasion to try out Malmaison's Sunday Brunch offer: Mal on Sunday.
Just the opportunity to do time in a transformed Victorian prison was enough to entice me through the door.
And not only did it turn out to be a visit well worth making, but one worth repeating, and often.
Our waitress led us to a former cell, now a stylish dining area, and talked us through the £19.95 brunch offer (£7.95 for under 12s) that kicks off with the delights of the chef’s table.
This eat-all-you-want starter seems somewhat undersold on the menu, Malmaison should be shouting about it from the rooftops. Chef’s table is heavenly.
Laden with fish, meats, pâtés, cold meats, cheeses and olives, it’s a veritable feast that I’m convinced may have been prepared by Enid Blyton’s Aunt Fanny for the Famous Five. And the chef was in attendance at said table, ready to whip up omelettes, waffles and pancakes to order. Paradise!
Remembering this banquet was actually just the starter. We held back from overindulgence and enjoyed deliberating over the 10 mains on offer, including grilled swordfish, rump steak, mushroom risotto and Normandy chicken.
My companion and I opted for the roast prime rib of beef, which would have been lovely if it had done more time in the slammer; my meat was redder than Dita Von Teese’s lipstick and the portion on my cellmate’s plate was still twitching.
If you don’t enjoy your roast beef incredibly rare it’s probably best to make that known when ordering.
And now to dessert. Thankfully, however full you are there is always that magical space for something sweet.
And as we were pretty full, we opted to share the Mal sundae, which was so delicious that we wished we’d also shared a portion of the sticky toffee pudding, because we’d easily have done justice to the one that arrived at the next table.
So with very fond memories, especially of that starter, we parted from the always smiling, always attentive staff, promising ourselves to return.
- Malmaison Oxford Castle, 3 New Road, Oxford OX1 1AY, www.malmaison.com
- Brunch offer available Sundays from 12noon to 4pm To book call 084469 30659
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