The world seems a better place as Katherine MacAlister runs from the elements and into the warmth of a delicious fine dining eatery

I’ve never had a particularly successful evening at the Folly Bridge, regardless of its various incarnations, chefs, and menus, and tonight didn’t seem any different.

The rain was almost horizontal when we arrived, rendering the outdoor pontoon and river views hidden and unusable, the water sluicing down the stony steps into the Thames.

But within seconds of blasting indoors, our coats were taken and we were placed at the bar, cocktails in hand and suddenly the world seemed a better place.

A wonderful appletini and a crushed raspberrytini and all this was instantly forgotten.

There was also a new chef, Dave Hayward, a young chap who kept sending me pictures on Twitter of his food, so I thought it was high time I checked The Folly out, although I did wonder if he was too young to be a head chef.

Having trained under Simon Bradley (formerly of the The Randolph and now Eynsham Hall) and then John Footman of The Oxford Kitchen, his pedigree was encouraging, but it wasn’t until we actually tasted Dave’s food that we realised we had chanced upon something rather special, or should I say someone, because Dave is a real find.

But more than that, The Folly is a lovely, light, airy, homely, refreshing sort of place, with whitewashed walls and lots of comfy window seats, some welcoming staff, wooden tables, and shabby chic décor, all of which eased us in nicely.

Food wise, it’s one course for £15.95, two for £22.95 and three for £28.95.

The starters confirmed our hopes for Dave immediately – the innocuous sounding Cerny goat’s curd cheese with beetroot, carrots, garlic aioli and hazelnuts appearing like a painting on the plate, no attention to detail spared, each ingredient speaking out for itself.

The pan seared scallops with pickled red cabbage and cauliflower puree followed suit as did the grilled fillet of lemon sole with baby leeks and crab bisque, which was similarly picture perfect and tasted sublime.

“OMG, this place is a hidden gem,” my friend gasped as she delved into her soft scallop in disbelief, the rest of us failing to reply so absorbed were we in our own perfectly executed dishes.

Then the pork special, which arrived as a trio of cheek, belly, loin, cabbage and bacon, poached pear, creamed mash, wine and shallots – delicately placed on the plate so that you could taste each component in its complexity. It was astonishingly accomplished.

The softly melting 24-hour slow cooked beef cheek with buttered mash and sautéed spinach fell off the fork it was so deliciously flakey. The pumpkin ravioli with sage butter, rocket salad and pine nuts, needed more sauce but otherwise was exemplary.

We ploughed on to the dessert, the pear creme brulee, cheesecake and praline delice all proving irresistible both on the menu and the tongue. The praline appeared as a square, like a delicious giant Ferrero Rocher, although the pear in the brulee was hard to detect. I’m not usually a cheesecake fan but the white chocolate and raspberry with honeycomb, and a banana and peanut ice cream defied belief, with a real contrast of flavours between the sharp raspberry and creamy filling.

I loved everything about The Folly, which might silence the endless mutterings about a lack of fine dining establishments in Oxford’s city centre, because a new contender has just climbed into the ring.

1 Folly Bridge, Oxford, OX1 4JU
www.no1-folly-bridge.co.uk/menu/ 01865 201293