WORK has started to take Oxford’s first “underground” restaurant overground.

But a petition by some neighbours could stick a knife into plans for the local food cafe and arts venue.

Oxfork was launched by East Oxford resident Drew Brammer and chefs Chloe Horner and Becky Craven as a “pop up restaurant”.

The idea behind this temporary restaurant craze is to host dining events in people’s homes, unusual or disused spaces.

After a series of successful events everywhere from an Old Bookbinders in Green Street to a former dolls house museum in Iffley, the team is in the process of opening a permanent home for Oxfork.

It has taken over the former Oxford Cycle Workshop in Magdalen Road.

But Andre De Vries, who lives next to the site, feared the application to play live music and serve alcohol would effectively add another pub to the area.

Mr De Vries, who has objected to an application for the cafe to sell alcohol and play music, said: “The point of Oxfork is to run parties.

“This is not about the community at all. It’s about these people trying to start an entertainment venue with drunk people coming out on to the street at 11pm. I have distributed leaflets around to local residents warning them and asking them to object.

“This is a residential area. This isn’t Park End street.”

However, Mr Brammer said: “Rumours have been circulating about what Oxfork is going to be, with people getting the wrong end of the stick.

“I would like to take this chance to categorically say we aren’t going to be an entertainment venue frequented by party-goers.

“It’s simply going to be a local cafe, serving breakfasts, brunches and evening meals for local people to enjoy, hopefully with a glass of wine, bloody mary or a lovely organic lager, subject to our licence being granted.

“Some evenings we also wish to host spoken word, talks, cookery demonstrations and classes, debates, poetry and acoustic music events, which require an entertainment licence too.”

Miss Horner said: “Having worked in the music industry for years, I retrained as a chef a few years ago and since then it’s been a dream to open up a cafe and delicatessen in OX4.”