The Magdalen Arms - Oxford

The Magdalen Arms in Iffley Road has always been a convenient watering hole for patrons of the next-door Pegasus Theatre. It has been a convenient and highly agreeable nose-bag, too, during the four years of its operation by Florence Fowler and her chef partner Tony Abarno who have turned it into the gastropub of Oxford. “This is food you’ll love” read the headline on my first review in January 2010. It’s still true today.

What applies for theatre patrons, applies for the staff as well. It is an obvious place for a meeting when any business is to be transacted. In my role as arts editor, I have been wined and dined there on a number of happy occasions over the years.

The latest was last month when I was invited for lunch to meet the Pegasus’s new boss, Jonathan Lloyd. I ate potted shrimps with pickled cucumber, followed by roast hake with peperonata, rocket and olive oil mashed potatoes. Jonathan had smoked haddock fritters and aioli and then confit duck salad with sauté potatoes and poached egg. The dishes were so delicious that, with Jonathan’s consent, I decided to feature the meal in this column. Before publication date, however, came another opportunity to eat there, when Rosemarie and I decided to allow the place to work its charms on our friend David Gaunt-Newell.

Waitress Phoebe, formerly of our Osney local The Punter, had told me during lunch that the atmosphere in the evening was completely different. This proved to be the case on our return visit, amid the hubbub of a busy Saturday night, when every table in the place was full. Decor that had seemed sombre in daylight now looked warmly comforting under illumination.

We first surveyed the animated scene from the bar where we all three enjoyed glasses of a Magdalen Arms favourite, prosecco with freshly squeezed raspberries. Fresh juices are a feature here, as is home-made lemonade. An impressive array of hand-pumped beers included, I noticed, three from the Caledonian Brewery. Our table, at the far end of the dining room beside a window — open on this slightly muggy night — was precisely the one at which we had been seated for lunch. I now think of it as ‘my usual’, and shall ask for it again.

Our orders taken, we were impressed with the speed at which our first courses were delivered from the kitchen. There had been only one choice for me. As soon as I saw globe artichoke vinaigrette on the menu I knew this had my name on it. “How very retro!” I said, remembering those long-ago 1970s dinner parties at which the dish was a regular prelude to, say, beef stroganoff or veal goulash, and all was silent during the 15-minute ritual of pulling off the leaves and dipping in the dressing — taking great care not to splash oil on the wide lapels of our velvet jackets.

That today’s youngsters are now out of practice at the craft is shown by the fact that very often the best bit, the heart, is still on the plate when it goes back to the kitchen. Not mine, I hasten to add, with every scrummy edible bit extracted. The success of the dish prompts me to think we should have them again at home.

My companions were equally pleased with their starters, which in Rosemarie’s case were potted brown shrimps of the sort I’d had at lunch. Like me, she was particularly impressed by the pickled cucumber.

David went with the rabbit and pork rillettes, with celeriac remoulade and toast. (By then we had all been tucking in with gusto to the hand-baked focaccia.) A feature of the Magdalen Arms’ ever-changing menu are various dishes to share — a whole Cornish cock crab mayonnaise, for instance, or Hereford rib of beef, both for two, or slow-roast lamb shoulder for four or five. Some friends of mine find this an irritation here when only one person wants, say, the lamb.

This featured tonight at a cost of £72 but was a little much for us in both senses of the word. David and Rosemarie decided to team up, though, on the roast saddle of hare. This was superb, the gamey meat cooked to a pink perfection and served already sliced on the bone for ease of eating.

There were also a brace of plump faggots (no smirking at the back!) which Rosemarie found particularly toothsome. A pile of creamy mashed potatoes and savoy cabbage completed this excellent dish.

I had thought to go down the game route, too, with “roast grouse, properly garnished” (with game chips and watercress, presumably, plus redcurrant jelly, as had been served with the hare.

At the point of ordering, though, I changed on whim to Tuscan-style pork loin with runner bean vinaigrette. I was glad I did for the dish was superb, with the juicy meat wrapped around a wonderful stuffing (the Tuscan element) featuring almonds, chervil, chives, lemon and anchovies.

With none of us really eager for pudding, we turned this into a shared affair. The damson bakewell tart with home-made vanilla ice cream, was utterly perfect, the outside warm and crispy, and the fruit, though sweet, still possessing that special damson tang.

The cooking tonight had been expertly done by sous chef Attila (honestly!). I made a point of thanking him before we left.

We drank the house wine, both white and red. Vins de pays d’Oc in both cases (Bergerie de la Bastide), they hit the spot nicely.

The Magdalen Arms
243 Iffley Road, Oxford, OX4 1SJ 
01865 243159
magdalenarms.com

Opening times: Daily 11am-11pm (Sundays noon-10.30pm). Food served noon-2.30pm and 6-10pm every day
Parking: On-street parking nearby, good bus links to city centre
Key personnel: Owners Florence Fowler and chef Tony Abarno. Managers Nicolas Willis, Jake Moir and Katarina Bilikova. Sous chef Attila Fulop.
Make sure you try the... potted brown shrimps with pickled cucumber (£6.80), rabbit and pork rillettes (£6), globe artichoke vinaigrette (£6.80), rare roast hare saddle with faggots (£35, for two), Tuscan-style pork loin with runner bean vinaigrette (£15), damson Bakewell tart with vanilla ice cream (£5.60)
In ten words: Foodie favourite still leads the way as best city gastropub