Oxford's curry houses and restaurants serving foreign cuisine have come in for praise in a new guide, writes Emma Henry.

But other non-ethnic restaurants, including Raymond Blanc's Le Petit Blanc in Walton Street, are blasted for being second-rate in the Harden's Top UK restaurants 2001 guide.

The book, which is independent, is based on the views of 15,000 volunteer tasters from across the country who submitted 125,000 reports on all types of eating experience, from haute cuisine and country house restaurants to local bistros, pubs and curry houses.

The guide's editors, Richard and Peter Harden, said: "In this rich and beautiful city, restaurants tend to be comfortable and charming, but, almost without exception, their cooking is second rate.

"Sadly, this includes Raymond Blanc's Le Petit Blanc on Walton Street, even though it attracts a huge amount of commentary from our reporters."

Browns in Woodstock Road, now part of a national chain of brasseries, is described as "trading on its reputation" with routine cooking and "disinterested service.

The authors said diners needed to seek out one of the good number of quality ethnic restaurants for above-average cooking, adding: "Sadly, most of these either lack any particular charm or are not especially convenient for the city centre.

"Two Thai restaurants, however, Chiang Mai in the High Street and Bangkok House in Hythe Bridge Street offer superior cooking in pleasant central premises, providing the best of both worlds."

Chiang Mai receives the top **A rating - one of only 46 nationwide to achieve this.

Flavio Zappi, general manager at Le Petit Blanc, said: "I am very surprised with the result of that guide. As far as I am concerned, we are doing very well."

Browns declined to comment.