The Ox Bristol | Great Value Lunch Menu

Located in the basement of a grand old building on Corn Street, The Ox offers a classic British menu, with global influences, in the heart of Bristol city centre.

Dark without being dingy, the dining room is lit by fabulously kitsch chandeliers of glass grapes, tucked up against the burgundy vaulted ceiling. Tables and chairs in leather and wood complement walls of wood-panelling below distressed but ornate plaster work. The gloom is barely lifted by small pools of light from a few table lamps. This space must surely have some tales to tell, if only we knew… a dark, cosy bunker of secrets.

As you’d expect from the restaurant’s name, the menu features a fair bit of beef in the form of steaks and burgers. Pork’s popular too, choose from hickory ribs, a plate of mixed charcuterie or a terrine.

Collage of different dishes at The Ox, Bristol

The lunch time set menu is good value, offering two courses for £15, and three for £18 (though note that the prices on the sample menu on their website are a fair bit lower, suggesting the website doesn’t get updated often). There’s also a 6 ounce rump and fries with your choice of sauce, and a glass of wine, for £15.

Mackerel rilletes, sourdough toast - The Ox, Bristol

Mackerel rilletes, sourdough toast. Delicious sloppy-style rillettes, served with the most wonderful pickled cucumber and onion. Only disappointment was a soggy sourdough, no crunch at all like it had been toasted and left out for a while.

Charcoal roasted mushrooms, persillade on toast - The Ox, Bristol

Charcoal roasted mushrooms, persillade on toast. Generous heap of mushrooms piled on sourdough with suitably robust garlic and parsley butter. Nothing not to like here; pure comfort food.

Hickory smoked sticky ribs, chopped salad, fries - The Ox, Bristol

Hickory smoked sticky ribs, chopped salad, fries. Rich, sticky and smoky barbeque sauce on well-cooked ribs, the meat tender enough to come away easily, without being overly soft and pappy. Lovely light slaw-style salad. I swapped the fries for triple cooked chips which were disappointing, bland and without much texture. The skin-on fries, ordered by one of my friends, were only marginally better.

Salmon and smoked haddock fishcake, poached egg, greens, tartare sauce - The Ox, Bristol

Salmon and smoked haddock fishcake, poached egg, greens, tartare sauce. Beautifully plump fishcake with lots of flavour, topped with a deftly poached egg and some generous spoonfuls of homemade tartare sauce. A great lighter lunch, as no carbs other than the fishcake breadcrumbs.

Lemon cheesecake, honeycomb, milk crumb - The Ox, Bristol

Lemon cheesecake, honeycomb, milk crumb. Not really a fan of the whole “desconstructed” thing, though I get that it’s quicker and easier for the chef to make and to serve. But each individual component was delicious, and the balance pretty good.

Malted milk chocolate and honeycomb ice cream - The Ox, Bristol

Malted milk chocolate and honeycomb ice cream. Perfect for those seeking a smaller dessert, one scoop of delicious ice cream served in a cold glass.

All in all, an enjoyable lunch for the price, and friendly service too. Next time, I’ll try the steak, or burger.

Bristol is a vibrant city with a fascinating history, plenty of cultural activities and some great food and drink to be enjoyed. Check out this guide on fun things to do in Bristol.

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12 Comments to "The Ox Bristol | Great Value Lunch Menu"

  1. Anita

    The meals sound great! I would go for a salmon especially! And lemon cheesecake it heaven. Take me there!

    Reply
  2. Jen Morrow

    Oh wow that all looks delicious!! That is a very good price for 2 and 3 course lunches for the area. Everything looks good, but those sticky ribs would definitely be on my plate.

    Reply
  3. Jane

    OMG the food at Ox Bristol looks incredible. The prices 15 pounds for 2 courses and 18 pounds for 3 courses is really reasonable for the quality of the food. You got me at the charcoal roasted mushrooms and the yummy malted milk ice cream and honeycomb ice cream.

    Reply
  4. Alex Ryder

    You know I’ve only ever had steaks there – maybe next time I’ll venture out for those ribs! Glad you’re exploring the city, welcome welcome! 🙂

    Reply
  5. Priya Iyer

    Oh, God! All of the food looks incredible!
    That Lemon Cheesecake, Honeycomb & Milk Crumb, though – -that sounds out of the world. It’s exactly my kind of dessert!

    Reply
  6. Archana

    The food at the Ox Bristol looks so scrumptious that my mouth started watering just reading it. I am almost tempted to try the Charcoal roasted mushrooms, persillade on toast. This is the kind of comfort food I love.

    Reply
  7. Hendrik

    Congratulations. You made me now hungry, even after having breakfast. And I have to admit, this sounds and looks like the perfect menu for me! Since I am a huge meat-lover, the Hickory smoked sticky ribs would be definitely my highlight. If I should make it to Bristol, I would definitely check this place out.

    Reply
  8. Ami

    Totally drool worthy those shots are. I am actually salivating over those desserts the most. I don’t know about the small serving of malted chocolate and icecream, I am having that plus the lemon cheesecake. I promise to work it all out! 😉

    Reply
  9. Clarice

    This selection looks so delicious. Badly craving for some smoked ribs because of your post.

    Happy to know you enjoyed your lunch. Will visit this place if I get a chance.

    Reply
  10. Bhushavali

    That does sound interesting. Does the place have some decent options for veggies?
    Charcoal roasted mushrooms, persillade on toast looks yummy. Lemon cheesecake is always my top favourite.
    The price is really reasonable.

    Reply
    kaveyeats

    On the set lunch menu, I think there were three choices for start and main, one veggie, one fish and one meat.

    Reply
  11. Evelyne

    I do love how you describe that atmosphere of this place. I am sold on the mushrooms and ribs. yeah I don,t like eating deconstructed desserts either!

    Reply

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