Xi'an Restaurant
197 Banbury Road, Oxford, OX2 7AR, GB
Rating: 4.4 ★ (363 ratings)
Details
Nestled on Banbury Road, Xi'an Restaurant has been a cornerstone of Oxford's Chinese culinary scene for over 45 years, building a cherished reputation for both exceptional food and genuinely warm service. Whether you're planning a celebratory meal for a large group, an intimate dinner for two, or simply fancy a high-quality takeaway, the welcoming team strives to provide a relaxed and memorable dining experience. Their extensive menu showcases a delightful array of classic and creative Chinese dishes, with a well-stocked bar offering cocktails, wine, and beer to perfectly complement your meal. Many returning customers highlight the consistently tasty food and the kitchen's willingness to accommodate dietary needs, including a good selection of gluten-free options.
Step inside and you'll find a tranquil atmosphere, where polished and attentive staff are on hand to guide you through their diverse offerings. While the decor is simple, the focus remains firmly on the quality of the cuisine and the overall dining pleasure. Diners frequently praise the superb service, noting the staff's friendly and discreet manner. Popular choices often include their flavourful noodle dishes, such as the Yeung Chow Special Fried Rice or the Singapore Style Vermicelli, alongside expertly prepared duck and an array of satisfying soups like the classic Hot and Sour or Won Ton. With a commitment to providing a comfortable setting for everything from family gatherings to casual Friday night takeaways, Xi'an continues to be a much-loved destination for authentic Chinese food in Summertown.
Location
Opening Hours
Monday: Closed; Tuesday: 5:00 – 9:45 PM; Wednesday: 5:00 – 9:45 PM; Thursday: 5:00 – 9:45 PM; Friday: 5:00 – 9:45 PM; Saturday: 5:00 – 9:45 PM; Sunday: 5:00 – 9:30 PM
Contact
+44 7599 699796
Comments
June Poole
This Chinese was recommended to my partner and I by family.
I’ll start with the positives, the service was good and it has a nice atmosphere. The chicken satay skewers were decent enough and the shrimp fried rice was good.
In terms of negatives, the rest of the food was honestly not worth us eating. We ordered;
the hot n spicy soup the bits of chicken and shrimp were nice but the soup was nasty.
sweet n sour chicken was okay but by no means good. I don’t know whether it was too fatty but the consistency and taste was of a poor standard.
House noodles were dreadful. You can see from the photo that some of the noodles were dry and crunchy, like they’d been sat under a heat lamp for a couple of hours. The sauce was okay but again had a similar consistency to the sweet n sour and was very oversweet.
Chips were okay, we got the chilli and garlic but usually you get some form of seasoning from a chinese on chilli and garlic chips. Not here I’m afraid.
We also had a surf n turf dish (seen in a bowl of noodles). I can be a little fussy when it comes to seafood but it was vile. I had one scallop and really, really struggled to not spit it out.
All in it came to £90 which for a Chinese feast is about expected. However, would have been a lot happier getting a takeaway from somewhere else.
I will say to their, we went on a Wednesday night so it may be a case of lacking fresh produce. Having said that, we won’t be back.