Al Shami - Oxford

Really great Lebanese food in a nice environment, seemed popular and authentic which was surprising in the middle of residential Oxford. Only downside was relatively small plates. Good and cheap wine though!

Al Shami was a nice find in Oxford. Here are my thoughts: Ambiance: The restaurant was very quiet and halfway through our 2pm lunch we were the only people in the restaurant. Decor is a bit outdated but the restaurant is clean. Service: Our server was fine, not friendly in the least, but food came out relatively quickly. Food: Overall quite good. Complimentary mixed fresh vegetables were fantastic. A great alternative to bread. Foul Moudamas (spelling? was excellent. Moujadarra (spelling? was excellent Lebanese rice was great. Husband like the chicken, which I didn't try. Pita bread was just okay, would have been nice if it had been heated up. Al Shami wasn't the best Lebanese food I've ever had but it was pretty great, especially for Oxford. If I was in the area again I'd return.

Al-Shami is a decent spot for Middle Eastern food in the town of Oxford. Now our friend has raved about this place since moving to Oxford for school, going to this spot about 1-2 times per week. She actually said that their falafels were better than Zaki Kabob in Berkeley which Ryan S. couldn 't believe because to him ZK is God of Kabobs. You get a complimentary platter of whole and chopped vegetables. Interesting presentation as it came with a whole green bell pepper, a whole tomato, radishes, and cut up carrots and pickled something or other. The falafels were good but not solid. The chicken kabob was moist on the inside, dry on the outside. Stand outs for the meal were the feta cheese and spinach spanikopita-like appetizers and baklava-like dessert. It is pricey at £50 which translates to $80. Yikes...

Lebanese food goes down so easily. This place is a total crowd pleaser. Besides great food, they have excellent service. Came here for a birthday dinner of 25+ people. We took up most of the restaurant, ate for over 3 hours,and were still treated like royalty. We had so many appetizers we thought it was the main meal. Most were vegetarian and they still were going the extra mile to make sure I had all the vegetarian options near me. More dishes total than I could count. Everyone was really satisfied and the family style made it all the more celebratory. Most memorable was the Lebanese pastries for dessert. We all did our best to make room for these to go with either strong coffee or fresh mint tea. It was a wonderful dinner and I can't wait to go back.

A fabulously good restaurant. One of my favorites in all of Oxford. I always eat here. First time I was there, I was so impressed that I told the owner that I have had Lebanese in DC, SF, NYC, Seattle, but his was the best I have had. If you like Lebanese or want to try it, this restaurant is for you.