The Alice, a new restaurant within Oxford’s The Randolph Hotel, by Graduate Hotels will open this August.
A collaboration between White Rabbit Projects and Graduate Hotels, The Alice will be helmed by newly appointed Executive Chef Chris Emery, who joins with extensive experience in some of the world’s most renowned hospitality venues. The chef has worked as Executive Sous Chef at Jason Atherton’s Pollen Street Social and as Head Chef in Atherton’s The Clocktower in New York, and has spent time in the kitchens of The Waterside Inn and Cliveden House.
The all-day dining restaurant and bar will serve classic British dishes, as interpreted by Emery and his culinary team. Seasonally driven and largely supported by local farmers and suppliers from Oxfordshire, Wiltshire and Gloucestershire, the opening summer menu includes starters such as chalk stream trout and Porthilly oyster and charcoal mayonnaise, as well as mains of roasted Lake District lamb, asparagus, black garlic and morels and pan seared brill, datterini tomatoes and butter sauce. Classic puddings include farm strawberries, elderflower and pedro ximenez together with tarte tatin with banana, vanilla and caramel.
The Alice, a nod to Oxford alumnus Lewis Carroll, will serve breakfast, lunch, dinner, pre-theatre dining and afternoon tea. The restaurant will also provide the menu inspiration for the other hotel hospitality spaces, namely The Snug, The Morse Bar and the informal lounge and dining spaces; The Drawing Room and The Lancaster Room.
Within The Alice will be the destination Alice Bar offering a broad selection of wines, craft beers and spirits. House cocktails include a Randolph Gimlet – a homage to the hotel with white rum, blanc vermouth and rhubarb and The Coeur de Lion, named after Richard the Lionheart who was born in Beaumont Place in the 12th century, roughly where the Randolph stands today. The Coeur de Lion includes vodka, pineapple, apricot, lemon, dry vermouth and ginger.
Adjoining The Alice will be The Snug, an intimate cocktail lounge with the spirit of a bohemian English library, serving drinks and snacks derived from the main restaurant menu. The Morse Bar, the hotel’s beloved bar, will remain an ode to Morse creator Colin Dexter who was a regular and penned some of the Morse books from the bar. The space is now an intimate panelled bar, primarily focusing on cocktails and whiskey. Snacks and small plates at The Morse Bar will also come from Emery and team.
The Drawing Room and The Lancaster Room are two, physically connected spaces for guests to enjoy as they choose – with a coffee and the morning paper, a light lunch, afternoon tea or evening cocktail. The formal rooms overlook the Ashmolean Museum and are available for private hire, parties, dinners, receptions and celebrations.
The illustrator John Broadley has been commissioned to create all of the menu artwork throughout the hotel. Taking inspiration from the celebrated British cartoonist Osbert Lancaster, an erstwhile resident of the hotel who paid for his keep in paintings, the illustrations bring together Emery’s menu, the city of Oxford and ideas from the story Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland.
The Randolph Hotel by Graduate Hotels is close to some of the University of Oxford’s iconic colleges, including Trinity and St. John’s, and is only a stone’s throw from St. Giles Street with its vibrant restaurants and bars, as well as the world-famous Radcliffe Camera and Ashmolean Museum. The re-design of the 151-key hotel will take inspiration from the university’s history, paying homage to its storied innovators and alumni. Interior design details will include bold hues; textural elements inspired by the region’s natural resources and locally inspired art, which will tell the narratives of Oxford’s past.
