Moya Restaurant in Oxford

Reviews

1. Ajith Vasudevan ★★★★★

   The small unassuming outward appearance belays the quality of what these folks dish out inside. If you are feeling even a little bit like having some excellent Eastern European food while in Oxford - look no further. For starters - We had a butternut squash soup which was - OK…and a devils toast which was excellent. Main course was the duck - crispy flavourful and paired to perfection with cabbage and an apple gravy as well as the goulash with dumplings - oh that felt so good on a cold winter evening. The desserts were outstanding too - the bubble cake I would definitely go back for and the apple tart which was fresh and done well Strongly recommended

   almost 9 months ago
2. Jenny Downing ★★★★★

   My partner had long been attempting to persuade me to try "Eastern European restaurant" Moya. Not my kind of thing, I'd thought, all those hearty dishes would surely be far better suited to a cold wintry night than an early spring, then midsummer evening. However, unlike Google, which focuses on the food, Moya actually styles itself as a "Slovak restaurant and (importantly) cocktail bar" which sounds far more interesting! So we booked. Arriving on the dot of 5.30pm (which is when Moya opens) turns out to have been a pretty good move; it ensured maximum benefit from the happy hour cocktail prices and meant we could try two each (for the record, my "breakfast" martini was pretty awesome). As for the food, I can thoroughly recommend any of the four dishes I tasted, from my (fat, juicy, tiger) prawn salad starter, via an absolutely brilliant "halušky" (teeny baby dumplings) with sauerkraut (also mine), my partner's confit duck (spicy red cabbage, creamy, garlicky gratin potatoes) all the way through to a proper pudding (ostensibly to soak up the alcohol). Said pudding was definitely hearty (we shared); a vast pallid dumpling, stuffed with plums (er, prunes) and damson jam and generously coated (swimming in) sweet, buttery, poppyseedy loveliness. Unfortunately we had to abandon the idea of a postprandial coffee as our bus was suddenly due and we had to race off to catch it. But no matter. It's perfectly ok to rock up, park yourself at the bar and focus on cocktails-and-nibbles (another time perhaps - although that would mean passing up the opportunity to work our way through the remaining dishes on the menu). Otherwise book a table, get there early - and enjoy!

   1 year ago
3. Jelena D ★★★★★

   Moya is a charming and sophisticated restaurant in Oxford. All the staff were extremely friendly and personable, chatting to us about the food and drinks while also getting to know us. Our server Milena was lovely and really looked after us. The Eastern European cuisine was excellent and is a unique find in the city. We ordered the mushroom dumplings, and tender duck that fell off the bone, with sides of gratin and sauerkraut. It was so delicious that we also had to try the fruit dumpling and bubble cake for dessert. We paired this with a light and floral dessert wine and finished it off with a flavourful espresso. Our only regret was not ordering any appetizers too! Whether you’re visiting Oxford for the first time or a long time resident, you must try this restaurant. You may even receive an added bonus if you visit late in the evening as you might spot a professor mulling over some paperwork alongside a glass of wine. We give it 5 stars for the food, staff, and ambience!

   1 year ago

1. Huiling Zhang ★★★★★

   This is a great place to catch up with a friend, or just to enjoy some food and company. Excellent food. Will definitely try again! We ordered the signature pork shank and the confit Guinea fowl; both were very satisfying. Not too oily; not too salty; everything was just right. The sweet cabbage was also cooked expertly. For dessert we tried the hot dumpling, which is basically a warm bun with sweet jam fillings. Needless to say this idea of dumpling is quite novel to me as a Chinese, but it tastes good. I cannot wait to come back and try more items on the menu! Service: nice but chill. Perhaps because we are close to Christmas there weren’t too many customers around. Many chose to stay and chat for a while after the meal. We did so and was not pushed out (never!) and instead received very nice hospitality.

   1 year ago
2. V Yau ★★★★★

   Surprised by how high quality the food and cocktails are! Loved everything - especially the devilled toast, the pork shank was done perfectly and delicious salmon too. We had two cocktails each person, really impressed with how they use fresh fruits rather than fruity syrup - do try their specials!

   1 year ago
3. Tom Kearns ★★★★☆

   Really enjoyed the food! Fantastic quality, the waiter was a little...direct... But soon chilled out, we had a lovely time and will definitely return

   almost 3 years ago

1. Annie Lee ★★★★★

   One of the best restaurant in the UK that we have ever tried. Nice food and service. The vibe was so chill too! Will be back again!

   almost 3 years ago
2. Adam Letts ★★★★★

   Absolutely impeccable service and food. Staff were lovely and very accommodating. I highly recommend the Confit of Duck if you visit! Will definitely be back when visiting Oxford again

   almost 3 years ago
3. Michael Tsang ★★★★☆

   Lovely restaurant serving comforting Central European dishes. The halusky starter was fantastic, with a strong aroma of paprika and balanced well with the sauerkraut. The pork shank was also nice, tender and flavoursome meat, and not too massive as to be intimidating to finish. The cocktails were very nice, and the service was friendly. The goulash was unfortunately quite disappointing, as the sauce was surprisingly bland, and could have done with some sour cream for contrast.

   almost 3 years ago

1. Petra Klamova ★★★★★

   Slovak cuisine is not widely represented in the UK and some ingredients can be often difficult to find, but these guys do a fantastic job at producing the most delicious traditional dishes I've ever tasted outside of my parents' kitchen. I'd highly recommend visiting! This is the only place I know of that will put Becherovka in your cocktail (Honeysuckle,thank me later).

   almost 4 years ago

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