“There’s an underwhelming array of restaurants in Summertown”, laments the table of locals sat next to me. My ears prick up. The conversation turns to the difficulty of finding an independent restaurant in a sea of chains. The table of locals have high hopes that the re-branded and “enhanced” wine bar and restaurant on the site of the former Oxford Wine Cafe in north Oxford might be the answer, and now so do I. The pressure is on. The new owners already own two restaurants in the city and are planning two more.
