Kazbar

Address: 25-27 Cowley Road, Oxford, Oxfordshire, OX4 1HP, United Kingdom
Tel: +44 (0)1865 202920
Website: view Kazbar’s website
Door: Open door
Style: Tapas bar
Food: Set menu

Review

Kazbar is a Moroccan-themed bar and restaurant south east of the city centre. Enter through a large conservatory and you'll face a large L-shaped ornate wooden bar surrounded by low tables and benches covered in carpets and cushions. Small orange trees, sandy-coloured walls, gnarled leather bar stools and lots of wrought iron complete the look. The staff wear uniforms like they're in Aladdin.

It manages to be suitably atmospheric without taking itself too seriously, and the service is really friendly. The drinks offering is small and actually Spanish in bias, with only a few nods to Morocco.

The back-bar contains some worrying looking 'novelty' liqueurs and spirits, but they don't seem to feature on the six-strong cocktail list which includes a floral Sangria, a decent Fig and Vanilla Daiquiri (the rum having been infused with figs and vanilla, lime juice and sugar syrup) and Moroccan Iced Tea made with vodka. Other cocktails feature on blackboards surrounding the bar and there's lots of wine, a few sherries too and beer. If you choose the latter, mind the note on the menu which reads: 'Please refrain from drinking from the bottle - the owner's mother doesn't like it.' The tapas are tasty, served from little terracotta dishes.