Curzon Oxford

You know that feeling when you're meeting someone at the Westgate and dreading another chain restaurant experience? Head up to Curzon's bar instead. Tucked above the cinema screens, this is where Oxford's film crowd gather for pre-show drinks that actually warrant arriving early for. The cocktail menu runs deeper than your average cinema bar, with bartenders who know the difference between shaking and stirring, while the wine list skips the usual suspects for bottles you'd actually order in a proper restaurant. The space strikes that tricky balance between sleek and comfortable – think mid-century modern touches without the stuffiness. Whether you're killing time before the latest arthouse release or just escaping the shopping centre chaos below, it's become the kind of spot that makes the Westgate feel less like retail purgatory and more like a proper destination.