Review: Kazbar on Cowley Road

After three nights at Oxford’s Grill (if you missed it, check out my review here), we decided to give some of the other food in the area a shot.

We decided on Kazbar, a tapas restaurant on Cowley Road, which had caught our eye earlier because of their “half price tapas” deal from 5:00-6:00 on weekdays.

The atmosphere of Kazbar is worth the price of admission; cozy banquettes are lined with colorful cushions, punched tin lanterns gently light the room, and the gentle smell of incense wafts across the entryway as you make your way to the back.

The service is friendly and helpful; the hummus is tasty, although the bread it’s served with is warmed slices of Italian bread, not the authentic pita I was hoping for.

The sangria was very lovely, with a gentle, warm spice to it, and the pitcher held more sangria than we thought from looking at it.

We ordered a total of eight tapas between the three of us. I’ll start with the ones that were fine or good, and move up to the best.

First, my mom’s orders. She ordered the pimientos piquillo con alcachufas, a roasted pepper and artichoke dish with goat cheese. She also got the albondigas, spiced meatballs, and gambas al pil pil, prawns in a chili garlic herb butter.

While all three were fine, the best was absolutely the spiced meatballs. They were incredibly tasty, and spicy enough that I needed a bit of tzatziki to cool the bite. Next, my orders. I ordered the fabada asturiana, which consisted of chorizo, black pudding, and butter beans in a tomato paprika sauce. It was very tasty. My escalivada, or char-grilled vegetables, was lovely, but consisted of a thin slice of zucchini, a thin slice of eggplant, a strip of roast pepper, and half of a tiny artichoke. I was hoping for a heartier portion.

Finally, as always, dad seems to be the superstar at ordering. First, he ordered the chorizo a la sidra from the specials menu, a baked chorizo with cooked onions in cider. I would absolutely order this again; in fact, we spent a good part of the meal discussing other ways we could use this onion and cider combination in recipes.

Second, he ordered the merguez, a sausage made from beef, lamb, and harissa, served with tzatziki. This dish was soooooo fantastic; I’m pretty sure I made inappropriate noises while sampling it. I would absolutely order it again.

He also ordered the pork ribs, which were delightful; I wouldn’t put them on my short list, but only because ribs are a dish I’ve had many times before. If you like ribs, order them: you will not be disappointed.

We ordered the Turkish Delight for dessert, more out of curiosity than anything else. I was expecting to like the rosewater flavored pieces, but they were too strong and sweet for me. Dad enjoyed the lemon ones.

The final verdict; for ambiance, half-price tapas, and sangria on a weekday evening, absolutely go to Kazbar. However, if you’re really more concerned with having a solid, phenomenal meal, go two doors down to Oxford’s Grill.