Nico’s Back And Bringing the Hits: Why Oxford’s Most Exciting Dining Experience Is the One You’ll Want to Book This Summer

Oxford has no shortage of places to eat. Cosy pubs, charming cafés, polished hotel restaurants, but no other dining experience quite compares to Six by Nico. Since opening its doors in Oxford’s bustling rooftop at the Westgate Centre, the cult tasting menu concept has brought a fresh, playful energy to the city’s food scene, offering locals and visitors alike a rotating six-course menu inspired by memories, places, and stories.

This summer, they’re upping the ante with Six Club a special 12-week midweek dining series, where some of the most-loved menus from Six by Nico’s past make a limited-time comeback. Priced at just £30 per person for five courses, it's really great value and almost as satisfying as the food itself.

THE CONCEPT? SOMETHING NEW EVERY TIME

What sets Six by Nico apart isn’t just the flavour; it’s the concept. The entire menu changes every six weeks, each theme dreamed-up with a distinct narrative that informs the food, the plating, even the music. One menu might take you on a culinary journey through Paris; the next, through childhood nostalgia (cue their cheeky take on a Deep Fried Mars Bar).

With Six Club, the nostalgia is the point. Each menu is the return of a Nico classic. While some are announced in advance (The Chippie is running until 25th June), others are a delicious mystery, revealed only when the time is right. It makes every booking a little thrill whether you’re returning to a favourite or being introduced to a menu you missed the first time around.

We’ve had the pleasure of trying four menus since Nico arrived in Oxford, and we’ve yet to be disappointed. Every time, the experience feels different: new courses, new storytelling, new wine pairings but the same polished, playful vibe that makes it feel like a real treat without ever veering into pretentious territory.

AN ATMOSPHERE WHERE FUN MEETS REFINED

Step inside Six by Nico Oxford and you’ll feel it instantly: this is a restaurant that knows how to strike a balance. The space is modern elegant but not overly designed - it all fits the experience. The service is attentive, upbeat, and informed, but refreshingly un-stuffy. The whole place hums with the sense that something special is happening but that you don’t need to have read a wine encyclopaedia to enjoy it.

For visitors spending a day or two in Oxford, this is a golden opportunity to sample the city’s more creative, evolving side. This is Oxford with personality.

THE FOOD: REIMAGINED CLASSICS AND SERIOUSLY GOOD VALUE

Let’s talk about the food. Because yes, £30 for five courses is as good as it sounds. Each dish is full of flair and finesse, yet portions are generous enough that you leave feeling sated but never stuffed - a rare feat in the world of tasting menus.

Take The Chippie, for instance, which revisits British takeaway favourites with unexpected finesse:

• "Chips, Cheese & Curry Sauce" becomes a golden potato terrine topped with curry emulsion and aged parmesan espuma.

• "Monkfish Scampi" swims in a buttery dill and gribiche pea sauce that’ll make you wonder why you ever settled for the real thing.

• And of course, the Deep Fried Mars Bar makes its triumphant returns - served with cocoa nib, chocolate delice, and an unforgettable Irn Bru sorbet.
  

There’s also the option to add a bonus “fish supper” course for just £8, which, if you’re anything like us, you won’t be able to resist.

VEGETARIANS, REJOICE!

Now, here’s where Six by Nico really earns points: vegetarians don’t get the short straw. Unlike most set menus, where the meat-free options feel like an afterthought or a salad arrangement in disguise, the vegetarian courses at Nico are fully conceptualised and equally creative. No burrata or boring grilled cauliflower here.

We tried the plant-based version of The Chippie and were blown away: from halloumi with salt and vinegar scraps to salt-baked celeriac with burnt apple and even a vegetarian Deep Fried Mars Bar, the menu didn’t feel like a compromise. It felt like a celebration.

It’s a thoughtful, inclusive approach that’s all too rare. And at this price point? Genuinely impressive.

THE WINE PAIRING: ON POINT, EVERY TIME

While optional, we’d argue the wine pairing is an essential part of the experience (if you like wine obviously). For an additional fee, you get five carefully selected wines matched with each course (beginning at course 2, with dessert wine served in a smaller 50ml pour to suit the richness).

Curated by TAN&NS, who work directly with boutique producers across the globe, the wines are consistently well-paired - not just as “nice drinks,” but as purposeful accompaniments that elevate the flavours of each dish.

Even the more unusual selections (we’re looking at you, Lambrusco with dessert) surprise in the best way.

A MUST-BOOK EXPERIENCE

Whether you're in town for a few days or you're a local looking to shake up your weeknight dining routine, Six Club is easily one of the most exciting culinary happenings in Oxford this summer.

We’ll be going back again, and again. You should too.