Oxford went into an extended period of mourning when the revered and much loved restaurant Oli’s Thai closed three years ago. Infamous throughout Oxford and beyond, its three month waiting lists were renowned, getting a booking like winning the lottery.
In its place owners Rufus and Ladd Thurston opened Elle’s Deli which has been reigning supreme there ever since, allowing them a better work/life balance READ ABOUT IT HERE
But now that their children are older, the couple have announced that they’re re-opening Oli’s Thai on the same site with a modernised version of the award winning formula.
‘It just feels like the right time and it’s what we love to do, so we’re really excited about re-opening Oli’s Thai’
“We wanted to go back to our roots,” Ladd tells us, taking time out of Elle’s kitchen where she is preparing the days takeaways. “The kids are older now and will be helping out and working here from time to time, so it will be much more of a family affair,” she smiles. “It just feels like the right time and it’s what we love to do, so we’re really excited about re-opening Oli’s Thai.”
Having been looking for a second site for a much bigger Oli’s Thai for some time, recently losing out on a site in Jericho, the couple made the executive decision to focus on what they’ve got and convert the Magdalen Road site back to its Oli’s Thai heyday.
‘I still meet people all the time who say they never got to try Oli’s Thai because they couldn’t get a booking, so now is their chance’
But don’t expect everything to go back to exactly the way things were before. Rufus and Ladd will be adjusting the menus and are introducing bao buns and noodle soup to the menus.
The decor will also encompass the new look Elle’s Diner with its bare brick walls and raised ceiling, and the booking system will be open until Christmas. It also means that once opened, Oli’s Thai will no longer be doing takeaways, and its opening hours will change.
“The new Oli’s Thai will definitely have a different feel and while you will still get all the classics, there will be some new items on the menu,” Rufus concurs. “So it will be a new restaurant for sure.”
Rufus, who is also behind the hugely popular tapas restaurant Arbequina on Cowley Road, is currently opening a new Arbequina site in Oxford’s Covered Market READ ABOUT IT HERE, so has a lot on his plate at the moment.
“Yes, but it still seemed like the right time to make the change. We’ve loved running the deli but in the current climate it’s hard to make it work with rising prices and competition from supermarkets. So we are streamlining everything and focusing on Oli’s Thai – serving the same excellent, high quality food that everyone loves instead.”
“In a similar vein to the new Arbequina site in Oxford, the new Oli’s Thai will be the same but a bit different. We don’t want to be restricted by how Oli’s Thai was before. We want to keep things fresh,” Rufus says.
“We just hope it will be as busy as it always was. We know the die-hard Oli’s Thai regulars will be back, but we also have a whole new client base at Elle’s, so hope to encompass the two.”
And with covers for 28, and the bar and outside tables available for walk-ins, we can only imagine that Oxford’s avid diners will return in their droves.
“I still meet people all the time who say they never got to try Oli’s Thai because they couldn’t get a booking, so now is their chance,” Rufus smiles.
As for when, Elle’s Deli will close at the end of July, the refit will last until the end of August and Oli’s Thai will re-open in September on Tuesday evenings, Wednesday lunch and evening and Friday lunch and evening to start with, additional sittings to be added after Oli’s Thai is up and running.
For further updates go to https://ellesdeli.com/olis-thai
