There wasn’t a spare seat anywhere to be found in Branca when we arrived, the Jericho restaurant bursting at the seams when we ventured in for lunch.
But it’s such a transient clientele, people snatching a quick bite, rather than lounging over a three course meal, that the tables free up remarkably quickly.
Branca’s bustling interior proves that diversifying to match the way people want to eat is the way forward
Why? Because Monday-Friday it’s diners are picking the incredible produce and dishes served in its deli next door, in a self service restaurant style set up, and then sitting down in the beautiful restaurant interior to eat in style, and it’s going down a treat.

A concept born of Covid, it was so popular, that owners Paul and Bernadette continued it once social distancing and lockdown rules were relaxed, and its ingenuity continues.
Those of who who reserve Branca for a sophisticated lunch or dinner, are still being catered for at the weekends and evenings, but by day, its bustling interior is proving that diversifying to match the way people want to eat is working.


And whether its a quick working lunch, meeting or catch up, grabbing a plate of pizza, salad, gnocchi, lasagne or individual mini quiches, is seemingly the way forward.
It’s the quality of the food produced in the kitchens there that’s making the difference, no ordinary pizzas here but enticingly authentic bases of charred dough filled with super fluffy mozzarella, veg and meats, that catch your eye.


The salad bar is equally as impressive, the choice and the diverse ingredients ensuring that regulars never have to eat the same thing twice.
So we got in line and joined the faithful, choosing individual slices from the selection of six pizzas, fresh out of the wood fired oven, accompanied by two or three salads, and a coffee from the barista bar.


Pizza slices (£4.65 each) piled high with artichoke hearts and another scattered with nduja, some glorious panzanella, and a salad of sugar snap peas, green beans, tender stem broccoli, generous shavings of pecorino with a pert honey and mustard vinaigrette, another with butter beans, tuna, eggs, red onion, baby tomatoes and herbs, and having secured a table in the main restaurant we ate with huge appreciation, my guest a regular who knew the score.
And that’s the inspiring thing about Branca, its consistency never wavers, but it’s ahead of the game in terms of filling its restaurant mid week and during the day, something that the hospitality business has always struggled with.


So next time we need a quick fix without sacrificing great quality food in a renowned setting, you’ll know where to find us.
Branca, 109 Walton Street, Oxford. OX2 6AJ. https://www.branca.co.uk