It’s hard to believe it’s been seven years since Jamie’s Italian closed on George Street, laying derelict until the right business came along.
That business is Megan’s by the Spires, the huge site transformed over the past 14 weeks into a totally different offering where Eastern Mediterranean brunch, dinner and cocktails await.
Popping in for a mid-week breakfast we hit the jackpot because all food is 50% off during its soft launch until Thursday August 20, while the new team find their feet.
the huge site has been transformed over the past 14 weeks into a totally different offering where Eastern Mediterranean brunch, dinner and cocktails await
So we got royally stuck in and went overboard on the extensive breakfast menu which runs until 11am, brunch then kicking in until 3pm-3pm, dinner until close.
It’s an impressive new restaurant with multiple dining areas, from window side seats to booths and seating at the back and a party area downstairs in the vast space, all uniquely decorated with murals, flamingoes, handmade macrame umbrellas and so much more.
It’s an impressive new restaurant with multiple dining areas
Even the coffee offerings are taken to the next level, the iced tiramisu latte (£4.50) and iced Biscoff latte (£4.30) hitting the novelty spot, alongside a normal latte which was good and strong, reflecting Megan’s Turkish roots.
The story goes that Megan’s first opened in an antiques shop on the King’s Road in London, a simple offering that was enhanced when they brought in Turkish chef Vincent. When Megan returned back to New Zealand, Vincent took it on, slowly expanding all over London and the outskirts, before opening this week in Oxford, still independently owned despite this being its 22nd site.
Megan’s first opened in an antiques shop on the King’s Road
New GM Mike Carne, fresh from Beefy Boys, is really excited about the new venue and its huge potential for all day dining and late night partying with bottomless brunches, dining deals, live music and dancing, pre and post theatre menus and drag queen entertainment all in the pipeline.
But for now we were fully immersed in our breakfast and its unique slant – the cheesy toasted croissant with za’atar & honey for example, stretchy with cheese, and flavoured with herbs and sweet honey, a revelation.
The SHAKSHOUKA – made in house every day – is a rich, warming, smoky, hearty, exotic dish
The SHAKSHOUKA – made in house every day, the tomato sauce slow cooked for eight hours, (choose from halloumi, chorizo or hummus and avocado) to enhance the baked free range eggs, sourdough, feta and chilli, the chorizo in ours adding that extra kick, a rich, warming, smoky, hearty, exotic dish.
The Turkish eggs veer away from a tomato sauce base, instead concentrating on the yoghurt and flatbreads (£14.90) enhanced with labneh, harissa hummus, avocados, hash browns and omega seeds for a full middle-eastern experience, the flatbreads soft and bouncy.
The Turkish eggs come with yoghurt and flatbreads enhanced with labneh, harissa hummus, avocados, hash browns and omega seeds
We ordered extra has browns anyway, appearing like tato tots, and completely moreish and alternated between that and the hot honey halloumi & avocado toast with pomegranate & omega seeds (£14.50), the ample portion keeping us busy.
Pancake wise we went for the bacon & maple with caramelised banana & pistachios, just the two stack (£13.90) as we were already filling up, and while the bacon could have been crispier, the caramelised banana was so damn good, almost like the ones you find in Thai restaurants, that we finished the lot.
Staggering out, full to the brim, we vowed to return for its night time menu, cocktails and party vibes or even the bottomless champagne brunch
Staggering out, full to the brim, we vowed to return for its night time menu, cocktails and party vibes or even the bottomless champagne brunch.
One things for sure it’s all going on at Megan’s come day or night!
Megan’s by the Spires is at 24-26 George Street, Oxford, OX1 2AE
