It’s easy to spot Rozana’s Lebanese takeaway in Oxford’s Covered Market – just follow the queue. Tucked away on a corner next to ‘The Garden’ florists, the tiny premises is always popular with a hybrid mix of city workers, locals, tourists and students flocking for some authentic Middle-Eastern food.
And thanks to The Covered Market’s new central communal eating area, there’s even somewhere to sit and enjoy it now.
The menu is surprisingly varied for such a tiny premises, Rozana’s counter bursting with freshly made specialities from babaganoush and pastries to stuffed vine leaves, Sujuk (local Lebanese sausages) and cheese burak (which look like spring rolls). But we were there for the wraps, of which there are 16 to choose from. Falafel is the main attraction with a variety of enticing fillings including roast lamb, and numerous chicken options.
And the prices are astounding; prices for the wraps ranging from £4-£5.70 and all made to order in front of you. Take the fresh, piping hot falafels they put in, generously lined up on the wrap, smashed and then topped with pickles, tahini, tomatoes, garlic, lettuce, haloumi and tabbouleh (my favourite parsley salad made with lemon juice). The wrap is then toasted on the grill and handed over, wrapped in paper.
Juicy, generous, smokey; the individual components evident with each bite, it really is a fabulous treat, the garlic sauce giving it a kick, the pickles some heat, the smooth tahini, bite of cheese, sharp salad and hot falafel literally bursting with flavour.
Throw in some sweet pastries pistachio or walnut baklava and some drinks from the fridge and it still came win at under £15 for two people.
So next time you’re out in Oxford and want something quick, filling, healthy, inexpensive and mightily tasty then pop into The Covered Market and get in line at Rozana. It really is worth the wait.
Rozana is open from 8.30am-5pm Monday-Saturday and 10am-5pm on Sundays. https://oxford-coveredmarket.co.uk/traders/rozana/
