Cassie's Experience
This week I visited The Coconut Tree. The Coconut Tree brings Sri Lankan street food to Oxford. To put it simply, it was delicious!
The restaurant and bar had a really cosy atmosphere. Upon entering, the hum of people laughing and chatting really set the scene for a relaxed and enjoyable dining experience. It was obvious that everyone was having fun. At the Bar, we were offered the ‘Cocotail’ menu. The Coconut Tree offer delicious cocktails; classics like the mojito are on the menu, but what really excited me were their special cocktails. I had the ‘The Drunken Sri-Lankan,’ which was a fiery ginger-beer based cocktail served in an adorable elephant! My friend tried the Yaka, which is served on fire! (Yes, really!)
When the time to order our food came, we were utterly spoiled for choice. The menu works in a similar way to Tapas, and our waitress recommended choosing around 3 dishes per person. I was immediately struck by the amazing value for money, especially on a student budget. There was a great selection of vegetarian and vegan options, the portions were very generous, and the food was so delicious. As a first-timer, I was encouraged to try the ‘Hopper,’ a bowl-shaped coconut milk pancake served with a coconut sambal, seeni sambal and lunu miris. It was so tasty, and I would definitely agree that it is a must-have for first timers! I would highly recommend the cheesy colombo, fried cheese cubes served in sticky sauce (it was so moreish!) The hot battered spicy cuttlefish and the ‘fat sister,’ a pumpkin curry, were also amongst my favourites; but it was very difficult to pick a top dish when everything we had to eat was so brilliant.
More than anything, the staff really stood out. The service we received was always with a smile, which really contributed to the atmosphere of the restaurant. The staff are incredibly knowledgeable about the menu, and the dishes that we ordered on their recommendation turned out to be our favourites. I will definitely be returning to the Coconut Tree!
Mahnoor's Experience
Totally loved the opportunity to check out The Coconut Tree. It was truly "one of a kind"
experience. A welcoming team who greet you so warmly, explain the menu and help you choose, along with food that tasted so amazing that me and my guest couldn't help but feel great.
It was a fine dining experience with a lovely traditional touch. Being from Pakistan, I felt the food was close to the ones I am used to having back home.
The menu, as explained by the lovely staff works for each person choosing 3 dishes.
We ended up having quite a lot to eat and honestly loved every bit of it, so much that even when our stomachs were full, our taste buds couldn't let go of the taste.
I particularly loved the daal (it reminded me of the way my mother cooks it).
The Hoppers as recommended by their staff were truly amazing, we tried the egg hopper and loved it.
My friend tried the chicken curry and pineapple curry and loved both of them!