This former pub has a very distinctive look, a mix of moodily low lighting, untreated wood, leather banquettes and modern paintings that cover nearly every available inch of wall space. Opened in 2001, it was an early pioneer in baking pizza in wood-fired ovens and it's still turning them out. There are ten on the menu, evenly divided between meaty and meatless.
But there's much more to the Oak than pizza. The menu combines elements of Italian and Spanish, and there's some pretty ambitious cooking in there: squid is stuffed with crab and served with a shaved courgette and sweetcorn salad; own-made prawn and broad bean ravioli come with truffle butter and dried green tomatoes; a salad of shredded duck, Marcona almonds and dandelion is served with a marmalade and shallot vinaigrette.
The wine list is a pleasure to read: 100 per cent French, Italian and Spanish, with prices starting under £20 and some very interesting bottles between £30 and £35. Upstairs is a lounge bar serving cocktails, a long list of high-quality spirits, and tapas.
Note: no bookings accepted.