We’re lucky in that Middlesbrough is home to lots of gorgeous eateries, but the one that is the most striking and recognisable of all is Oven Restaurant. Nestled on the bustling Linthorpe Road, you can’t miss the greenery, reflective sign, and wooden details of Oven’s front. And not only is it a stunning place to look at, it’s also a great spot for date night, celebratory dinners or cocktails with the girls!
Despite having lived in Middlesbrough for a good few years, I actually hadn’t eaten in Oven Restaurant before (wild, I know). So when they invited us along to try out their menu, I definitely couldn’t say no. It’s been somewhere that I’ve fancied for ages, but never quite found the right time to visit, so check out my thoughts below.
About Oven Restaurant Middlesbrough
Before I dive into taking about our food, let me tell you a little more about it. Owned by Tarek and Lisa, Oven was first opened in Darlington in 2005, before moving to the bigger Boro premises in 2015. It’s a vibrant place with a contemporary feel and a relaxed atmosphere. This goes hand in hand with the vast menu, which features inspiration from British, Italian, Mediterranean, and Arabic flavours. And of course, they offer classic Teesside parmos (in fact, theirs is rated number one on TripAdvisor!) in a range of variations.
Not only is it a hot spot for food, but during lockdown, Oven Restaurant became a hub for providing care packages for those who were vulnerable or shielding. With backing from Middlesbrough Council, mayor Andy Preston, and their suppliers, Oven created much-needed provisions boxes and hot meals for James Cook Hospital and other charities in the area. It’s just so great to know that the people behind the amazing food are just as amazing themselves!
You’ll find Oven Restaurant at 202-204 Linthorpe Road, Middlesbrough, TS1 3QW. The spot is open all week from 10:30AM – 11PM, and Sundays from 12PM – 4PM.
The cocktail menu
We let Tarek navigate the cocktail menu for us, but there was plenty to choose from. We started our first round with the most delicious frozen strawberry daiquiris that I’ve ever had. It tasted just like what being on holiday would taste like – pure sunshine in a glass. It was almost too easy to drink, if you know what I mean! Some of the others that we got to try included a refreshing mojito and a classic pornstar martini. Every single one was perfect, but that frozen daiquiri… I haven’t been able to stop thinking about it!
Starters
We came to Oven Restaurant Middlesbrough hungry and we don’t usually have starters, but we were dead set on this trip! However, we were so overwhelmed by the choices that we let Tarek guide us through the starter menu. He recommended that we have something little and one of their pizzas to share, which sounded pretty good to me! We settled on arancini and an Oh Baby! pizza, and we were floored by what arrived!
The Oh Baby! pizza featured Parma ham, goats’ cheese, caramelised onion and chilli jam, rocket, balsamic syrup, and parmesan shavings. We expected a little pizza to share, but this was a huge, mains size portion. Despite that, we polished the plate clean and savoured every bite. It was just gorgeous and stonebaked to get that beautifully crisp base. I loved the goats’ cheese and caramelised onion flavours together, and the rocket added a little bite.
The arancini was also sensational and presented so perfectly on the plate. The risotto was so flavoursome with just a hint of Sicilian lemon and saffron, which worked in harmony with the sauces on the plate. The mozzarella centre oozed with every cut, and that’s exactly what you want in good arancini. We could have eaten this all day!
Main courses
Originally, I’d been torn between a parmo or pizza for my main course. But after Tarek suggested a pizza to share for our starters, my mind was made up! I absolutely had to see if the parmos were good as TripAdvisor said, so I opted for a pepperoni parmo. And my goodness, I seriously wasn’t disappointed. I like a parmo that has crisp edges, but super gooey cheese, and that’s exactly what this parmo was like. It was cooked to total perfection and the pieces of pepperoni added even more flavour and a touch of heat. The chunky chips were also fantastic! Honestly, if you haven’t tried an Oven Restaurant parmo yet, take this as your sign that you need to.
While Matthew typically opts for a burger (he likes to scope out the best burger spots), he went down the Italian route this time with a carbonara. He opted to have it made the ‘proper’ way with no cream and it was a total delight. The Italian guanciale added a lovely hint of saltiness and the sauce was gorgeously smooth. He enjoyed every single mouthful, and we were both practically fit to burst by the end!
Desserts
When I say we were stuffed, I mean we were completely stuffed. We ended up needing to have a little sit down outside to let our food settle. While the restaurant is on Linthorpe Road, you almost feel like you’re somewhere else with all of the greenery and iron seating. It’s fantastic and would be amazing in the summer!
Once we’d had our minute to chill out, Tarek brought out a whole board of little desserts to try. We loved this because there would have been no way we’d manage full size ones! We got to give the sticky toffee pudding a go, which is one of my favourites, as well as brownies, the ice cream, and homemade truffles. The sticky toffee was so rich and the gooey sauce just added a whole new level of sticky. Paired up with the ice cream, it was a match made in heaven! We also loved Lisa’s truffles, and it was such a lovely touch that they’re offered out in the restaurant.
All in all, the whole experience was amazing. We couldn’t believe how stunning the interior of the restaurant was and how at ease we felt straight away. We were welcomed in like family, and every single member of staff made us feel totally relaxed. We loved how attentive everyone was, especially Tarek, and we were so grateful to be offered such a generous experience. Honestly, neither of us could recommend this place more. Everything, from the food to the people, made it such an enjoyable trip.
Will you be visiting Oven Restaurant Middlesbrough?
This meal was gifted to us by Oven Restaurant Middlesbrough in exchange for a review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.