As our day trip to Oxford is vaguely birthday-related, it would be nice to find somewhere good to eat, so with a bit of research, I find Arbequina, a tapas bar a gentle 25 minute walk from the Ashmolean that is on the Michelin guide and supposedly adapts well to vegans. And it does! They’re very good at taking the non-vegan elements out but serving them separately, so Alasdair and I can at least share some dishes. On this front, the patatas bravas with aioli on the side are a delight, with a good kick to the sauce and the right crisp/fluffy ratio being hit. The pan con tomate is gorgeous, duly softening the lightly toasted sourdough with still thick crusts to tear through. The most adapted dish for him is the cauliflower salad with pommegranate seeds, lightly spiced and dressed. We devour a bowl of well-marinated olives between us, and I enjoy the classics of some croquetas and a slice of tortilla so good I genuinely regret not buying another slice to take home with me. The chocolate mousse I have for dessert is beautiful also, rich, slightly salty, a good healthy dollop of chantilly cream atop. An excellent topper to a wonderful day in Oxford.