We all know you can’t go wrong with classic tourist spots, they’ll always be a safe bet. But I’ve found that my favourite days out are ones when I’ve discovered a new café, or hidden picnic spot. We all know the iconic Oxford University, Westgate shopping centre and the Bodleian Library, but what about the hidden gems?
Visiting less popular spots really allows you to get to the crux of the city’s character. So, whether you’re a frequent visitor or have only just been introduced to Oxford, I invite you to join me on a tour of my 10 favourite spots, all of which aren’t talked about enough…
I’m going to start off with cafés...
Vaults & Garden Café
1 Radcliffe Square, Oxford OX1 4
Monday to Saturday 8am – 6pm
Sunday 8am – 5:30pm
www.thevaultsandgarden.com
Peeking out of Catte Street, overlooking the Radcliffe Camera, Vaults & Garden Café is the perfect spot for a tasty lunch. I’ve visited the Bodleian and walked past Vaults so many times, always telling myself, next time I’ll make time to go in for a coffee. I finally visited over the summer with my friends and let me tell you I wish I’d visited sooner!
The staff were extremely welcoming and there were plenty of places to sit, both inside and in the garden. The menu is very accommodating to vegan, vegetarian and gluten-free visitors, and produce is organic and locally sourced where possible, meaning that the food is fresh and high quality. What’s not to love!!
And if you thought that the gorgeous location and extensive menu wasn’t enough, the café also operates under a green ‘No Waste Catering’ policy which aims to minimize produce and packaging waste through recipe formulation, food purchasing and recycling. So, you can enjoy a delicious meal content in the knowledge that you are also supporting an environmentally conscious small business!
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Gulp Fiction
Covered Market, Market Street, Oxford OX1 3DZ
Monday to Wednesday 8am – 5.30pm
Thursday to Saturday 8am – 10pm
Sunday 10am – 5pm
www.oxford-coveredmarket.co.uk/traders/gulp-fiction
If you are an avid reader, this is about to become your favourite reading spot in Oxford…
The Covered Market is a well-known gem. To be honest I would consider it the beating heart of independent shops and cafes in Oxford. Nestled in one of its buzzing alleyways sits Gulp Fiction. Purchase a second-hand book, or bring your own, and sit down to read whilst sipping your favourite coffee or cocktail. The café even holds reading clubs and music evenings!
If you’re feeling like getting rid of a book from home, you can bring it in and give it to Gulp to sell – they’ll give you £1 for every book they take.
All in all, Gulp Fiction is the perfect reading and study spot. Its indie aesthetics give it the perfect cosy atmosphere for a cute coffee date with your favourite book!
Note: Sometimes they turn off the coffee machine earlier to allow for clean up – just bear that in mind if you’re visiting later in the day.
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Now, let’s focus on food…
The Kazbar
25-27 Cowley Road, Oxford OX4 1HP
Monday to Thursday 5pm – 11pm
Friday 5pm – 12am
Saturday 3pm – 12am
Sunday 5pm – 11pm
The Kazbar is a tapas restaurant/bar combo serving a variety of Mediterranean dishes: fun and delicious. Lanterns and fairy lights create such an intimate, cosy feel that it is the perfect vibe for a date or vibrant evening with your friends. From the decorations to the tiled tapas-style tables, The Kazbar has everything you want a restaurant to give and more!
My only piece of advice would be to make sure you turn up at a decent time on busier evenings like Friday and Saturday because you can’t book unless you are a table of 8 or more. When it’s busier you might have to wait a few minutes for a table, but I usually just get a drink at the bar and, to be honest, you don’t have to ask me twice!
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The Turf Tavern
7 Bath Place, Oxford OX1 3SU
Opening hours
Monday to Sunday 11am – 11pm
Serving hours
Monday to Sunday 11am – 9pm
www.greeneking.co.uk/pubs/oxfordshire/turf-tavern
At the heart of some of Oxford’s most iconic landmarks: The Bodleian Library, The Bridge of Sighs and the University of Oxford itself, the Turf Tavern sits, hidden beneath cobbled alleyways and medieval stone walls. Delicious, classic pub cuisine, with a variety of gluten free, vegetarian and vegan options, perfect for a hearty meal, or even just cheeky drinks and nibbles on a Friday afternoon.
The courtyard beer garden is super social and has lots of outdoor seating, ideal for a relaxed drink with your friends after a day of exploring the city!
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Fancy a drink?
Varsity Club
Avenue 1, The Covered Market, 9a The High Street, Oxford OX1 4DB
Opening times
Monday to Tuesday 3pm – 11.30pm
Wednesday and Thursday 12pm – 11.30pm
Friday and Saturday 12pm – 2am
Sunday 12pm – 11.30pm
Serving times
Wednesday to Saturday 12pm – 3pm, 5pm – 9pm
Sunday 12pm – 5pm
The Varsity Club is the ULTIMATE destination if you’re looking for a chic, electric atmosphere to have a drink, or even a sit-down meal! Such a buzzing social hub, definitely a hotspot for young people.
In terms of food, Varsity Club offers a range of dining experiences. The terrace is open all year round thanks to the outdoor headlamps, so you can enjoy dinner with a view!! Doesn’t get better than that.
If you’re feeling extra bougee, a seasonal pod is also available, equipped with blankets and rugs for warmth; however, you can also eat inside the cocktail lounge. The menu itself has a variety of vegetarian, vegan and gluten free options and, just to top it all off, Varsity Club also hosts Bottomless Brunches from Saturday 11am – 12pm to Sunday 11am – 2pm, £40 each!
Cocktails at the Varsity Club are an experience in themselves, they have some great deals such as 2-for-£15 from Monday to Friday on selected cocktails. If you’re feeling like unleash your inner mixologist, a Cocktail Masterclass is also available in groups of 6 to 12 for just £35 per person – non-alcoholic options are provided too! On weekend evenings, the 1st Floor nightclub is active and charged for a night of dancing and drinking (Saturdays over 21’s past 10:00pm).
With DJs and fab cocktail deals, can you really go wrong?
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LJ – Love Jericho Cocktail Bar
30 Walton Street, Oxford OX2 6AA
Monday to Thursday 4pm – 1am
Friday and Saturday 3pm – 2am
Sunday 4pm – 1am
Want to go for a cocktail? Jericho is the hotspot for trendy cocktail bars, and LJ is the ideal bar for a casual drink with friends. There is a brilliant range of cocktails and LJ also offers cocktail masterclasses if you want to learn the cocktail-making craft. There is such a high quality of service at LJ, and it truly comes across in their cocktails, they are sure never to disappoint!
Let the fun be-gin!
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Sandy’s Bar
4 King Edward St, Oxford OX1 4HS
Wednesday 6pm – 1am
Thursday 6pm – 2am
Friday and Saturday 5.30pm – 3am
www.sandyspianobar.co.uk/booking
If you’re looking for a more entertaining night, Sandys Bar is the place to be! With 2-for-1 cocktail deals, open mic nights, and live music, this really is the most dynamic bar in Oxford. The live music really does take your night to the next level, and they even take song requests. I mean what’s not to love.
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Now, enough with food and drink, here are some of my other favourite spots…
Wellington Square Park
Wellington Square, Oxford OX1 2HY
Wellington Square Park is Oxford’s most hidden picnic gem. Bordered by Oxford University’s medieval architecture, the park is so ideal because of how central it is, yet it is also nice and secluded, so the perfect spot to read a good book, have a summer outdoor study sesh, or a picnic with your friends.
Once you’ve stumbled across this green square, you’ll want to keep it a secret!
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Fancy a spot of shopping? Try inox Boutique
14-15 Saint Ebbes Street, Oxford OX1 1QQ
Monday to Saturday 10am – 6pm
For a bit of elevated browsing and maybe even shopping, the Minox Boutique is the perfect spot. With designers from Burberry to Uma Wang to Moncler, the boutique holds an accessible range of popular high fashion designer brands.
Sometimes it’s more fun to browse rather than shop, and Minox is the perfect place to practise some designer browsing. If you desire a more extravagant shopping experience, you can even book an appointment with the personal shopping team!
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Looking for the perfect place for a quiet walk? Brasenose Wood is the place.
Brasenose Wood
Eastern outskirts of Oxford
270 acres of tranquillity away from the buzzing streets of Central Oxford, sounds like the perfect Sunday activity to me! Located on a nature reserve, whether it’s just you and your dog, or you’ve invited your friends and family, this walk in the woods never disappoints!
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There’s a world of Oxford out there…
I hope that you get to enjoy and experience at least one of these spots, and that you will continue to seek out hidden places in each city you travel to.
Instead of only visiting the same familiar haunts, let’s make a pact to explore the lesser-known parts of cities. You never know what you might find hidden beneath the crowds and cobblestone pathways.
Always wise to check opening times, availability and admission prices, if applicable, before you set off.
Emily Thrower
Oxford Life Magazine
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Love to travel and explore?
Perhaps a visit to www.travellifemag.co.uk will satisfy your wanderlust.
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