KATHERINE MACALISTER is set to become a regular customer at Modern Art Oxford’s pop-up café.

Modern Art Oxford’s new café is the closest thing Oxford’s got to a pop-up restaurant – fresh, funky, original, inspiring and more importantly surprising.

Because not only is it only open until September but it’s also acting as an art installation at the same time.

Confused? You shouldn’t be, because the beauty of The Yard is that what you end up with is a converted open café, where you can eat, drink and hang out in central Oxford without spending a fortune or having to endure another meal in a chain restaurant.

Miraculous, I know.

You’ll have walked past MAO’s Yard hundreds of times on your way to Sainsburys or Oasis without even glancing at it.

Until now it was another closed gate in a city of secret skylines and out-of-bounds historical buildings.

Oxford may boast gleaming spires, but how many of them can you actually get to?

Well, you can now add The Yard to the list because the space has been dramatically converted by dRMM Architects and artist Richard Woods who designed the tables, chairs, bar and shelves with his trademark splashes of colour.

So what was an empty space with a fierce grey iron gate is now an inviting art space that manages to be fun without being intimidating.

And whether you venture into the museum or not, you can recline in peace and quiet on the bright bean bags while sipping a cappuccino and reading the papers, take the kids to clamber thorough the carefully designed wooden tables and chairs, or perch at one of the colourful tables and have lunch.

MAO has kept The Yard simple, the powers-that-be recognising its potential, not only as a fabulously situated new hotspot on Oxford’s restaurant and bar scene, but also as a way of enticing new customers into the museum via St Ebbes Street.

It must be said the food is limited but seasonal and changed on a regular basis.

Think home-made panini, quiche, salads and cakes and you’ll get a good idea of what’s going on here.

Add in the specially chosen wines, beers, coffees and drinks to the assortment on offer, and the options become more enticing.

So how was it? Two salads came with the quiche (£4.20) and I chose a chocolate and banana brownie (£2.50) and a latte (£2.50) to accompany it.

A chef comes in daily to cook the day’s specials so everything is fresh and still warm, and although I don’t think the food will win any awards here, in terms of originality and space I’ll be back on a regular basis.

It’s the perfect location for central Oxford and as such will do brilliantly.

Plus on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays The Yard is open until 10pm and hosting a variety of music events into the bargain.

Just don’t leave it too late because as of September a new installation will take over and the cafe will revert back inside until next summer.

But unlike other pop-ups, The Yard is, seasonally at least, here to stay.

* The Yard is in St Ebbes Street, Oxford See the website at modernartoxford.org.uk or follow @mao_cafe on twitter for special offers and to find out when the cakes and biscuits have just come out of the oven!