Oxford's Café Culture

There comes a point in every shopping trip or sightseeing tour when you experience an overwhelming desire to find a comfortable café.

But where to go is much more of a lottery, so we are making life easier for you by giving you a headstart and pointing out the city's finest coffee houses, tea shops and cafés. From upmarket eateries to great greasy spoons, there is something here to cover every eventuality and mood. All you have to do is try them out.

Georgina's in the Covered Market is a student favourite, mainly because the food is good value and adventurous, the atmosphere laid-back, the service friendly and the customers young and trendy. Venture to the restaurant upstairs for great salads, soups nachos and sandwiches.

Alpha Bar can also be found in the Covered Market. It sells salads to take-away, so why not take your box full of healthy goodies down to Christ Church and sit and enjoy lunch in one of Oxford's best al fresco locations. For details of its sister venue, Woodstock Road Delicatessen.

The Queen's Lane Coffee House is a traditional Oxford staple, conveniently placed on the High Street right next to Queen's College.

Handy if you have been shopping or sightseeing, but you may find that hundreds of others have had the same idea!

The Grand Café on the High Street lives up to its name. As you might expect, it isn't cheap, but it is a good place to take people if you need to impress them with your wealth and refinement.

The range of teas and coffees should keep even the fussiest date happy.

Café CoCo, on Cowley Road, serves not only some of the best pizzas in town but produces some wonderful cocktails and boasts some of the funkiest decor around. A must visit! It is open all day and every night.

Mick's Café is on Cripley Road, just off Botley Road, near Oxford railway station. It is a classic working men's café which doesn't pretend to be anything else. Excellent fry-ups at reasonable prices.

St Giles Café is, as the name suggests, on St Giles and is an Oxford landmark. So sitback at the formica tables with your mug of tea and ketchup and wait for your fry-up. Good stuff!

Cleo Express, also on St Giles, is nearby. Take away a baguette, panini or an interesting cake if you're in a hurry; if not, head upstairs and have a sit down.

Jericho Café is on Walton Street. It is somewhere you can indulge in posh bites as well as helping yourself to more traditional breakfasts. Or just drop in for a coffee and watch the world go by in Oxford's most bohemian district.

There are few places better to go on a sunny day than Mortons in Broad Street. Normally you can find a table in the little garden at the back of the café. The baguettes are something special.

There are three other branches now - one in the Covered Market, one on Little Clarendon Street and another in New Inn Hall Street.

Jam Factory, off Frideswide Square, is a recent addition to Oxford's café scene. So relaxed it's horizontal, enjoy a cup of coffee in its whitewashed, light, sunny and funky surroundings.

The Jam Factory is also perfectly placed near Oxford train station for anyone needing to restock, refill and rejuvenate before or after a long journey, and the food is fabulous to boot.

St Mary's Vaults, off the High Street, is a wonderful retreat from the hustle and bustle of city life, but located slapbang in the middle of town.

In the summer months sit out in the quod and enjoy the sights and sounds of the city - or venture indoors for some of the wonderful home-made food and cakes. Think Cranks and you are not far off.

The Modern Art Café is a great way of combining culture with great food.

The relaxing, minimalist interior is a the result of a recent refurbishment and the café is now a great attribute to the museum, serving simple home-made food.