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A (Mostly Food) Guide to Oxford

Hi there!

Remember me?

I still exist! Just barely after last week, which was a bit much, but I do still exist. I was half dying from a cold, had several midterm papers to write, and the penultimate episode of The Mindy Project to put on loop (only! one! more! this! season!). Needless to stay, 'stressed out' was somewhat an understatement.

But I'm back and I'm ready to rumble.

Today, I have for you a food guide to Oxford!

- SWEET TREATS -
MooMoo's Milkshakes

Hands down, the best milkshakes I've ever had.
Try a 'Coffee Oreo' (recommended by Aspiring Kennedy),
and prepare to get your mind blown.
There are also a million candies, chocolates, sauces, and flavors
that you can mix to your heart's desire. Seriously, the best.
The Cake Shop

Situated right in the middle of The Covered Market
(where MooMoo's and Ben's Cookies are also located -
it's the very cutest of indoor marketplaces),
The Cake Shop makes beautiful celebration cakes.
Feel free to take a peek in the window!
If you find yourself wanting a bite of it too,
go on inside and head straight for the little basket next to the cash register.
There are generous baggies of (AMAZING MOIST AND FLAVORFUL) leftover cake scraps.
And get this - it's only 1 British pound for a whole bag.
Ben's Cookies

These are palm-sized, delectable little wonders.
Thick and 'cake-like,' these cookies are unlike any other.
Whatever you do, ask for the cookies straight out of the oven.
They are hot and gooey and melty and the best.
George & Danver (G&D's)

The British do not have a wealth of to-die-for ice creams like the Americans do.
But Oxford does have two locations of G&D's. And that's enough.
Full of fun flavors such as my favorite - butterbeer,
G&D's also offers many an option in how it's served to you -
on top of a hunk of brownie, sandwiched between two hot cookies, plunked on top of a waffle.
Or by itself, if you're normal.
Take your pick.

- FOR A CUPPA -
Turl Street Kitchen

This is probably the closest thing to California you could find in Oxford.
With an emphasis on sustainability and fresh, quality foods -
Turl Street Kitchen is a good go-to for a quick cup of coffee
and a study session upstairs in a sunlight-drenched lair of couches and pillows,
or for a big, hearty meal. Breakfast with toast and dippy eggs was my personal favorite.

The Missing Bean
One of our favorite coffee shops,
The Missing Bean is quaint and tiny and full of character.
The chai and the mocha are bomb diggity.
Rumor has it that the pastries and sandwiches are all really delicious as well.
Taylor's

Taylor's Coffee is a chain, but a chain of wonderful quality.
The croissants (especially the chocolate ones) are the best I've ever had.
And their coffee was a main staple in my British diet.
(Also, they have really good and decently prized lunch options!)
Quarter Horse Coffee

Quarter Horse is a little more hipster, if you will.
Big, open tables and chalkboards.
It's a wonderful place to get some work done, 
if you can find a seat!
Also, the brownies.
The Rose

A great place for cream tea!
At seven pounds per person,
you get a wide selection of teas (I love royal blends),
two fluffy scones,
and most importantly - a heaping of clotted cream and jam.

Queen's Lane Coffee Shop

A reliable option for coffee (Nutella hot chocolate, yum!),
and brunch - apparently there are waffles!
It's open late, too, which is a huge plus in this town where everything shuts down at senior hour.

*For cocktails, House is a overpriced but they serve up great drinks and have an outside lounge.
The Grand Cafe has stellar cocktails apparently and has a really long Happy Hour.

- ONE BITE, TWO BITES, THREE BITES, FOUR -
Edamame

On Thursdays, Edamame serves up the best sushi in Oxford.
Super fresh and simple.
The restaurant is the size of a shoebox, but it's nice and kind of like
the owner had you over for dinner at his house!

The High Table
We were the super obnoxious group that accidentally brought more people than we reserved for,
and that had to leave in forty minutes for an orchestra performance,
and The High Table was extremely accommodating and still managed to serve up yummy food.
I had pork belly, and it was really, really delicious!
Great ambiance, too. Really quiet until later on at night, apparently.
Turf Tavern

Turf Tavern is one of the more famous pubs in Oxford - 
rumor has it that Bill Clinton used to hang out here.
I can see why.
There's a really decent selection of beers on tap (and ciders!),
and really, really good pub food.
The truffle mac and cheese was incredible,
and the fish and chips here was probably my favorite.

Cherwell Boathouse

If you're looking for a nicer dinner,
Cherwell Boathouse is a great place!
It's a lovely location with great views of the river,
and the food is really good.
Olive's

Um. Go here. GO. HERE.
Seriously the Holy Grail of baguette sandwiches, in my opinion.
The bread is so wonderful, and the combinations are lovely.
I usually just go with the Baguette of the Week,
or an Olive's Favorite, but you can be creative and make your own.
ALSO, after a morning run if you're feeling particularly indulgent,
stop by and grab a Nutella panini. So sinful, but so, so good.

Chiang Mai Kitchen

Our go-to for Thai food.
Decently priced, and all the classics are well done!
Nando's

Nando's is a Portuguese/North African (?) chain,
and is quite popular in England apparently.
A Chipotle for the Brits, if you will.
Piri-Piri chicken.
YUM.
(And the mashed potatoes are no joke!)

Majliss Indian Restaurant

This was the only Indian restaurant I managed to go to in Oxford,
but I loved, loved, loved it.
The decor was interesting - not very Indian restaurant-ish, if you will.
But the food is top notch - the naaaaaan, man.
Ahmed's Food Truck

Oh, Ahmed's.
So much of my time in Oxford was spent in line for this grub.
As one of the only places open after midnight (probably the only place),
Ahmed's was wonderful for late night cravings.
I go for chips and cheese with ketchup, or chicken kebab on pita with hummus.
Cheap and satisfying (and Ahmed is the nicest)!
Atomic Burger

Probably one of my favorites,
and most likely because it also satisfied a burger craving.
I love England, but they don't do burgers very well.
Atomic Burger, however, is the exception.
First of all, it has a sci-fi theme going on, which is so fun.
Secondly, the burgers. You can pick from any combo,
and add, subtract, mix things to your liking.
I love the Audrey Hepburn, which comes with a fried egg, bacon, and an onion ring
(like Audrey Hepburn would ever eat this).
The sci fries are also delicious, and has a nice kick.
Oh, and thirdly - alcoholic milkshakes.

West Cornwall Pasty Company

If you're in a jiffy (or not),
grab one of these!
Basically a chicken pot pie on the go,
and shaped like an empanada.


- THINGS TO DO -

There's a lot to do in Oxford.
You can go on top of St. Mary's Church for a lovely view,
you can visit Cornmarket Street to get some shopping done,
or pop into The Covered Market for some treats,
or check out Radcliffe Square and especially Radcliffe Camera,
get cultured in the Ashmolean Museum,
take a walk and have a picnic in Christchurch Meadows,
or you can explore Oxford Castle and the Botanical Gardens,
and much, much more.

But I'm not an expert on that. I mostly ate.

I do, however, recommend you visit the libraries if you can.
And of course, the colleges.
Christchurch College is the go-to.
It's the biggest, is pretty famous, and has ties to Harry Potter.
New College also apparently is in certain Harry Potter scenes.
Exeter College is free to visit.
Trinity College is supposedly the inspiration for The Secret Garden and Alice in Wonderland,
Magdalen is gorgeous with its own deer park.
Take your pick! There are over thirty to choose from!

- aaaaand, if all else fails -

stop by a Sainsbury's or a Tesco, grab some ingredients, and voila!

21 comments

  1. this is awesome and now i'm hungry. no, starving.

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  2. WOW this post makes my mouth water!!!!! Thanks for sharing!
    Xo, Randi

    http://eye-see-you-randi.blogspot.com

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  3. trust you to find all the good eats..
    and Hogwarts!

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  4. I just stumbled upon your blog and this post and have to give a shout out to a fellow Oxford lover! I lived there with my husband for a season and we miss it everyday! It was such a throwback to see MooMoo's Milkshakes on your page and it made me really, REALLY, miss Oxford and its amazing sights! Hope you're enjoying your adventure there! (p.s. we lived on Iffley Road and my personal blog is now named after that! haha Yay, Oxford!)

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  5. Another fabulous post! I love Nandos and your insiders guides to Oxford.

    Glad you're back, I have loved reading your blog!

    http://whatjessdoesnext.blogspot.com.au

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  6. Ohh! This all looks so delicious. I just bookmarked this page, in case I ever get the chance to visit England. As for your ? mark involving Nando's, it's a Portuguese/ South African chain. Close enough, lol. :)

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  7. First off....I hope this week is a lot less stressful and a lot more healthier than last week!

    Seriously this post is amazing. Especially since I just had a bland turkey sandwich :/

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  8. It's okay! Life should get in the way of blogging, but looks like you've been munching on good stuff. I really want to make it to England someday and try all of these. Which did you love the most?

    Carla @ Love Cartista

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  9. Looks like a yummy adventure and my kind of trip!

    ♥ Gita @ mimiandchichi.com

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  10. I'm so glad I stumbled upon your blog! You are a fantastic writer/photographer. I'm just finishing up my semester abroad in Cork, Ireland, and even though I haven't hopped on a plane home yet, your photos are making me nostalgic! I'll be following your writing from here on out! xx

    The What's In Between

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  11. And I will definitely be visiting all of these places when I'm in England! :)

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  12. It looks like a foodie delight. I wanted to do an Oxford mini-break for my anniversary but all the hotels seemed to be booked already, maybe I'll get to sample some of all of this another time.

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  13. All that food is calling my name, looks delicious! If I'm ever in Oxford I'm referencing your guide.

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  14. This all looks awesome. I was hoping to go to Oxford soon, I think it's about time I made my way over there. Your guide has given me plenty of ideas! Thanks for sharing :)

    Euriental

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  15. Really excited about this! I went to Oxford years ago for a day trip with friends and fell in love with it. It's so quaint, preppy and pretty! I'm currently planning a little getaway to go back this summer. Very timely :)

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  16. Fun post! ALL that food looks delish! Want it all now! Lol

    xx
    Giovanna
    www.HeyLoveBlog.com

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  17. Your Oxford post almost made me start to cry! I studied abroad there back in 2007 and still miss it. Love that you mentioned Chiang Mai (my first time eating Thai food!) and Queen's Lane Coffee! I was at Queen's College, right next to the coffee shop, and we always called it QLCH.

    Look forward to looking through more of your posts soon!

    ~~Ann

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your comments truly make my day! :)
thank you!

xx Caroline