There are many reasons to love Oxford, including our choice of outstanding museums: all fabulous and free right on our doorstep.
Can anything top a visit to one of these treasures? Yes: when there’s an excellent café where you can rest and refuel.
They are surprisingly difficult to find, but I’ve identified the ones worth visiting, even when you don’t have time for the full museum experience. Here are my favourite independents, which I find far more interesting than the bland Benugo collection that dominates the UK museum scene (I’m looking at you Ashmolean and Weston Library).
The best view: Eat the Future at the Natural History Museum
Located in an upstairs gallery, this Vaults and Garden outpost serves delicious, sustainable food and offers a stunning vista of the ground floor. Your first impression of the café will be of a narrow, utilitarian space. But when you sit down next to one of the columns (each a distinctive geological specimen) and gaze down at the displays illuminated by the Victorian glass ceiling, you will be entranced. The top quality is what you’d expect from V&G, and it’s guilt-free because of their planet-friendly ethos. I recommend lingering with a piece of cake or No-Vice Ice lolly while you consider what to see next.
The tiniest: Horsebox Coffee at the Natural History Museum
Need a caffeine boost before you even go inside the museum? The little converted horsebox gets a special mention for serving up delicious coffee drinks using Dark Horse Roastery beans, with yummy sweet treats available too. I got hooked during lockdown, and I’m so glad they’ve remained a welcome fixture on the front lawn ever since. Being right next to Uni parks, it’s the perfect pre or post park walk spot to grab a drink and snack.
The most heartwarming: Damascus Rose Kitchen at the Old Fire Station
There are a number of reasons to love the Damascus Rose Kitchen. It’s a social enterprise supporting and empowering refugee women in Oxford. It’s a bright, welcoming, and cheery café in the centre of town. And it also makes the best lentil soup and Batata Harra potatoes in Oxford. Pop in for breakfast, lunch, or coffee, and then walk through to the Old Fire Station. This inclusive arts centre has small art exhibitions in addition to performances and workshops, so it’s easy to find something of interest.
The coolest venue: Club Together at Modern Art Oxford
One of Oxford’s most stylish and vibrant cafés is tucked in the basement of the recently refurbished Modern Art Oxford. It is an immersive artwork by British artist Emma Hart, giving the vibe of an underground rave. Coloured lights bounce around the room, and through glass tabletops; the chairs resemble cartoon hands raised in celebration. Intrigued? You should be, but I suggest that you visit when you mainly want to savour a unique and joyful space. This glorious design rather outshone the cakes and Lavazza coffee I sampled on my visit, but I’ll still be going back another time for the atmosphere.
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