12 x Best Breakfast & Brunch in Oxford According To A Local

If you’re looking for a quick brunch in Oxford city centre, keep scrolling. Cafe Coco is a little out of town on Cowley Road but if you don’t mind a short detour, it’s worth it.

Cafe Coco is filled with quirky clutter and retro artwork; I could easily spend all morning there. As a favourite local breakfast spot since 1992, you can bet the food is worth a try, too.

Indulge in the full English with bacon, Oxford sausage, egg, tomato, mushrooms and the highlight, garlic sauteed new potatoes. Just remember to upgrade (£1) to add baked beans. Personally, I don’t believe it’s a fry up without!

There’s also a vegetarian version of the cooked breakfast, as well as other English dishes include eggy bread with cinnamon and maple syrup, breakfast sandwiches and build-your-own omelettes with ingredients like chorizo, smoked haddock, mozzarella and tzatziki.

Aside from a couple of muesli and porridge dishes, it’s not a place to eat breakfast in Oxford if you’re on a diet or looking for anything pretentious. But it’s also not a tatty cafe: all the dishes and nicely presented and locally sourced with a focus on free-range ingredients.

Address: 23 Cowley Rd, Oxford, OX4 1HP.

Gail’s Bakery is a gorgeous little cafe on Little Clarendon Street in Jericho, frequented in the week by Oxford Uni staff (including me when I was one of them) and on the weekends… the world and his wife! It’s a busy spot but that’s because the cakes, coffee and brunch dishes are next level.

All the dishes on the menu are made with fresh, in-season ingredients such as ricotta, pine nuts and honey. Expect plenty of eggs, avocado and sourdough. The perfect morning meal! If you’re there for coffee and baked goods, you won’t be disappointed. The cake table groans under the weight of fresh, flaky pasteries.

Over all, I love the ethos of this sustainable brunch cafe in Oxford, not to mention the delicious food!

Address: 21-22 Little Clarendon Street.

The Handle Bar is an Oxford institution and each dish on the breakfast menu is a classic. I like the coconut pancake stack with maple syrup and either bacon, bananas or berries.

There are also full English breakfasts and avo and egg-on-toast dishes. The menu may be short but there’s something for everyone including those looking for vegan food in Oxford.

Grab a cosy seat and admire the quirky, bike-laden interior of this cycle shop-cum-cafe. My only complaint is that the portions are a little on the small side.

Brunch is served until 2.30pm on weekdays and 3pm at weekends. People who like Bloody Marys (not me!) say they do a mean one.

Address: 28-32, St Michael’s St, OX1 2EB.

For a classic American-themed brunch in quirky British surroundings, look no further. The Rickety Press can be found on Cranham Street in Jericho while their sister restaurant, The Rusty Bicycle, is on Magdalen Road towards Cowley.

I’ve been to both and can vouch for their cosy, quirky interiors. The Rusty Bicycle is more of a pub while Rickety Press is an Oxford-themed bar. The food and crockery in both are American diner-style, plus they both serve excellent breakfast and brunch dishes.

Here you can tuck into American brunch classics like buttermilk pancakes, chicken and waffles, eggs benny, brekkie buns and glutinous fry-ups.

Visit on weekdays between 9am and 12pm and Saturdays and Sundays until 3pm to blow your calorie intake for the whole weekend…

Address: Find the Rickety Press at 67 Cranham St, OX2 6DE and the Rusty Bicycle at 28 Magdalen Rd, OX4 1RB.

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Since discovering the ricotta and raspberry pancakes at the Nosebag, my life has changed for the better.

This cosy restaurant can be found on St Michael’s Street not far from Handlebar Kitchen. They serve reasonably priced breakfast and brunch from 9.30am-12pm daily.

For a hearty feed, order the English breakfast with bacon, sausage, mushrooms, grilled tomato, fried potatoes, eggs and toast. It’s a bargain at £7.50! There’s also a vegan version. 

Nosebag serve just a few other classics – it’s not the longest menu but it’ll hit the spot when you’re on the hunt for quality brunch in Oxford. Wash it down with a tea or coffee made with dairy, oat, soya or coconut milk.

Grab a table upstairs by the window and look down over bustling Oxford.

Address: 6-8 St Michael’s St, OX1 2DU.

The Oxfordshire Restaurant Awards have voted Vaults & Garden Cafe the best cafe in Oxford, and Where Goes Rose has voted it the best place to eat outside in Oxford!

Set inside a refurbished room of St Mary’s Church, this cafe is overflowing with character. Treat yourself to an outdoor breakfast in Oxford (weather dependant – there are also indoor seats).

Menu highlights include smoked salmon, avocado and eggs or tuck into an organic vegetarian, vegan or regular fry-up. The highlight still might be the views out over the Radcliffe Camera if you choose to dine outside.

Breakfast is served 8am to 11.30am.

Address: 1 Radcliffe Sq, OX1 4AH.

While most places in this blog are cosy and independent Oxford cafes, I’m finishing this guide with something a bit different. When I lived in London, I always loved Dirty Bones with its NYC-inspired food and amazing cocktails.

Many Oxford locals were a bit put-out by the flashy new Westgate Centre which was built a few years back but I have to confess I was excited about the brunch potential.