# Oxford round up



## danns (Apr 9, 2015)

Hi all, figured I'd make my first post something useful and do a quick round up of the current Oxford cafes. Quite a few worth a stop if you're visiting.

Roasters:

Jericho Coffee Traders have a roastery off Walton Street, and a cafe on the high st.

Missing Bean, roasting up in Cowley on saturday mornings. Well worth a visit to their roasting premises, when I have been they've been handing out samples or cupping. Very keen to have visitors involved! Sadly only an option a for a few hours on saturday mornings, otherwise they have a cafe Turl St.

Columbia Coffee Roasters (formerly Exotic) just set up new premises in the covered market with a shiny new Giesen and a well kitted bar. If you prefer a more trad/dark roast then head here.

Cafes:

Brew prop up North Oxford where decent coffee is a bit thin. Don't expect a seat (only about 10 available) but do expect a decent cup from Round Hill roasters, through a quirky Elektra machine.

The Handle Bar (formerly Zappi's) is more of a restaurant these days, but still have a Linea on the desk and serve Missing Bean. 2 espresso coffee options on the go and a decent batch brew. If you want an Aussie style cafe with decent hot food and decent coffee, this is the spot.

Society are a few doors down on the same street, offering a Scandi styled experience. Usually on Roundhill/Origin plus guest roasters, they usually have 4 coffee options available for espresso or manual brew.

Peloton took over from Quarterhorse recently, and still use QH beans. Expect to share your table with lots of cyclists as they show all the races on their tv. If you're not into cycling, their Ethiopia V60 is still well worth making a trip for.

A few doors north is the Bear and the Bean, hipster clothing and accessory shop with a few small tables and Jericho coffee usually. Best for weird card/postcard browsing whilst waiting for your drink, and usually quieter than others due to the size.

Rounding out the Cowley set is Mostro, just across the street from 2 previous. Mostro have a corner in the popular independent Truck Store record shop. Using Witney local wood fired UE coffee, which used to be more popular in town but seems to have fallen out of style with the local cafes. Personally still think UE pairs best with milk out of the local roasters. Top spot if you like your music or want to listen to something interesting in the background.

Natural Bread Co sound a little unlikely being mostly a bakery, but offer Has Bean coffee and make for a decent lunch spot (if you can find a table, a common theme in Oxford).

Another bakery/cafe worth mentioning is Silvie on the Iffley road. I haven't been here yet but hear good things.


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## Hibbsy (Jan 8, 2017)

I used to enjoy visiting Oxford when I got the chance. Thanks to this post thinking I should try and fit in another visit this year !


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## danns (Apr 9, 2015)

No problem. Missing Bean roastery on saturdays is definitely my favourite for coffee experience. Bit of a shame its so far from the centre and open for such short hours, but I can see how that makes sense for a small roaster. No outright favourite cafe as they all offer different things, but the Cowley lot make for a nice trip as they're all super close to each other.


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## DoubleShot (Apr 23, 2014)

Great and informative post. I need to check all of these out as never had a decent cup of coffee in Oxford. Only ever visited the coffee shop chains.

Whereabouts is the Missing Bean roastery in Cowley?


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## prophecy-of-drowning (Mar 18, 2016)

Cafe Society on St Michael's street is excellent, my favorite. Great variety of beans -- had some from the Barn last time I went.


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## prophecy-of-drowning (Mar 18, 2016)

Roasters: What about Cardews?

http://www.cardewoxford.co.uk/

Looks relatively "traditional" - never tried it myself


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## danns (Apr 9, 2015)

Missing Bean are on Magdalen Road, on a little industrial lot towards the Iffley road end. Worth a trip if you can match up with the short hours.

Cardews ...lots of beans in hoppers, all look too dark for my taste. No idea if they actually roast, I'd assume they buy wholesale from a supplier.


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## DoubleShot (Apr 23, 2014)

@danns

Know exactly where that small industrial bit is on Magdalen Road, had no idea there was a coffee establishment there.

Can anyone just pop in there during opening hours on Saturdays? If so, I'll head down there some time.


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## danns (Apr 9, 2015)

Just had a look on their site, looks like they've bulked up the hours a bit! Tues-Fri 7am-2pm, Saturdays 10am-2pm. All open access. Also cupping on Thurs nights.


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## DoubleShot (Apr 23, 2014)

Managed to pop into Mostro Coffee in Oxford this afternoon.

I had a flat white.



















Niece had a hot chocolate.










Customer before me had some really cool inverted latte art on his drink. Scotford style (okay not as good but along similar lines!)

They stock a decent range of UE beans in retail bags but sadly didn't have any of the Nicaraguan beans that they used to make my flat white. Shame, as it was tasty and I would have purchased a bag to take home.

Will certainly return there when I'm next in the area.

It's fairly small, basically one third of a record store and there's very few tables. All of which were occupied by very young people with their heads stuck in their MacBook screens who had probably ordered one drink, many hours ago but were now camping out using the wifi?! Much like you see in just about every American coffee chain.


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## EwanEdwards (Apr 23, 2013)

In my experience oxford is particularly bad for macbook campers.

I haven't heard of Mostro before will have to go down cowley road next time i'm in town.

Interesting to hear good reports of UE, I used to work in a place that served them and i found their roasts to be uninspiring, but that of course may have been from the ignorance of the bar staff as well.

Also UE boast of their wood roasted beans, apart from some kind of green credentials can anyone think of a way that this would improve the flavour of the coffee instead of making temperature harder to control?


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## DoubleShot (Apr 23, 2014)

Might try The Bear and the Bean, across the road the next time I'm in that area.


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## ryand (May 28, 2018)

Rather than start a new thread...finally there's decent coffee within reach of my office - a new place called Common Ground on Little Clarendon Street. Cool shared working space too. Plenty of seats.


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## Grimley (Jan 18, 2015)

I paid Oxford a visit about a month ago. I visited Columbia Coffee roasters in the covered market, Mostro, the Missing Bean, Natural Bread & Common ground. Bear & the Bean had closed for good, Peloton I didn't visit as the place was packed. I liked Columbia the most but the beans they were selling there were a little expensive for my taste, so a purchase may well be left for another day.


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## IceQubed (Mar 15, 2020)

Not sure if necros are frowned upon but decided it was better to not post a duplicate thread!

I really loved the coffee I had at Colombia Coffee Roasters in the covered market. It was very busy, clearly a popular spot! It seems the baristas know their stuff and they have a good setup.

The beans they were selling were pricey as Grimley noted - they're all in the region of £9ish for 250g, which is a fair bit pricier than excellent places like HasBean.


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## Lapavoni (Sep 8, 2020)

I'm a local in oxford

my opinions on this are ....

mostro/truck store - great coffee they now use origin coffee roasters but tiny. There a young lad barista in there who is a proper coffee whizz people in oxford often refer to this as the best coffee in oxoford.

peloton -now roast there own beans using routes coffee. Nice coffee especially there batch brew and the guy who owns the shop is a properly nice guy.

The missing bean - for me this is probably the best in oxford by a long way - they roast everything in house in cowley you can watch them roasting whilst drinking your coffee. A good selection of beans (el Salvador is my fav).

New ground coffee- recently opened last year in headington-hidden behind the shops in a back alley small industrial unit - very good coffee here and the barista manager is a good laugh and makes a great espresso.

colombian coffee roasters- now have a large shop in summertown - good coffee from here but lots of different baristas and sometimes your coffee is a bit too hot and sometimes the quality isn't As good. Pricey beans too that I find very samey samey and always medium never anything else.

brew- again in north oxford but hidden further down the banbury road towards the city centre - tiny shop last time I was in there they was using square mile roasters - used to have a massive vintage elektra but have since gone more modern.

Jericho coffee traders - roastery located on osney mead industrial estate also has an espresso Bar on site - nice people and very friendly - always lots of new beans and samples.

society- I've had once or twice only when in the city centre but not for a few years.

there are a few more dotted about but these here are what I would call the best in oxford.

mark


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## MartinB (May 8, 2011)

Fantastic pourover in Society and also second comments about New Ground as well!


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