Things to Do in Oxford by Ian Shipsey
A personal selection of favorite things (other than this conference/workshop) to see and do in Oxford by Ian Shipsey (Updated Summer, 2018)
Just a subset of my favorites, far from a complete list of good things * indicates what I would pick if there is only time to do one.
Unless you are staying on after conference/workshop you will not have much free time except in the evenings when the museums, colleges and parks are closed but the pubs and restaurants (for any night when dinner is not provided) will be open.
Museums:
- Ashmolean (*recommended)
- Natural History
- Pitt Rivers
- Museum of the History of Science
- Christchurch Picture Gallery
Colleges: (All the 38+ colleges are beautiful)
- Magdalen (*recommended)
- Christ Church
- Brasenose
- New
Churches:
- Christ Church Cathedral (in Christ Church College) (*recommended)
- New College Chapel
Libraries:
- Bodleian (take the tour) (*recommended)
- Weston (see the Treasury and Special Exhibition room which has thought provoking exhibitions such as the amazing “Shakespeare Dead” that got a lot of physicists very excited)
Walks in open spaces:
- Christ Church Meadow (*recommended)
- Botanic Garden
- Magdalen Deer Park
- University Parks
- Thames Foot Path from Abingdon Road to Isis Farmhouse
- Port Meadow from Jericho to the Trout (Thames footpath)
Best view:
- Varsity Club Roof Top Bar (*recommended)
- Cupola of the Sheldonian
Some of the Best Pubs: (good beer and good food)
- Turf Tavern (*recommended)
- King’s Arms
- Lamb and Flag (owned by St. Johns College profits go to support studentships)
- Eagle and Child
- Head of the River (for the location)
- Isis Farmhouse (beautiful country pub)
- Bookbinder’s Arms (Jericho)
Shops:
- The Covered Market (traditional shops i.e. butchers, greengrocers, fishmongers from about 1780) (*recommended)
Information about Oxford, guides
- Guides to Oxford
- What's on in Oxford today
- Locals Guide to Oxford (from the Guardian)
- Walking tours of the City and University
Best restaurants in the city centre (10 minutes)
- No.1 Ship Street (both the name of the restaurant and its address) British cuisine
- Quod (High Street) British/European & superb collection of modern art on walls
- Turl Street Kitchen (excellent local food, run by students proceeds to charities) located in Turl Street (which it is claimed was the inspiration for Diagon Alley in Harry Potter)
- Edamame (Japanese) Holywell Street (tiny and with unusual opening hours check website to avoid disappointment)
- Marco’s (Italian) High Street in a building dating to 1680
- Cuttlefish (fish) in St. Clements just across Magdelen Bridge
Restaurants close to Astrophysics and Particle Physics (that local physicists frequent)
- Pierre Victoire (French) Little Clarendon Street
- Branca (Italian) Walton Street
- Eli’s (Lebanese) Little Clarendon Street (for lunch)
- Oxford Cheese Company, St Giles (for lunch)
- Old Parsonage (opposite Particle Physics and Astrophysics) British/European
- Brasserie Blanc (French) Walton Street
- The Standard (Indian) Walton Street
- Al Jazeeb (Indian) North Parade
- Jericho Café Walton Street
- So Jo (Chinese) Hythe Bridge Street
- White Rabbit (Pizza) Friar’s Entry
- Cherwell Boat House (French) (on the Cherwell River)
- Shanghai 30’s (Chinese) St. Aldates
- Chiang Mai Kitchen (Thai) Kemp Hall Passage (building dates from 1630)
There are many franchise restaurants in the City Center on George Street
There are many good ethnic restaurants in the student quarter along the Cowley Road a couple of examples:
- Kadai and Nan (Nepalese and Indian)
- Le Kesh (Middle Eastern)
- Yeti (Nepalese)