The Best Cafés In Beautiful Buildings In Oxford, England

This one-of-a-kind café-cum-bar sits in the trendy and laid-back area of Jericho, home to a bustling café culture as well as plenty of fun bars and pubs. Freud is not to be missed. In fact it is unavoidable, as it stands tall and detached from any surrounding architecture, contrasting with the humble post office opposite. Originally designed as a church by H. J. Underwood in 1836, it was saved from demolition in 1988 and re-opened as a coffee and cocktail bar. The gloriously worn ionic columns and undecorated pediment are offset by a bright blue front door and matching dusty blue patio furniture. The interior is equally unique. Dimly lit by exposed light bulbs that hang from the church ceiling, this ethereal space has a wonderful glow, and rays of colours scatter the floor from the stained-glass windows above. Whether sitting outside in the afternoon sunshine or on a church pew within, Freud is the perfect setting for a time-warped cup of tea.

The Ashmolean Museum is known across the country for its fantastic collection of art and artefacts, but few know of its equally fantastic rooftop restaurant, famed for its afternoon tea. There are lots of different teas to choose from, or prosecco if you choose the ‘Celebration Tea’, perfect for accompanying their selection of cakes, temptingly placed on display in the centre of restaurant. The Ashmolean building itself is magnificent, and was refurbished in 2009, modernising the interior whilst preserving all that is architecturally brilliant in its classical values and appearance. There is, of course, a café downstairs but the real joy sits at the top of the building. This is the perfect spot for a well-deserved break from gallery hopping or to simply enjoy its unrivalled view of the roofs of Oxford, from behind the floor-to-ceiling glass windows or, English weather permitting, from outside on the terrace.