It may seem surprising that someone would want to forgo Oxford’s gorgeous, ancient libraries to study in an Oxford café. After all, cafés tend to be loud and distracting—the opposite of the atmosphere you’d want when doing your reading or making final edits to an essay. However, for some people, including myself, the silence of libraries can be suffocating. The sounds of pencil scratches and paper shuffling become extremely agitating, and the quiet gives my mind too much space to wander.

Cafés, on the other hand, provide just the right level of background noise. Light chatter mixed with pleasant music creates the perfect atmosphere for me to get things done. More practically, cafés are also great for collaboration. Most libraries strictly enforce silence, making cafés ideal for group study sessions, even if they might not suit everyone for individual work.

The challenge, then, is choosing which café to visit. While libraries typically offer a consistent experience across locations (St. Hilda’s is obviously the best, though), cafés vary widely in quality, atmosphere, and overall experience—which can lead to decision paralysis. To help solve this dilemma, I surveyed my colleagues at The Oxford Blue as well as other Oxford students about their favorite cafés, including specific questions about food, coffee, and atmosphere. Here’s a summary to guide your next café study session!

Food and Drink

When choosing a café, I first consider what kind of food I’m craving. I won’t pretend to be a coffee connoisseur— I’d struggle to distinguish between five flat whites from different locations. Unless it’s something unique like Black Sheep’s blueberry matcha latte or Theo’s iced espresso, I rarely choose a café based on coffee alone. The food, however, varies significantly. For sweet cravings, try an artisan sourdough doughnut from Crosstown. For a quick lunch break between chapters, you can head to Taylor’s.

Two establishments stood out in this category for different reasons. Columbia Coffee Roasters earned frequent mentions, and understandably so. They offer excellent sandwiches and pastries, and being primarily a roastery, their coffee is exceptional. The only drawback is their location in the Covered Market, which offers limited seating for extended study sessions.

Opera on Walton Street was the other standout, featuring delectable cakes, fresh juices, and distinctive coffees like iced pistachio and lavender lattes. Their wraps consistently receive high praise from reviews, and while it’s not the most budget-friendly option, it’s perfect for treating yourself to a specialty coffee and a delicious wrap.

Atmosphere

While good coffee matters for a study session, atmosphere is arguably more crucial. As noted earlier, coffee quality varies little between cafés, so most people prefer a café with a great atmosphere and decent refreshments over the reverse—especially for studying. For me, the ideal atmosphere combines low-level ambient noise, relaxing music, and comfortable seating.

I aimed to be objective by summarising the most popular survey responses, but I was surprised by how few mentioned Gulp Fiction in the Covered Market. It offers everything I want in a study space: a peaceful upstairs area, dimmed lighting, and jazzy background music. The best part? After studying, you can reward yourself with one of their fancy cocktails while browsing their extensive book collection.

Among survey responses, Common Ground on Little Clarendon Street was frequently mentioned. This combined café and community arts space has become a Jericho neighborhood hub. As a study space, it offers an open, comfortable environment with attractive décor, despite somewhat dreary building and lighting. With affordable coffee and abundant seating, it’s ideal for collaborative work.

The Winner…

So which location emerged as the finest Oxford café? Surprisingly, while it didn’t dominate the previous categories, Caffè Nero on the High Street was a popular choice. The appeal needs little explanation, but this particular branch stands out for its unexpected spaciousness. Combined with Caffè Nero’s reliable coffee quality, it’s an excellent choice when you want something familiar yet satisfying.

However, Common Ground was undoubtedly mentioned most frequently and ranked as many people’s favourite—for good reason! Its atmosphere, community feel and great coffee for reasonable prices receives consistent praise, making it a clear favorite throughout Oxford.

Ultimately, it’s worth exploring new spots; researching this article led me to discover several excellent cafés I hadn’t visited before. While there’s no pressure to try every Oxford café if you have a reliable favourite, you might find something special if you branch out. If your usual spot feels monotonous, hopefully this guide has given you some fresh alternatives to explore!