RestaurantsOxfordshireOxfordOX1

survey result

Summary

£32
    £
3
Good
3
Good
4
Very Good
* Based on a three course dinner, half a bottle of wine, coffee, cover charge, service and VAT.

“A great choice for lunch in atmospheric church vaults close to the famous Radcliffe Camera and Bodleian Library” – guests sit “on long trestles” or in the garden feasting on “good freshly cooked food, with vegetarians and vegans particularly well catered for”. After 20 years, the café’s future is in the balance, its church landlord wanting to replace it with a social enterprise.

Summary

£32
    £
3
Good
3
Good
4
Very Good
* Based on a three course dinner, half a bottle of wine, coffee, cover charge, service and VAT.

“In the medieval vaults of the University Church, in the centre of Oxford and the university” – this sweet but also “busy and vibrant” self-service café serves “large portions of freshly-cooked daily specials at very reasonable prices, as well as soups and salads”. Great views of the Radcliffe Camera from the outside tables.

Summary

£23
    £
3
Good
2
Average
3
Good
* Based on a three course dinner, half a bottle of wine, coffee, cover charge, service and VAT.

It's “not somewhere to linger and have an elegant time” and “there isn't really any service as such”, but this ethical/organic church-crypt café remains a “regular refuelling stop” for its “great selection of hot and cold food served up generously, canteen-style” (“come hungry”). “Outside tables offer a spectacular outlook over the Radcliffe Camera and Radcliffe Square.”

Summary

£21
    £
4
Very Good
3
Good
3
Good
* Based on a three course dinner, half a bottle of wine, coffee, cover charge, service and VAT.

“A great Oxford institution” set in the “fifteenth-century vaults of the university church” – this ethical and organic café makes an “excellent stop-off point during a busy day in Oxford” – whether you’re shopping or studying texts next door in the Bodleian Library. “Superb coffee, decent food and a very civilised atmosphere, despite sometimes being crowded”.

For 33 years we've been curating reviews of the UK's most notable restaurant. In a typical year, diners submit over 50,000 reviews to create the most authoritative restaurant guide in the UK. Each year, the guide is re-written from scratch based on this survey (although for the 2021 edition, reviews are little changed from 2020 as no survey could run for that year).

Have you eaten at The Vaults and Garden Cafe?

Restaurant details

Highchair,Portions
Yes
60
No dress code
70

The Vaults and Garden Cafe Restaurant Diner Reviews

Reviews of The Vaults and Garden Cafe Restaurant in OX1, Oxford by users of Hardens.com. Also see the editors review of The Vaults and Garden Cafe restaurant.
Trevor J
Great choice for lunch in atmospheric churc...
Reviewed 11 months, 4 days ago

"Great choice for lunch in atmospheric church vaults close to the famous Radcliffe Camera and Bodliam Library. Seated on long trestles with a friendly vibe, the freshly cooked food is good with vegetarians and vegans are particularly well catered for."

Report this comment
Susan P
This gem of a cafe is the perfect stop for ...
Reviewed 11 months, 15 days ago

"This gem of a cafe is the perfect stop for lunch. We squished onto a table and enjoyed a beautiful vegan stew. Incredible value. "

Report this comment
Have you eaten at The Vaults and Garden Cafe?
Post your own review of The Vaults and Garden Cafe and contribute to our annual restaurant review guide.
Post your own review

Prices

Traditional European menu

Starter Main Pudding
£4.00 £12.00 £4.30
Drinks  
Wine per bottle £0.00
Filter Coffee £3.00
Extras  
Service 10.00%
University Church of St Mary the Virgin, Radcliffe Sq, Oxford, OX1 4AH
Opening hours
Monday8:30 am‑6 pm
Tuesday8:30 am‑6 pm
Wednesday8:30 am‑6 pm
Thursday8:30 am‑6 pm
Friday8:30 am‑6 pm
Saturday8:30 am‑6 pm
Sunday8:30 am‑6 pm

Best British, Modern restaurants nearby

Quod
British, Modern restaurant in Oxford
£66
  £££
2
Average
3
Good
4
Very Good
No.1 Ship Street
British, Modern restaurant in Oxford
£68
  £££
3
Good
3
Good
3
Good
Ashmolean Dining Room
British, Modern restaurant in Oxford
£57
   ££
2
Average
2
Average
4
Very Good

Best similarly priced restaurants nearby

Edamame
Japanese restaurant in Oxford
£35
    £
4
Very Good
3
Good
3
Good
The Butcher’s Tap
British, Modern restaurant in Marlow
£31
    £
4
Very Good
3
Good
3
Good
Sakonis
Indian restaurant in Hatch End
£34
    £
3
Good
3
Good
2
Average