Oxfork

Fabulous new cafe. I've been a few times now. The goats cheese salad was lush and my friend loved the egg sandwich. The service was good, the manager is really friendly and the premises lovely. Really different, and so nice to have some alternatives to the Magic Cafe now (though the Magic is lovely too but Oxforks allows for different foods and environment for a nice change!)

Craftimina (DI User), 06/01/12

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This place really is on the up, and as many have noted below, it's the latest in a line of game-changing new cafes / venues in East Oxford. I'm sad to hear that some people have had problems with service: I've been several weekends in a row for their fantastic breakfast and the staff have been friendly and chatty, and what's more, they really seem to care about the place.

The Oxfork breakfast is quite special. I generally hate baked beans, but theirs are homemade to a special recipe - a bit of spice and a subtle sweet-sour flavour. All the bread is toothsome and a simple black Americano always has a fine crema and a smooth, rounded flavour (surprisingly hard to get - and I've tasted my share over the years). Cakes and sweet treats are also often novel and wonderful, and constantly changing (always a good sign). I haven't tried any lunches but have had reliable reports that they are of a good standard.

This is a proper neighbourhood cafe and if you live in the 'Golden Triangle' you should definitely check it out.

Andrew (Unverified), 19/11/11

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Supper clubs - where strangers meet for a meal in a private household, like anonymous dinner parties - have long been popular in London. And until recently, a supper club named Oxfork provided paying dinner-party guests with themed dinner parties ranging from Burns Night to Asparagus Night. Then, Oxford transformed into a pop-up restaurant, taking off a disused premises to give a permanent home to the floating house of chefs.

The pop-up restaurant is less formal than a traditional restaurant, and more open (and legal) than supper clubs, which rely on secret locations discovered via the internet and social media to remain both exclusive and one step ahead of licensing and zoning regulations. Like pop-up galleries, the idea is to make use of otherwise abandoned urban spaces, turning empty buildings into temporary, experimental restaurants.

Drew Brammer, manager of Oxfork - now a full-time restaurant with premises on Magadalen Road, East Oxford - says that pop-ups give people another reason to go out for dinner. “At Oxfork, we don’t want people to book tables for 2 or 4 people - we’d rather they share one of our big tables. We want people to mingle, to meet new friends - almost like an eating networking event.” It’s that informal experience that draws people in, just as when Oxfork was a simple supper club. “We wanted to keep the relaxed ambience of eating in somebody’s house”, says Drew.

Pop-ups are clearly popular: Oxfork has gone from supper club to pop-up restaurant to full-time eatery on the strength of its clientele. Driven by social media, through which restaurants can connect with a loyal, trend-setting base of customers, dining out is set to become as relaxed and laid-back as visiting a friend’s house for dinner.

Running a pop-up restaurant or supper club in Oxford? We'd love to hear from you: info@dailyinfo.co.uk

Alwyn Collinson (Unverified), 11/11/11

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We'll go back but the hot choc was a bit watery. Decor etc. is lush. Service is alright. Haven't had the food but i've heard good things. If anything, good to have something like this on the Iffley Road side of East Oxford, alongside the Pegasus and the Magdalen Arms.

raasklaat (Unverified), 08/11/11

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We really want to support this local cafe. During the week it's fine - more than fine - it's a really nice place to hang out, but on four separate occasions at the weekend our orders have been messed up, delayed (up to an hour), forgotten all together, or badly cooked. At the prices they're charging the service and food should be impeccable even at the weekend. We're still going to give it the benefit of the doubt, but not at weekends and we're definitely not going to risk evening service just yet.

Vocal Local (Unverified), 30/10/11

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A real asset for East Oxford, at last a cafe with nice seating outside. And I am so happy that the extremely delicious bread from the Natural Bread Company is now available in Oxford every day from Oxfork. A larger selection of their breads and pastries would be nice though.

madaboutbread (Unverified), 24/10/11

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Great idea, great food, great people together with great atmosphere. Highly recommended.

OEH (DI User), 21/10/11

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There is no doubt that Oxfork has a few teething problems with regards to service, but it is a new venture and I totally forgive it as they are really trying to do something great. Oxford has so much potential and yet much of what's on offer is 'stuffy' and aimed at the tourist pound. It is great to see people with great ideas creating a vibrant atmosphere and combined with their music promotion, it's an exciting time in East Oxford. Truck Store, Magdalen Arms, Pegasus and now Oxfork are creating a hub for this community that has so much to offer.
But like I said, the new staff do sometimes struggle, but I am sure they will get there. We are yet to see the best from this place, but given time and the support of the community it will be great.

Wes (Unverified), 20/10/11

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We're loving Oxfork! It's refreshing to be in a lovely little cafe that has paid so much attention to detail in creating a beautiful interior (artsy, vintage, rustic thing going on), even the fab photos on the walls were taken by the manager. Recommend the homemade soup and bread and the friendly staff! The outdoor seating works well. I work on Magdalen Road so it's brilliant to see this area becoming a fab destination point!

TSL (Unverified), 18/10/11

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Thought we'd try this place out as it was new and local. The decor is very nice and the place has a nice feel about it. Sadly they messed our order up quite a bit, and served me a cold coffee  - which we were willing to forgive - it being new and all, but the waitress was a bit rude. We probably won't go back.

littleredstapler (DI User), 18/10/11

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