Markets and food culture in Oxford
A covered market that has traded since 1774, an outdoor market four days a week, and two streets where Oxford eats out: a practical guide.
Photo: Jorge Royan, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Oxford does not have one food quarter. It has a covered market in the middle of town that has traded for 250 years, an open-air market by the bus station, and two neighbourhoods where the city goes out to eat: Cowley Road to the east and Jericho to the north-west. This guide covers what each is for and when to go.
At a glance
| Where | What | When |
|---|---|---|
| Covered Market, off the High Street | More than 50 independent shops, cafés and bars, about half of them food | Mon to Wed 8am to 5.30pm; Thu to Sat 8am to 10pm; Sun 10am to 5pm |
| Gloucester Green | Open-air market: street food, produce, antiques and crafts | Wednesday to Saturday |
| Cowley Road | Restaurants and takeaways from around the world, international grocers | Every day, busiest in the evening |
| Jericho | Independent restaurants, cafés and pubs by the canal | Every day |
The Covered Market
The Covered Market opened on 1 November 1774. It was built, to a design by John Gwynn, the architect of Magdalen Bridge, to clear the "untidy, messy and unsavoury stalls" off Oxford’s main streets, and it has four entrances on the High Street. It is Grade II listed and owned by Oxford City Council.
Today it has more than 50 independent shops, cafés, bars and other businesses under one roof, and around half of them sell food: greengrocers, butchers such as David John Butchers, bakers and cafés. Ben’s Cookies started here, and Bonner’s has traded in the market since 1952. The market is open late from Thursday to Saturday, until 10pm, but individual traders keep their own hours.
Gloucester Green
Gloucester Green is the square off George Street next to the bus station, and the city’s outdoor market runs there from Wednesday to Saturday, operated for the City Council by LSD Promotions. Wednesday is the busiest general market, with street food, groceries and antiques; Thursday leans towards antiques and arts and crafts. Go at lunchtime for the widest choice of hot food.
Cowley Road
Cowley Road runs east from The Plain, across Magdalen Bridge from the centre, and it is Oxford’s most international street to eat on. In a short walk you pass restaurants and takeaways from the Caribbean, the Middle East, South and East Asia and Africa, alongside international grocers, cafés and bars, and music venues such as The Bullingdon. It is at its liveliest in the evening.
Jericho
Jericho, just north-west of the centre between Walton Street and the Oxford Canal, grew up as a working district around the canal and the Oxford University Press. Today its streets of Victorian terraces are full of independent restaurants, cafés and pubs, and it feels like a village a ten-minute walk from the Ashmolean.
Frequently asked questions
When is the Covered Market open?
Monday to Wednesday 8am to 5.30pm, Thursday to Saturday 8am to 10pm, and Sunday 10am to 5pm. Individual traders may keep different hours.
What days is Gloucester Green market on?
Wednesday to Saturday. Wednesday is the main general market with street food; Thursday focuses on antiques and crafts.
Where should I eat out in Oxford?
For choice and value, Cowley Road; for independent restaurants and pubs in a quieter setting, Jericho; for a quick lunch in the centre, the Covered Market.
Traders and opening hours at the Covered Market
Sources
- oxford-coveredmarket.co.uk, the Covered Market: traders and opening hours
- en.wikipedia.org, Covered Market, Oxford
- oxford.gov.uk, Gloucester Green Market
- dailyinfo.co.uk, Gloucester Green Market
This article was written by the Oxford Society editorial desk from the public sources listed above. We are not affiliated with the people, companies or institutions it describes.
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