Oxford Blue Ice Cream

What are you up to this weekend? I'm SUPER excited because Johnny and I are flying home 

to help celebrate his Granny's 90th birthday and it looks as if you'll have something to celebrate in Oxford too... Have you seen the forecast? 27 and sunny means only one thing - a visit to one of G&D's Ice Cream Cafes is a must!

Known for their wide and imaginative range of ice cream flavours, G&D's has become something of an Oxford institution but you'll need no excuse to visit. There's always something new and exciting to try  - 'Black and Blue' (blackberry and blueberry), 'Golden Secret' (Crunchie Bar) and Hamlet (white chocolate & raspberry) all frequent the menu, but my favourites are 'Bananarama' and 'Oxford Blue' (blueberry). How about you? Which flavour do you like the best?

The first G&D's opened in Little Clarendon Street in the summer of 1992 and was named after its founders - George Stroup and Davis Roberts, who were both students of Oxford University.

All of G&D's ice cream continues to be made on site and is delivered to its new siblings on St Aldates and Cowley Road by bike. It doesn't get more Oxford than that!

Here's my favourite 'Oxford Blue' ice cream. Doesn't it look mouthwateringly delicious? Have a great weekend! xoxo

Zappi's Bike Cafe

Good coffee is hard to find...especially when it's hidden in a bike store! Named after ex-pro cyclist, Flavio Zappi, and hidden above Bike Zone in St. Michael's Street, it's no wonder cyclists have been trying to keep it secret. Zappi's Bike Cafe serves the best coffee in Oxford!  

It certainly hasn't taken locals long to sniff out a good coffee. I visited Zappi’s twice on the weekend and both times it was packed to the rafters, quite literally. Located at the back of the upstairs showroom, the café is decorated with all sorts of cycling memorabilia hanging from the walls and rafters. If you can squeeze yourself in-between all the buzzing Lycra-clad bodies, you’ll be in for a treat. The two guys who run this place (both named Dan!) are serious about their caffeine.   

Not only is the coffee excellent, Zappi’s also serves a selection of loose-leaf teas supplied from local company, Jeeves & Jericho. There are also lots of great lunchtime eats and a couple of treats for breaky, but you'll find it hard to resist the large selection of homemade cakes. All I can say is I’m glad the Lycra uniform is not compulsory! 

Zappi’s Cycling Club, (run by Flavio himself) uses Zappi's cafe as its base. Organised rides depart from the here three times a week and all cyclists are welcome, from triathletes to sportive riders and road racers. For everything you need to know about buying a bike and cycling in Oxford check out The Oxford Fresher's guide to 'Buying a Bicycle.'

 Zappi's Bike Cafe 28 -32 St. Michael's St, Oxford, OX1 2EB

Need coffee?

If you've just arrived my guess is you'll need a hit, but let’s be clear - Britain is a tea-drinking nation. Every day they down 165 million cups of the stuff and whilst they take their tea drinking very seriously, the quality of their coffee can leave a lot to be desired. Oxford is no exception. 

Any serious coffee drinker will tell you that not all coffee is created equal so forget the chains no matter how desperate you are. Do yourself a favour and head directly to one of the following locations for a ‘real’ coffee. 

Zappi's Bike Cafe 28-32 St Michaels St, Oxford, OX1 2EB
The Missing Bean 14 Turl St, Oxford, OX1 3DQ 

Maison Blanc 3 Woodstock Road, Oxford, OX2 6HA 

Ahh, now that’s better…..