Stellar service, incredible coffee, wonderful ice cream flavor options, and a rather lovely…read moreatmosphere throughout the establishment!

"Make sure you visit G & D's!" was probably the most common refrain you'd hear from OSAP alums…read morebefore visiting Oxford. At least, those of them from Mississippi State always said this -- perhaps because, as a major AG school, many of us take the production of good ice cream very seriously. We're not called a cow college for nothing. :) G & D's, of course, refers to George and Davis. And, indeed, they have very, very good ice cream. I tend to keep it simple with chocolate, and theirs was always stellar. They have a couple locations around town so you can pick the one most convenient to you. It's a very popular place with a loyal following of students, residents, and tourists alike, and definitely worth giving a try.

On the quest to try every cafe in Birmingham I decided today I would work from Cafe Zest in…read moreDebenhams......I don't think i'll be rushing back. There is noooo vibe here as the place is empty in the morning.....The cafe is decent enough.... the cakes look great...ok the overall setting is a little plan but its not the worst I have ever seen. I do have to say this place would have probably got my first two star review in a long time if it wasn't for the surprisingly good Americano and friendly waitress! Drafty windows....BAD playlist that cuts out to have a Cafe Zest announcement every five minutes or so.....do I need reminding where I am?! I suppose the cafe in Debenhams was never supposed to be aimed at me as the only thing I ever go in here for is to take my mom for eyebrow threading (true story) but still......not the best experience. I think this will be my last visit for....a long time....possibly forever.....

I ventured into the House of Fraser cafe after being invited here for a lunch. I had never actually…read morebeen in here before; I only usually venture into the lower ground (clearance section) and ground floor of the department store, as I don't really buy a lot of "upmarket" clothes or homewares. First thing of note, it was a bit of a mission to find. It's on the 2nd floor (there are 3 eating and drinking venues in House of Fraser), hidden around the back of the escalators. It's not signposted that well, so keep em peeled! Secondly, the decor is clean and tidy - but a little bit soulless. It doesn't really have a theme (unless you count convenience), but it's well laid out with lots of chairs and tables. The clientele are generally the people who shop in House of Fraser. Expect lots of ladies of leisure in the day or poor old boys who have been dropped off while their wives blow their credit card balances. It had a bit of a snooty air, but the staff were friendly and welcoming. I went for a tenderstem broccoli salad. It was surprisingly good! It was colourful and fresh and filled with different flavours. The americano to wash it down with was a suprisingly good coffee too! Not too strong, not weak - but a nice balance of caffeine and taste. My partner in lunch went for a sandwich (which I was assured was also very nice) and tasted super fresh. The fries looked delicious too! All in all, if you are in House of Fraser, by all means pop in and grab a bite or a quick coffee. However, I wouldn't make a point of stopping in here if I was just "around the area".

Food was good , I order the toast with avocado and egg. The staff was friendly and prompt . The…read more environment was typical cafe shop , lots of chatter and the great smell of coffee. I'm from that states and it gave a nice vibe.

Great place to meet with friends, especially during lunch hour. It is located right in the center…read moreof St. Paul's Square and it is not too crowded compared to the more centered area around New St. The ambiance is good and it's nicely decorated. The staff is friendly and they have a selection of medium sized dishes. It is not overly expensive (6 pounds). The only reason why Saint Kitchen isn't getting five stars, is because the food was not great. I ordered the bacon with poached eggs on Hockley Sour bread, and the bacon was too dry and salty. The toast was also tasteless and hard. But they do give a good amount on the plate. If you go, get their hot chocolate... any of them... it's a MUST. They are actually known for their hot chocolates. I believe they have 4 types of hot chocolates, all from different countries and continents with different percentage of cocoa strength. It doesn't matter which one you get, but just get one.

A local's spot and a hidden gem. I ended up here on a whim and can't have been happier. When…read morethere's only enough time to do so much but you're hungry, you'll be in and out of the Alternative Tuck Shop in no time. The shop is TINY and there's only room for a few people in there at a time. I suggest grabbing a menu outside and then deciding before you make it inside. I had the Chicken Curry sandwich and it was so delicious I dove straight in and didn't even take a photo. Portions are generous. One thing you should plan ahead for is a place to sit if you choose not to walk and eat. Unfortunately, the Alternative Tuck Shop doesn't have any seating indoors or outdoors. Highly recommend this spot!!

Popular, efficient, and darn cute. Not to mention delicious. We stumbled upon this shop while…read moreroaming around Oxford, with a little line. It moved quickly. Inside the tight quarters, the choices were well marked so ordering and payment was easy enough. After ordering they bring it out to you back outside. The street wasn't busy so people spilled out to the street. I can how this is probably both a student and tourist haven.

I visited here with my Mum on a Friday brunch/early lunch time and it was pretty much empty…read more We'd walked the dogs on The Vineyards over the way and just wanted a bite to eat. We ended up in the garden at the back because, despite October, it was still sunny and a bit of a sun trap. We had two dogs with us and they were more than happy to accommodate them; I think even if we had wanted to sit inside. We both ordered the same; smoked salmon bagel and a glass of prosecco each. Considering that we were one of two occupied tables in the entire place it took quite a long time for it to arrive; the drinks came out first and whilst I wasn't expecting the best glass of bubbly, I think it would have benefitted from being a lot colder. Eventually the food came out and I just get the feeling that actually the bagel had been sat for a while, it wasn't a crisp toasted bagel as I had expected and was a bit soggy, which was a bit of shame. But - the wait staff were super friendly, it's in a convenient location and it wasn't too expensive; but definitely caters more towards the tourist crowd. Maybe it was just a bit of an off day - I'd like to try it again to see :)

Recently went to the bay tree restaurant for a birthday and the food was very good. Spanish tapas…read morewas the theme of the night, loved the prawns. Would class food as fine dining but it really was good value as well. A gem that looks as if it's not really been discovered yet.

They huge a large array of vegan or veganizable breakfast, brunch and lunch items, so we decided to…read moretry them out for brunch one morning. My wife got the Hearty Vegan (£8), a full English breakfast vegan-style. And I got the Vegan Hash (£9). My wife loved her breakfast, remarking that the vegan sausages in particular were a highlight. I enjoyed my hash -- it came on a bed of fried potatoes, with tofu scramble, guac, wilted spinach, marinated red peppers, and onion. It was almost entirely unseasoned, so I had to add plenty of salt, pepper and hot sauce. Huge portion and very filling. Not the most culinarily exciting dish but it was very solid. Super friendly service and the food came out in under 10 minutes. Recommended spot.

Arriving quite early into Birmingham city centre on a wet Thursday morning, I needed something to…read moreeat to get me through the day. I asked some Twitter friends for recommendations and came away with three; York's Bakery, Urban Cafe and Cherry Reds. I had a quick look at the menus and locations and decided on Cherry Reds. I'd been before but it was a long time ago and I'd only had coffee the last time. I met my mom and one of my sisters outside the cafe. We went inside and were greeted by a loud and smiley young lady behind the counter. I had a quick look at the menu and went for a bacon sandwich and a latte. My sister also had a bacon sandwich and my mum had scrambled egg on toast. I have one gripe with bacon sandwiches when I eat out; they rarely have enough bacon. I think for a decent bacon sandwich you should have at least 3 rashers of bacon. Cherry Red's bacon was very tasty. It was thick and cooked just enough. The bread was thick cut and lightly toasted. There were only 2 rashers of bacon, though. I know it adds to the cost of things but for 3 quid you'd expect 3 rashers! That was my only problem with the experience. The coffee was very nice also. Probably the best part of the visit was the server. As mentioned she was loud and smiley, in a way only Brummies seem to manage. It was refreshingly personal for someone used to the detachment of a lot of London establishments.

This is a lovely little cafe located in the beautiful Custard Factory complex. I think you can tell…read morea lot about a place from how busy it is.....this place is always packed! The coffee's here are priced at what you would expect to pay for a decent cup in the city centre (around £2.40) and you can tell the products they are using are of a good quality. I was happy to be asked if I wanted skimmed or soya milk upon ordering, this was a nice touch from the very pleasant barista I met during my visit. Sadly, I was behaving so didn't take advantage of the MANY cakes and good looking pastries that Yumm has on offer. A quick scan over the hot food menu also left me instantly planning my next visit!

Located in the heart of the Custard Factory Yumm is a busy independent cafe. You have to get there…read moreearly on weekday lunchtimes or there may not be anything left by the time you get there. You can get breakfast and lunch there with a range of hot and cold foods as well as daily specials. What's even better is that as an independent cafe they still offer loyalty cards. Its easy on the wallet whilst being really good, freshly prepared food. Although I would say the potato wedges they offer are just frozen ones you can get from the super market and it's the little things like that that let it down. Having expanded the business from a smaller space at they now also offer catering and venue hire too. If you are down that way for a meeting or to check out the shops its a good place to eat.

Breakfast Review:…read more Its really close to the clock in Hockley. I went there on the off-chance to try out their breakfasts. It is a cafe with a sandwich shop at the front. When I went in, I thought it was quite dark at the back of the cafe, however there is a breakfast type of bar at the front, allowing you to look out of the window. The problem here is that when I sat on two bar stools, they both sank, making me feel like I was a small child at an adults table. Rather than risk the indignity of sinking on a third bar stool, I decided to sit at one of the tables in the darker area back of the establishment. I ordered the Full English breakfast and was presented with a cheap looking greasy spoon type breakfast. Its not a greasy spoon cafe, but the breakfast made me think that perhaps it was a posh one? 2 sausage, 2 bacon, a fried egg, (hard), 2 toast, mushrooms, tinned tomatoes and beans. Its a big breakfast, costing about £6.00. There is better to be had in Birmingham for the same price point. Pay a bit more and you can get seriously better.

One of those places....I must have walked past it 1000 times and just never been in. Well this week…read moreI crossed the threshold and did it....I had some lunch! This is a pretty standard cafe vibe with many traditional options you can order. I had a bacon and mushroom omelette that came out quickly and piping hot....what more can you ask for from an omlette! I was tempted by the Scotch Eggs also.....they are on my to do list now....huge and home made.....just yes! What I like about this place is the simplicity.....it's not over complicated or fancy its very much....it is what it is......a cafe serving decent food at a decent price. In an ever changing Jewellery Quarter these places are a bit of a dying breed....as everywhere starts serving the most gourmet burgers or fine dining experiences there is an ever increasing need for somewhere that celebrates the simple things.....the sandwiches, toasties, omelettes and basic home comforts you somethings just fancy when youre out and about :)

This place is POPPING!!!…read more It's sooo busy all the time though! Anyway good service good prices. They make their own ice cream. And I can't remember the name of the flavor but it's their house flavor it's divine. Recommend it 10/10.

There are three places to get good quality ice cream and sorbet in Oxford: G&D's on St Aldate's,…read moreG&D's on Little Clarendon, and G&D's in Cowley. Done. Ice cream: 5 stars Sorbet: 5 stars Hot chocolate with ice cream in it: 5 stars