Best scones in Oxford! We came on a rainy Sunday afternoon and sat inside. They were playing jazz. The perfect mood for a gray day. We ordered two servings of tea (Earl Gray and Lady Earl Gray) and scones. The scones (two of them) came with strawberry jam and clotted cream. They were warm, buttery, and delicious! The service was quick, and the staff was super friendly! The prices are pretty affordable. If you are looking for a place to rest whilst enjoying some tea, I highly recommend this place! Also, make sure to order the scones :) read more

The Rose - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Oxford, OXF

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Incredible service, incredible food, and so much great local vibes! We loved our time and students and professors call it a great and affordable place! read more

Sweet atmosphere, convenient location on High Street, good food. Went back twice during my time in Oxford!

Came here for afternoon tea with friends and enjoyed our experience here. We sat outside and besides the tables and chairs being very close to the road with traffic flying by, it was very pleasant. The scones with strawberry jam and clotted cream were delicious and they had a decent selection of teas. I paid a little more than I wanted to for the amount that I got, and there was some confusion between what the waiter told us about a meal deal they advertised, but besides that I was satisfied with the experience. read more

The Rose - Oxford tea and scones with strawberry jam and clotted cream - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Oxford, OXF

Had a lovely lunch during a visit to Oxford. We stopped in after a few hours of walking around Oxford. We were able to sit immediately. My cousin had the vegetarian ciabatta, and I had the chicken mushroom risotto. It took us quite a while to get our food. Others that ordered after us had theirs very quickly. We thought that it may have been the risotto, but the person next to us got the risotto right away. The food was delicious, but the service was just A-OK. It was a rather hot day so we didn't order tea, but I'd love to go back for tea and crumpets! They had a lovely selection of teas. read more

The Rose - Vegetarian ciabatta with side salad - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Oxford, OXF

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We decided to take a detour and see Oxford for the afternoon and we figured we'd partake in some classic afternoon tea while we were here. I saw the really good reviews for The Rose so we stopped in. We had scones with jam and clotted cream, tea sandwiches, and cake along with our tea. It was fantastic! They didn't have a super extensive selection of teas but the food was quite good. The scones were fresh out of the oven, the sandwiches were perfect, and I lived the coffee mascarpone cake. I'd definitely recommend this if you're in town. Just a note for car owners, parking is really hard to find nearby. But the walk thru town is lovely. read more

The Rose - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Oxford, OXF

I know most people probably come here for tea, but I was hungry after a long and stressful early morning, so my flatmate and I came here for brunch. We both ended up having the omelette, which was HUGE and so filling, but so tasty that I somehow found a way for my stomach to encapsulate it all. It's an omelette I think about every time I want an omelette, but it's a shame I haven't had time to go back. I'd highly recommend checking this place out! read more

The Rose - I dunno if this is appetising to you, but I really want this after looking at it - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Oxford, OXF

This place is super popular during afternoon time! I would highly reccomend you make reservations before you go, otherwise prepare to akwardly wait at the door while others are enjoying their tea (they do not have much room to stand). The tea was actually really nice and they bring it out with the little pot and you poor your own tea with a strainer.The tea was really good and they have lots of options to pick from. What made the afternoon tea more enjoyable was the scones. They were absolutely lovely, and came out warm and crumbly. I wish they gave you 3-4 instead of just two. The cream and jam on top just made the scones even better! read more

The Rose - Afternoon tea - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Oxford, OXF

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So for a place that prides itself on its tea - it really doesn't in my opinion spend enough time on tthe detail. Atmosphere: Nice tea room - not clear if you are suppose to sit or go to the bar to be served, we eventually sat. They came over and took our order. The staff are friendly and helpful, no loud music, and airy but slightly full of tables. Had a mild canteen vibe. The food: My Scone and jam was ok - they were quite stingy with the portion of cream and jam. No gluten free options. Tea: Hmm - the selection is where is peaks. As someone who likes tea here is my pet peaves. - Coffee mugs - not tea cups.... seriously! i had to ask for a latte mug because the regular coffee mug is so wide, that tea gets cold in them within minutes. - The temperature of boiling of the water - they use the coffee machine - which doesn't boil to 100C, but 90C - which means its just as bad as buying as everywhere else. A good cup of tea comes with freshly singularly boiled water. - The teapots were cheap. So its essentially marketing itself as a tea specialist shop but only the volume of tea is the only care they took over the tea. Sad times. read more

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My friend booked us a table for lunch & it is a nice place. There are bits about the history of the place on the wall overhead, it's not huge but we felt comfortable. The toilets are downstairs (steep going so be careful) & could use a freshen up. Our food was very nice. Sorry I didn't take any pics as we were so hungry by the time we arrived, we just tucked into everything really quickly. I had pancakes w/scrambled eggs & bacon; now you won't find that on the menu but they were kind enough to accommodate my request & to my delight, these were Scotch/American style pancakes...yum. The service was just fine, no intrusion and as I said they were accommodating and helpful with all our queries. We'll definitely come back! read more

Homely, quiet, fancier tea room with a full breakfast and lunch menu. We came in here a couple times to take a break from touring Oxford. It's beautiful inside with wooden floors, maroon walls, and well-spaced tables. We came in for tea and snacks. For tea, the list is pretty impressive with exotic teas. They are all served nicely with proper wares for getting your teabag out without making a mess (something absent in the US). The teas were the whole leaf and the real deal. Served wickedly hot, I guess that is normal here. For food, we got the finger sandwiches and the carrot and walnut cake. Everything was very nice. Service was excellent throughout on both visits. It's a nice place to relax. read more

This place has potential, but I wouldn't choose this place over it's neighbor competition again. They serve fine teas with a descriptive menu and suggestions on pairings. The food is made with a sustainable twist like organic flour. Their cakes are good. Looks like an appealing place to have some girly tea time. But inside it is a cold and unwelcome vibe. It was almost empty each time I've been here, but the service is slow and negligent. One sandwich had stale bread. Maybe it was the bathroom visit that did it for me. It looked clean but smelled very mildewy and steamy- gag - it's practically attached to the kitchen. It zapped my enthusiasm for eating there. If you're a food purest when dining maybe you'll like it. Those peripherals (no music, unfriendly service, smelly downstairs) killed it for me. I'd rather take visitors to The Grand Cafe across the street for some girly tea time. read more

Less than ten minutes passed from the moment my friend and I strolled in to the moment that we had our tea steaming in front of us, sharing space with a set of scones, the house's own strawberry jam, and lots of creamy butter. Service was sooo fast, in fact, that I wondered if the scones could actually be any good? Well, this is one place I needn't have worried. Hands down the best scones I've ever bitten into. Airy buttery goodness, just the right amount of firm. It's like a tiny piece of heaven slathered with strawberry goodness. The tea was good too, of obviously high quality. Service is crisp, efficient and lovely - like the service equivalent of fresh linen sheets. Seriously, take a quick break from those High street stores and pop in! read more

I will go out on a limb and say that this is the best cream tea in Oxford. I believe it's the scones, which are warm(!) and crumbly. It could also be the delicious clotted cream. Or the cozy, uncommercial atmosphere. And I make that claim having had the grand high tea at The Grand Cafe, champagne and finger sandwiches all, which still feels overpriced. The essence of a high tea is the scones and cream, and if you don't get that right, it doesn't matter how else you dress it up. The Rose gets it right, at a perfectly reasonable price. The cons are that the place is really quite small, so if it's full, it's pretty much not worth waiting around for. I wanted to bring my family there at graduation, but that was a lost cause. Also, they close for a few weeks around August/September, and invariably this is always when I or my friends visit Oxford. Though it's on the High Street, it's easy to miss, though I have to say selfishly I'm not sure if that's such a bad thing. read more

After walking around Oxford and being bowled over by its character, we decided to have an afternoon tea. We came across the rose and walked right in. It was fairly quiet, which meant we got seated immediately. We opted for 2 'tea for one' packages, one with fruit scones and coffee and one with ordinary scones and earl grey. The scones ended up too heavy and too much to finish, but were well made. The coffee was good, as was the earl grey. Overall it wasn't a bad experience, but it didn't excite us enough to rate it higher than 3. If I am in the vicinity, I wouldn't mind stepping in again, but I wouldn't go looking for it. read more

Delicious... ...tea? Check! ...clotted cream? Check! ...scones? Check! My favorite place in Oxford for High Tea. Great ambiance, and truly exquisite tea/scones! read more

The Rose is a great place to go for tea, sandwiches, or brunch. The tea selection is excellent - the vanilla tea is stellar, as is the house tea. The food is very good - the cucumber sandwiches are excellent, and the french omelettes are tasty. Definitely a good choice for a light brunch and some tea. The atmosphere is very comfortable - it's airy, light, and open. The staff is fairly attentive and there is usually somewhere to sit and enjoy your afternoon tea. No Wi-Fi, but this is definitely the kind of place that could benefit from it. read more

I just called to make reservations for 8 for tomorrow at noon - the local time is 4:00 pm. The phone was picked up and then promptly placed on the counter. I'm going, "hello? hello?" and I can hear all the customers talking in the background including the ringing up of tabs on the register. Mind you, I'm calling from the USA and it's quite pricey - after 5 minutes of patiently waiting, I hung up. Made reservations at Prezzo's instead. read more

I must agree with the reviews already posted for The Rose. This charming place is ideal for high tea and scones. The clotted cream makes the already delightfully fluffy and warm scones that much better. I will always remember my afternoons at The Rose. Already two years gone from my term as a study abroad student, I have yet to find a scone that is on par with those at The Rose. his is a must place destination for any student or visitor to Oxford. An insiders tip - it is closed on Mondays. read more

Went for breakfast on a Saturday morning and there were just three parties in there. The servers were lovely. The place is cute, but it was very hot in when we were there. We each ordered teas which were lovely, albeit a bit overpriced in my opinion (almost 3 pounds). I ordered the french toast which was very well done - really enjoyed it. My partner ordered a scone with clotted cream and liked it very much. Overall, it was very pleasant! read more

I missed breakfast at the hall last week, and The Rose saved my life. I had a very good bowl of porridge, then sat with the pot of tea and did my reading for at least an hour. It's a lovely, quiet environment in the morning, perfect for waking up. The tea was excellent, nice selection with ample milk and sugar. I can't wait until I have the chance to do the full high tea there! read more

A lovely little cafe on the High, with a great range of breakfast and lunch food. There's a selection of organic food, I really like the all organic breakfast - a little bit of lots of tasty stuff - sausages, bacon, egg, tomato and a hash brown. Yum! The best thing about his cafe if the tea - there's a great selection of leaf teas, served in the pot with a big cup - you get about 3 or 4 cups out of it. It's a real luxury, go in early on a Saturday morning when it's still quiet and treat yourself. Lunch is excellent too - there's lots of delicious things and the menu is changed every so often so you'll never get bored. The soups are always great and there's some fantastic cakes on sale if you're up for a good munch. A nice place to go with a book early in the morning, but it gets quite busy towards lunch. Well worth a visit for a special treat. read more

The Rose was the first English tea room I've ever visited and it was such a lovely experience! The interior is quaint and cute, our server answered our questions with ease, and outside they had a funny, inviting sign that said "Hello, is it tea you're looking for?" We got quite a kick out of it. If you're a fan of black tea I would recommend the Oxford Tea. The scones are also amazing, and so is the jam. Also, as we were leaving our waitress realized I'd forgotten my sunglasses, so she came running down the sidewalk to give them to me! It was very thoughtful and we were very appreciative of that. Can't wait to return to The Rose for another afternoon tea the next time I am in town. read more

I'm not surprised that The Rose already has two reviews on Yelp and that it's already rated so highly. This place has wonderful scones, a really great selection of teas, and a price tag that won't feel like extortion. It's usually very full, but probably the best thing that can happen to you on a cold windy day when all you crave is tea and buttery goodness. read more

Oh I miss this place so much. I used to have afternoon tea here at least once a week! Clotted cream is soooo good, and of course so are the scones to go with it. If you are visiting Oxford, dont miss this place. read more

absolutely love their tea selection, not to mention their breakfast menu. it is a great place for high tea, but is equally nice for just a pot of tea. try the scrambled eggs or an omelette- they are perfectly done with fresh herbs. read more

This is absolutely delightful stop for elevenses or afternoon tea- they have a really good menu of cakes and pastries. I had a flourless almond cake which was a moist, almondy slice of goodness. read more

One of the best places in Oxford for afternoon high tea

When I studied abroad at Oxford in 2003, I lived on high street a few steps away from The Rose. Some of my fondest memories of being in Oxford are of enjoying high tea at the Rose. They serve loose leaf tea with an individual strainer and all. The tea cakes are delicious, sandwiches, scones are all delicious. The clotted cream and jam are absolutely a must, even though most everything is already made with butter. I've had high tea in other hotels in the UK, at the orange in hyde park, bunch of places in the US...and the Rose is the best in my mind and heart. read more

Best scones you can find in Oxford! The ambiance is very modern and airy unlike many of the other tea shops around Oxford. A nice a casual place to meet up for some afternoon tea and scones. Personally my favorite tea stop! read more

I can't think why I've never been in here before. It's a quiet, clean place with a simple but good menu. I went for the burger and it was splendid. Good coffee too. This area is usually hoaching with studes and their ilk so a quiet spot for a decent lunch is an unexpected pleasure. Brilliant selection of teas and chutneys. Worth a try one evening. read more

My first visit will be my last, after unsmiling, bordering on frankly rude service accompanied average food at above average prices. Our first experience with the staff, after sitting for ten minutes, was a surly have you chosen yet? No greeting, no smile. ALL of the customers in the shop while we were there had eventually to take their bills to the staff at the till. My partner recently went back (inadvertently) and had a similar appalling experience. There are many better cafes along the High Street, and I suggest choosing one of them before this place. read more

The service was friendly and efficient, the selection of fine teas was more than satisfactory. The food was well presented with lots of it and all presented in an appealing manner. The selection of cakes was good and the portion size was very generous. However, what should've been a very enjoyable experience was spoiled by the dreadful smell from the toilets that worked its way upstairs. Having to actually use the toilets was stomach churning - the smell was dreadful and one of them had what appeared to be some kind of foul smelling liquid on the floor, towards the back of the toilet. Watching other people go downstairs to the toilets smiling and then coming back up grimacing, confirmed that The Rose needs to make it their top priority to get this problem fixed! read more

Lovely cream tea. Nice atmosphere. Quite a small place, so I recommend booking a table in advance.

went there last week for afternoon tea. had a nice selection of teas and the scones were fresh. very reasonably priced, cant wait to go back. read more

Nice loose-leaf tea selection - I just wish they'd serve the tea in an infuser rather than simply strewn in the pot. As it is, there is no way to remove the tea leaves from the pot, so by the time you finish your first cup, the brew in the pot has gotten so strong it's undrinkable. Also, for a place that strives to be a tea house, it could use some decent teapots; those currently in use are cheap, characterless, metal. read more

I love the Rose! My husband and I go there every week and even though we have moved out of Oxford temporarily we still make an effort to come back. The teas are exceptional and the staff are extremely caring and accomdating. I can't say a bad word about the place. Definitely the best place in Oxford for refreshments and one of the best in the UK for afternoon tea read more

This place is so frustrating. The food is some of the best I've found at a reasonable price in Oxford (I usually pay about £10 for an entree and drink or £7.50ish for cream tea). Some of my favorite menu items are the fresh-squeezed orange juice (a must-try!); the warm, buttery scones (although the jam isn't great); the fried goat cheese salad; and the salmon gradvalax ciabatta. I would go here multiple times a week if it weren't for the really irritating, passive-aggressive waitstaff. Both the main waiter and waitress have really bad attitudes. If you cause them the slightest inconvenience such as asking for tap water, they act like you're purposefully trying to cause them some great inconvenience. I have a nut allergy, and every time I ask the waiter or waitress if one of the menu items contains nuts, they look at me as if I'm trying to make their lives more difficult and then proceed to tell me that everything probably has traces of nuts. One time the waiter even told me I probably shouldn't even order anything. Today I ordered a salad and when they brought me the wrong salad which was more expensive, I politely informed the waitress that I'd ordered something different. She acted like it was my fault and I felt the need to apologize profusely even though it was the waitstaff who couldn't keep track of my order in a half-empty restaurant. I keep going back because the food is so delicious, but after how rude they were today, I don't think even the amazing scones are worth it anymore. read more