Date spot in Oxford
University of Oxford Botanic Garden
Wander Britain's oldest botanic garden, from the walled beds to the glasshouses full of carnivorous plants and water lilies, under Magdalen's tower.
Rose Lane, by Magdalen Bridge
Address: Rose Lane, Oxford OX1 4AZ- Outdoors
- Cheap and cheerful
- Romantic
Why it's a good date: Quiet and lovely in any season, and the glasshouses are a warm escape in winter. Watch the punts from the riverside wall.
More from our Oxford guide
The Covered Market
Market Street, between the High and Cornmarket
Address: Market Street, Oxford OX1 3DZ- Café
- Rain-proof ☔
- Cheap and cheerful
- Foodie
Graze your way round the old market hall off the High Street, with its butchers, bakers, cake shops and little cafés.
Why it's a good date: Cheap, cheerful and dry, with lunch for two that costs very little. Pick something sweet each and share.
Photo: Jorge Royan, CC BY-SA 3.0 (resized)
Turf Tavern
Bath Place, off Holywell Street, by the Bridge of Sighs
Address: 4-5 Bath Place, Oxford OX1 3SU- Bar
- Cheap and cheerful
- Dog friendly
- Cosy
Find your way down the narrow alleys off Holywell Street to the old pub tucked behind the college walls, with low beams and beer gardens on three sides.
Why it's a good date: Half the fun is finding it. Cosy inside in winter, and the courtyards are lovely on a summer evening.
Photo: Peter Trimming, CC BY-SA 2.0 (resized)
Gees
Banbury Road, North Oxford
Address: 61A Banbury Road, Oxford OX2 6PE- Restaurant
- Rain-proof ☔
- A treat
- Romantic
- Foodie
Have dinner in a Victorian glasshouse on the Banbury Road, once a greengrocer's and florist's, now a restaurant cooking Mediterranean food.
Why it's a good date: Candles, plants and glass all round: it feels like an occasion. Book for a summer evening while it's still light, or a winter night when it glows.
