Market · Broad Street

Oxford Covered Market, Market Street

Tucked off the High Street through four narrow Victorian archways, Oxford's Covered Market is a warm, fragrant world of its own — part Georgian food hall, part artisan village, entirely addictive. Locals have been shopping here since 1774, and the butchers, bakers and cheesemongers still run rings around any supermarket.

A Georgian Food Hall Still Going Strong

The market was officially opened on 1 November 1774, designed by John Gwynn — the same architect behind Magdalen Bridge — and built to clear the 'untidy, messy and unsavoury' street stalls that had clogged central Oxford. Today it is a Grade II-listed structure of red-tiled roofs, timber beams and iron trusses, housing around 60 independent specialists.

Half the traders are food retailers: greengrocers, butchers producing the historic Oxford sausage (pork, veal, herbs and lemon), the Oxford Cheese Company, Colombia Coffee Roasters and Cardew & Co Tea Merchants. The other half is a curated mix of florists, jewellers, vintage fashion and zero-waste shops.

What to Eat Right Now

For a quick, brilliant lunch, the choice is genuinely hard: Sasi's Thai dishes out huge portions of authentic curries at student-friendly prices; Sartorelli's Pizza fires Neapolitan sourdough bases in a wood oven; and Donburi Inn serves freshly prepared Japanese rice bowls. Brown's Café — the original 1920s market café — is the place for a full English and a pot of tea.

No visit is complete without a stop at Ben's Cookies, whose warm, gooey cookies have been an Oxford institution for decades, and a scoop from iScream Gelato. The Market Cellar Door wine bar is perfect for an early-evening glass before dinner.

Tips for the Best Visit

The market opens early and the quietest, most atmospheric time to wander is around 9 am on a Saturday, when the stalls are freshly stocked and the passageways are calm. By midday on weekends it buzzes with students, tourists and locals — which is its own kind of fun.

Enter from any of the four small alleys off the High Street; the main Market Street entrance is primarily for loading. There is no admission charge and no obligation to buy — browsing the 1830s shopfronts and iron roof supports alone is worth the detour.

Watch