With summer comes smoothie weather, and Oxford offers a plethora of fruity delights. Coming from a place where a small smoothie is twice the price of the most expensive one here, being able to get something cold and fruity from a cafe on a hot day makes even the worst day of exam revision better. Take this article as an ode to the refreshing smoothie, and some of my favourite places to get them. There are definitely more smoothie places that remain unreviewed – go searching around on a hot day, and who knows, maybe you’ll find the smoothie of your dreams.
Taylor’s, 8/10
I’ve don’t think I’ve had a smoothie at Taylor’s since MT22 and don’t remember whether I liked the ones I had, but the Deputy Editor for Food, Gracie (shoutout), loves their passionfruit smoothie because it has no banana in it; the Tesco smoothies (which I feel look a little too powdery to seem appetising), a former love of hers, do contain banana. Important information for those no longer able to eat banana. The options at Taylor’s are certainly decent, and the price is not outrageous for a decent smoothie.
Joe and the Juice, 5/10
Joe and the Juice is a throwback to my NYC smoothie era. It certainly sells smoothies, but it is extremely expensive and not worth the price. Go somewhere else instead. Who goes to Westgate for a smoothie anyway?
Oxford Brunch Bar, 6/10
I had a smoothie here at my very first brunch, and it was fine. Just a normal berry smoothie. A bit too much blueberry to strawberry, and £4.90 really is a lot for a small mug of smoothie. You may as well get two bags of frozen fruit and blend it yourself for the same price.
Art Cafe, 6/10
Art Cafe doesn’t have bad smoothies; their mango, passion fruit, and banana smoothie taste pretty good. I’ve also heard good things about their kale smoothie, though I’ve never had it. But note: they are expensive, at £5.95. For a similar price, you could buy their açaí bowl instead – a decent portion size, and it’ll actually fill you up!
Moo-Moo’s, 9/10
Moo-Moo’s is an essential stop when getting food in the Covered Market. Covered with filled-up loyalty cards and packed to the brim, you have the option to make a smoothie with quite literally anything you’d like. I like the Annabelle special (just over £4 for a large) with apple juice and mango, but have somehow only ever requested the watermelon smoothie when they’re sold out – try it if you can!
Cafe Crème, 10/10
I love Cafe Crème. It is seriously the best place for smoothies in Oxford. They have a mango pear smoothie (my fave), an açaí berry smoothie, and even their strawberry banana smoothie doesn’t feel too bad. Their green and fruity smoothies (combined with a good price, just £3 with a student discount) pairs amazingly with a cheap sandwich at lunchtime. And Cafe Crème has loyalty cards – I’ve filled up at least two. I can think of nothing wrong with this place, except that they have not yet given me a lifetime supply of free smoothies (but there’s always time).
Honourable mentions: college cafes
St Anne’s Coffee Shop, 8/10. I recently visited to try the mango banana smoothie. For less than £2, I got a decently sized drink, refreshing at a sip and with a taste that was not too sweet, but not too sour. Although I could still taste chunks of banana, it wasn’t an issue for me. My thoughts? Underrated – and good for my chronic smoothie addiction.
Kendrew Cafe, St John’s College, 7.5/10. I’ve only been a few times, but I always enjoy the coconut and mint smoothie. Their berry smoothies are nice and sweet, but the portion sizes are too small for £2.35. Still, as a college cafe, it’s much cheaper than the scary outside world (and you get a decent drink)!
