Walking into Westgate, as all Oxford students did for the first time last Michaelmas, it is easy for anyone to be distracted by the numerous new shops that are now easily accessible in our uni environment.
I found myself tempted to stop at various clothes shops but, of course, I could not wait to find out which new restaurants had opened. Breakfast is definitively the best part of the day – trust me. It will be too easy to spend mornings eating delicious meals at Westgate.
Whether your New Year’s Resolution is to eat healthy food, or you can’t actually be bothered to wake up in the morning to eat breakfast food, or even if all you want is some good bread and spreads, you can find all three options in one place in Oxford now.
Firstly we have Boost Juice Bar. Located on the Upper Ground Floor, neighbouring Primark, Next and John Lewis, this is the perfect place for anyone in need of a break- fast you can eat on the go.
As one might imagine from its name, Boost sells juices and smoothies. There is a suggested menu but, excitingly, you are also able to create your own custom flavour. From mango and berries, to bananas with passionfruit, the combinations are numerous.
Any budding gym lovers can choose to add ‘boosters’ to the fruity mixes, such as protein powder or ‘super fruits’ like acai and goji berry.
Some of their smoothies also include vegetables, which is perfect for anyone trying to up their intake of greens in 2018.
The aim of the juice bar, which originally started in Australia, is to provide a healthy option in shopping centres.
It is a really easy and nourishing spot, and also removes the need for you to painstakingly clean a blender yourself.
Le Pain Quotidien lives on the Lower Ground Floor of Westgate, adjacent to John Lewis. It is certainly one of the finest places for anyone who wants to catch up with a friend they haven’t seen in a while over a cup of coffee, which, like all of their hot drinks, comes in a handle-less mug, resembling a small bowl.
The ‘Le Pain’ spreads’ are certainly the highlight of any trip to this breakfast location. Every order of bread or pastries will be accompanied by various jams and spreads, and you can ask for their specialities, such as their Speculoos biscuit spread, their ‘Noisella’ hazelnut-flavoured spread, their ‘Brunette’ hazelnut and praline spread, or their ‘Blondie’ spread made from white chocolate.
The chances are that after you’ve finished your meal, you’ll sit there putting more and more spreads on your plate that you’ll eat either with breadcrumbs or just raw, chatting over your last few sips of coffee.
Whilst you might feel like you’re living the yummy mummy life – about to go to her yoga lesson before picking her children up at school – Le Pain Quotidien is definitely a great place to go to for breakfast with a groups of friends.
Finally, you’ll find The Breakfast Club on the Roof Terrace of Westgate. Their London branches are infamous for their impossibly long queues, and my experience of the Oxford branch has been no different. However, if the only hangover cure you want is is a stack of pancakes or a fry-up sometime in the mid-afternoon once you have finally managed to get out of bed, then this place is perfect for you.
To accompany their all-day brunch menu, they have lunch and dinner options, which makes it the perfect place for you to take anyone who cannot stand the thought of eating breakfast at a different time in the day (you don’t need that negativity).
And, if you really are cured of your hangover, you can try to find their secret bar…
