SAY hello to a stylish sleepover in one of the UK’s prettiest cities, says writer Caroline White.
From stylish interiors to a rooftop bar offering breathtaking views, The Store Oxford is perfect for a romantic weekend.
A Georgian department store has been transformed into a contemporary hotel, where you’ll find Scandi-chic interiors filled with curved furniture and muted tones, smack-bang in the middle of Oxford.
This is one cool bolthole for a romantic weekend exploring the city of dreaming spires.
Oxford has scant (and pretty dated) hotel offerings, so The Store is a very welcome addition.
Once the much-loved Boswells department store (where my husband spent his pocket money on marbles as a kid), the original windows now flood bedrooms with light – minus any traffic noise, thanks to slick soundproofing.
Our Balliol suite had a sage-green velvet headboard, cream panelling and a marble bathroom with bronze art-deco fittings.
The rooftop bar serves the best views in town alongside cocktails inspired by local literature.
Try a Modern Education, £16 – a quote from Brideshead Revisited and a summery mix of gin, strawberry, mint, lime and sparkling wine.
Soak up the bubbles with dinner downstairs at Treadwell – order the spicy Ruby Murray chicken pie and gunpowder new potatoes, £24.
Come morning, top up your radiance with a 30-minute Glow On The Go facial, £65, in the low-lit sanctuary of the Oskia spa.
The bathrooms are beautiful, but there was no close-up mirror for make-up or shaving.
Learn about the city’s history with Oxford Official Walking Tours, and don’t miss the lion door carving and lamppost that are said to have inspired C.S. Lewis’ The Lion, The Witch And The Wardrobe. Two-hour tours cost from £25 per adult (Oxfordofficialwalkingtours.org).
On a balmy day, hit Kitchen Food Company in Summertown for a grazing box of cheese, charcuterie, fruit, crackers and nuts, £10, to picnic with in idyllic Port Meadow, among wild ponies.
Stop by The Covered Market for handmade bergamot and verbena soap, £8 (Oxfordsoapcompany.co.uk), plus retro tea tins, £6.50, from Cardews of Oxford (Cardewoxford.co.uk) and zingy passion fruit sorbet, £3, at Iscream (Iscreamoxford.co.uk).
Later, book a table in the marquee by the water at Cherwell Boathouse and watch punts pass as you tuck into onion orzo risotto with pickled heritage tomatoes and parmesan, £22.25, followed by blood-orange cheesecake with mandarin sorbet, £7.75 (Cherwellboathouse.co.uk).
Fancy a nightcap? Drop by The Oxo Bar and settle into a moodily lit booth for a potent Japanese Slipper, with triple sec and melon liqueur, £7.95 (Oxobar.uk).
Double rooms cost from £285 B&B, but Fabulous readers can get an exclusive 20% off.* (Thestoreoxford.com).
