Tucked away from the bustling Cowley Road, through a brightly coloured gate, lies a secret leafy garden with a noble cause. As you step under the archway, far from the madding crowd, you are immediately welcomed into a green sanctuary that beckons all ages and stages to unwind, if just for an hour or two.
The Garden Café, overlooking the main lawn, is run by the mental health charity Restore and supports individuals in managing their mental health challenges. The staff are kind and caring, with some of them busy learning new skills in catering while gaining invaluable work experience in a compassionate environment. Lunches are freshly prepared on-site, ranging from hearty soups to creative, colourful salads. Pre-packaged sandwiches need not apply.
Here you'll find office workers escaping their computer screens, single mums wrestling valiantly with wriggling toddlers, long lost friends catching up over coffee, and a solo traveller or two curled up with a book. This cafe is truly run by the community and for the community, and it serves great coffee to boot.