London (Fodor's 2012) - Fodor's [208]
St. John’s College (1555), former Prime Minister Tony Blair’s alma mater, is worth a stop for its historic courtyards, world-renowned symmetrical gardens, and its library, where you can view some of Jane Austen’s letters and an illustrated 1483 edition of The Canterbury Tales by the English printer William Caxton. | St. Giles | OX1 3JP | 01865/277300 | www.sjc.ox.ac.uk | Free | Daily 1–5, 1–dusk in winter.
College members, but not visitors, can enter the university’s largest college via Tom Gate. This massive gatehouse is surmounted by Christopher Wren’s Tom Tower, which contains Great Tom, a giant clock that strikes each hour with high and low notes.
Christ Church College.
Traditionally called “the House” by its students, Christ Church has the largest quadrangle in town. This is where Charles Dodgson, better known as Lewis Carroll, was a math don; a shop across from the parkland (known as “the meadows”) on St. Aldate’s was the inspiration for the shop in Through the Looking Glass. More recently, various college locations appeared in the Harry Potter films. Don’t miss the 800-year-old chapel, or the Tudor dining hall, with its portraits of former students—John Wesley, William Penn, and six of the 13 prime ministers who attended the college. | St. Aldate’s | OX1 1DP | 01865/276492 | www.chch.ox.ac.uk | £6, with additional £2 for”Behind the Scenes” tour | Weekdays 9–5, Sun. 2–5. Dining hall weekdays 2:30–5 during school year.
WHERE TO EAT IN OXFORD
Brasserie Blanc.
££–£££ | Raymond Blanc’s Conran-designed brasserie is sophisticated even by London standards. The top British chef populates his menu with modern European and regional French dishes: you might see steamed Loch Fyne mussels in a white wine–and-cream sauce, or a Barbary duck breast in a blackberry sauce. At £12.50 for two courses or £14.95 for three, the prix-fixe lunch is an incredible value, and well worth the short walk north of the town center. | 71–72 Walton St. | OX2 6AG | 01865/510999 | www.brasserieblanc.com | Reservations essential | AE, MC, V.
Grand Café.
£ | CAFÉ | In a lovely 1920s building, this inexpensive café looks as if it should cost the world. Golden tiles, carved columns, and antique marble floor fill the place with charm, and the menu of tasty sandwiches, salads, and tarts, as well as afternoon tea, perfect coffee drinks and desserts, make it a great place for lunch or an afternoon break. At night it puts away its menus and transforms itself into a popular cocktail bar. | 84 High St. | OX1 4BG | 01865/204463 | www.thegrandcafe.co.uk | AE, DC, MC, V.
Pizza Express.
£ | ITALIAN | Many people are surprised to discover that this uniquely situated restaurant in the former sitting room of the 15th-century Golden Cross—Shakespeare’s stopover lodging on his frequent trips from Stratford to London—is part of a nationwide chain. Creativity is encouraged here, so vegetarians, vegans, and meat eaters alike can enjoy inventing their own dream pizzas. A terrace is open in summer, but be sure to check out the medieval paintings and friezes inside the restaurant before heading out. | 8 The Golden Cross, Cornmarket St. | OX1 4BG | 01865/790442 | www.pizzaexpress.com | AE, MC, V.
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Exploring Stratford-upon-Avon | Stratford Environs | Where to Eat in Stratford-upon-Avon
104 mi (167 km) north of London.
Stratford-upon-Avon has become adept at accommodating the hordes of people who stream in for a glimpse of William Shakespeare’s world. Filled with all the distinctive, Tudor half-timber buildings your heart could desire, this is certainly a handsome town. But it can feel, at times, like a literary amusement park, so if you’re not a fan of the Bard, you’d probably do better to explore a historic English market town.
Tours and Tickets
It’s difficult to avoid feeling like a herd animal as you board the Shakespeare bus, but tours like City Sightseeing’s Stratford and the Shakespeare Story ( Pen and