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Freud, a bustling bar within an 1830s church, is one of an increasing number of hip spots in the formerly grimy Jericho neighborhood.
(Photo: Courtesy of Freud) |
Follow in-the-know locals to the neighborhood of Jericho. Just a ten-minute walk from High Street, but with no grand academic buildings or medieval churches, it still feels hidden in plain sight to most tourists. Once grimy and seedy (it was home to Oxford’s red-light district), Jericho has developed a more casually hip, Left Bank�meets�East Village vibe, with bohemian hangouts that are a welcome contrast to the decidedly posh university atmosphere. Drop by the airy garden terrace at Branca for Italian small plates and afternoon cocktails like the Elderflower Collins ($12) or blood-orange Solerno Sunrise ($13), and check out Blanc Brasserie one of Oxford's best restaurants, for dinner; it's known for elegantly turned out French plates and steaks from Cornish heritage cattle. Look for the indie cinema Phoenix Picturehouse; then grab a drink at Freud, a café and bar set in a 1830s Greek Revival church.