The Organic Deli Café is one of Oxford's hidden gems. Part of me is loath to write about it as I would prefer it to stay that way. However, having been an on-off regular ever since this café first opened, I thought that it should be one of the very first to receive The Oxford Café Spy treatment.
The first thing that drew me to the café was the fact that it was quiet and offered free wifi. Tucked away in Friar's Passage, between Magdalen Street and Gloucester Green, this is a little haven away from the bustle of the bus stops and the mêlée of the the market. The friendly staff and quiet atmosphere were two factors which compelled me to come back here again and again. No pretentiousness, just good coffee, sizeable slices of delicious homemade cakes and a smile. What more could you ask for?
The Organic Deli is a family run business and you can tell that the owners have put a lot of energy into the place. Catering for all sorts of dietary requirements, including a fabulous selection of gluten free breads and cakes, they seem really keen to satisfy their customers' needs. They also serve massive pots of Teapigs tea, which makes it an ideal spot to while away the time with a good book or a tutorial essay depending on your status. Talking of status, students and holders of Oxford Key bus passes enjoy a 10% discount at The Organic Deli Café which earns the place another big tick. Coffee here is also good, though I'm a sucker for a nice cup of tea, especially if it comes in a quirky teapot as it does here. One bizarre thing about the tea here is that the milk is often served warm. Usually, I'd deem this to be an abomination, but I love the place so much that I'll let it slip!
Breakfasts at The Organic Deli Café are varied and are served throughout the day. While the granola is average and would have benefited from either being less voluminous or accompanied by more yoghurt (in fairness, this is more an intrinsic fault of granola for being so damn crunchy than that of the café), the Eggs Royale comes highly recommended. Served on two delicious slices of what tasted like homemade soda bread, it had a decent portion of fresh smoked salmon and two poached eggs. The eggs could, perhaps, have done with being rather runnier, but getting the perfect poached egg is not one of life's certainties. Also, I gather there are some odd people in this world who would rather have a slightly well-done egg than run the risk of contracting salmonella in the quest for the ultimate unctuous yolk. Sadly, despite being odd in many other respects and having obsessive-compulsive tendencies as far as food hygiene is concerned, I am not one such breakfaster.
On the subject of hygiene, the toilet facilities are a little strange and make you feel as if you have stepped into somebody's bathroom. The addition of soap and paper towels would allow for extra points, facilities-wise. Other practical anomalies include the fact that, despite friendly, attentive staff, occasionally a drink or item of cutlery fails to reach the diner, but all you have to do is ask. And don't mention the milk.
Where the Organic Deli Café really scores is on selection. Whether you're looking for a sandwich or a salad, a light bite or a proper meal, you'll find what you're looking for here. There is a good range of Amy's Organic Soups available which, while not made in-house, allow the café to offer a far greater selection of lunchtime soups than rival establishments. Anyway, whoever Amy is, she knows her soups, and her tasty offerings are served with toast and some cheese, a lovely touch and a welcome change from the usual dry bread roll. For those who want a bit of meat, homemade dishes such as lasagne are cooked fresh everyday and are surprisingly affordable.
Finally, of course, I should not forget to mention the deciding factor in the assessment of Oxford's finest cafés: the cake. And what cake. Freshly made and often gluten free, going to the counter to pay for my delicious lunch always makes me wish I'd left a bit more room for some pudding. While I concede, theoretically speaking, there is always room for cake, from a practical point of view it is not prudent to give in to these appetites too frequently if a lady wishes to remain financially solvent or has a pressing afternoon engagement. Not to mention the fact that there is, it must be conceded, a fine line between cake-loving and utter gluttony which should not be crossed with excessive regularity if said lady wish to keep her figure and her arteries in tact. That said, the Chubby Hubby is wonderful: a layer of chocolate sandwiched between an amazing shortbread creation with the a chunky, sandy texture approaching that of a flapjack - you know, the kind of thing that would inspire those of us with Proustian tendencies to get textually overexcited. They do a carrot cake which is Venetian and appears to be moist, but isn't one for purists. The lemon and polenta cake looks very good, too. I'll let you know...
Verdict
Tea: 3/5 (please sort the milk thing out if you haven't already)
Cakes: 4/5
Customer Service: 4/5
Pretentiousness: 5/5 (mercifully free of yummy mummies and effete tweed-clad English undergrads)
Toilets: 2/5 (though I hear rumours that this has changed since my visit).
Carrot cake bonus: Bronze
Total: ****
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