The Nosebag on St Michael's Street is one of Oxford's oldest and most loved restaurants — a self-service cafe on the first floor of a medieval building, serving simple, honest food that has kept a loyal clientele for more than forty years. The daily-changing menu is written on chalkboards, the portions are generous, and the prices are lower than you might expect given the quality and the location.
The food is British home cooking done well: soups, quiches, salads, casseroles, and puddings, with strong vegetarian options and a genuine commitment to seasonal ingredients. It is exactly the kind of place that has become rare in city centres — no booking, no fuss, just good food at reasonable prices in a warm and unpretentious setting. Particularly good at lunch, when the queues are a reliable indicator of the quality.