Pret A Manger, Oxford, Jaime’s
Italian, Ashmolean Museum, Portabello Restaurant, Marlborough House Hotel
Day
3 Summary
- Breakfast at Pret A Manger
- City Sightseeing Oxford Hop On Hop Off Bus Tour
- Lunch at Jaime’s Italian Restaurant
- Visit Ashmolean Museum
- More Sightseeing in Oxford City
- Dinner at Portabello Restaurant
- Rest at Marlborough House
Barely
6am and we were up early on our third day. We needed to get an early start
since we were going to catch the early train to Oxford that morning. Since it
was Good Friday, London seemed more quiet than usual this morning. We decided
to skip our hotel breakfast that morning and headed over to the train station
early.
We
took the tube from Bakerloo Underground
Line to Paddington Station where
we would switch and take the Great
Western Railway (GWR) train that goes to Oxford.
Train
ride is estimated about 58 minutes one way. Used to be known as the First Great
Western, the new GWR trains are very comfortable. There’s free Wifi on board so
that should keep everyone busy or just enjoy the view of the outskirt of
London.
For
more information on the train schedules and fare, visit www.gwr.com
Pret A Manger
While
waiting for our train, we had some time to sneak in a breakie. Spotted Pret A Manger (Pret), London’s famous sandwich
bar that is available all over the city. Even if you are not a sandwich fan,
you are so going to enjoy Pret A Manger.
Healthy, wholesome and natural food that packs in your nutrients for the day, Pret has such a tantalizing spread of
sandwiches, hot toasties and pastries, salad, fruits, nuts and even sushi along
with that much needed cup of joe and juices which are also organic.
The
breakfast spread was simply amazing and I had a long moment in deciding which
one I want. I finally settled for a hot sandwich of Ham, Cheese & Mustard Toastie. It was indeed superb and just
what I needed that morning. The salty and moreish slices of Wiltshire-Cured ham
with oozing hot melted Croxton Manor Matured Cheddar cheese and zingy mustard
certainly powered up my day together with the organic Beet juice. If only they
would have such sandwiches here in Malaysia…
I
was also eyeing this scrumptious Cheese
Pastry that someone else had and since it was nicely warmed up, that pastry
was so good that the other person went back in to get a second one!
PRET A MANGER
Paddington
Station, Platform 1
Unit
26, Platform 1 Paddington Station London,
United
Kingdom W2 1HB
TELEPHONE:
02072629784
Website:
www.pret.co.uk/en-gb
And
we’re off…
Oxford
We
arrived at Oxford Railway station and was greeted with the most gorgeous blue
sky ever! The train station wasn’t big but it had a few nice stores in it.
There is a Marks & Spencer
grocery store which I managed to do a little food shopping there.
As
soon as you walked out of the station, there are plenty of public
transportation right in front of the station as well as cabbies. One can even
sign up for the City Sightseeing Oxford
Hop On Hop Off Bus Tour right in front of the train station.
Bicycles
seemed to be a favorite transport at Oxford as the train station was filled
with them.
From
Oxford station, we decided to take a taxi (approximately £10 one way) to our
B&B at Marlborough House Hotel to drop off our luggage. The other option would
be to take the bus number 6 (Bus Stop S2) from Magdalen Street (Bus Stop C3) to
Osberton Road. Day ticket by bus is £4 per person per day. More about our bed
& breakfast at the end of the post.
After
dropping our luggage off, one take opt for a taxi again or simply take bus
number 18 from (Bus Stop S2 or S3) from Squitchey Lane to George Street (Bus
Stop A1). Day ticket by bus is £4 per person per day.
Ask
what is famous in Oxford many will tell you it’s distinguished and
internationally renowned Oxford University as well as other universities. Oxford University is the oldest
university in the English speaking world. It is made up of 38 independent colleges
and their quads and buildings can be found all over the city.
Magnolias
were in bloom while we were there and they were just absolutely stunning with
its beautiful pastel pink and white against the blue sky!
While
waiting for some time before lunch, we decided to take the City Sightseeing Oxford Hop On Hop Off Bus Tour to catch a glimpse
of Oxford city. We opted for the Red Route of the City & University Tour
which was approximately 60 minutes.
The
ride covers lots of famous places such as Oxford
University, Christ Church Cathedral, Carfax Tower, The Queen’s College,
Sheldonian Theatre, Bridge of Sighs, Radcliff Camera, Bodleian Libraries, Martyrs’
Memorial, Ashmolean Museum and many more universities, colleges, city
shopping centers and so forth.
The
tour runs every half hour and it has fully comprehensive tour transmitted up to
11 languages on the double decker open air bus. Take the top deck to enjoy the
full experience of the sights at Oxford!
Jaime’s Italian Restaurant
I
have been to London twice and I am glad that both times, I got to enjoy a meal
at Jaime’s Italian Restaurant. Don’t
worry that a meal at Jaime’s might be too costly if budget is your constraint.
There are ways to enjoy a good meal if you check out that restaurant in
advance.
Jaime’s Italian Restaurant on George Street actually offers a Super Lunch Deal of two courses at only
£10.95 or three course for £12.95. The Super Lunch Deal is available Monday to
Friday from 12noon to 6pm so always make sure to check any restaurants you like
in advance and visit them during lunch for some savings.
This
outlet was very busy and we were glad that they could actually fit us in as we
were only supposed to dine there the next day. The restaurant has two floor
seating and we got the one near their kitchen so we were glad to catch some
kitchen actions as well.
While
waiting for our table, I couldn’t resist looking at the fresh coils of curly
pasta being churned out in batches. They are so pretty…
For
the Super Lunch Deal, just select any of the two courses you like whether it is
an appetizer, main or dessert. I opted for the appetizer of Frito Misto and main of Tagliatelle Bolognese. The lightly
battered fish and squid was crispy and went well with the garlic and lemon
aioli while the pasta was pretty hearty and delicious.
I
didn’t order dessert but definitely should have after I tried Alice’s Orange Blossom Polenta Cake and Ryan’s Epic Brownies. Both desserts were just
out-of-this-world!
Jaime’s Italian Restaurant
24-26
George Street,
Oxford
OX1 2AE
United
Kingdom
Tel:
+44 1865 838 383
Ashmolean Museum
After
lunch we visited the Ashmolean Museum, the world’s first university museum.
Part of the University of Oxford, it was built in 1683 to house the collection
that Elias Ashmole donated to the university. The museum’s famous collections range
from Egyptian mummies to contemporary art, telling human stories across
cultures and across time. Open to public after a major renovation in 2009, the
exhibits now includes new galleries of Ancient Egypt and Nubia.
I
was captivated by the Romans and Greeks sculptures as well as the historical
artifacts of Egypt and Nubia as I strolled around the museum. My only gripe
would be to have more time in this museum as there are just so much to see.
While we were there, there was also an Andy Warhol exhibition on display.
Admission is free.
Ashmolean Museum
Beaumont
St
Oxford
OX1 2PH
United
Kingdom
Tel:
+44 1865 278 000
Website:
www.ashmolean.org
There’s
certain plenty to see in Oxford. Some might need a stroll to be able to
appreciate it better as well as a visit inside the buildings. We did the bus
tour for the overall view and we visited the Ashmolean Museum but then we walked about Oxford town to check out all these other famous landmarks for
a closer look.
Martyrs' Memorial is a stone monument positioned at the
intersection of St Giles', Magdalen Street and Beaumont Street and was built in
1843 to commemorate the 16th-century Oxford Martyrs.
Radcliffe Camera is a grand sight to behold. A
building of Oxford University, it was designed by James Gibbs in neo-classical
style and built in 1737–1749 to house the Radcliffe Science Library
Radcliffe
Square
Hertford Bridge, also known as Bridges of Sighs, is a skyway joining two parts of Hertford College
over New College Lane.
Clarendon Building is an early 18th-century neoclassical
building of the University of Oxford, built between 1711 and 1715 and is
located on Broad Street. Located next to the famous Bodleian Library and the
Sheldonian Theatre, the building was built to house the Oxford University Press,
which has ten moved out on 1832.
After
a long day of walking around Oxford, we headed back to our hotel for a quick
refresh and rest before heading out to dinner at Portabello Restaurant, which
was a 10 minute stroll away from our Marlborough House Hotel.
Portabello
Restaurant
A
cosmopolitan British restaurant, bar and grill, Portabello serves British food
such as steaks, seafood and British classic dishes, set in a simple and elegant
ambiance that is relaxing and cozy. Walking into Portabello Restaurant, we were
immediately greeted by the wait staff with a smile.
To
set the mood for the evening, we all decided to splurge on some cocktails for
merriment. For dinner, we opted for their three course Private Dining menu
priced at £27 (not inclusive of drinks and cocktails). One can also opt for
their two course menu at £21.
My
choice of the three course was Seasonal House Terrine with Chutney & Toast,
Chargrilled Rump Steak, Fries and Garlic, Rocket & Parmesan Salad and
Raspberry and Mango Sorbet.
The
terrine was really unique and moreish. Bits of cured meat set with gelatin was
delicious on crispy toast and the tangy chutney balanced up the richness of the
terrine well. My rump steak was very decent and juicy. Cooked to my medium
likeness, the steak with chips was a good choice since I was hungry that
evening. The best course of the night was the house made fruit sorbet. Utterly
divine with intense raspberry and mango notes, it was the perfect ending to my
day in Oxford!
Others
had Beetroot Cured Salmon with Pickled Cucumber, Spinach & Pinenut Cakes
with Tomato & Olive Salsa, Hake Fillet, Mussel & Leek Chowder, Chicken
Milanese with Chopped Capers, Gherkin & Egg,
Triple
Cooked Chips (£3.50) and cocktails.
Portabello Restaurant
7
South Parade, Summertown
Oxford
OX2 7JL
Tel:
01865 559653
Website:
www.portabellorestaurant.co.uk
Business
Hours:
Mon
- Sat: 9.30am - 10.30pm
Sunday:
9.30am - 9.30pm
After
dinner, I was glad to walk off dinner. The evening was quite dark and cold and
I was glad when I reach the hotel as I was really looking forward to a soak in
the long bath and a good night sleep!
Marlborough House Hotel
Located
1.5 miles from Oxford’s historic city centre, the 1990 custom built hotel is
set in a Victorian neighborhood. The seventeen rooms hotel may not be the
newest on the block but offers single and family rooms with en-suite
facilities, kitchenettes and mini bars filled with lots of treats and snacks.
My
room was spacious and has a table and chairs for dining set along with a
refrigerator, microwave, kettle, television, en-suite bathroom with a long bath
and toiletries. Though a little worn down, it is still clean and neat and I do
like the quiet neighborhood and the personal feeling of a home rather than a
hotel.
What
makes Marlborough House Hotel a little special is that they serve you breakfast
in bed each morning! Stay tune for my breakfast in my next post…
Marlborough House Hotel
321
Woodstock Road,
Oxford
OX2 7NY
United
Kingdom
Tel:
+44 1865 311 321
Website:
www.marlbhouse.co.uk
*Stay tune for Day 4 - Cotswold,
Moreton-in-Marsh, Tilly’s Tea House, Bourton-on-the-Water, Bath, Rajpoot Indian
Restaurant, Edgar Townhouse Hotel
For
more information and to plan your Great
Value Travel to London, check out Visit Britain at www.visitbritain.com/malaysia
or CIT Malaysia at www.cit.travel/europe/united-kingdom
This
trip was made possible by Visit Britain.
All stories and comments in my posts are purely derived from my own experiences
through the trip.
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