Oxford, four days -- suggestions?!!

I found a very non-touristy pub called the wheat-sheaf in Oxford. It was pretty good with very good prices, located in a hard to find alley.

Rather than try to find the specific place, maybe you can use the technique I used to find it.

At one of the campuses (that wasn't open to the public) I went in the door in the gate and asked the guard where I could get some "decent pub grub, nothing fancy".

I had a hard time with his accent. I was sure he was telling me the place was called the "Whit-shit" but I knew the directions down several alleys and came upon an authentic, if not fancy, public house where regular people eat and drink.

There is an antiques market on Gloucester Green on Thursdays that can be interesting. St Clements Antiques and Antiques on High are 2 shops in town worth looking in. If you can get to Henley you will find good antique shopping there.

Aziz restaurant on Cowley in Oxford has the best Indian food in town. As far as pubs go I like sitting outside at the Turf Tavern in the evening and sitting inside the Lamb and Flag on rainy days.

Have fun in Oxford!

Oxford is a very busy city. Most tourists expect
quaint but I would not call it that. I have visited
there probably 25 times over the years and it just gets more and more crowded every year.

For one it is a regional shopping mecca so you will find department stores, the major chains and tons of fast food places. There is not much in the category of "Cute".

Hordes of tourists visit all the time and there are
summer language classes which attract students from all over the world.

Don't miss the Ashmolean Museum which has a lovely collection and is just the right size for a museum.
They also have the inevitable shop and cafe.

Jamie Oliver has a restaurant on the street you walk up from the station. Sorry I don't know it's name but I am sure a Google search will find it. I have not eaten there but it looked very busy on a Saturday when I passed.

Oxford has good train connections to the Cotswolds and other places. You can get a bus to Woodstock in front of the station for visiting Blenheim Palace which I recommend.. (#20) as I remember. Took it last summer. You can also take a bus to Bicester Village, an up-market discount shopping venue...although I still find prices high compared to the US.

A wonderful place to eat is Raymond Blanc's Bistro in Jericho a bit of a walk from the center. You MUST make a reservation. (Google for details)

Don't even think about parking in Oxford...just impossible.

I believe the Ashmolean is closed for a few more months. You could rent a boat on the Isis...from our vantage point at a waterside table, 4 days might be just enough time to get it turned around! Oxford is a very nice place,and we spent a full day touring but as another poster noted, it may not be real high on the charm index.

Thanks for the great ideas! I appreciate you taking the time to advise!