The Covered Market

Located right in the heart of Oxford. The market dates back to 1770 and has become famous for being one of the oldest markets in the country still in operation. The Covered Market offers a "one-stop shop" for independent specialty retailers selling food, drink, gifts, fashion, flowers, toiletries, hats, jewelry and more. The market offers a variety of places to eat, drink, and relax while soaking in the market's unique atmosphere.

Well, it's worth a visit here! There is so much to see and so much to take in. It's such a nice ambience in here and feels like going back in time. What’s great is that there are so many independent shops etc in here. You have barbers, cafes, food stalls, plants, fruit and veg, sweet shops, book shops, cake making shops - so much to see. Will definitely visit one day again!

Great spot for lunch on a rainy day. We visited Oxford for a couple of days and deliberately didn’t make plans for food in the hope we would find something interesting while walking around. The majority of places, particularly in the centre, are naturally tourist driven and this place offers really good value for money. The whole market is filled with great places but we made our stop at the Donburi Inn. We had three very large bowls of noodles, rice or soup for less than £30. Followed this up with a local ice cream place which my son loved.

A lovely market lots of food and shopping options. Great location in the middle of the town center. Would recommend everyone come visit for a nice browse and walk!

It is such a great, well designed market with lots of great little reastraunts within and cool Alice in Wonderland art installations hanging from the ceiling. There is something for everyone and plenty of places catering to a variety of food allergies, particularly gluten-free options. About 1/3 of the shops were closed, which is to be expected mid week during winter.

I loved visiting the covered market. So vibrant and loads of unusual stakes. We had breakfast in Browns Cafe as I'm an avid discovery of witches fan and they had filmed here. I wasn't disappointed. And as the weather was a little drizzly it was the perfect stop gap.

Can't imagine what the walls of this historic market has seen & heard. Quaint market with interesting stores and some very old still in business food stores and restaurants. Loved browsing around. Beautiful and very well maintained.

As a foreign tourist, not much to see. I enjoyed Ben’s cookie which many people queued, and a hot chocolate from the Colombia coffee shop. The 70% dark chocolate drink has very little sweetness, ideal for those who prefer super less sugar

Absolutely love the covered market! There are so many cute shops, restaurants, cafes all with a local feel and intimate texture to them. The market is so uniquely decorated and has an amazing cozy feel to it! Perfect place to hang out with friends and/or family!

Located in Oxford and we got a tour of Oxford and Covered Market. I will say many stores were somewhat closed towards the 5pm timeslot on a weekday but they have foods, restrooms, stores and other items in the market. They have knick knacks and multiple entrances/exits into the market.

I love how many places in the UK have these types of markets - makes for a fun way to explore, shop, and eat all under one roof in this case. We were here on a bank holiday so many stalls were not open, but the ones that were were high quality, friendly, and unique. Got myself some gelato and a panini to enjoy while listening to some local musicians. This is a relatively small market, but it does have good variety.

We went twice today. In the morning primarily the shops were open. There are a few interesting different speciality shops, but overall I would have given 4 stars. We went back, however, at lunch time and with all the little sandwich shops and restaurants this is just a very nice very pleasant place to have a good time.

It's amazing to think that Covered Market has been around since November 1, 1774, and has remained active to this day. Most of the entrances are from the High Street and Market Street, and they're kind of in an alley, so they're not as obvious as the other more modern stores, but there is a sign that says "Covered Market" if you keep your eyes open for it. It's really fun to walk around here and take in the sights of all the different offerings here in the market. Even without buying anything, I enjoyed walking around, taking in the sights and smells of different foods, drinks (like smoothies and milkshakes and juices), and window shop for things like purses and decorative cakes! There's even a light-up white rabbit floating in the air in the middle of the market, and I certainly did feel like Alice in Wonderland. It's a great historic place to visit, along with finding snacks to purchase and eat! Fun fact from Wikipedia: In May 2017, the Covered Market received 'the Royal seal of approval' when it was visited by Prince Charles and the Duchess of Cornwall.

While in search of high tea, Harry Potter, and a few museums, we walked into The Covered Market. What a cool place! We love markets and this one was filled to the brim with clothing shops, specialty food shops, a butcher, and lots of knick knacks. It was a bit crowded since it was the weekend but that didn't stop from the fun to be had. Everyone moved at a good pace and oohed and awed over certain stores especially The Cake Shop. You could watch them work in the windows creating the cutest little cakes. They were molding fondant and chocolate into tiny little bears and decorations like makeup and flowers. The particular week we were there was Mother's Day in the UK, not to be confused with Mother's Day in the USA. There is so much food at The Covered Market. It would be a great idea to stop by there for a snack or dessert. One of the cafes had a sign that said, "Crepes are for life not just for Pancake Day." I was not aware of this Pancake Day holiday like the Mother's Day in the UK. If you wanted to buy fresh meat to bring home there are some butchers here. Those of the faint of heart, beware. You will encounter many an animal including the full head of a pig waiting to be bought. Aside from food you can also stop by The Covered Market to run errands. There is a shop that makes keys and many stores where you can buy presents. I found a fun little robot for my niece at the Helen & Douglas House. It is a charity shop which sells a few second hand items for cheap. Seriously, one could spend quite a bit of time at The Covered Market if they are into food and/or shopping. The Covered Market is not to be missed in Oxford. Plus it is indoors!

It's a pretty neat place to visit. Unfortunately most shops were closed when I was there, but the few I did get to pop into were tiny but packed with interesting things. If/when I end up back in Oxford, I'll definitely give it a bit more time!

Ah, the Covered Market! I came here to browse the selection and wow, you could do lots of shopping here! Buy some gifts, new shirt, some toys, buy your groceries for the week, get your shoes repaired or buy a new pair, buy some fresh flowers, grab a coffee, catch up on the latest gossip, pick up something sweet and sugary, jewelry for the wife ... they got it all!! I ate a Brown's Cafe which was on the cheap, but good. Totally filled up on a traditional British breakfast. Nice owners and quick. Sure I got a funny looked when I asked for tea but without milk, but hey, I'm the weird American. I went here to buy a turkey for an early Thankgiving and wow, the prices varied and for this American ... when it came to the exchange rate, it was the most expensive Turkey ever ... it was like $60!! And that was the cheapest too. Granted they don't do Thanksgiving, but hey, if you want a fresh Turkey, you can probably find one here. Maybe it would be cheaper because of the economy now ... You'll find locals, students and tourists here. Most people are here doing some shopping and such for the week or hanging out with family or friends. If I lived here, I'd totally hang out here all the time. Lots of variety for groceries and other items. Feel free to shop around ... plus they carry organic stuff I think too. Great place to stop at if you're in Oxford! A MUST if you're living here.

First of all this place boasts to have the world's oldest ham. That alone earns the covered market five stars in my book. It's hanging in a little glass box with a short story of its history hanging next to it at one of the butcher shops, I forget which one. But besides the ham the covered market is still pretty dope. I love the butcher shops, all five of them. The sausage shop, the pie shop, the cheese monger, the little gift shops, the cafes, the used book shop, the shoe shops, OMG, the cookie stall, the chocolate shop the sandwich shops. I could basically be locked in here and be happy for the rest of my days.

This is just one of those types of places that I can't find much here in the States- and something that my wife and I miss very much. The location of this market (much like any other central market in the UK and Europe) is very convenient for the majority of people who live in a close proximity of the city centre. I found myself exploring the many twists and turns of this market- and the variety of what you find here is great! The little shops and the stalls are something that you definitely don't see in Chicago at all- and the closest things that I can think of in the States are the Public Market in Seattle and the Old Farmer's Market in LA. I guess this is one of those places that locals probably take for granted and might not appreciate- but without these types of places in your daily life- you learn only afterwards that you miss them.

Very cute market filled with a tea and coffee supply shop, bakery, butcher, knick knacks, etc. Prices are higher here. I bought a very cute scarf in a shop in the covered market for almost twice the price compared to a street vendor in Oxford. Otherwise great place to stroll about.

I absolutely adore the covered market! Jam packed full of British "olde world" character, this market is tucked away just off of the high street (Cornmarket St) in Oxford city centre. You can get just about anything in here: fresh fruit, veg, flowers & meat if you'd like an alternative to big-chain supermarkets. Or perhaps a spot of lunch? You can get delicious sandwiches, meals or treats from the abundance of cafes! (Including sugary goodness from Oxford's famous Ben's Cookies, which several Yelpers believe to be the finest cookies on earth. I wouldn't disagree). If you're looking for a bit of retail therapy, there are a bunch of great little shops which are also a nice alternative to the madness of the big shops on the high street. It's probably because I'm just an uncultured Yank...er...Canadian, but there is something so magical to me about a market like this... Definitely worth a visit!

Oxford's covered market has some great food and an outstanding mix of shops from butchers and cheese shops, flowers and fresh produce, to savory pies and cookies. I visited Pieminister for lunch and grabbed dessert at Ben's cookies. Outstanding food at both places plus you get the unique ambiance of the covered town market.

Really cool place to find all sorts of cutesy shops--cheese, fresh cookies (Bens'), meats, all sorts of stuff. Fun to hang out, shop, and window shop (no actual windows). Screams history out loud. Hours have been extended to Sunday but still has limited hours and closes rather early, even by Oxford standards.

This place is way too cute, and reminds me of a bit of Notting Hill in London, except, better because the place I'm thinking about in Notting Hill is a covered market of...antiques which isn't nearly as interesting at Covered Market! Seeing the reviews on Yelp, I thought this place would be outside..covered in tents of whatnot. As I walked down High Street, I saw this cute little opening...that said "Covered Market" so I went inside, and wow...this place is so cute and there's quite the amout of shops! I, of course, went in search of Ben's cookies..couldnt find that :( But did find pie meister?? which i would love to go to next time i return to Oxford, and then I found MOO MOO Milkshake!! Which was really my main destination, it's in the front actually, so you shouldn't miss it.

So many fresh foods from produce to meat to dairy, not to mention milkshakes, cookies, clothes, and a cake shop! As much as I love Sainsbury's, if I was looking for something truly special- I'd come here. Things were a bit pricier at times, but the eggs were cheaper and tastier. And I found a great fresh sausage at the butcher's to use in my spaghetti- I couldn't find one at Sainsbury's (or funny enough, in the pasta store in the covered market). When pumpkins are in season I just hop on over and pick up one or two to make pumpkin pie. and Moo Moo's is great, but I prefer Shaker's a couple blocks away. Does it make me a bad person? I think, "no".

What a hidden treasure off of the high street! I accidentally came upon this place when I was walking down the High Street and it started POURING - so I just ran into the first covered opening I could find. And to my surprise, I found the Covered Market. There are a bunch of vendors inside - ranging from fresh meats, veggies, fruits, bakeries, etc. I love getting my smoothies from Moo's. It's SOOO good! Definitely take a peak inside here if you are in Oxford!

There is something here for everyone. The goods were plentiful, the staff I spoke to were great. I bought a wool hat for the cold UK weather. Fresh food, nice clothes - even some free local advice!

Great indoor market for mainly food and some random other items. Pieminister and Ben's Cookies are definitely worth a visit (even though both of these are chains). Fasta Pasta gets a mention just for the name ;-) Chocology is a rather disappointing, chocolate-themed cafe and shop - the hot chocolate is average at best, and I'd recommend avoiding the coffee. The market is now open on Sundays, but is closed on Bank Holidays.

When I lived in Oxford this was on the list of places you would always take someone visiting to check out. It's a very old-style English market with traditional bakers, butchers and grocers. Unlike most stores of those kind, they don't charge you the earth, and the butcher in particular can actually be cheaper - and certainly better quality - than your local supermarket. But it's not all about food, there are also lovely little boutique shops, including one that specialises in quality knitted goods - if that's a category? I bought my grandmother an excellent cashmere scarf from here for a very reasonable price. There's even a specialist running shop and a decent barbers. If like me, you have a pretty poor sense of direction it is easy to get lost here!

This market SCREAMS "keep it clean for the tourists" esp. since it's in the posh city of Oxford. Comparing it to the one in Leeds, where I currently live, it's way cleaner and more pleasant to smell. really... ONLY 2 GREAT reasons to come to the Covered Market 1) Ben's Cookies (check out my review) 2) Moo Moo's Milk Shake MOOs shakes will send chills down that spine of yours, despite it being a cold treat. It was cold as hell when I was in Oxford, but I still managed to scarf down a whole milkshake with no hesitation. What's awesome is that they put REAL cakes and REAL portions into their milkshakes that makes it the perfect combination of a chocolate sponge cake, topped with nutella, that you would need a glass of milk to wash down.... think about it... or not. Just get one! the rest of the market... average.

The Covered Market is by far my favorite place in Oxford to browse. It stands as one of the most tranquil and enjoyable places to escape the busy noise of Cornmarket. Over my 4 years living in oxford I cannot say I have purchased much from the various stores inside but from the few I have, they always have great customer service. The facility is significantly clean and proper all the time and is always a place i recommends visitors to Oxford attend.

The first time I came here, walking around, looking at all the stalls and the various things on offer, what a delight. Friendly shopkeepers, great product and meats, clever personal goods, gifts for self and others, and so much more. Browns-fried bread-outrageous! Enjoy! And support small businesses!

This is my first time in Oxford and I was trully pleased to have found this place. They have loads of great stands...fruits, veggies, flowers, meats, cheeses, seafood, cookies ...well loads of stuff. I spent a couple of hours in there and I'll be going back some those lovely chocolates for my co-workers. This was a lovely find!

I like the covered markets, and I go here most weekends. I don't always buy things, but when I do it is usually because a deal is too good to resist! The butchers meat always looks so fresh and tempting, and the fruit and veg stalls are always fully stocked with competitive prices!

Great place to get out of the rain, have some breakfast, check out the local produce, get cookies at Bens, and lets not forget the wonderful Moo Moo's! I remember it closing early but it seems the whole town did anyways. There are bathrooms close by in there too which is always a good thing.

The Covered Market is a little gem in the midst of the chaos of the outside world. The shops include shoe stores, places to get scarves, and various eateries. So far I've gotten sandwiches from two different shops and both have been excellent. There is a cake shop where you can watch the cakes be decorated by the experts, various butcher shops where you can pick up fresh meat, bakeries, and Moos. There is always a line at Moos-- I have yet to try it, but I hear the shakes and smoothies are worth the wait. If you're a vegetarian or vegan, you might want to avoid the butcher section. I unfortunately witnessed a rabbit being skinned (dead), and half a pig hanging from a hook. I was really upset after seeing both, but I guess if you're going to eat meat, you should know where it comes from, not just imagine that it's meant to be neatly packaged at the grocery store. If you're in Oxford on vacation or as a student, the Covered Market is worth a visit. Grab a cheap lunch in a centuries-old market. Cool, indeed!

Wow! They have everything. If you're a tourist or just a local looking for a place to kill time, go here! There's so many little boutiques to walk in. It's hard not to spend your entire paycheck here. They have a coffee shop, milkshake place, bakery, etc. When we went to Oxford to visit family, we visited the covered market multiple times! :)

Great experience! A 'must-do' when you're in Oxford-- such a nice break from studying!

I would live at the Covered Market if I could. Moo's Moo's, Ben's ,and PIeminister (yes I'm aware this is a chain, but STILL. PIE. MUSHY MINT PEAS. WITH GRAVY. WIN. EPIC WIN.)= LOVE

This quaint, charming market has been in this location for over 200 years, with various shops offering coffee, food, fantastic bakery, excellent butcher, clothing, flowers, knick knacks, newspaper stand, etc. The unfortunate thing is some shops have already closed or fear imminent closure, as their leaflets proclaim, due to a drastic increase in rent rates. So make a point to stop in, support the merchants, and keep this gem opened.