It was a bit frantic on a busy Saturday night when the tables were squeezed close together but there can be few more inspiring places to linger over The Observer on a Sunday morning than at a window table overlooking All Souls. Oxford has a youthful buzz that defies the snobbery and champagne image of the setting for Brideshead Revisited. There is some excellent shopping beyond the book-shops. But you must follow the splendid walking tour in the hotel's own booklet. The Old Bank is busy enough not to have to offer weekend rates.
Breakfast is extra.