Café and shops

Bodleian Café

Our café in the Weston Library serves a delicious selection of hot and cold drinks, as well as freshly-made soups, salads, sandwiches, hot dishes, cakes and pastries.

Grab a takeaway or stay and enjoy the beautiful atrium of Blackwell Hall or the views from our colonnade overlooking Broad Street. Friends of the Bodleian and students get 10% off.

Café opening hours

Monday – Friday: 9am – 4.45pm
Saturday: 10am – 4.30pm
Sunday: 11am – 3.30pm

Last orders are 15 minutes before closing.

Please note: the café is a laptop-free zone from 11am to 2pm.

Afternoon tea at the Bodleian

Enjoy a delicious traditional afternoon tea at the Bodleian Café. 

Choose from a variety of savoury delights, such as smoked salmon with cream cheese and Wiltshire ham with mustard, alongside indulgent sweets like matcha tea and strawberry Battenberg, classic carrot cake, and freshly baked scones with clotted cream and jam. These treats are served with a selection of fine teas or freshly brewed coffee – or add a glass of prosecco to your booking. A vegan menu is also available.

View the menu (PDF).

Available Monday – Saturday. 

Book afternoon tea

Tour and tea

We also offer afternoon tea in combination with a 60-minute library tour. Explore our beautiful and historic library spaces, then relax in the atrium of the Weston Library with a selection of sweet and savoury treats.

Available every Wednesday and Thursday.

Book Tour and Tea

  

Shops

We have two gift shops: the Zvi Meitar Bodleian Libraries Shop at the Weston Library, and the Old Schools Quadrangle Shop at the Old Library.

Browse exclusive gifts based on the Bodleian Libraries' collections, as well as sumptuous textiles, desk accessories and bespoke furnishings. For book-lovers, we have a handpicked range that includes catalogues for our exhibitions and beautifully illustrated titles produced by our award-winning publishers, Bodleian Library Publishing. We are an official stockist of University of Oxford merchandise, including clothing and backpacks.

Friends of the Bodleian enjoy a 10% discount on all purchases at our shops, both in-person and online. Find out more about joining the Friends.

Zvi Meitar Bodleian Libraries Shop

This gift shop is in the Weston Library. You can enter it from Blackwell Hall or via the entrance on Broad Street.

Opening hours
Monday – Friday: 9am–5pm
Saturday: 10am–5pm
Sunday: 11am–4pm

 Find on Google Maps

Old Schools Quadrangle Shop

This gift shop is in the courtyard in the centre of the Old Library. It's accessible via Catte Street, using the Great Gate.

Opening hours
Monday – Friday: 9am–5pm
Saturday: 10am–5pm
Sunday: 11am–4pm

 Find on Google Maps

 

Shop online

Discover the Bodleian shop online

What we’re doing to improve our sustainability

 

  • Removing plastic packaging and finishes from our own-brand products
  • Using recyclable and FSC approved card stocks for own brand products, including all of our wholesale lines
  • Recycling library waste material as packaging for our online store
  • Using electric vans for local deliveries in Oxford
  • Reviewing our suppliers to make sure they are ethical and sustainable

 

  • Encouraging you to use reusable cups by offering a 50p discount on drinks to customers who do
  • Measuring and recording our food waste through our award-winning programme, Food Waste Costing the Earth. We have an overall goal for food waste to be less than 3% of our purchases by the end of 2025
  • Promoting sustainable food by displaying carbon counts on our bakery items and offering vegan and vegetarian food. We want to reduce animal protein in our range by 30% by 2030

Your visit

Shop online