George Street, Oxford

Shop changes in George Street, Oxford in 25 years

Between 1973 and 2008, every business in George Street changed its nature except for the New Theatre, the ABC/Odeon Cinema, the Grapes pub, and the Alliance Building Society/ Alliance & Leicester Bank.

Many were taken over by cafés and restaurants. In 1973 there were seven places to eat and drink, namely:

South side: Grapes pub, Golden Palace restaurant, Golden Egg café, Remzi’s restaurant
North side: Clarendon restaurant, Welsh Pony pub, Municipal restaurant

At the end of 2008 there were 21 places to eat and drink:

South side: Ask Café, Grapes pub, Copa restaurant, Peninsula restaurant, Gourmet Burger Kitchen, Mood cocktail bar, O’Neill’s Wine Bar, Brasserie Gérard, Four Candles, Rizzi Ristorante, Pizza Hut, Opium Den Café, Giraffe restaurant, Yo Sushi, and Nando’s
North side, Bella Italia, Jamie’s, Old Orleans, Old Fire Station Café Bar, Café 42, and Eurobar

For convenience, new businesses that have taken over George Street premises since 2008 have been added in the right-hand column.

George Street South Side: Cornmarket to Worcester Street
No.	1973	2008+	Currently (2022)
1 & 3 Top three floors	Hairdresser, Dentist, Dressmaker, Chiropodist; Status Taverns Interior Planning & Design	Oxford Centre for Islamic Studies + Dentists and Chiropodist & later Cherwell College	Vacant. The City Council had intended to demolish and redevelop Nos. 1–5 but has now shelved the plan
1 & 3	Alliance Building Society	Alliance & Leicester Bank Later briefly Solutions
5	Rose’s Fashion Centre Ltd	Ask Italian
7	*Vacant: The former Grapes Public House*
9, 11, & 13	John Perring Ltd, house furnishers	Copa Restaurant	Wig & Pen
15–19 First floor	Offices	Offices	George Street Hotel
15 & 17	Midland Bank Ltd (Regional Head Office)	Cheltenham & Gloucester Bank	*Vacant: was TSB Bank*
19		Wine Rack	Oxford Brunch Bar
19 basement		Wine Rack	Vacant: was Pod Games Zone
21	Wilson’s Costumiers	Toni & Guy, hairdressers
21–27 upstairs: Chester House	H. & A. Conway Ltd, Opticians	Washington International Studies Council with Reed Accounting in 2008 and now Oxford Study Abroad Programme and Ferguson Bricknell Solicitors
21–27 basement	Golden Palace Restaurant	Peninsula Restaurant then Koi Chinese Cuisine	The Under Shop
25	Andrews, Kent, & Stone, consulting engineers	Chelsea Building Society then The Pint Shop to 2019	Busaba Thai restaurant which gives wrong address of 27 & 29
27	Eveline Lambert, shoe dealer
29 & 31 Upstairs & basement: Midland House	Citizens’ Advice Bureau; Soldiers’, Sailors’ & Airmen’s Families Association; Home Help Service; Liverpool Victoria Friendly Society	Upstairs: Victoria House Hotel	George Oxford Hotel
29 & 31 Upstairs & basement: Midland House		Basement: Mood cocktail bar, later Rappongi Oxford then J.T.'s Cocktail Bar	*Cirkus Bar*
29 & 31	Golden Egg Café	Gourmet Burger Kitchen
33 & 35 Upstairs: Radiant House	Pearl Assurance Co Ltd Tote Investors Falkiner Nuttall & Partners Ltd, European marketing	H2O Venture Partners	Global Initiative
33	Melson Wingate Ltd, opticians	Caspian News
35	Melson Wingate Ltd, opticians	Vacant (then briefly Garden Images)	Byron Hamburgers
37	Southern Electricity	O’Neill’s Wine Bar (wrongly inscribed “No. 33”)
New Inn Hall Street
39	G. E. Thomas, hairdresser	Incorporated into Coffee Republic (later Java & Co ), facing New Inn Hall Street	George Street Social
Old Boys’ High School	College of Further Education	Faculty of History, University of Oxford
41 & 43	W. S. Surplus Supplies Ltd	Brasserie Gérard	Côte Brasserie
45	Jane’s Tuck shop, & Post Office
47	W. S. Surplus Supplies Ltd
49, 51, 53, 55, & 57	Joe Austin, florist	The Four Candles
George Street Place (formerly known as Brokenhayes) leading on the right to George Street Mews (by which name it is sometimes known). Now named as Bulwarks Lane, into which it leads
59	Oxford & Swindon Co-operative Society Ltd: Grocery, Butchery, & Furnishing	Zizzi Ristorante
61		Pizza Hut	Vacant
63 & 65		Jessop’s Photography	Banana Tree
67 & 69		Vacant: was Opium Den Café
59–69 upstairs	Oxford & Swindon Co-operative Society Ltd: head office	Oxford Business College
71	H. R. Beechey, confectioner Norman, ladies outfitter	Giraffe then Thali restaurant	Sinfully Good Food (was Glut)
73	Oliver & Son (Oxford) Ltd, printers	Yo! Sushi restaurant	Vacant
75 upstairs Hayes House	Speedwell Cleaning Co.	University of Oxford: Social Sciences Division offices (included Smith School of Enterprise and the Environment in 2008)
77	Oxford Council of Social Service	Nando’s
79	Remzi’s restaurant	Nando’s
George Street North Side: Magdalen Street to Worcester Street
2	Part of Elliston & Cavell Ltd. Upstairs: Oxford Aunts, Harrison Beaumont Insurance Brokers, Wesleyan & General Assurance Society	Part of the former Debenham's store
4	Henry F. Galpin and other solicitors	Mr Shoes	Black Sheep Coffee (formerly Ratio Café)
6	Lavelette Ltd, ladies’ fashions	Vacant (latterly Going Places Travel)	OxAm (Oxford Asset Management)
8	Pleasance & Harper, jewellers	Vacant (latterly ePlay)	Franco Manca Pizza
10 & 12	Harlequin Records	Vacant (latterly Internet Exchange)	Franco Manca Pizza
14 & 16	David Greig grocers Upstairs: Clarendon Restaurant	Bella Italia restaurant
Victoria Court
18 & 20	New Theatre	New Theatre
22	Town House gown shop	La Croissanterie	Chozen Noodle
24 & 26	Oxford Review newspaper	Jamie’s Italian restaurant	Vacant
24 & 26	Oxford Review newspaper	[Upstairs from 2012: Bocardo Hotel]
Gloucester Street
Threeways House:
28, 30, 32, & 34	Oxford & Swindon Co-operative Society Ltd: Radio, electrical, hardware, & jewellery departments, vision systems	Old Orleans restaurant and bar [Replaced by Fire & Stone in 2011]	Thaikhun restaurant
36–38	Charles Geddes (Oxford) Ltd, antique dealers	Vacant: was STA Travel
36–38 upstairs	Charles Geddes (Oxford) Ltd, antique dealers	Abacus College and TMD Surveyors	(1) Gleeds Property (2) TMD Surveyors (3) Maximus
St George’s Place
—	ABC Cinema	Odeon Cinema
40	Oxford Playhouse Company (Meadow Players) Ltd	Old Fire Station Arts Centre including Old Fire Station Café Bar
42	W. D. Huddart, watchmaker J. V. G. Couling, chiropodist	Café 42 [Replaced by Giranola in 2011]	Oxford Shop
44	Gardiner’s Opticians (Oxford) Ltd	Vacant: was Conway Optician
46	Westwoods Sound & Vision Systems Upstairs: Oxford Association of Boys’ Clubs	Vacant: was Conway Optician
48	Welsh Pony public house	Oxo Bar and Eurobar hotel
*Chain Alley*
50	City of Oxford Catering Department: Municipal Restaurant	Job Centre Plus

Oxford History: George Street

Shop changes in George Street, Oxford in 25 years

George Street South Side: Cornmarket to Worcester Street

George Street North Side: Magdalen Street to Worcester Street