The Phoenix is one of those cinemas that makes you want to see films you'd never have chosen otherwise. Tucked into Jericho, Oxford's most walkable neighbourhood, it pairs genuinely interesting programming with a rooftop bar that feels like a well-kept secret. If you're heading into Oxford for the day, check what's showing.
The Phoenix has been part of Oxford's cultural life since 1913, and it wears that history lightly. The programme is a careful mix: new independent releases, restored classics, the odd quality mainstream film that rewards a big screen. It's the kind of place where you might catch a Varda retrospective one week and a sold-out preview the next, with a Q&A afterwards that actually feels worth staying for. The building itself sits on Walton Street in Jericho, surrounded by good bookshops, cafes and the sort of independent places that make this part of Oxford such a pleasure to wander.
What sets the Phoenix apart, beyond the programming, is the rooftop bar. After a film (or before, if you arrive early) you can take your drink up to the terrace and look out over the rooftops of Jericho. It's a lovely thing on a summer evening, and surprisingly pleasant even in cooler months. The whole experience feels personal and unhurried, a world away from multiplexes. Oxford is about forty minutes from Well Cottage, so a film at the Phoenix fits naturally into a day spent exploring the city's colleges, markets and museums.
“We always check the Phoenix listings before heading into Oxford. The rooftop bar alone is worth the trip, but it's the programming that keeps us coming back.”
All of this on the doorstep, and your own thatched cottage to come home to. Sleeps seven, less than a mile from Soho Farmhouse.