The News Cafe 1 Ship Street, Oxford Apart from the racks of newspapers and monochrome photos of yet more newsprint, there's little inside this venue to indicate what prompted this caff's owners to pick the name.

It looks snug enough when viewed from the road, especially when the wind is gusting and you're looking for a haven in which to escape the crowds in nearby Cornmarket Street.

Unfortunately, the News Cafe isn't a particularly great place to do so. It's certainly warm and bright, but the place is a little prim for genuine comfort, and usually crowded.

I hazarded a visit on Saturday afternoon, managing to squeeze into a seat in a corner. The service was brisk - within two or three minutes of requesting a pot of tea and a bowl of soup, it had been brought to my table. The soup of the day was parsnip, and proved excellent: thick as yogurt and quite peppery. However, at £3.90, including a few slices of baguette, it ought to have been. Prices for the main meals were not exactly bargain-basement - steak, chips and tomatoes would have set me back a tenner, for instance.

The pot of leaf tea I'd chosen was Assam (£1.90), which arrived with a Middle Eastern-style glass cup. While it was fortifying, I regretted not having ordered the cream tea (two fruit scones, jam, cream and a pot of tea) for the same price as the soup and bread.

As I was sipping my cuppa, I was asked if I wanted to order anything else - giving the impression this is a place that thrives on a high customer turnover.

STYLE: More departure lounge than lounge lizard ALCOHOLIC DRINKS: Bottled beer and wine MUSIC: None when I visited VERDICT: I'd prefer to while away the hours elsewhere, if it's all the same to you