Caffè Nero

Arguably the best café in Headington.
Very spacious, so even when it’s completely full you can still move around easily, it doesn’t feel horribly loud, and has a pleasant atmosphere.
Its layout is such that each place to sit feels private and comfortable. There is a variety of different kinds of seating, from the long table-​desks, to squishy couches, to comfortable armchairs by the window, to the more traditional two-​seats-​flanking-​little-​round-​tables.
Two of its four walls are massive windows to the outside, so it feels like you’re in this warm glass box. Very nice for watching the world go by outside, and it’s well-​lit while still feeling cosy. They also add to the spacious, un-​claustrophobic feel.
Unlike in other cafes in Headington, you’re unlikely to be bumped as someone passes by to get to their seat. Much like the use of whitespace to make for easier reading, Caffè Nero uses empty space to make it more comfortable; they don’t fill every square foot with tables (I’m looking at you, La Croissanterie Café).
The food is very nice — far better than the bland stuff Starbucks has.
The food is also a lot more protected, which may interest germophobes.
They have half a dozen different flavour shots, which they don’t advertise much. They will also happily accommodate special requests, like extra sprinkles (so many sprinkles. it was great), doing a seasonal drink that’s out of season, adding shots, white chocolate mocca without the espresso shot (surprisingly delicious, by the way).
… So they’ve got you covered for variety!
Staff are friendly, hard-​working and polite. They look open and interested, rather than bored and irritated. They don’t bother you (and they apologise for interrupting if they need to in order to do their job), but they won’t be closed to friendly chat if you initiate — perfect for introverts and extroverts alike. When they say it’s closing time, they’re nice about it. It feels like they care about your experience, without being intrusive.
This space has changed hands so many times in the past 10 years (all various corner shops). I really hope Caffè Nero is here to stay.