A Sunday Drive and a Late Breakfast at Blake’s Kitchen, Clanfield

On Sunday mornings, there is something deeply comforting about pointing the car towards the Cotswolds without too much of a plan. The hedgerows are still bare at this time of year, the light sits low across the fields, and the villages feel suspended somewhere between television set and real life.

We didn't go farther than about 35 minutes outside of Oxford to find Bampton with its honeyed stone cottages, instantly recognisable thanks to its starring role in Downton Abbey. Visitors were already out with cameras, retracing familiar scenes. It felt cinematic, but also gently ordinary. From there, we carried on a few minutes down the road to Clanfield, in search of a late breakfast and strong coffee.

We had heard about Blake's Kitchen in passing. Busy, consistently good, popular with locals. On a Sunday late morning, that combination can either be reassuring or slightly alarming. In this case, it was both.

The narrow street was rather humming for village life. Pushchairs parked outside. Cyclists leaning their bikes against the wall. Walkers still in muddy boots. Everybody is muddy this time of year... Inside, every table was taken and the atmosphere had that pleasant, purposeful buzz that only a well-run café seems to achieve. No chaos, just steady movement and the hum of conversation.

Blake’s is casual and unfussy. Wooden tables, shelves lined with jars and a few deli staples, a counter tempting enough to derail even the most disciplined breakfast intentions. It is not trying to be metropolitan. It does not need to be. This is the kind of place that understands its setting and leans into it.

The menu sits comfortably in the breakfast and brunch camp. Think full English, eggs in various forms, smashed avocado, pancakes, filled sourdough sandwiches, cakes and pastries. It's the sort of thing that sounds familiar, but online reviews repeatedly praise the execution. Generous portions, well-sourced ingredients, and plates that feel considered rather than rushed.

We ordered coffees first, because: priorities. The flat whites were just ok and served without fuss. No overworked latte art, no unnecessary theatre. Decent enough coffee in a rural café is not always guaranteed.

For food, one of us went for the (generous) smashed avocado on sourdough with poached eggs. It can be a cliché, but it is also a reliable test. The sourdough had real structure, toasted enough to hold the topping without turning into a jaw workout. The avocado was seasoned well, with a hint of citrus cutting through the richness. The eggs were neatly poached, the whites set and the yolks spilling exactly as you hope they will. Simple, yes. But simplicity is only impressive when it is done properly.

Blake’s leans into its position as a local hub. There was a steady stream of takeaway coffees heading out the door. For visitors tracing filming locations in Bampton and beyond, it is an easy, welcoming stop. For locals, it clearly serves as something more regular and reliable.

It is worth noting that this is not a quiet, tucked-away brunch spot. It is busy, especially at weekends. If you are hoping for hushed refinement, you may want to arrive early. If you are happy with a lively, sociable atmosphere, it delivers exactly that.

In an area increasingly shaped by destination dining and curated country aesthetics, Blake’s feels grounded. It serves good food, well made, at sensible prices, in a room full of people who seem genuinely pleased to be there.

Our Sunday drive could easily have continued deeper into the Cotswolds. Instead, we lingered over the last of the coffee while fiddling on our phones. Sometimes the best stops are the unplanned ones. Blake’s Kitchen is exactly that sort of place.