Inside Oxford’s new Good Habit cafe selling £9 focaccia

Key Points

• Blackfriars Priory has opened Good Habit, a new cafe at 33 St Giles in Oxford.
• The cafe is opposite St Giles’ Church and is run by Dominican friars.
• The former bank unit has been transformed into a stylish cafe and events space.
• Customers can watch food being prepared in the open kitchen.
• The menu includes a £9 vegetarian focaccia sandwich with sweet potato, squash and feta.
• Good Habit presents itself as a venue for “coffee and bakery”.
• The cafe is intended to host community, public and Blackfriars Hall events in the evening.
• Planning permission for the project was secured earlier in 2026.
• Focaccia is an oven-baked Italian bread with origins commonly associated with the Etruscans or Ancient Greece.

A new cafe run by Dominican friars has opened in Oxford, offering customers a first look at its modern interior, open kitchen and £9 vegetarian focaccia sandwich. Good Habit is located at 33 St Giles, opposite St Giles’ Church, where the former bank unit has been converted into a cafe and events space, according to the Oxford Mail’s report.

What is Good Habit cafe in Oxford?

Good Habit is the new cafe opened by Blackfriars Priory on St Giles in Oxford. The Oxford Mail reported that the venue is now attracting customers after opening its doors in the prominent city-centre location.

The cafe is operated by the Dominican friars of Blackfriars Priory. Its arrival follows planning permission secured by the Roman Catholic religious order earlier in 2026, allowing work on the former bank premises to proceed.

The Oxford Mail described the interior as tastefully decorated, with modern artwork adding to the appearance of the space. An open kitchen means customers can see dishes being prepared, making food production part of the cafe experience.

Where is Good Habit cafe located?

Good Habit is at 33 St Giles, Oxford, opposite St Giles’ Church. The Oxford Mail reported that the premises operated as a bank until 2018 before being transformed into the new cafe and events venue.

The location places the business in a well-known part of Oxford associated with shops, restaurants, historic buildings and nearby academic institutions. The cafe is being presented as a place for everyday visitors as well as people connected with Blackfriars Priory and Blackfriars Hall.

What food does Good Habit serve?

The Oxford Mail reported that food on offer includes a vegetarian focaccia sandwich priced at £9. The sandwich features sweet potato, squash and feta.

The menu item combines roasted vegetables with feta in oven-baked Italian bread. The reported price is central to the cafe’s launch coverage and forms part of the first glimpse of the food being offered at the new venue.

What is focaccia?

Focaccia is an oven-baked Italian bread. The Oxford Mail reported that most historians believe the bread dates back either to the Etruscans of north-central Italy, before the formation of the Roman Empire, or to Ancient Greece.

Focaccia is typically made from a dough containing flour, water, yeast, salt and olive oil. Its flat shape makes it suitable for filled sandwiches, including the vegetarian option reported at Good Habit.

How has the former bank been transformed?

The unit at 33 St Giles was a bank until 2018, according to the Oxford Mail. It has since been converted into what the paper described as a stylish cafe and events space.

Modern artwork forms part of the decoration, while the open kitchen provides a clear view of food preparation. The design is intended to support the cafe’s identity as a welcoming public venue rather than simply a takeaway outlet.

Good Habit bills itself as a place for “coffee and bakery”, according to the Oxford Mail. That description reflects its daytime purpose and its focus on food and drink served in a newly redesigned setting.

Who is behind the Oxford cafe?

Good Habit has been opened by Blackfriars Priory, the Oxford base of the Dominican friars. The project was developed as part of a wider plan for activity at the site, combining retail, hospitality and events.

Fr John O’Connor, Regent of Blackfriars Priory, discussed the project during the summer before the cafe opened. As reported by the Oxford Mail, he said: “At long last we have planning permission, we have the workers on site, and things are moving really quickly with a view to an opening during the summer.”

Fr O’Connor also described the planned cafe as “a great project”. He said, as reported by the Oxford Mail: “It’s going to be a retail cafe during the day, buzzing with lots of activity, and then in the evening there’ll be opportunities for Blackfriars Hall events, events for the community, and also events for the wider public as well, in what I think is a wonderful part of Oxford that is buzzing in so many different ways.”

What events will take place at Good Habit?

The cafe is intended to operate as a daytime retail venue and an evening events space. Fr O’Connor said the premises would provide opportunities for Blackfriars Hall events, community events and activities for the wider public, according to the Oxford Mail.

The planned mix gives the venue a role beyond food and drink. During the day, customers can use it as a cafe, while the evening programme is expected to connect the premises with Blackfriars’ existing educational, religious and public activities.

What did the cafe manager say?

Rich Sewell, manager of Good Habit, said he was looking forward to the opening. His comments were made before the cafe began trading and were reported by the Oxford Mail.

“I’m really looking forward to opening Good Habit,” Rich Sewell said, as reported by the Oxford Mail.

Sewell added that he had been working with Blackfriars for the previous couple of years and was pleased to see the project developing. As reported by the Oxford Mail, he said: “I’ve been working with Blackfriars now for the last couple of years and it’s really great to see how this project has been developing.”

He also said the venue would offer a space for different groups. “I’m looking forward to bringing this to Oxford, it’ll be a great cafe and a great space for everybody – the public and for Blackfriars students to enjoy,” Sewell said, according to the Oxford Mail.

Why has Good Habit opened in St Giles?

The cafe forms part of Blackfriars Priory’s efforts to bring additional activity to its St Giles site. Fr O’Connor said the area was “wonderful” and “buzzing in so many different ways”, according to the Oxford Mail.

The choice of a former bank unit also provided an opportunity to create a venue with both a commercial and community function. The finished premises now combine a cafe, open kitchen, artwork and space intended for events.

What can customers expect from the new venue?

Customers visiting Good Habit can expect a cafe centred on coffee, bakery items and daytime food, including the reported £9 focaccia sandwich filled with sweet potato, squash and feta. The interior includes modern artwork, and the open kitchen allows visitors to see dishes being made.

The venue’s longer-term purpose is broader than its menu. Blackfriars Priory says the space is intended to support activity during the day and events in the evening, with provision for Blackfriars Hall, community groups and members of the public.