What's Cooking in South Oxfordshire

We went here for breakfast on Sat 12 Oct 24. There's not a lot of seating but we did get seat quickly, the breakfast was delicious lovely in every detail no complaints at all. We were on our way to Brighton and this was an overnight journey breaking stay hence to say next time we go to Brighton we will be calling here again no question.

We dropped into Thame on our way home from an appointment at Nuffield Hospital in Oxford. Wanting something nourishing and nurturing, this totally fitted the bill! We had dairy, soy and egg intolerances to deal with and there was plenty of delicious choice. We ended up with salmon and a beetroot filo pie with a selection of beautiful, fresh salads, the felt "Ottolenghi inspired". No, it's not "cheap" but we are totally willing to pay extra to support an independent business with such a great ethos. Our waiter was an absolute star - didn't get his name but he should do voice overs (as well!) with a voice like that! We took home chocolate cake, cookies and scotch eggs to enjoy with family for supper. Can't praise this highly enough. From our experience, this place deserves 10 stars! We'll be back! Keep up the great work. Thank you xxx Sorry... failed with photos... we were too busy enjoying everything.

What an outstanding place this is. Lovely friendly staff who know their stuff and the food is absolutely amazing. We are staying in time for a few days and have eaten there twice. This week special of wild asparagus and poached egg on sound out with pesto was one of the nicest things I’ve ever eaten. Even the scrambled eggs on toast are exceptionally good. We will be back very soon.

Lovely little cafe, occasionally come for a drink and a small breakfast, very friendly staff and lovely food! A little gem in a busy town.

We found this deli by chance as we stopped in Thame, it all looked so good, very difficult to choose, but to take away I had lemon salmon fillet truffle pasta and kale, samphire & walnut salad, I can honestly say it was on of the best things I've ever eaten! Hubby went for the salmon quiche which he equally loved. The quality shone out.. The cakes all looked incredible & can vouch for the Tiffin being delicious.

We were looking for a caterer for our wedding & stumbled across What's Cooking Thame Anwen & Sally we’re so helpful and we managed to put together a menu for 65 that catered for everyone All our guests complimented the food, which was beautifully cooked & presented Thank you so much to everyone at What’s Cooking you did an amazing job

What a lovely café, in a great location, just at the top of the High Street. We managed to grab one of the few tables outside on a beautiful Saturday morning in May. The staff were friendly, and the service was great. I went with my husband and our son (who lives locally and has eaten here before). I was torn for choice between some salad, which looked incredible, with maybe one of the amazing looking pies in the window. Instead, my son and I enjoyed the Eggs Benedict (our son also opting for a side of chorizo, which he said was delicious), my husband had the full English. All the food arrived hot and was very tasty. My husband particularly liked the baked beans and the brown sauce. We meant to head back and pick up a bottle of sauce and some pies to take home once we’d finished looking around, but completely forgot. This was our first visit to Thame and we will certainly be heading back, and hopefully remember to pick up the bottle of brown sauce, and a pie or three!

I took my father in law in today for a quick lunch. I recommended the steak sandwich as I have had it before. We both decided on this and they didn’t disappoint. These sandwiches are out of this world and it it always a difficult choice between this and the brioche breakfast roll. Coffee was excellent and we left with a box of coffee beans, the same as the coffee they serve. Staff are friendly, knowledgeable and efficient. I can’t recommend What’s Cooking Thame highly enough. A wonderful place to go if you live here or are just passing through. Honestly, you won’t be disappointed.

The cutest, loveliest little cafe with amazing food and customer service! My boyfriend and I had a gorgeous lunch including their special Dahl. Lovely staff and sweet treats too. X

We stopped for a quick lunch - the coffee, brunch brioche bun and Carrot cake were excellent. It was quite busy so we sat outside in the sunshine. The staff were friendly too. Recommended!

This was our visit to Thame and we popped into this cafe because of its prominent location in the centre of town. The quality of the food and drinks is very good but this reflected in the prices. My wife and I shared the potato and leek soup and a steak sandwich which we both thoroughly enjoyed. The only criticism I have is that food could have been slightly warmer than it was.

I would recommend What’s Cooking, we arrived with no booking on Saturday and they were really accommodating and managed to fit us in. Food and service was excellent

Stopped for coffee/tea - Soup and Egg /Avocado on toast - excellent all round the soup I had was excellent - would definitely go there again

Stopping off in Thame we found this cafe by chance. Very friendly, efficient service. Delicious cakes and we were not rushed at all. Food on other tables looked good too. Would definitely go again if we were in the area.

Lovely stop of in Thame, very warm welcome, happy staff, great choice with simply delicious salads. Congratulations!!

Great coffee and nice staff. We stop here when out on our bikes if we are travelling Thame way. The owner is polite and they do amazing Portuguese custard tarts

Sunday breakfast with five others - Had a great experience here both with the food and service (what a lovely bunch of people). Food was exceptional and would recommend Whats Cooking whole heatedly.

We had the best breakfast I've had in about four years. Genuinely outstanding. Top notch service as well.

I called in to have a coffe and "something" while I waited for my wife who had an appointment in Thame. After two hours with a book and a sumptious lunch I was called away just before I could sample a slice of cake and...

Fantastic food and great service. It’s difficult to pick what’s best as everything you order is always super ‘tasty’! The standards are consistently very high.

Excellent coffee in this small cafe, conveniently located in the centre of town. Attentive accommodating staff too.

Visited mid week for lunch, limited but interesting menu, we ate a beautiful filo pastry pie and tart with v tasty mixed salads, only negative is that it is a stark and glum room to eat in. I would recommend and will revisit but maybe...

What's Cooking provided a range of tasty salads and platters for our family party for my 70th birthday party in our garden. The food, service and helpfulness of staff could not have been better. The salads were so imaginative and the platters were attractive and...

EVERYTIME we come for lunch, it have a lovely lunch. Top quality food. Your salads are beautiful. Don't ever change 😊

A great selection of delicious lunch dishes, cakes and treats. Best coffee I've had in ages. Helpful, friendly staff.

The food here is excellent. It really is. Across the board The day we were there, the staff were having a shocker. Just one of those days. And they never stopped smiling. They listened to our complaint and cared. They really care about this place...

I have so been looking forward to writing this review. We drove through and stopped in Thame on our way to Stratford-Upon-Avon to quickly grab a bite to eat and happened to park opposite this place. Ran in and quickly grabbed a lemon drizzle cake...

This place is a real gem. Delicious vegetarian breakfast. Freshly squeezed orange juice. Gluten free options. Excellent service.

If I had seen price before ordering I would never have ordered. Absolute rip off price for an average pot of tea.

Been here once before, and that experience was very similar to this. Wonderful staff and delicious food. The coffee....oat flat white...possibly the best in the world. The food was exquisite - again!

Great food for small coffee bar. All food made on premises, all nicely presented. Excellent for light snacks and cakes and pastries

Following 11 weeks in lockdown it was wonderful to see that What’s Cooking has reopened for take away meals, cakes and coffee. I really hope people support this fantastic cafe in these difficult times. Bought a couple of meals, a lemon drizzle cake, some brownies...

Open with social distancing, but now offering the same quality coffee as it was before. Also cakes and other snacks. Good news

This is a great cafe in Thame that serves wonderful food to eat in or takeaway. I have been spurred on to write this review because I had the most stupendous lemon cake yesterday. Generously proportioned the taste was marvellous. I loved it.

Went with a friend on 2 occasions. Fantastic breakfast options and the coffee is amazing! Friendly staff. Had great take away lunch options as well so took a box of salad away! Would def go again.

You know those sort of places you don't want to review as everyone will know how good they are and you won't get a table anymore? This is one of those! Delicious and unusual food, exceptional coffee, friendly and attentive staff. My favourite place to have breakfast, hands down. The chorizo and egg dish with coconut bread is to die for! It's a bit pricey but you get what you pay for. Only slight negative is it's too small to have high chairs/ buggies indoors, but the staff do try and help accommodate you and on a nice day there is seating outside with lots of space.

Although this is a small cafe I would always recommend it if someone were to be going for breakfast or lunch in Thame. Great simple food.

The best coffee in Thame and has a great menu with plenty of variety. Service is friendly and quick.

I was in Thame meeting a friend and we came here for lunch. I chose soup of the day, mushroom with truffle oil and chives, served with sourdough bread. The soup was delicious and hot and the bread complemented the dish well. My friend had a bacon brioche roll which also looked very tasty. The quality of the food is excellent. We shared a generous slice of lemon cake afterwards, with a lovely cup of coffee. The cafe has a lovely atmosphere, it's small and cosy. Very clean toilets too! Would highly recommend this establishment if visiting Thame, you won't be disappointed.

One of the best brunches had in a very long time. The entire menu looked delicious and the food didn’t disappoint. Although we didn’t try, the fresh salads and deli/cakes out the front also looked v good. Nice place - small but this didn’t matter - and friendly staff. Coffee was good. The only reason why this didn’t get 5* was that we felt it was slightly on the expensive side, but nevertheless will return if we’re in the area.

Went for brunch with a friend, the place is tiny, very cramped and felt like we were eating with the people next to us as the tables are literally together! The coffee was ok, rather plain. The food tasted okay, most probably all frozen due to the taste and quality. I don't believe that this place is as real or authentic as they advertise.

If you're looking for a small, friendly cafe that has a fantastic twist on a breakfast menu as well as superb cakes to go, this is the place! The coffee is outstanding too. Will definitely be going back for more!

This is a pleasant establishment with good service and a nice ambience. The staff were on the ball and the coffee was great served with a decent pastry. Prices were ok. I sat outside as the nearby road was not too busy.

Just attended an event held in The Lodge, College Farm, at Long Crendon, which was catered for by What’s Cooking and it was really super. The food quality and quantity was excellent and the catering staff supplied were helpful, friendly and efficient. Certainly can recommend them!

Stopped for quick solo lunch - absolutely divine!! Had the baked eggs with avocado and tomato sauce and sourdough toast plus a watermelon juice to drink. Not often I'm scraping every ast vestige off the bowl because it's sO yummy! £12 all in and worth it. Wish I lived in Thame!

We visited what’s cooking following a good review we had heard from my partners father. We arrived and sat inside and was very intrigued by the amount of choice available on the menu. I had the mushrooms and poached eggs on toast with bubble and squeak and bacon, my partner had beans and poached eggs on toast. The food was delicious, a very generous serving of bacon and perfectly cooked poached eggs. I ordered a black americano and was very happy with the coffee, tasted as coffee should. Before leaving we took home a vegan sausage roll along with a slice of banana loaf, apple and maple cake and a slice of peach and pistachio cake. The banana loaf was lovely and the apple and maple cake was also delicious. The only downside was the pistachio and peach cake was quite bland and I didn’t pick up either of the flavours. The vegan sausage roll was not more of a vegetable pastry than a sausage roll substitute but none the less, it tasted nice. Would definitely come back on a Friday/Saturday to try the eggs benedict!

Stopped in here for breakfast whilst staying nearby. What a fabulous place! Staff couldn’t have been friendlier, the coffee was incredible and the menu had something for everyone. For me, huevos rancheros. Delicious. One, not to miss!

Everything looked amazing. We can in for brunch which was perfect - fabulous poached eggs. The deli counter also looked appetising. The kids had chocolate brownies and said that they were the best ever. The waiting staff were very friendly and helpful and service was quick

Wow! Best coffee in Thame, really interesting quirky menu which has never failed to please. Posh cheese of toast is always a winner and your most recent special of huevos rancheros was incredible.

Open a cafe in an affluent town. Good food, nicely presented and a selection of tasty salads plus all the usual food choices you'd expect. We enjoyed a Saturday lunch sitting in the window seats looking out over a busy Thame high street.

Dropped in to meet and old work friend, nice place, good menu choice with a variety of pricing and types of food. Definitely different when compared to other bistro/ coffee shops/ cafe's in Thame with respect to the menu. Cakes are very good ! Staff happy, friendly, and efficient. Can be very busy and is a little cramped when full. Will be going back.

As well as the lovely selection of homemade delicatessen food they have some wonderful artisan coffee , arguably the best in Thame . Accopanied by delicious homemade delicacies this is a great place to stop for a morning coffee ( probably other occasions too ) . Service is pleasant friendly and efficient. . There isn’t much space but if there’s a table free its my coffee venue of choice in Thame

Looked for breakfast early one morning and came across this little coffee shop cafe. Looks very nice from the outside and doesnt disappoint on the inside.

A true little gem of a coffee shop! The large windows make the shop light and a very nice place to sit. We had coffee, several Pastel de Nata, bacon brioche roll and buttermilk pancakes - all of which were absolutely delicious (especially the pancakes!). I can't wait to go back and try more of the menu!

As well as running the lovely cafe in Thame town centre What's Cooking provide an event catering service which we have used on several occasions in recent years - just now for a wedding garden party for a large number of friends and family. We can not speak highly enough of the service provided by Anwen Russell and her team. Anwen was enormously helpful in planning and thinking through the catering and organisation of the event in advance and in making sure that everything would work out on the day. For the party itself the food was delicious and the service impeccable with every member of the team hardworking, cheerful, thoughtful and courteous. Highly recommended.

Stopped for quick bite on our lunch break and it was amazing - fresh ingrediants made to order lovely staff and speedy service definetly recommend pancakes and posh cheese on toast! Will return without a doubt

We stopped in for a bite to eat at lunchtime and found the staff were very friendly and polite and helpful. The food was lovely and at a very fair price, we will definitely return in the future. We would recommend this place to all our friends and family. The place is every clean light and airy.

Called in when passing through Thame for a quick lunch stop. We really enjoyed the eggs Benedict on Sour Dough special followed by a shared slice of Lemon Drizzle. A relatively small seating area but friendly and efficient service. Ps the coffee was good as well.

A friend and I, on a short visit to Thame, had a fantastic quick lunch here. The staff were lovely - friendly and welcoming - the service was quick and efficient and the food delicious and beautifully served. We both visited the toilet before leaving and what a treat (if you can say that about a toilet visit!). It was spotlessly clean, modern and up to date. No air drier or paper towels. Instead, individual face- cloth towels, neatly rolled and stacked, with an hygienic holder for used ones. One of the very best places we have ever eaten lunch.

Twist of something different. Amazing options for a none traditional fry up. Sausage patties anyone. Truly delicious Can't wait to go ahead. A must for Thame residents

Stopped off for coffee - bit of a wait but I wasn't in a hurry. The food on display looked delicious. The café was busy but at least 4 staff members. I noted one male employee serve up food from window display either onto plates or as takeaways, then take the money and continue serving other customers. Not once did I see him wash his hands or wear gloves when handling food or equipment or money in between customers, he touched his face lots, put his hands in his pockets. I am sure the food is great but I am afraid the lack of hand hygiene put me off.

Stopped in for some brunch with the family. Had avacodo on toast with poached egg and bacon. Very happy with the food and the service will defiantly be going back.

I called this review 'Lifesaver' because that's how it feels lik when eating in What's Cooking as I'm gluten intolerant! Before we discovered the place I had a hard time finding something I wanted to eat @ lunchtime in Thame at a reasonable price. At What's Cooking, which is also a delicatessen, there's so much to choose from and not a baked potato in sight!!

Service was impeccable, everyone was amazingly friendly and produced service with a smile. Drinks to go were lovely but we felt out take away snacks were lacking something. Would use again for drinks without a doubt. Migjt give something else a go again but wouldn't be too fussed if i skipped the option.

Visited here in mid April 2018 for afternoon tea and cake. Delicious leaf tea, Assam, brand name Ming I think, which was really flavoursome and quite unlike the usual teabag tea that has no flavour which usually gets served up. The lemon polenta cake was so divine I regretted my offer to share a single generously cut slice with my companion; it was so moreish!!

I had 45 minutes to spare whilst in Thame and decided to try out this little Cafe for a quick breakfast. The cafe is small with just a few tables inside (about 8?) I noticed there were a couple more outside but they did not appeal as it was a little cold.

Fancy breakfast/brunch food here and lovely soups and coconut bread if gluten-free (£1 extra instead of sour dough). Rather on the expensive side though for what you're actually getting, which stops me from going more regularly. Snug small seating area, very closely seated, but there is the option to also sit outside at the front on the pavement. Friendly service.

This was such a lovely lunch- we opted for the Sri Lankan egg curry with coconut bread (mmm!) followed by damson & sloe gin ice cream. Lovely coffees, posh sparkling drinks, this was a really 'different' meal from usual tea shop fare, recommended.

This quirky little place serves up great Coffee and amazing healthy breakfasts and lunches...a great addition to Thame!

I visited What’s Cooking for the first time on the 11th of November for brunch and had a very pleasant experience.

Been meaning to try this place out for months, & it turned out today was the day........

I like to think that I am fairly well versed in the current resurgence of brunch and can say that I have had smashed avocados and various bagels in the best of places but What's Cooking is truly my favorite!

Excellent cafe with wonderful staff, drink, food and atmosphere. We will return. Convenient location to drop in for an excellent coffee or travel from a little further afield for some delightful food.

Stopped in for a quick coffee while in Thame on Saturday. Big mistake! Waited 10 mins for someone to take our order despite the "please take a seat and we'll take your order at the table" signs. In the end we gave up and went to the counter. Waited another 15 mins for the coffee to come - if we hadn't been asked to pay when we ordered we would have left and gone somewhere else and that would have been preferable all round because when the coffee eventually came it tasted dreadful. Skinny cappuccino had been made with full fat milk but apparently no coffee at all and the black americano was scolding hot again with no discernible taste of coffee. We had been keen to stop here because it boasts the local UE brand which is usually great but clearly the barista knows nothing about coffee. My advice go somewhere/anywhere else instead - even Costa would be better than this.

Lovely little deli/cafe in the heart of beautiful Thame. Never fails to please with amazing Ottolenghi style salads to eat in or take out, delicious lunches and breakfasts and scrumptious cakes. Lovely friendly staff also serving fab teas and great coffees.

In Thame for wedding. Had a terrific breakfast here before heading to ceremony. All four meals hit the button. Great service and value. Sourdough was excellent. Highly recommended.

We were advised to go to 'What's cooking' as we planned to enjoy the sun and eat outside yesterday before leaving Thame.

Went for a birthday lunch here. Lovely lovely lovely! Had eggs Benedit on gluten free coconut bread! Hubby had a fabulous egg curry. The cakes are also amazing. So good to go somewhere with choice for gluten free.

This is where you go if you want delicious, fresh food that's bursting with flavours. Very reasonably priced too.

Really great Deli with small seating area. Top quality coffee and brunch. I go there one lunchtime a week.

Popped in with family, acting once again on Tripadvisor data! A small but welcoming cafe with very pleasant service, excellent coffees (which even got a compliment from one of our continental visitors) and some well-presented quality brunch options. All in all, a really enjoyable short visit. To remember when in the area next time!

The location of this cafe is in a prime location on the High Street in Thame.

I went with a group of colleagues and we had items from the all-day brunch/breakfast menu. I went for the Eggs Benedict and was glad to see the option of coconut bread on the menu for those to want to avoid gluten. However it may have been a nice touch to make it complementary not charge £1 more?

Visited because of recommendations here, and having had lousy coffee elsewhere. What's Cooking was fab, excellent coffee, lovely deli stuff and bread, and the breakfasty/brunch dishes looked very very good - will go for longer next time.

This is a deli combined with a coffee shop. We popped in for coffee and a cake and were delighted to find excellent service. The coffee and cake were extremely good. The seating area is very cramped and some tables have stools rather than chairs but as we were not staying too long it was not a problem although it would have been had the place been full.

This is a fabulous place to eat, the quality of the food is excellent. The breakfasts are really healthy, beautifully cooked + very reasonably priced as is all the food. The cafe is very simply and stylishly furnished, the only problem is it's quite small, feel sure the place would easily be full if it was at least twice the size. The staff are very good, friendly + efficient and it always has a lovely daily selection of delicious cakes - for us it's quite simply the best cafe in Thame. The loo is excellent too, so many cafes fall down in this area but not this place!

Lovely cafe at the side of the deli, great place for breakfast, does all the basics really well (scrambled eggs are soft and sublime) as well as some more unusual options for a tasty change.

We popped in 'What's Cooking' for a late breakfast. It is a deli with some dining tables at the back. They are a bit squashed in but it's none the worse for that.

That's all I need to say - far superior than anywhere else in Thame - needs to expand to get more customers in as the food is amazing well done

Pleasant place to have breakfast and morning coffee in Thame. I have very much enjoyed two or three visits here. The food is very fresh and healthy and good for those trying to keep the calories down. Great coffee, In the interests of making a good place even better, I would just make a few comments (-; The one unpleasant surprise was having VAT added to the prices at the till. This is unusual in restaurants in this country and so comes as a bit of a shock. Also, the menu is a little heavy on eggs and avocado. A more varied selection would be welcome. Last but not least, one day I went in to have lunch - and there wasn't very much left to choose from. The soup of the day wasn't mentioned on a blackboard anywhere - it was only because I spotted a soup tureen in the window display and asked about it, that I managed to get soup.

Just stopped for a coffee and could not resist breakfast, great friendly service excellent coffee and a super tastie breakfast roll...I'll be back

Inspired to review this little gem of a cafe after a recent experience at another cafe/eatery in Thame which was pretty poor....made me realise how lucky we are to have this cafe and caterer in Thame. The staff are all lovely and kind and helpful....Max is a legend!!! The food is always fantastic and the coffee is delicious. Easily the best cafe in Thame by a country mile. Quality not quantity.

The food here is exceptional and very interesting with various specials of the day making the menu exciting.

Chanced on this little deli, having arrived in Thame at 3pm after missing lunch. The most refined all-day breakfast brioche ever encountered, quite delicious, and served with excellent Assam tea (free refills). A gem of a find

Although it's small it's perfect! You may have to wait to get a seat but I think that speaks volumes for the food! Food is ALWAYS fresh and delicious! Yes it is slightly pricey but I don't mind at all as you get what you pay for!

This place has a small seating area at the back. It is really a caterer selling really nice "posh food" for parties or takeaway. We once used it for a party and the guests were very complimentary about the food. But I highly recommend the cafe if you just want a great cup of decent coffee in an independent shop.

My new favourite brunch spot in Thame, had a shakshuka which was delicious. Very friendly and attentive staff, will return.

Some of the best food I have ever eaten! Had pancakes for brunch and was sooo impressed!! Amazing staff- so friendly! Would 100% go back!

A must for anyone near Thame. Wonderful food, superb hot drinks and kind friendly staff. I'll definitely be back.

Recently moved into the area and discovered this gem.