What's Cooking — Restaurant in South Oxfordshire

Wonderful breakfast, brunch and lunch menu - the kind you want to see but all-too-often don't.

Top-notch, quality, local, healthy and ethical - where possible - ingredients, and a passion for food and drink, (I totally share their ethos), they always have a couple of seasonal specials on. I've tried many things on it - all excellent including the breakfasts, gorgeous and original salads, and a tasty deli counter.

The coffee and sweet treats are just as good as the food and better than many establishments - the very generous lemon drizzle cake (possibly twice the size of a slice you'd get elsewhere) is to die for.

Their made in house, healthy, quality ingredients ready-meals are excellent, too. They do deli and cake take-outs as well.

Okay, it's not cheap, but it's totally reasonable given the quality - this is not everyday café fare with run-of-the-mill, potentially circumspect, ingredients. Quite the opposite.

Staff are friendly and helpful, know what they are selling, and are happy to take the time to help you choose.

I've yet to try the two cafés up past Rumsey's but I know the rest of the offer in Thame and usually choose to breakfast or lunch here on the basis that life's too short to have a bad meal and there's no excuse for it either. I'm sure the other two establishments would be good - most of the other brunch/lunch options in Thame are good - but they would need to go some way to equal this place. That's quite a tall order because this place is one of a kind and one of the other two places (which is also rated) stops serving food very early.

The seating to the front of the cafe and outside it are best as the seating area at the back is a little small and 'subterranean' (otherwise it would be a 5 for 'atmosphere') but it's also quite nice and private at the back and the light everywhere in this café is nice. Nice toilet, too, with an easy, visible lock.

I'd ignore the negative reviews because it seems that the people writing them - the few I've read, at least - are looking for a completely different kind of café, so the ethos of this place has passed them by. Yes, customers have a right to their opinion and feedback and that needs to be respected, but they also need to be fair and respectful and the replies by the owners that I've read seem fair and respectful to me. If you are content with something mass-produced, average in taste, where quality, health, provenance and ethics are not the main priority, and you don't want to pay for those things, It's best to go elsewhere and not criticise these owners for having these ideals. Elsewhere may be cheaper but that doesn't mean the food is necessarily good value, healthy, or locally- and ethically sourced. However, if you share this café's ethos, are a foodie and are looking for somewhere exceptional, and are prepared to pay not over the top prices for something exceptional, come here, you won't be disappointed, and you certainly won't be "mugged", to quote a particularly unfair review below!

It's my go to...

• Reply to owners response* Although I appreciate your right to reply, I find your passive aggressive response unacceptable. It seems that this curt tone is a pattern when others have provided a fair critique of their experience of your cafe, particularly pricing. Talking about ethos and values in relation to a cheese sandwich and using it to justify extortionate prices translates as glib and arrogant. I didn't complain on the day about the food because it took so long to arrive that I was late for an appointment and didn't have time to wait for another order. It seems that you are stating that unless a person complains on the day, they have no right to an opinion. As a business owner you have to accept that some customers will not enjoy their experience and rather than bite back, perhaps you can gain some valuable insight from the feedback.

Original Review: I very rarely write reviews but was compelled to on this occasion. I was truly shocked by how expensive this cafe is, even by usual Oxfordshire standards. I live in an affluent town, so I am no prude when it comes to inflated prices. In fact, I'm more than happy to pay for good food but there is a point when it swings into exploitation. I was charged just under £25 for cheese on toast, two very small extras on a side plate (greens and potato salad) and a coffee. The taste of the ingredients were so overpowering the food was practically inedible and and the coffee was burnt and bitter. I overheard another couple make the same observation. From the previous reviews, I can see that another reviewer made a similar observation about the pricing and the owner responded by citing quality food and values as reason for the inflated price. I'm afraid that neither of these reasons fly for me on this occasion and such statements translate as arrogance. I had a beautifully cooked, fresh Italian meal, with a glass of wine in a local restaurant for the same price...

What's Cooking is a favourite coffee place in Thame. I particularly like the tasty, fresh and healthy food here. My highlights are the granola bowl with berries and greek yoghurt which is magnificently 'goey'. The bacon butties and other hot breakfasts are also great, as are the seasonal lunches and appealing cakes. I love the amazing homemade salads, which are never boring and packed full of good stuff. We've used their terrific catering service, and tried and loved all their deli offerings including the Waterperry pressed apple juice and seasonal foodie gifts. Do go!

With no wifi, this is a place to switch off and chat/chill/read. The outside seating is great for...