Write Uptown: What’s the best place to get coffee in town?

Hi Sally, 

My friends and I are coffee fiends. Can you tell us your thoughts on some of the best places in town and what to try there?

Thanks! 

Jenn

Hi Jenn,

Thanks for the question! You’ve definitely come to the right person; I love coffee more than life itself! OK, maybe that is an exaggeration, but I definitely have a low-grade addiction.

Oxford is a coffee-loving town, and we have lots of shops to choose from. Coffee shops help Miami University students get their caffeine fix to fuel their study binges and support the social aspects of living in town. Whatever the cause of the abundant options in town, let’s just be grateful that we have so many options when it comes to our coffees, lattes, cappuccinos, espresso, cafe au laits and so on! 

One of my favorite places to go — and I think a lot of people will agree with me — is Kofenya. This local staple opened while I was still in college (oops, I guess I showed my age there a little bit). Every time I walk into the shop, it takes me back to the days of group projects, study sessions and relaxing with friends.

Kofenya, located 38 W. High St., has a wide variety of drinks to choose from, and I’ll often mix up my order because it’s hard to pick a favorite. I just recently got a recommendation from my favorite barista, and it was delicious: Cafe Au Lait made with Highlander Grogg coffee, oatmilk and a little vanilla syrup. For those who don’t know what a Cafe Au Lait is, it is brewed coffee with steamed milk — delicious!

Another great, yet unconventional, coffee shop is Oxford Coffee Company. This was originally a conventional coffee shop where you could walk in and get yourself a cup of coffee. After COVID-19 hit, the company rethought its business model and became a strictly online retail shop. Oxford Coffee Company has the best beans in town, and they ship and deliver! Be sure to sign up for their emails at www.oxfordcoffee.com  to receive discounts. My personal recommendation is to try the Peruvian Chanchamayo Fair Trade/Organic beans, my personal favorites.

The newest addition to the coffee scene in Oxford is Redlife Coffee at The Alexander House. The inside is beautifully restored with seating inside and an outside patio for when warmer weather finally decides to come back. It features multiple specialty coffees and crepes, and while these have always tempted me, I’ve always gone for the shop’s teas when I visit. The Jasmine Green Tea is my personal favorite. 

No matter how you get your coffee; brewed at home or bought local, I like to think about how coffee brings us all together. We read the news while we drink our coffee, we talk about our lives with our friends while we drink our coffee, we work while we drink our coffee. So much of what we do is done while we are drinking coffee — isn’t it amazing how a bean can be such a big part of our lives?

Sally Roi is a lifelong resident of Oxford and a Miami University graduate. She has worked at several local businesses and is now operations manager for Enjoy Oxford.