Anyone who has set foot in Oxford, Mississippi, can understand its rare trifecta of destination appeal. First, the literary pedigree: The town was home to Nobel laureate William Faulkner and has nurtured a formidable roster of writers, including Willie Morris, Ace Atkins, and even John Grisham. Anchoring this tradition is Square Books, a nationally celebrated independent bookstore that has graced the historic Oxford Square for more than four decades. Oxford is also home to the University of Mississippi—a cultural and intellectual cornerstone in its own right. But to really set it apart, Oxford also boasts one of the best culinary scenes in the South.
Headlining its list of exceptional chefs is City Grocery’s John Currence. Currence, a chef who has won multiple James Beard Awards, has been luring visitors to the Literary Center of the South since 1992 with his empire of great eateries. His protégé, Vishwesh Bhatt, earned his own Beard award in 2019 with his Indian-meets-Southern fusion at Currence’s Snackbar. The accomplishments just continue from there. Currence’s Big Bad Breakfast concept has now been duplicated in twenty-four locations across the South.
Sisters-in-law Emily and Joie Blount of Saint Leo follow in the footsteps of the city’s culinary patriarch. In 2017, they earned a James Beard Awards semifinalist nod for Best New Restaurant.
Accolades of a different kind—or varietal—have rained down on The Sipp on South Lamar. This delightful tapas and wine bar, honored with multiple Wine Spectator Awards of Excellence, has become the region’s go-to spot for an exceptional selection of spirits and shareable dishes—think fried chicken sliders alongside shrimp toast. Keep the delicious dishes coming at Tarasque Cucina, a French and Italian–inspired restaurant where crispy olives find a home next to boiled peanuts. Or journey further into the Mediterranean by way of Mississippi at Volta, where a reimagined gas station now fuels up diners with gyros and “Hotty Toddy Balls”—deep-fried loaded mashed potatoes.
If you’d like your meal to reflect the bounty of the North Central Hills, check out Kingswood, where executive chef Joel Miller pays homage to Mississippi’s culinary traditions through thoughtfully sourced, locally inspired dishes. Or, embrace Oxford’s Gulf Coast influences at SoLa, helmed by chef Erika Lipe—the first woman to claim the prestigious title of Queen of Mississippi Seafood, awarded at the Mississippi Seafood Cookoff in Gulfport for her lane snapper with a crispy skin basted with brown butter.
After wandering the streets that inspired Faulkner, browsing the aisles of Square Books, and exploring the campus of Ole Miss, let your journey culminate over a thoughtfully prepared dish, maybe at Good Day Cafe, a pleasant place of simple pleasures for brunch, lunch, or dinner, another Oxford triumvirate.
Plot a dining course for Oxford at VisitOxfordMS.com
