If you've not heard of Circle Square by name, you might have eaten an office packed lunch on its green steps, the only of their kind in the city centre. Home to the kind of burgers, pizzas and pastries that keep TikTok spinning or scrolling, it's that ring of food, drink and fitness offerings à la mode, all centred around Symphony Park, Oxford Road's singular green break.

Symphony Park 2025 07 21 770X583 — **Symphony Park − a green break from Oxford Road** Image: Confidentials

A stroll over to Circle Square could entail anything from a body contouring appointment at their aesthetics clinic to a takeaway coffee. To showcase the intriguing mix of office, living, retail and leisure spaces the neighbourhood has to offer, Circle Square launched its Summer in the City series this month, which we were kindly invited to explore.

Half A Dozen 2025 07 21 1000X750 — **Almond bear claw at Half Dozen Other** Image: Confidentials

With so much on offer, it's anyone's guess what each person is heading over for, but no makeover, fitness regime or co-working session is as successful as one that starts with a blood sugar raising breakfast stop. For this, Half Dozen Other has the pastry spread of a boulanger's wildest dreams.

Working on the sceptical assumption that most brunch spots serve up avocado toast you could've made at home, i'm firmly of the pastry-supremacy camp, believing that a few imaginative twists on the classics is pickyness-proof but still better than an at-home special. Half Dozen Other does this well. Sat between the pain suisse and the cherry bakewell Danish, I went for the almond bearclaw. No throat stinging amaretto paste, just what all good almond pastries should have: faint marzipan flecks sandwhiched between properly buttery dough.

Bakery 800X600 — **Oxford Road's most Tik-Tokkable bakery?** Image: Confidentials

Enough about my breakfast though. Circle Square is a neighbourhood built around a balanced lifestyle, with all the most in vogue credentials to prove it. What does that mean in 2025? Reformer pilates, of course.

Ballet of the floor is where I'm told pilates takes its strength and conditioning cues. Rhythmically challenged as I am, the presence of machinery with a sliding carriage sounded like the final additive to one long exercise induced faux pas.

Once again, overly sceptical. With the right playlist, which Restart had, and especially with the clear, gentle leadership I definitely needed and which Restart absolutely delivered, I survived to tell you that reformer pilates is actually rather great. Controlling the bed-like frame with straps in your hands or looped over your feet, the reformer provided exactly the right amount of lactic acid inducing fun that a fitness hobby should.

Pilates 800X600 — **One of Circle Square's fitness offerings, reformer pilates** Image: Confidentials

If you can carve out just one later start a week for a coffee, pastry and pilates morning, I promise it pays off with the kind of freshness only the ittest of it girls know. It was a post-divorce Princess Di in cycling shorts kind of morning.

Next, I was a lady who lunched. And for that, there was no shortage of choice. With spots like Detroit Slims and Onda, indulgence is definitely an option at Circle Square. If you're passing by on a working lunch, places like Bagel Factory and Federal allow for a bit more al fresco flexibility. We landed somewhere in the middle with Mr Su's, a Chinese spot known for its affordable, freshly made noodles, dumplings and build-your-own hotpots.

Mr Su 800X600 — **Mr Su's known for its build your own noodle dishes** Image: Confidentials

Having just exerted myself at the pilates studio, I decided it was best my lunch came from the set menu, assuming Mr Su knows better about Chinese hotpots than I do. Veggie spring rolls, beef dumplings and a sliced beef and glass noodle dish with a side of hash browns and greens were served up promptly and through the most efficient tannoy system I have ever borne witness to.

The stewy, almost bourguignon-like beef dumplings were the star of the show, with everything else noticeably fresh to the point where you can appreciate fewer options as a sign that everything is constantly tended to. The most important feature of a build-your-own spot, meaning if you don't like what you've assembled, that's probably on you.

Dumplings 800X600 — **Spring rolls, dumplings and a beef noodle dish with a side of hash browns** Image: Confidentials

Going from build it yourself to pour it yourself, The Tap House was next on the agenda. And what better way to cool down the mouth after a spicy hotpot than with a pint of lager self-pulled and picked from a selection of 24 on offer.

Tap House 800X600 — **The self-pour beer station at The Tap House** Image: Confidentials

The drier the better for me when it comes to lager, but if you prefer something more hoppy, anything goes at The Tap House. Perusing at your own pace is encouraged, there's wine and pizza available too, and, if you're lucky, you might even catch a moment with Oscar.

Oscar 800X600 — **The Tap House resident, Oscar** Image: Confidentials

Explore everything Circle Square has to offer and find your own version of summer escapism without leaving the city. Or do what I did and make a Wednesday morning feel slightly less like a Wednesday.

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