If you’re looking for a day out this summer, look no further than Bicester Village.

It’s easy to get to by car from London – and takes around an hour to an hour-and-a-half depending on where you are, and is less than an hour on a train from central.

There are designer boutiques, big sales, offers, restaurants and it really is like its own little village.

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With it’s stunning, open-air setting, it makes for a real special-treat without having to be too indulgent.

I took a day off work and headed to Bicester Village one Friday, arriving at around 11am.

There were spaces still in the large car park, but I would recommend going earlier on a weekend or busy day to make sure you bag a spot.

There is also a VIP offering which entitles you to valet parking among other things such as personal shopping appointments, drinks in the stylish Bicester apartment, hands-free shopping and even MORE discounts on top of what's already there.

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It’s a great place to go with an agenda, but for my boyfriend and I it was more just a mooch around to see what bargains we could bag ahead of the summer.

There are gym wear shops such as Sweaty Betty, New Balance, Under Armour and Lulu Lemon, discounted beauty stores, high-end clothing and accessories stores such as Gucci, Yves Saint Laurent, Dior and Prada and clothing shops such as Ralph Lauren, AllSaints and The Kooples.

This is, I must add, only to name a few and there are in fact more than 150 boutiques to browse around – including also jewellery, perfume and home wear.

Some are so sought-after that they require joining a digital queue to enter, but that doesn’t mean you have to stand around. 

Instead, you get a text when it’s your turn to go shopping at that store.

Much to my boyfriend’s delight (definite sarcasm) we decided we would work our way up and down the village, heading in to every store to see what was inside.

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It was a really sunny day, and so it was really nice to be in a clean outdoor environment with really good stores, helpful staff and loads of bargains.

It’s also not just about shopping, but Bicester Village also has great food options too.

These include an Itsu, a Pret-a-Manger, The Mayfair Chippy van (smelt divine), Japanese restaurant Shan Sui and Cecconi’s.

Because our visit was for my boyfriend’s birthday, we went with Cecconi’s which is a slightly more up-market, divine all-day dining restaurant.

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It’s the first Cecconi’s outside of London, and boasts handmade pizzas, seafood, seasonal dishes and cicchetti.

It offers an authentic Italian experience and there’s also an outdoor terrace for when the weather is good.

It’s walk-in, spacious, and the food was top notch.

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To start with I had the tuna crudo and my boyfriend had the beef carpaccio.

To follow I had the seabass and my boyfriend had the Veal Milanese and we shared some salads including one with lettuce and avocado and another with tomato and burrata.

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The portions were generous, the food was fresh and flavourful, and it made a really nice break from a hard day(!) shopping.

I’ve been to the Cecconi’s in London too and I’d say the Bicester Village one is just as nice as a special treat.

Needless to say, although it was all my idea to spend my boyfriend’s birthday shopping, I ended up coming home empty handed and he got some great deals.

A coat which was nearly 50 per cent reduced in price, some swimming trunks the same, and a couple of t-shirts and jumpers which had great deals on buying more than one thing.

If you need some retail therapy, a day out, some nice food or some window-shopping, Bicester Village is your place.