A NEIGHBOURHOOD boasting thriving independent businesses, cool bars, eclectic restaurants and an iconic music venue, has been named one of the country's 'hippest' spots.

Fashionable types in Jericho, north Oxford, can clink their craft beers in celebration after it was ranked 11th in a nationwide trawl for the UK's trendiest places.

With its wealth of cafes, cocktail bars and quirky shops, TravelSupermarket felt the upmarket area deserved a mention in its Hip Hangout Neighbourhood Index.

Emma Coulthurst, spokeswoman for the comparison website, said: "The destinations on the list are exciting areas, unspoiled by commercialism, where locals love to hang out.

"They offer an eclectic range of food and entertainment away from the tourist throngs.

"The index will hopefully put Jericho even more on the map and encourage new and return visitors to explore deeper the UK’s famous university city."

The comparison website ranked 20 spots across the country using data including number of independent coffee shops and cultural venues, announcing the results this week.

Each area was given a rating between 0 and 10 for each of three categories.

Jericho was one of only four areas that scored top marks for both 'hip culture outpost' and 'creative capital', but fell flat on the final category of 'traveller value', scoring no marks at all.

thisisoxfordshire:

Dan Spencer with his and Lil's nine-month old son Rocco in the Jericho Tavern

Ms Coulthurst said: "We looked at everything from independent coffee shops and vintage fashion outposts to traveller value and creative culture – the things that set a hip destination apart from the rest of the pack.

"Anywhere with ‘peak hipster’ status such as London’s Shoreditch didn’t make the cut – places like this are now infiltrated by chains and the masses. Instead, we wanted to find those areas where locals love to hang out due to the area’s independent creative spirit."

She joked that 'beard-to-face' ratio was not taken into account.

Dan Spencer, assistant manager at popular Walton Street music spot The Jericho Tavern, said: "Jericho showcases a lot of new talent. We also get a lot of students from Oxford Uni. We get lots of trendy hipster types in, especially over the weekends, and professional couples with a bit of extra disposable income.

"It's a good mix of old-style uni buildings dotted with cool, unique bars."

Other 'hipster' draws in the area might include independent art house cinema Phoenix Picturehouse and quirky cafe-come-bookshop Albion Beatnik Bookstore.

Manchester’s Ancoats district came out with the top spot tied with Leith in Edinburgh.

TravelSupermarket also released a Europe-wide hip list of which Kreuzberg in Berlin took first place.