please note - reviews on this site are purely the opinion of site visitors, so don't take them too seriously.
The usual chain....nothing more nothing less.
A wide and varied selection of foregn brews but be prepare to pay for them.
Can't say I have ever eaten here - make of that what you will.
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The usual chain....nothing more nothing less.
A wide and varied selection of foregn brews but be prepare to pay for them.
Can't say I have ever eaten here - make of that what you will.
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Had an awful meal here, rude staff when I complained. Overpriced food. Avoid.
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Had lunch here last weekend. Food was awful. It came out burnt and completely inedible. Totally black, and the staff refused to acknowledge my complaint and still made us pay even though neither my Wife or I could actually eat the food.
Dont waste your time here.
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Yes, I know it is a generic brand bar run by a corporation who's only interest is extracting maximum pounds from our pockets to give 'shareholder value' whatever that is: BUT compared to the rest of them it really is not that bad - good choice of wine, actually good value in some cases, and the food is pretty good. Not the place for proper ale mind you. Atmosphere is good, especially if you get the table by the window, you can watch the world go by. Service and the staff in general are always good with a genuine desire to be helpful and a concern that stands out in the otherwise mediocre competition in Oxford.
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appalling pint of London Pride - no excuse whatsoever.
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pretty standard for an ABO but never have enough staff, waiting to be served can be mind numbing
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Despite the bizarre comments below it's actually very nice. Shame they haven't got one in Bolton. They sell Edelweiss which is delicious
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Serving a good choice of well kept ales is not the be all and end all of determining a good pub, but it's a damn good way of telling one. Looking after ale takes time and care, if the landlord puts the effort into this then chances are other aspects of the pub should be good too.
All Bar One is far from the worst chain, in fact I think the one in Oxford is pretty decent, for what it is, and somewhere I've enjoyed a pint a few times. And yes it certainly does have some fine German beers on tap, which can be a welcome change. Juicylou is right to the extent that good independent ale pubs could do with serving a few more decent wines, something they're hardly famous for - a bland aussie bottle or two if you're lucky, that has probably been open a few days.
The point about these chains is they rarely offer anything new from place to place; the seats, the beer, the menus etc. are all the same from place to place. Were it a standalone pub, ABO Oxford wouldn't be a bad place at all, it's the fact you could be in any other one across the country. It is this creation of national brands that threatens our diversity and choice.
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I think you know exactly what I mean about choice in this country. Ale is a different matter but like many people I no longer drink it.
Not having Cask Ale does not automatically render an establishment unworthy of sensible comment and scrutiny, especially when that establishment is a continental stlye bar/brasserie, as they claim.
Birra Moretti is probably not the best example of imported speciality Pilsner, but at least it is not brewed in south wales under license. Also, I have looked into their other new listings and the following beers are highly respected in their own right; Innis & Gunn, Schneider Weiss, Edel Weiss, Paulaner Munich.
There will be no persuading the real ale lover though, even though there is a less narrow viewpoit that is worthy of having it's view heard.
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What is unusual about another macrobrewed lager (Moretti), a mass produced abbey ale (Leffe) and an inferior and mass produced fruit beer (BelleVue Kriek)? These are about the only beers I can think of sold in ABO that you might be referring to. They are all ropey or passe or both, and all three are widely available elsewhere.
You say there is a mediocrity in choice of beers in this country - not in the freehouses I go to.
And what is the best thing about beer in Britain? CASK CONDITIONED, LIVE ALE - available virtually nowhere else, apart from a very small number of places in Ireland and the US and a tiny number elsewhere. ABO doesn't sell any of it, making it definitely sub par by British standards and completely unworthy of any praise whatsoever.
If you find Moretti exciting, you know nowt about beer. Oxford has some of the best pubs in Britain and you choose to drink here - and you are throwing around accusations that other people aren't intelligent?
anonymous - 2 Oct 2006 10:42 |
Birra Moretti is the Italian equivilent of Carling.
anonymous - 29 Sep 2006 17:30 |
This place has a new beer range, which is fantastic. Yes, its a 'brand', but its a good place for beer and wine. I had a two different wheat beers on tap and an Italian one called Birra Moretti.
anonymous - 27 Sep 2006 14:03 |
So much better since the refit. It looks nicer and fee;s more comfortable. Good for a quick lunch, or as a meeting place. Probably wouldn't spend the whole night though.
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It's an All Bar One, 'nuff said really.
Bit like drinking in a hospital, sterile, dull and a bit depressing.
anonymous - 20 Jan 2005 08:07 |
Why should this exist in a City with so many great pubs?
Characterless, sterile and serves rubbish beer.
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