I was there on Saturday and was very impressed with the pub, the beer was superb and the food was good...however, the staff left a lot to be desired. Poor service inside, ok I accept it was busy, but staff should be noticing who has come to the bar and in what order to serve them, and outside, we were made to feel most unwelcome.The pub is a very popular place to go in Oxford and provides a good range of real ales and very reasonably priced and excellently cooked meals. Be careful though that you don't get short changed on your pint, mine was missing a considerable amount from the top!
Gets very busy especially on sunny days and if you are in a big party, arrive early as the staff don't like you moving the tables around outside.
Having said that though, I would certainly return if in the city.If you want to know a nice place where the locals go to have a good time, the Turf Tavern. I stumbled upon this place and it looked interesting, so i decided to eat. The food was priced cheaply and was high quality. I actually received my meal in about 4 minutes. The staff at the Turf was the most friendly ive ever encountered in the UK or the states.

Hello, this is a message for the gentleman that posted the message regarding the quality of the food. (pbarney) Please accept this as an apology on behalf of The White Horse. As a gesture of goodwill please contact The White Horse for a meal for two and drinks on the expense of the owners. tel 01865-204801 once again we apologise. Popped in again the other day - more ale than I remembered (5) served well. Cosy, nice atmosphere. Handy for Trinity College.

One of the best in OX1.Nice pub, good beer and nice friendly staff - but having eaten there, the claim that it sells "best fish and chips in Oxford" needs updating. The fish was truly vile - the wallpaper paste batter was appalling, and the tiny piece of fish tasted of nothng. Can't speak for the other food, but avoid the fish and chips.

L & F is just my kind of place. They had a CD juke dominated by Pink Floyd in the late nineties u kno. Good mix of clientele, Old Peculier on draught - it's all good news.You just need to look at my handle as for the reason I visit this place. The Betty Stogs is superb. 9/10Fairly enjoyable finishing-pub of my Oxford crawl last night. Betty Stogs on fine form. Noted up to four beers available, with two of them regularly-changing guests.

I found the staff friendly and knowledgeable, and enjoyed a good half-hour of amicable conversation with locals around the bar area.

Seemed to be at ease with its town and gown clientele and my overall experience this time was very pleasant.

Well known traditional City Centre pub dating back to 1607 and now owned by Youngs since 1991 ( their first pub in Oxford )

The small rooms at the back have more atmosphere and display pictures of old customers who have visited over the years, including the deadly duo of Morse and Lewis.

Despite it being a Youngs pub, the KA has always sold guest beers - on my early May visit, these were Deuchars IPA ( now a regular guest in many Youngs pubs ) , St Austell Tribute and a beer from Beartown Brewery ( regrettably my notes on which beer are now illegible !)

Bottled Quadricentary Ale ( ABV - 6.4%) was being sold in bottles to commemmorate the 400 years Anniversary.

The pub is close to several colleges and is inevitably popular with the Gown. It does however open at 10.30 in the morning, which is a good time to visit.

Definitely one of Youngs best pubs - worth seeking out.

Very close to the famous Turf Tavern ( on which I've also commented recently )A decent Youngs pub, with a number of good guest ales in decent nick and some nice bottled beers stocked from the Youngs range.

I've never felt able to settle in here though, although both visits were on a Saturday evening. There's something about the front bar I don't like.

Well worth a pub crawl stop-off, but not great for session unless you get in there on a weekday.I visited this pub again, on a Saturday lunchtime, but it was completely full with large crowds waiting to be served at the bar, so I went elsewhere.
A great pity, really, as it's a splendid pub. Perhaps it's a victim of its own success.

Well worth a visit if in Oxford. The beer is very good and reasonably priced. The food at lunchtime was excellent however I agree with a previous comment about the toilets - they do stink!'Character', 'olde English', 'Tolkien' - you know the score.

Fairly enjoyable - the front (olde) part of the place is inevitably tiny due to the retention of the snug drinking areas, but is nice to sit in if you're lucky enough to find a space. There is a more modern Everest double-glazing catalogue conservatory area out the back - not particularly great, but it does at least offer some extra seats.

Ale selection very mainstream (Brakspear, Pride and...another one) on my visits, but served well enough.

Toilets stank, felt like I was going to pass out - improvement needed here!

Well worth a stop on an Oxford crawl for the heritage factor, but not worth a session unless you get a seat in the front area I think.Wood panelled place bursting with charm and character. There is a middle bar for serving, and several small rooms in which to sit and sup. Four casks. Plenty of history. A really nice place.

Small and old traditional oub dating back to 1242, located close to Christ Church college, just south of the High Street.

Despite not being badged as such, the Bear is a Fullers pub, having been bought off the City Council in 2001 ( per Oxford CAMRA guide ).

At the time of my recent visit, the pub was selling the monthly Fullers guest beer - Highgate Best at £ 3.10p.

Previous contributors will be disappointed to hear that the previous policy of allowing a wider range of guest beers has now been discontinued and I'm afraid the previous contributor is unlikely to find Timmy's on any more.

The pub's most noticeable feature is the extensive tie collection in glass cases on the walls and ceiling. I gather there's about 5,000 in total.

Note the old Halls - Oxford and West Brewery Co Ltd - motif on the wall outside.

Worth popping in for the proverbial swift half if time permits One of my favourite pubs, if only for the large collection of ties, however i have never been disappointed with the beer or service and normally Taylors Landlord is a good enough reason for a visit when in OxfordI was enjoying a good drop of beer and some liver & bacon for my supper in a relatively quiet pub when some American students arrived determined to “celebrate” St Patrick’s day by being as loud and, well, American as possible. Well, never mind, the staff were very friendly and efficient and the other punters weren’t phased, so I had another beer. Is this a Fuller’s pub masquerading as a free house, as all the beers bar one (Adnams) were theirs? The “Gales” HSB was very good anyway.

Location - tick
Ale range & quality - tick
Prices - mmm, no tick.

Fair enough place, could be a lot worse. Doubt it's much to crow about outside summer.

Full Fullers ale range plus HSB, served well.

Worth a stop on a sunny day, but not essential in OX1.Visited on Saturday - very nice pub in lovely setting and the ale was excellent.Not a bad place to go - nice to sit by the river. Bar seemed a bit small though when taking account of the size of the place. Maybe I missed one....

Unusual pub this one, quite a modern feel to it, but essentially an old fashioned drinking pub. Lots of pump clips adorn the wall back of bar, and there is always a good selection of ales. I have only ever had good quality beer in here, even on a Monday afternoon.One of the best ale pubs in OxfordEnjoyable modern pub/bar in the town centre, located down a small alleyway by Debenhams - which means you won't find it by accident, often a good thing.

Plenty of ale on, and a good selection too with plenty not seen often down south (a couple Elland brewery beers on Saturday), including a stout from somewhere in Scotland. Beer was in pretty good form too.

Food was fair, and staff service was good - we were given an honest waiting time for the food before we ordered, most places would take your cash and then let you sit twiddling your thumbs.

Atmosphere was good, mainly the more mature/discerning punter.

Granted, it might not be the quintessential olde English pub but it does more than enough to warrant regular visits and it's a good place to take non-ale drinkers. I like it and would recommend it.Soulless modern cafe style place - corporate and anonymous. An empty cold feel - echoing and vaguely unpleasant. Imagine a Wetherspoon without the - erm - charm and character, and you get the idea. Most Spoons don't have much charm in the first place, but they have it in spades compared to this dentist's waiting room. The only redeeming quality is the beer range, but this is not the only pub in town offering guests, so that is not a big plus.

I did find the veggie sausage and mash to be quite unique and tasty.

My Wife and I visited here 12.7.2008 (day trip shopping s/seeing )had lunch.Food was very good as was the Beer and very very well priced , value for money.
The Landlady / Manageress was most helpful and took time to explain a little local history.I could have stayed all day , however , women being women had to go.
Will I return...........Oh yes ! Generally a sound night out (though occasionally have experienced erratic food serving times, and once had a long debate with the bar-tender over a sub-standard pint ... it was very cloudy, she said she thought it was always like that, I explained it wasn't, she explained I could buy another drink if I wanted one ... slightly aggravating when a large group of us had settled in for the evening).

But normally the IPA and Abbot ales are well kept, and the guest beer - when available - is worth a go. In summertime, the garden out the back is splendid, and the pub manages to appeal to a nice mix of punters. A few years ago, it went through a really rough patch, and it's great to see it back on form. There was a brief "purple patch", when the very friendy Czech bar-tender attracted Czechophiles from all over Oxford, but she seems to have left. Hello

My name is Jacqueline Paphitis and I am the licencee of The Old Tom. Would the gentleman/lady who posted the comment on the site be so kind as to contact me. I would like to offer apologies for the service you experienced on this day and can only say that this matter has been dealt with. I do listen to customer comments and act accordingly. If possible I would like to offer a re-visit on our expense as a gesture of goodwill. Once again I can only apologise for this experience.

Tel 01865-204801
Jacqueline Paphitis
Fellow MBII

Refering to the last comment, I experienced something similar in that place. As I entered there with a group of Spainiards celebrating last week, after Spain had won the quarter-finals against Italy, another older guest started to insult the group, loudly demanding them to "shut the *uck up" and refering to their nationality calling upon them to leave "the english" pub.
This "Crown Inn" seems to host quite a number of retarded nationalist extremists as one can deduce from the last comment the man threw to us: "where the f*** Spainiards had been during the war!" ???
That in the center of Oxford!!!???Easy to miss pub off the beaten track even though its right in the centre of Oxford. Passable pint of Landlord but nothing really stands out about this pub except its remarkably cheap wine £1.90 for a 175ml.Lovely quiet pub with friendly regulars and even nicer staff!!! Staff are always smiling no matter how busy and I have always had a fab evening in there!!
Also like how cute the male staff are ;-)

Now renamed the Red Lion, but thats about the only thing that has changed. Bad service, from start to finish, awful beer, Taylors Landlord cloudy and warm and frankly i disliked the place so much i didn't bother to change it i just left. It epitomises the dreadful chain pub. It really is one to avoid.I went to this pub for the first time recently. One bouncer IDd me at the door (I'm 26)...he directed me inside. On getting to the door another bouncer came out and hit me with the door. He didn't apologise...instead he had a go at me for standing where I was. I explained that I'd been directed inside and was the waiting for my friends. He shooed me out using a loud threatening voice. I did nothing to antagonise him. Terrible staff, terrible bar, terrible music. TERRIBLE PLACE.no one can actually like this pub, but its a part of most young people's lives in oxford. above its extreme crapness, it has been the start of many a stupid night out, and a good place to tell your latest drunken stories to your mates.

I visited this pub for Sunday lunch and had a chat with the new landlord, a Scottish gentleman who used to run the Bookbinders in Jericho. He said his aim was NOT to be a gastropub, but to serve good beer and good home cooked pub food. I can safely say he succeeded on both counts and look forward to visiting again when I am next in Oxford. I've drank in the Prince on and off since the 70's, and it's still a great cosy wee pub, full of character, and friendly people. I highly recommend it. 10/10.

Excellent, well kept wadworth beers, and a cosy atmosphere. Rarely so crowded that there's no seats, even on a Saturday night. Much the best pub in the village, with a great appeal to locals and visitors alike.

I lived and worked in London for 11 years but have to say that I cannot recall a landlord who serves such a superb pint of Fullers Chiswick as this one.

Truly a wonderful experience, topped off with interesting decor and a diverse musical backdrop.

This is truly a pub worth seeking out.The old barman was still there when I was there a couple of weekends ago, serving a stunning pint of Fullers London Porter. The only distraction was a very smokey fire - reminiscent of the bad old days before the smoking ban. Even so a true classic!Looks a back street local, but is comfortable and friendly serving good Fullers beers.

Nice local pub with friendly staff and a good repetoire of live jazz/folk, fairly good selection of real ale and a big beer garden with smokers' marquees.Post code for this pub is wrong.It should be OX41SN and is in East Oxford rather than Abingdon.Pleasant unpretentious pub with good beer and good value lunchtime bar food. Friendly and willing service. The sunny garden could do with a bit of a facelift.

Simple, unpretentious, expensive (reassuringly), Adnams top-notch, beer garden with grapevines, toilet with hurricane hand-dryer, landlord (rather like a squire patrolling his land for young scallywags) who has been rumoured to drop the odd twittering mobile phone into the pint in front of its ill-mannered braying loser, pints of pistachios and lovely lovely Tyrells crisps. Go there.A 70s throwback - beer served in jugs, pickled eggs and onions on the bar. Genuine old fashioned back street boozer and great for it.Lively popular pub in a relaxing part of Oxford, the beer is good, always seeming to have Hooky Old on. Enjoyable atmosphere, another pub for conversation, great beer garden.