Oxfordshire pub guide - information about pubs and bars in Oxfordshire # beerintheevening.com

Oxfordshire pub and bar guide

Here's a guide to the pubs and bars of Oxfordshire - good or bad, we bring you the most talked about venues and the places you have to visit at least once. We've included a few user reviews, to give you an idea of what to expect when you get there. Or you can follow the links to see full details and all reviews for each pub.

The Turf Tavern, Oxford

Address: 4 Bath Place Holywell, Oxford, Oxfordshire, OX1 3SU [map]
Phone: 01865 243235
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Nearest train station: Oxford (0.8 miles)

Reviews by BITE users:

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.

16 Jul 2008 20:38

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.

16 Jul 2008 00:53

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.

11 Jul 2008 04:51

The Woolpack, Banbury

Address: 28, Horse Fair, Banbury Cross, Banbury, Oxfordshire, OX16 0AE [map]
Phone: 01295 265646
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Nearest train stations: Banbury (0.6 miles), Kings Sutton (4 miles)

Reviews by BITE users:

Well done - a real rival to the Reindeer but with a modern minimal twist. Very large dining room at the rear. Front room is small but not intimidating. Cracking beer on as well and very well kept. I haven't been since leaving Banbury late last year but I have had reports that it is still very very good.

8 Jun 2008 23:28

Enjoyed a couple of beers in this pub with its interesting interior.

4 Jun 2008 19:12

I finally got around to visiting after hearing and reading a lot of good reports. I must say i wasn't disappointed. There were seven ales on, all in great condition, sip before you sup policy, i love it !
This place used to be one of the biggest dives in the area and has been transformed over the last three or four years. There is a huge collection of pump clips that bear testamony to the throughput of ales. I didn't eat but i must say the food looked good. It is a strange shaped building, quite small frontage but extends back a long way with two bars, a dining room and a small enclosed patio. As has been said before one of Banbury's best kept secrets. Do not miss.

17 May 2008 12:14

The White Horse, Oxford

Address: 52, Broad St, Oxford, Oxfordshire, OX1 3BB [map]
Phone: 01865 728318
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Nearest train station: Oxford (0.7 miles)

Reviews by BITE users:

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.

6 Aug 2008 18:39

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.

3 Aug 2008 11:19

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.

26 Jul 2008 09:57

The Rose and Crown, Charlbury

Address: Market Street, Charlbury, Chipping Norton, Oxfordshire, OX7 3PL [map]
Phone: 01608 810103
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Nearest train stations: Charlbury (0.4 miles), Finstock (1.5 miles), Ascot-under-wychwood (3.8 miles)

Reviews by BITE users:

A serious beer drinkers haven, but nothing much to eat if you want food. Always friendly and full of friendly characters. My local!!

19 May 2008 09:04

What a fantastic pub, very well kept ale, good service and a great clientele one not to be missed.

12 Apr 2008 20:10

Plenty of real ale as mentioned by other posters. Beer quality is obviously taken very seriously, with all ales in excellent condition from start of service. A comfortable, drinkers pub, well located in the village centre.

3 Jan 2008 15:10

The Falkland Arms, Great Tew

Address: The Green, Great Tew, Chipping Norton, Oxfordshire, OX7 4DB [map]
Phone: 01608 683653
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Reviews by BITE users:

Last two comments do you live together as you were on here at the same time 3/4/08 22/20 and 22/29 ???????????

4 Apr 2008 11:32

Amazing - what a treat.

Lucky people who can call this pub their local.

Great range of real ales, friendly staff, friendly customers and a welcoming feel to this chocolate box pub in a really picturesque village.

Didn't sample the food but what I saw going out looked fantastic.

Will be back, and looking at earlier comments it may be worth booking a room.

3 Apr 2008 22:29

Wow! what a pub.

Have been in for lunch and a drink before and its picture perfect. Last weekend, my partner treated me to a room and was amazing!
Great food, service was brilliant.

FANTASTIC.

3 Apr 2008 22:20

The Plough, Witney

Address: 98 High St, Witney, Oxfordshire, OX28 6HL [map]
Phone: 01993 704430
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Reviews by BITE users:

This is my favourite pub in Witney. It is a good old fashioned pub but not spit and sawdust, friendly and relaxed atmosphere.
Lovely beergarden, fire indoors. Refurbished tastefully but not overdone or crowded. My favourite bits about the pub is the fact that it has no television(why would you in a pub?) so you can go there when there is a football match on and talk to other people not suffering from football mania.
Oh I suppose the important thing I missed was to mention the beers. Lovely ales on tap. Land lord also buys mead from a local supplier, how brilliant is that. The crisps are thick and gorgoeus but I believe there is a restaurant soon to be opening. Live mike night is on Tuesdays.
You'll get no trouble here!

14 Jun 2008 19:16

Hash Friendly???
And how old is that photo? or was there a classic car rally in town on that day: Hillman Imp, Austin 1100 and what looks like a Hillman Minx and perhaps a standard in the background. Mid sixties perhaps

20 Apr 2008 11:43

The Plough has now re-opened, having been closed for eight months. It seems a bit stark and cold inside, with no soft furnishings - perhaps they are anticipating further flooding?

11 Apr 2008 22:28

The Lamb and Flag, Oxford

Address: 12 St Giles, Oxford, Oxfordshire, OX1 3JS [map]
Phone: 01865 515787
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Nearest train station: Oxford (0.6 miles)

Reviews by BITE users:

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.

18 Jul 2008 17:53

You just need to look at my handle as for the reason I visit this place. The Betty Stogs is superb. 9/10

12 May 2008 12:22

Fairly 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.

23 Apr 2008 19:04

The Shoulder of Mutton, Wantage

Address: Wallingford St, Wantage, Oxfordshire, OX12 8AX [map]
Phone: 01235 762835
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Reviews by BITE users:

I really enjoyed this pub, a step back in time locals pub, with little nooks and crannies and a good range of well kept Real Ales. The locals enjoy a bit of banter and it was relatively full on a Saturday afternoon when compared to the other Wantage pubs we went into.
I would return to this pub with no hesitation at all. Great stuff.

6 Apr 2008 07:51

Brilliant, a Gene Hunt timewarp pub. Apart from the (thankfully switched off) flatscreen TV, nothing about the inside looks to have been updated since the miners strike, including the punters.

Two bars, a small (but very well kept) choice of ales (two Butts brewery and Loddon on Sunday) and some good banter with the locals (got told I was a 'troublemaker' for ordering a lemonade for Mrs Quinno) by the bar, plus a pub dog, all made for a good hours worth of drinking.

Recommended if you like your beer old-skool. Should I ever return to Wantage, I'll drop by. Worth its place in the Good Beer Guide.

11 Feb 2008 14:11

A cracking pub, the best in the town. Run by a couple who has 2 phylosophies in life - Good beer and a good sense of humour.

14 Oct 2007 22:29

The Baskerville Arms, Lower Shiplake

Address: 7 Station Rd, Lower Shiplake, Henley On Thames, Oxfordshire, RG9 3NY [map]
Phone: 0118 940 3332
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Nearest train stations: Shiplake (0 miles), Wargrave (1 mile), Henley-on-thames (1.9 miles)

Reviews by BITE users:

We found it pleasant and welcoming. Decent ale at hefty prices. Very good food. Rowing memorabilia also feature.

17 Jun 2008 13:34

We went at a weekend and were brusquely told that there were no tables available. We sat in the bar for a drink and made the cardinal sin of taking a bowl of nibbles that had been put on the bar to our table (still leaving several similar ones on the bar). It was curtly removed and we were told that they were people at the bar only.

I shall not ever, ever try this place again. The staff were rude and made no attempt to be welcoming. Considering we were a bunch of well-heeled middle-aged fogies, I can't imagine who they think they're running the place for.

9 May 2008 16:28

Rugby shirts and various sporting prints around the small but comfortable front bar area. Pride, Landlord and Loddon Hoppit on handpump. The rest of the pub is geared toward ding – it is, after all, the GPG Oxfordshire dining pub of the year and, although I didn’t eat this time, for a change I was there with a vested interest in the food set-up. In addition to a reasonably priced a la carte menu there was a fabulous, fortnightly changing, table d’hote style menu offering a good variety of choice and excellent value at £11.50 for two courses. Nice, also, to see some good non-turkey alternatives on the forthcoming dec/xmas menu (eg pan-fried pigeon breast or roast halibut) but disappointing that it is offered only for bookings of 4 or more.
If it does/did, as suggested, have some connection with Loddon brewery, then a choice of their beers would be a welcome change to the usual suspects.

15 Nov 2007 10:17

The Birdcage, Thame

Address: 4 Cornmarket, Thame, Oxfordshire, OX9 3DX [map]
Phone: 01844 260381
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Nearest train station: Haddenham & Thame Parkway (2.9 miles)

Reviews by BITE users:

Back under the watchful eye and stewardship of the landlord, the Birdcage has become a better place to eat and drink in again. Perfect on the rare occasion that the sun is out to sit outside and watch the world go by. Great selection of Continental/World beers. Recently introduced the 'Black Rock experience' with exotic meats from Africa. Believe that they have another pub in High Wycombe, shall go on a fact-finding mission!

15 Jul 2008 17:52

glad the real manager is back and gotten rid of that rude aussie guy. food is consistently good there and the wine is always good value by the bottle. just taken on some round the world beers too which bring back memories of travelling.

28 Feb 2008 22:34

its a pity the staff are so rude. Wine was corked and the sausages i wanted were not in stock

22 Nov 2007 18:51

The Queens Arms, Goring

Address: Reading Rd, Goring-on-Thames, Reading, Berkshire, RG8 0ER [map]
Phone: 01491 872825
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Nearest train stations: Goring & Streatley (0.2 miles), Pangbourne (3.4 miles), Cholsey (3.7 miles)

Reviews by BITE users:

The last pub out the 10 we did that day, so I can't remember the last beer I had but from previous comments I think GK IPA was right, the 'selection' was poor. Very much a community pub - pool table & all that. Very handy for the train station - only 80 metres or so away & it's all downhill - Worth a pint whilst checking your watch every 30 seconds.

27 Jul 2008 14:59

Went during the day on a Saturday, pool table, juke box, a couple of locals already quite drunk, you get the idea. Having said that I put 'She's Lost Control' on the juke box and enjoyed myself. Greene King pub, beer was reasonably good.

27 Jul 2008 13:28

Shame only had GK IPA on tap when we were doin a goring-pangbourne stroll the other day, 6/10

25 Jul 2008 14:10

The Bear Hotel, Wantage

Address: Market Place, Wantage, Oxfordshire, OX12 8AB [map]
Phone: 01235 766366
See full pub details

Reviews by BITE users:

i dont own arkells..never have although i do enjoy there beer and credit were credit is due..wantage has a good selection of pubs for a town all more or less within spitting distance..

8 Apr 2008 17:38

A great traditional pub right in the heart of Wantage. Old style of decoration which runs well for the locals which frequent the pub. A very friendly atmosphere awaits you when you walk through the door. The staff are helpful and know what they're doing. There is a good selection of beer on tap with two tasty real ales. There is a large range of food which is all reasonably priced but very well presented.

Evenings are usually quite busy as the hotel is normally full during the week so usually you will find most of the guests socialising in the public bar. Fridays and Saturdays are the busiest nights, with the pub drawing in a diverse range of punters. All-in-all a nice place to go for a few drinks with friends or to have a nice pub meal.

12 Feb 2008 06:29

Cavernous pub in a pretty building. Claimed to have three Akells beers on outside but I only saw 3B along with two (two?!?) Courage Directors pulls. 3B was a bit eggy and served in a glass that hadn’t got a proper rinse in the dishwasher. Was with friends so didn’t complain. Maybe I should have done in hindsight.

Tried the food and was fairly happy with it given the price (fiver for my lasagne). Couple of TV’s showing the rugby. Toilet doors had no signs, so it was all a bit Deal or No Deal guessing which was the right one. I guessed wrong, no bankers deal for me! DeggyT guessed wrong too, but Mrs Quinno got it right. Must be a gender thing.

Would try somewhere else next time in Wantage.

11 Feb 2008 14:21

The Home Sweet Home Inn, Roke

Address: Roke, Wallingford, Oxfordshire, OX10 6JD [map]
Phone: 01491 838249
See full pub details

Reviews by BITE users:

There is another new Landlord! The previous one had given up interest in the place (trying to save his other gaff?) and whilst the staff tried their best they were receiving no support.
The previous manager, Siggy (pronounced Ziggy) has taken it over and will use his worldwise expertise in the catering/hotel trade to turn things around. Give him time...

6 Jun 2008 11:30

Went for dinner last Thursday week for the first time in 18 months. Very dissapointed, the food was of average quality but there just appeared to be no atmosphere. such a shame.

20 Mar 2008 09:57

The 'new' owner took over last April and is trying to build up a trade for food, which is what the layout is best suited to. Beer-wise, there is always 6X and Henry's + one other on pull. Stowford Press, Amstel, Stella,Fosters and Guinness make up the kegs. There is a fine selection of wines, and 'top-shelves'.We have eaten there 6 times and the food/service has ranged from poor to very good. Perhaps time will tell!
I will report back

15 Feb 2008 12:04

The Abingdon Arms, Thame

Address: 21 Cornmarket, Thame, Oxfordshire, OX9 2BL [map]
Phone: 01844 260116
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Nearest train station: Haddenham & Thame Parkway (2.9 miles)

Reviews by BITE users:

Quite simply the best pub in Thame. Very well-kept beer at reasonable prices, an excellent atmosphere and a variety of people. Best of all, the ale selection is the most adventurous in the area. highly recommended.

22 Nov 2007 18:59

The place was packed when I visited. A ringing endorsement for the pub

22 Nov 2007 18:57

A real pub that sells real ale (unfortunately this type of establishment is fast disappearing.) Full of friendly people - both staff and customers alike. Well worth a visit if you`re ever in the area

22 Nov 2007 18:56

The Pear Tree Inn, Hook Norton

Address: Scotland End, Hook Norton, Banbury, Oxfordshire, OX15 5NU [map]
Phone: 01608 737482
See full pub details

Reviews by BITE users:

Good selection of Hooky beers, which there should be as this is the closest pub to the brewery!
Foods Ok if you like microwave meals or frozen food.
Shame about the garden, has real potential as is of a good size and location. Landlord is a pleasent chap, however a female member of staff was quite rude and didn't want to serve as to busy watching the box.

11 Aug 2008 23:24

After a long walk we arrived at the Pear Tree at 1:30 knowing that they served lunch till 2:00. I asked at the bar for a menu to be told that they were not taking any more orders as they were "too busy". That despite the fact that we were unfortunate enough to be staying their that night. No wonder people holiday abroad if you are faced with this miserable approach to cutomer care in this country. We returned several hours later to be shown to our room - a pokey and unclean affair that smelt of dog's urine - there were dog hairs everywhere. I'd put up with this if they at least sold a good pint. They don't. God knows how diffifult it is with the brewery just around the corner. The breakfast the following morning was disgusting, and I mean disgusting, complete with smelly dog jumping up at the table. All in all bloody awful.

30 May 2008 15:29

I popped in here this weekend and the beer was spot on. Also the MD of the brewery was having a pint in there so it can't be as bad as some make out. Well worth a visit as long as you have an obliging driver.

5 May 2008 14:55

More information

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