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Rose & Crown
14 North Parade Avenue
Oxford
OX2 6LX
Tel: 01865 510551
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The Rose & Crown is one of Oxford’s finest pubs. Slightly off the beaten track, it can be found on the picturesque North Parade Avenue and is popular with locals and students from the nearby colleges. Eccentric and charming with a real sense of tradition; the warm welcome from the genial landlord, the perfectly kept ales served in traditional pint glasses with handles, pistachio nuts by the pint, pickled eggs, a lovely beer garden and a selection of good pub food are just a handful of reasons why the Rose & Crown has been consistently voted Oxford Pub of the Year.
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Turf Tavern
7 Bath Place
Oxford
OX1 3SU
Tel: 01865 243235
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A wonderful pub, steeped in tradition and something of an Oxford institution. Inspector Morse and Jude Fawley, hero of Thomas Hardy’s classic ‘Jude the Obscure’, have joined the throngs at The Turf over the years. The old coaching inn has an organic feel to it, the eccentric layout arising from the buildings being added to gradually over the years. Inside, the bars are intimate and cosy with impossibly low ceilings and wooden beams. Outside, the courtyards are covered and heated, so visitors can enjoy the remarkable ales, ciders and wines outside all year round. Roast chestnuts are a speciality in the winter months.
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The Bear Inn
6 Alfred Street
Oxford
OX1 4EH
Tel: 01865 728164
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The Bear can be found tucked away down a side street between the High Street and St. Aldate’s. It is one of Oxford’s oldest pubs, there having been a pub of the same name on the site since 1242. The pub consists of two wood-panelled rooms, both with incredibly low ceilings and absurdly sloping floors. There is an ever-growing collection of ties adorning the walls to keep you amused while you enjoy one of the several cask ales that are always available. This pub has character.
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White Horse
52 Broad Street
Oxford
OX1 3BB
Tel: 01865 728318
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The White Horse is a traditional pub in every sense of the word and stands in a wonderful location on Broad Street, opposite the Sheldonian Theatre. The interior of the pub is quite dark and the ceiling low, but this is all part of the charm of this remarkable pub. There are a number of well-kept cask ales on tap, along with a good range of malt whiskies and good pub food to accompany them. Popular with locals, tourists and the customary students.
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Eagle and Child
49 St. Giles
Oxford
OX1 3LU
Tel: 01865 302925
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Another of Oxford’s most famous pubs, the ‘Bird and Baby’ served as lodgings for the Chancellor of the Exchequer when Oxford was the Royalist capital during the English Civil War. In more recent times, the pub was frequented by the literary legends C.S. Lewis, J.R.R. Tolkein and C. Williams as ‘The Inklings’ used the pub for their weekly meetings. Today the pub is still popular and has a lively atmosphere, with good beer and decent pub food.
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Kings Arms
40 Holywell Street
Oxford
OX1 3SP
Tel: 01865 242369
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There’s a fair chance that everyone will end up in the Kings Arms at some point during their time in Oxford. Its prime location opposite the Sheldonian Theatre, coupled with its good range of well-kept beer and reasonably priced food, are what make it such an enduring favourite.
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Lamb and Flag
12 St. Giles
Oxford
OX1 3JS
Tel: 01865 515787
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The Lamb and Flag is another Oxford pub with literary connections; Thomas Hardy reputedly spent some time here as he wrote his classic ‘Jude the Obscure’. The pub is actually a part of St. John’s College these days and as such attracts a large number of students. The pub is deceptively large inside and has a traditional feel. The excellent choice of real ales and decent pub food, served in a pleasant, lively atmosphere ensure its continuing popularity.
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Head of the River
Folly Bridge
Oxford
OX1 4LB
Tel: 01865 721600
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On the banks of the Isis stands the Head of the River. It is an enduring, popular pub, and with good reason; the riverside patio, complete with canopies and gas heaters, is quite possibly Oxford’s finest beer garden and is an extremely pleasant venue for a pint of one of the usually well-kept Fuller’s ales. A selection of meals is also served.
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The Angel & Greyhound
30 St. Clements Street
Oxford
OX4 1AB
Tel: 01865 242660
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Take an invigorating stroll over Magdalen Bridge and before long you will reach The Angel & Greyhound, and you’ll be glad that you did. Whether you choose to sip a pint of one of the many excellent Young’s ales in the cosy wood-panelled bar, watching the world go by in the front beer garden, or in the pleasant surroundings of the rear beer garden, you cannot help but be impressed.
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Radcliffe Arms
67 Cranham Street
Oxford
OX2 6DE
Tel: 01865 514762
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Situated in the quaint, bohemian Jericho area, close to the Radcliffe Infirmary and Oxford University Press, ‘The Raddy’ continues to be enormously popular with a very diverse clientele. With traditional fittings, a laid back, friendly atmosphere, good cask ales and a superb selection of inexpensive but well turned out bar meals, it is not difficult to see why.
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Jude the Obscure
54 Walton Street
Oxford
OX2 6AE
Tel: 01865 557309
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Walton Street has become one of the coolest parts of Oxford, and Jude the Obscure certainly doesn’t feel out of place in such affluent surroundings. The interior is dark and cosy and a host of cask ales are served along with reasonably priced food. There is also a very pleasant decked patio at the back, and the atmosphere in the evenings is lively, with a good mix of students and locals.
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The Old School
Gloucester Green
Oxford
OX1 2DA
Tel. 01865 792703
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Despite being in an unremarkable location next to Gloucester Green Bus Station, The Old School is certainly worth a visit. Formerly a school for boys, built in 1898, it is now a pub with a dual identity; cool and calm during the day, offering a relaxed location to enjoy a quiet drink, but somewhat more lively and vibrant in the evening. The entrance to the Oxford Tourist Information Centre can be found by entering the pub.
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Three Goats Heads
3a St. Michaels Street
Oxford
OX1 2DR
Tel: 01865 721523
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Three Goats Heads is a Samuel Smith’s pub, situated next door to The Oxford Union. Despite its esteemed neighbour, it is still, relatively speaking, off the beaten track. This is no bad thing, as the Three Goats Heads’ relaxed, chilled-out atmosphere is one of its great charms. Air conditioned and comfortable, with simply amazing décor, this twin level pub is a great place to unwind with a quiet drink and a tasty bar meal.
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Victoria Arms
Mill Lane
Old Marston
Oxford
OX3 0PZ
Tel: 01865 241382
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A famous pub by the banks of the River Cherwell, in the lovely surroundings of Old Marston village. It is customary to arrive at the Victoria Arms aboard a punt. The journey takes around 2 hours from the centre of Oxford, although it can be reached much more quickly via the riverside footpath or by car. The beer garden spills over onto a meadow by the river and it is an extremely pleasant and popular place to be on a warm summer evening. The beer and food are also very good.
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Folly Bridge Inn
38 Abingdon Road
Oxford
OX1 4PD
Tel: 01865 790106
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At the other end of the Folly Bridge from the Head of the River pub stands the Folly Bridge Inn, and what a good pub it is. Unpretentious, cosy and welcoming, students and locals mingle freely, partaking in the well-kept and remarkably well-priced Wadworth ales. A splendid range of bar meals is also served and in the summer, the beer garden is extremely pleasant.
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The Wharf House
14 Butterwyke Place
Oxford
OX1 1TT
Tel: 01865 246752
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Utterly eccentric and genuinely individual, the Wharf House, built in the 1820s, looks completely out of place among the 1960s and later buildings that make up the St. Ebbes area. Completely off the tourist trail, the Wharf House is pretty basic, with little in the way of furnishing. But to deride the pub because of this would be to miss the point. Its raison d’etre is about drinking, and in this respect it excels, with some of the best kept ales in Oxford.
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James Street Tavern
47-48 James Street
Oxford
OX4 1EU
Tel: 01865 247127
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Although there is a plethora of pubs in the Cowley Road area, some very good, the James Street Tavern is certainly among the best and is definitely worth the 10-minute walk from the centre of town. It has a lively, friendly atmosphere and is extremely popular with students who live nearby.
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The Star
21 Rectory Road
Oxford
OX4 1BU
Tel: 01865 248011
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Tucked away between St. Clements and the Cowley Road, it may be easy to overlook The Star, but you would be missing out if you did. The Star is a very pleasant and popular pub, serving a good range of cask ales as well as a choice of bar meals.
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Isis Tavern
Iffley Lock
The Towing Path
Oxford
OX4 4EL
Tel: 01865 247006
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Although it is quite a walk from the centre of Oxford, situated at Iffley Lock on the River Thames (or Isis as it is known in Oxford), the Isis Tavern is a very popular pub. It specialises in meals, and can get very busy on Sundays, and even more so in the summer months when its riverside location makes it a magnet for those who want to get away from the bustle of Oxford and enjoy a quiet pint.
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Gardeners Arms
North Parade Avenue
Oxford
OX2 6LX
Tel: 01865 554007
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The Gardeners Arms is a traditional pub that can be found on North Parade Avenue, one of Oxford’s most attractive streets. It is a cosy, relaxed pub inside, with friendly bar staff and a good range of cask ales that are well kept. There is also a selection of meals available at a reasonable price.
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