I'm Cambridge based and planning to defect to the 'other' city for a few days this weel.
So Gents, your top ale houses of Oxford please 🙂
Four Candles, it's a Wetherspoon's but it's ok
White Horse, Turf, 3 Goats Heads, Bear, Eagle & Child... Can't go wrong really, just go with what you like the look of!
Okay, google this lot, Evening:
Rose and Crown on North Parade
Walk to Eagle and Child, ancient and famous.
Back out toward little Clarendon St, Duke of Cambridge
Then down st to Raouls (I think), then walk away from town up toward Jericho.
Loads good pubs and food.
Day:
Get a taxi to the Trout, Wolvercote if it's not too busy, have a drink, if it is move on.
Walk along river (port meadow) you'll pass the Perch, then cross river into Jericho, walk towards town.
The town centre is shyte
There are one or two great little pubs but that's it.
The Eagle And Child, Far From The Madding Crowd, Lamb And Flag, Old Bookbinders.
Far From The Madding Crowd was voted CAMRA Oxford Pub Of The Year 2009/2011.
Turf Tavern, Eagle and Child, Lamb and Flag.
The Lamb and Flag was our pub of choice in the sixth form, we used to more or less fill the front room on a Saturday evening. Ushers Directors was my pint of choice.
The Eagle and Child was an interesting place in the late 70s/very early 80s. It was run by a real old dragon, with a face made for sucking lemons. She had two inbred-looking lads behind the bar who may have been her sons. I once got thrown out for ordering "Two frontal lobotomies and a face-lift please."
You could have a very enjoyable evening exploring Jericho, north of the city centre. The Rose and Crown in North Parade was my local but isn't so good in summer, likewise the Bookbinders. But the Harcourt Arms has a nice garden and no tv, etc.
I'm not a fan if the city pubs - eagle & child, lamb & flag, Kings Arms - as they tend to fill with tourists. The Turf is probably the pick here.
And getting up to the Trout or the Perch if you have a bike is fun.
Any of the ones that aren't full of student ****
Head of the River, pretty setting but quite expensive.
Eagle and Child
The Turf Tavern - good luck finding this one 😉
Kings Arms does cheaper student prices!
The Red Lion in Gloucester Green has recently had a massive make over, good food there now before it was hideous the choice of violent drunks.
The Trout (which is out of town) used to be lovely but last time I went it was ridiculoulsy over priced "Oxford" rubbish, may well have changed again since i've been.
If you want super super nice just out there's The Bell in hampton Poyle (could probably get he bus there) and The Nut Tree Inn at Murcot, they have a Michelin star and the food is phenomenal.
I wouldn't bother with the majority of the city centre ones mentioned above - maybe the Three Goats' Heads. Rose and Crown and and Harcourt Arms in Jericho. Also the Rusty Bike on Magdelen Road, and the Cricketers' Arms on Iffley Road, are pretty good. Donnington Arms on Howard St has a good Nepalese restaurant in one half of it.
Thanks for all the recommendations I'll be sure to look into a good few of them.
MC - I'll be staying at the Bell so looking forward to eating there and having a beer too 🙂
TOby1 The Bell is lovely! Some nice roadie rides from tehre too if you are staying there.
If we are talking food, The Nut Tree is great, but I prefer The Mole Inn in 'Toot Balden'
yes that is a village name, not an Elizabethan insult.