The Pubs of Oxford

(Fall, 2012)  Really, now, what visit to Oxford would be complete without a trip to as many pubs as possible?  Having spent three months there, there was quite a bit of time to visit a good number of them.  Though, as I'm sure is no surprise to you, my focus on my research often got in the way of going to the pubs.  As a result, my trips tended to be either for lunch every few weeks, or a massive weekend pub crawl to commemorate some special occasion (a friend in town, end of term for my colleagues, someone going/coming, etc.).

 

We'll start with one of the best, the Eagle and Child.  Or, as Dad used to call it, the Bird and the Babe.  This was one of his favorite places in Oxford to grab a pint, which is completely understandable once you walk through the doors and see the history - Tolkien, Lewis, and many others used to do their creative ponderings here.

 

Right across the street, another classic pub: the Lamb and Flag.  Work was only a stone throw away at this point, so I rarely stopped in though I passed it by every day.

 Also right along my daily walking route was the Bear Inn, a pub that had been in continuous operation since 1242!.  And we think of our colonial houses as being old here in the states...

 As you can imagine, inside the Bear was slightly cramped.  Here is my flatmate Fred arched over as he tries to stand inside.

 

Inside the Turf Tavern with my second flatmate, Alex. Rumor has it, this is where Hugh Grant used to enjoy coming in order to pick up undergrads...yeah...

 

Another pub that we made it to a few times (since they had Young's Double Chocolate Stout on draft) was the King's Arms. Sadly, many of these pubs are now corporately owned, so the variety of beers isn't like it is in the states with our trend towards microbreweries.  Instead, it seems that there're a handful of beers at each pub (think like Coors, Miller, Corona, but the English equivalent and slightly better) that you see over and over again.

 

Now, in case you're wondering, not every pub was dark, crowded, and with low ceilings.  Here's a picture from Brown's Bar, across the street from the Lamb and Flag.

 

But, places like Brown were the exception, not the rule.  Dark, crowded, and cacophonous are the words I'd used to describe most pubs. This is the other side of the Turf.

 

Most pubs usually had a sampling of food.  Some better than others, but the primary business during the days seemed to be a place to eat lunch.  Above is Fred at All Bar One, one of the few chains that I came across in England.

 

And some were even surprisingly modern, such as the previously mentioned Freud's, located in Jericho (the cool place for students to live on the west side of the main road in Oxford).

 

Or Raoul's, across the street.  Both of these were some of Elizabeth's haunts when she was a student at Oxford.

 

But, by and large, most pubs were old, repurposed buildings that had character, such as St. Aldates Tavern.

 

Or the White Horse Brewery (aka, the Royal Blenheim, not to be confused with the Black Horse Inn or the White Horse Pub...)

 

And a few were farther afield, such as the Trout

 

and the Perch.

So, now that I've finished uploading photos of about half of the pubs that I've made it to, some useful information: recommendations!

Best food/experience (though a bit of a hike): The Trout.

Best place to get a pint and a bite in historical confines: The Eagle and Child (though I'm a bit biased).  The Bear Inn is another historical place, but usually it's very crowded.

Typical atmosphere, though slightly touristy: The King's Arms and The Turf.

Best food that's not a bit of a hike: I suggest looking in a category other than pubs...

Not in this list is that each college has their own set of bars.  Tremendous fun if you're a student during term time with colleagues.

In summary, if you want a typical pub experience, you really can't go wrong.  Just pick someplace that looks crowded, wade in to the bar, and get whatever is on tap.  You don't need me to help you figure the rest out.