please note - reviews on this site are purely the opinion of site visitors, so don't take them too seriously.
On my short visit to Oxford, also came here on 23rd and 24th.
A very old pub - reportedly an inn of some sort or another for more then 750 years. Serving areas are pretty tiny and interior drinking area not much bigger! There is an outside area a bit down the lane which was well used in the warm weather and had some cool jazz playing on evening of 24th - not too loud and very enjoyable.
Service was smiling and efficient and I had pints of Shotover Prospect and Olivers Island - both very good indeed.
Some tourists obviously (me included) but also a good number of locals and regulars happy engage in a chat.
Enjoyed it very much.
What ho!
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Really good boozer - just off the main drag. Great atmosphere, plenty of conversation. Great old interior with partioned alcoves and a top pint of ESB.
Recommended.
Visit blogged at http://bit.ly/2tFIpRz
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An enjoyable and friendly pub just off the main areas of the city. Beers all in good nick, with a very nice pints of ESB and Seafarer enjoyed. The slightly cramped, almost intimate size of the pub, means that you invariably get to talking to other people - which for some is ok, but for others not so much.
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Proper pub. Worth a visit.
Muzzy - 22 Jun 2015 15:30 |
Tried this puib again (early this time) and had a pint of HSB. It was outstanding. Very nice little pub with lots of character. It would have been perfect if it wasn't for the rather annoying idiot talking to his wife about flying a plane at the weekend for his daughter and his 'days at Oxford'!!! 8/10 from me.
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This place claims to be the oldest pub in Oxford (est. 1242) – it is also one of the most expensive ! [ £4 a pint ] Sells a range of Fullers beers, plus a “guest” or two. However, on the two occasions I’ve been there, 12 months apart, the guest has been the same ! [ Shotover Oxford Prospect ] Food is available, but not sampled.
The actual pub is tiny, but it has expanded with an outdoor drinking area going a long way down the side of an adjacent street. I’m not sure why anyone would choose to sit there, as the whole point of the pub is it’s antiquity. Also, the “tie room” of course. This has to be seen to be believed, and is a real eye-opener the first time you visit, but the novelty soon wears off.
6/10 – pretty much a tourist ripoff.
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Not the biggest pub in the world but has some character. Hidden down a side street near to Christ Church college. Was going to try a local real ale but the pub was so bury with American tourists I decided to move on. Will visit again though!!
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Best pub that we encountered whilst in Oxford for the CAMRA beer festival. Crowded, granted and a little pricey,but minus the concomitant gown fluttering and posing from those we were informed were 'freshers', ( not early Halloween revellers ) all too apparent at other hostelries we visited.
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Best pub that we encountered whilst in Oxford for the CAMRA beer festival. Crowded, granted and a little pricey,but minus the concomitant gown fluttering and posing from those we were informed were 'freshers', ( not early Halloween revellers ) all too apparent at other hostelries we visited.
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excellent pub. inside its all small rooms with low ceilings and wonky beams. wonderfully traditional. nice beer, great service. also the calm and quiet of the street despite being directly off the high street makes it a little oasis.
also, the atmoshere was great, lots of laughter and friendly people. there seemed to be maily locals in there too, not that many tourists which is (understandably) a rareity in the pretty pubs of central oxford.
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Pub number 2 of my GBB guide pub tick fest.
The Bear is reputably the oldest pub in Oxford, it certainly is low inside and being 6ft 4" I had to duck quite a bit.
This Fullers pub had 6 of their beers on and 1 from an outside brewery. The stickey wicket I had was in fine form.
Lovely outside area with umbrellas on some of the tables to shadow you from the baking hot sun.
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Another Inspector Morse type of place with low ceilings, small rooms and a decent supply of beers. If you were wearing a tie that didn't already feature in their collection, they used to threaten to cut it off! Anyone looking for a traditonal pub in the heart of Oxford won't be disappointed.
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Being a tied house I would normally have given this a miss but thought I'd see if they had Black Cab stout on and was surprised and pleased to see they did so we stayed a while. Also good to see a guest on, this one being from The Shotover Brewery. I need to check that one out. As TWG says this is a pub that should be on the discerning drinkers circuit of Oxford.
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Great grammar TWG, and spot on with the comments. 7.5/10.
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I am liking what Mcroyal said on 1 June last year as it pretty much encapsulates the situation one finds at this cosy, welcoming and actually much-improved backstreet boozer. Last time I bothered to step in here it was a nice enough experience, but not one which was especially worthy of repeating. That seems to have changed since Fuller's reign began.
The Bear does seem to attract a pleasing plethora of punters, especially at busy lunch and evening sessions and there is an authentic conviviality between bar staff and customers. They are well-informed about what's on offer (the ales in particular) and many a local and tourist leaves the bar safe in the knowledge they've been given a genuinely good pint of real English beer.
There is an olde-worlde vibe, not least because of the tight layout, but also the building has mercifully remained relatively untouched by modern intrusions, even after the Fuller's takeover. The club tie collection might sound a little pretentious to some but then in the Oxfordian context no-one could deny that it fits right in!
The standard Fuller's range is much in evidence but - hurrah - foresight has prevailed here and they allow a decent couple of guests to share bar space (given the nearby competition of the Turf where even GK allow numerous other beers to be sold, this is a wise move). I sampled the Shotover Prospect and found it to be in splendid shape - really enjoyed it.
I can't comment about grub; being a Fuller's house now I expect the Bear serves the usual roll-call of restaurant-sounding recipes as they all do. Mark you, the meals are unlikely to be the best value. Fuller's have a universal pricing strategy based on affluent middle-class London, and this outlet is no exception just because it's in Oxford. Then again I sensed that there's quite enough cash flowing around to sustain a good sesh here, steep though it may seem.
I must say I'm persuaded to add the Bear to the ever-lengthening list of must-visit pubs here, as provided one can secure a decent seat (ideally at the bar!) then there's nothing to not like. Might add that Prospect to the equally-expansive list of must-quaff beers too.
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Very popular and busy Fuller's pub. Lots of ties in display cases. Not cheap i grant you. �3.60 for ESB would be a bargain in my local in South London. Wood floor and fittings.
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At �3.60 for a pint of ESB this pub is seriously taking the p*ss.
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Popped in to escape a very busy saturday Oxford. There were 6 beers on the wicket, although a couple of them were going off. 4 were Fullers (Pride, Chiswick, ESB and HSB) and the others Shotover's Prospect and Butcombe Bitter (both excellent). The pub was very hot and humid inside, but had a steady stream of custom. Worth a visit if it's quiet.
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Hard to add to the review below (mcroyal) - perhaps a visit before the evening rush saw it at it's best; a great place to read a book with excellent local beer. Similar feel to the Free Press in Cambridge. Beer prices higher in Cambridge !
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I usually pop in for a pint when I'm in Oxford as it is a unique little pub with its amazing collection ties and the "olde-worlde" feel to it. It is a Fullers pub but does offer at least one guest ale - I had Shotover Brewery "Prospect" and it was very good if a bit expensive. You meet all sorts in here - from deans and dons to beer fans to visiting tourists. Worth a visit.
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Small two-roomed street corner pub on a backstreet off the High St. Will probbaly be on many people's Oxford itinery of pubs. Has a classic old style small quirky pub feel to it. It's a Fuller's house and does have guest ales - both were from the Shotover brewey one was off and the other I ordered just went off as I ordered it (testimony to the popularity of guest ales against Fuller's offerings maybe?). The Fullers options were Chiswick, Pride, ESB and HSB. Went for the HSB which was a decent enough pint. It is worth dropping in to though wouldn't see it as being a 'destination' pub for most. Somewhere to drop in and see on the way to somewehre else.
anonymous - 29 May 2011 11:03 |
Nice interesting interior but very expensive beer
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An interesting interior worth looking in for if you are after a new tie. Alas, a pub that could be great but lacking in beer choice? Saved by a pint of Spring Sprinter, appropriate for this weather
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Expensive pint of Chiswick.
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Traditional pub - lovely interior. Service not particularly good. Had to wait a long time for meal to arrive and it was very average - expensive too.
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Sad to say the last few times I've visited the beer in general has been pretty sub par, flat & lifeless. One of my favourite Oxford pubs in the recent past but I've had to move on. �3.45 for a pint of Fullers ESB in poor condition is pushing it too much.
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Nice pub, good Fuller ales and fires. Only thing is a bit touristy.
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It's great to see a local pub selling local beers, like Shotover. We've had a great few pints in here. It's tiny and the tie collection in the back room will keep you entertained. The sign directing ladies to toilet near the front door always makes me snigger.
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Wonderful backstreet pub, great pint of ESB, bare boards and open fire, shame there are not more pubs like this!
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Small and basic, but very well run and the beers are kept in good condition. Our favorite place in the summer when visiting Oxford as the outdoor patio is a great place to quietly consume and watch the people walking past on Blue Boar street.
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Since Fuller's took the pub over about 18 months ago, there has been a definite improvement here, but that's not to say that it's always been a very decent pub. Real log/coal fires ahve replaced the gas fires, and some improved banquette seating has been introduced. The ale range has increased - there are now 5 beers on - 3 Fuller's and two guests - opn my recent visit, one from Butcome, and one from the new local microbrewery Shotover.
Beer was in fine form - the only drawback to the pub is that the prices are rather steep.
Quite a few Oxford City centre pubs have seen significant improvement in recent years - The Grapes, The Blenheim and the Chequers spring to mind. The improvement here is less marked, as there was little wrong with it to begin with, but it's good to see another Oxford boozer heading in the right direction.
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Quaint old pub, expect to see Lord Snooty doing a gin.
I've heard there are 4500 ties on the walls / ceiling.
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Very small but cosy 2 roomed wooden panelled pub, with low ceilings and wooden floors.
A real fire in each room, which is a nice touch.
Very atmospheric and the type of pub I expected to find more of in Oxford.
Symonds cider was very nice, if a tiny bit pricey at �3.65. Very friendly Landlord, who on our 3rd visit, held the pint glass under the Cider tap, before I had even asked for it.
One of, if not the best pubs we visited.
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Nice pub, great friendly service and the beer (though at West End prices!) was well kept/served. Food also seemed *very* expensive for what it was, no doubt after the tourist dollar there which is a shame.
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Aside from all the tourist stuff, this is a very good pub, one of the best in the poorly pubserved central area of Oxford. Beer's great, food untested but menu was small and fresh looking. An easy place to spend the whole afternoon I reckon. And a great place to meet visitors.8/10
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Popped in for a quick pint at lunchtime, I liked it, interesting historic pub selling a good choice of ales.Good service friendly staff.
Not particularly busy.
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I like this pub but after a while all the ties on the walls become wearing. If you want to see the sights of Oxford by all means include it but there are better places to spend the evening.
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I bloody love this pub. Two fireplaces in the winter, and nice and crampt. It's real, which is more than you can say for most drinking holes these days. Does good bar snacks.
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An excellent pub all round. Very cosy on my last visit; friendly staff and a good range of drinks. Always pleasant to revisit places that have actually improved in recent years in Oxford, but this is also a result of the Bear not being steamrollered by Greene King bandwagon that has resulted in most of the former Morrells estate becoming no-go areas.
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A tiny and characterful two room pub. as a good, quiet location tucked away from the High and next door to Merton. Notable for ancient beams, warm fires and huge tie collection displayed on the walls and ceiling. Offers a slightly extended Fullers range with Discovery and HSB.
I'd suspect the pub quiz might be rather tricky.....
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I took my friend to this pub on Saturday 23rd as she's emmigrating and I wanted to take her to some pubs she hadn't been to before.
I ordered 1 bacardi & diet coke and 1 JD and diet coke and was charged �9.80.
I questioned the price and was told it was correct and that the JD shot alone was �5. They were singles, not doubles so I'm sorry, but whoever said this pub was reasonably priced was very wrong. For a comparison - we bought the same round of drinks in another pub and was charged �5.60.
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I wouldn't recommend going here if you're looking to sit outside. The "beer garden" is some garden benches on the pavemenet outside. It wasn't helped on the day we were there, by some very drunk loud guys at the next table!
The staff were sympathetic, beer good and food OK. Try to get a table inside.
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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
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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 Oxford
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I 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.
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This remains one of my favourite pubs in Oxford - small but full of character. Also reasonably priced. Tucked away a bit which keeps the tourists out (a plus in my book!!)
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Small two roomed pub with 5 casks - Fullers/Gales and Hooky Bitter. Smells of chips. Glass cases contain the clipped ends of club ties signed by the owners. Nice place.
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It is my favorite pub in UK. At its side, it was "The Archery Tavern", near Paddington Station. Unfortunately, it was closed last year. However The
Bear is too small and old, there is a terrific hamburger there... and a pint of Guiness...perfect!
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I don't actually remember going here. Is that proof how drunk I was at the time (especially as I remember a whole host of rather more striking things that I did, but then that would mean I'm not drunk)?
Will2 - 27 May 2007 23:01 |
An Ale Of Two Cities - the Oxford and Cambridge boat race crawl
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Horrible little pub
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The Bear is a good pub without being great. Obviously well known for its tie collection, which helped to solve a tricky Morse case, it is full of character but rather average on the beer front. Small, compact, crowded and full of diners, its a good pub to visit on a circuit but not one to linger in.
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I went in here with a group of 10 people and we would have nearly filled the place up on our own. I should have taken my crash helmet to avoid the low beams in the ceiling!
It was overly busy, so after waiting a while to get served at the tiny bar we went and sat on the long benches around the back of the pub. Fortunately it was a sunny afternoon and it was very enjoyable, even if it did feel like you weren't actually at a pub, more sitting in a pedestrian zone in a shopping centre.
Due to it being very busy I never really got to have a look around, maybe next time.
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Nice traditional Oxford pub, very busy last Saturday lunchtime, but it was warm enough to sit outside where there's a few benches. Oxford is not short of decent pubs, but you should try to do this one if possible
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Lovely, ancient lpub in the backsteets of Oxford, serving an honest pint and decent food. Seems like it must have been here forever.
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Nice Pub, but seen to think 75% of pint is a pint.
They do top up if ask, but still luckly to be 90% full.
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The Bear was my priority in my recent trip to Oxford. Was a bit of a let down. It was a nice snug little place but seemed empty and tired. Staff wasn't to interested in my custom either. Had a pint of Brakspear and found it be be average at best (from a cellar stand point).
However my experience may have been tainted by the fact that hardly anyone else in the pub and I went with my wife who didn't like the tie bits particularly one box on the ceiling that had what appeared to be a nice mold growth going.
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my fave pub in the world - love it!!! had the pleasure of being relief manager here about ten years ago for a couple of weeks. Didn't want to leave!
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A pub that doesn't quite deliver on its promise. Miniscule inside, and possibly the ugliest outside area in the city, with umbrellas the only saving grace. The food is of a pretty good standard and well-priced. The beers are never as good as you hope: this has more to do with the selection than the keeping. But given the dearth of quality city centre pubs worth bearing in mind.
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Lovely Lovely pub, what a little gem
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Great little pub. Querky with good beers, nice landlord, but beware of outdoor cricket in summer.
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Yeah, nice little pub. I felt a bit embarrassed, not having a posh accent!! but people were friendly and the drinks were fine.
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Superb little pub; many visitors to Oxford seem to miss this one, but it's worth searching for!
Usually three cask ales (usually well kept), impossibly sloping floor, impossibly low ceilings and tremendous charm. Eccentric collection of ties, too.
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My favourite Oxford pub - just beware of wearing an exotic tie in the place!!!!!
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What a find. Stopped in there one Saturday whilst looking aroudn a few Oxford pubs and this was the best we found. A bit on the small side but a cracking pint of Braks and very good friendly staff. Will definitely be heading back in the summer to spend a day there.
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Great pub, underrated on this site. I remember getting drunk here last summer on pitchers of a nice real ale - can't remember which was too sozzled.
anonymous - 15 Dec 2005 15:49 |
Nice pub, small, had a good pint of Brakspears. Tourists seemed to keep wandering in and hovering without actually having a drink, which was a bit irritating.
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Lovely pub, great on a cold winters night. Beware to those under 6 foot as the ceiling is very low!
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Great back street boozer.
Really historic and all that, i like the one about the hooker ex land lady collecting the ties of her clients. It known for being the wonkiest, during my duller days I was tempted to go at it with a spirit level.
The tourists, strangely, never seemed to be able to open the doors, and no, they don�t sell t shirts.
Nice food, although it�s suspiciously similar to every other pubs in oxford. Try the delightful beer �garden�, the ideal place for a large GnT, with lime and loads and loads of ice.
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Probably the last place in the world to go for a pint. Full of loud Hurray-Henries, camera-wielding Yanks and deadbeats. Dreadful.
Popper - 21 Oct 2004 22:01 |
Ifriend, thanks for the comments!
Should I know you?
E.
Eric. - 14 Sep 2004 11:48 |
This is a pub whose regulars have a character which matches the building.
Infrequent visitors will only see the students and the students will only see each other .. but behind it all the locals actually love this place and the pub itself is a piece of history almost untouched by the generations that have stooped under it's low ceilings.
Matthew Pinsent was here once, I was here on many occasions (but although I'm supposedly well known that shouldn't matter!). The real point is that if you want to know the locals, go into The Bear, go into "the Office" and ask for "Eric"
... they will know who you mean and believe me you'll get a smile.. Then and only then will you know the real Oxford..
lfriend - 26 Aug 2004 23:23 |
Authentic with small amounts of room for the little people.
Ron Malibu - 13 Dec 2003 19:00 |
Historic yes, quaint yes, but if your meeting more than five people its gonna get sweaty, cracking bar staff good beer i really liked it but as with most people from the 13th centuary its a little bit small!!!
Nick - 29 Sep 2003 16:46 |
A nice pub. Liked the tie collection and the Old Speckeled Hen ale. Seems a good place to get away from the BS.
Fat A. Tourist - 26 Sep 2003 21:23 |
Tiny city centre pub, oldest in Oxford(1242), low celings, oak beams, no messing about or tinkering from a brewery 'make-over/theme' department.
No fruit machine, no TV, no music.
Lots of different bitters inc. guest beers.
Good mixture of town and gown, loads of pretty young students in term time
Great pub for talking bollocks and getting in a tangle!
Andy Hill - 26 Sep 2003 17:26 |
A lovely pub. A good place to start an Oxford "crawl", with a good range of real ales this pub is frequented by town and gown alike. Small and intimate, this pub is divided into at least two bars and drinking areas. Keep visiting you will not be disappointed.
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Constructed by Disney specially for the midget actors used in Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, this exceedingly diminutive pub has now become a haven for those seeking a quiet pint away from fat american tourists. It sells good beer too.
Tom - 15 Jan 2003 16:20 |
great pub, really historic and well known in oxford, has a very famous 'cut off tie' collection, whereby if anyone came into the pub wearing a tie that had not been added to the collection of ties they have the bar staff would cut it off, so there's now ties covering the walls and ceilings...its absolutely tiny, but a really great pub.
Miranda Wood - 13 Jun 2002 16:56 |
