please note - reviews on this site are purely the opinion of site visitors, so don't take them too seriously.
A swift hop and a jump over North Parade Avenue from the Gardener's Arms will leave you at the entrance of the Rose & Crown, the better of the two pubs on this narrow street of shops and cafes. It has low ceilings, dark rooms and an outdoor drinking area at the rear. The 3 regular ales are Adnams Bitter, Hook Norton Old Hooky & Shotover Scholar. Shotover Trinity. Plenty of character in this old pub, that actually had a fire going (in mid-April). A CAMRA discount is offered too.
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Superb old pub,well worth the journey out of central Oxford,we tried two very nice beers,Shotover Scholar and one from the Shakespeare Brewery.
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It's okay but although it is an original pub it did have a contrived feel to it. Ale was okay.
anonymous - 8 May 2016 21:15 |
Popped back in again on my way back from the town centre. Not busy for a Thursday night so i managed to get a seat. Friendly staff serving tonight.
I was surprised that the prices here are a lot higher than the city centre about 50/80p, i had not noticed before. Shotover Scholar £3.80.
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Lovely pub. I had a couple of pints of Shotover Oxford Scholar which went down a treat. The landlord didn't seem to be around, but the two barmaids were quick and friendly and the clientele were nice. A real discovery for me, since I thought I knew all the good pubs in Oxford. I'd definitely go back.
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Has to be one of the very best pubs in north Oxford, just gets everything right. Old Hooky always on, think Shotover is pretty regular too. The courtyard garden out back has a mediteranean feel with vines above and yellow painted benches, while there are also a few chairs out front on the attractive street.
The landlord Andrew is a brilliant character, classic moment the other evening when one of the bar staff asked if I wanted a handle or straight glass, he just came over and gently explained Old Hooky should always be in a handle. Just don't use your phone in the pub (and quite right too...)
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Exemplary and the landlord's offer to talk me through the beers was a lovely touch - Old Hooky, Adnams and a couple of other good ones the names of which escape me were on offer on the occasion of my visit. There is a cosiness, even on a damp Monday evening - although the covered garden is missable and sees the pub's score drop from a 9 to an 8. Yet another excellent Oxford pub.
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Small pub made larger with a covered garden. Front and rear rooms and corridor all with bars. Wooden benches and tables, good beers and reasonable food.
Started to fill up with the braying hoards in their gowns and fancy dress form a Uni, on a pub crawl. returned to normality when they left.
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Oh crikey. Everything the previous reviews have said and more. Out of the way but well worth the trip. Top marks.
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Stripped board floor and a pew in the wide corridor offer a warm welcome as you enter and set the scene for the rest of this pub. Low ceilings throughout the corridor gives entry to a small front room, the central bar, a lovely paneled back room and a courtyard beer garden all with a great atmosphere.
Well kept Boondoggle and Scholar went down very well.
Very chatty pub in a nice out of the way street just a short walk into Oxford. Excellent traditional pub.
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Expensive but entertainingly quirky. Owner has had the pub for many years and his reputation is well known for having random house rules on what is and what isnt the proper way of doing or combining things served there. The food is pretty good fare and beer kept very well
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I might be outspoken then in being someone who was underwhelmed by my visit to the Rose and Crown. Being charged well over �3 for an admittedly well kept pint of Hooky was compounded by the barmaid refusing to sell us pickled eggs without crisps - house rules apparently. If this is an example of the eccentricities of the place then fair enough; I just found it annoying.
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Brilliant little pub with great Adnams bitter
My only minor complaint is the price of the soft drinks �3.60 for a small bottle of elderflower presse, that's 60p more than my pint of bitter!!!
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Rather quiet when we visited but drawn into the conversation by the slightly eccentric landlord. The Adnams Bitter was excellent. Didn't get much time here but there was a genuine sherpa in the bar who seemed to be a local and there were pictures of him doing Everest!! Would love to know more about him!
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Best pub in Oxford. Very well kept beer, simple food.
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Truly wonderful place. Splendid when I lived in Oxford (between 1995 and 2002), and still on top form on my last visit in summer 2008. Proper pub, and an excellent reason to live in Oxf!
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The best pub in England
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Simple, unpretentious, expensive (reassuringly), Adnams top-notch, beer garden with grapevines, toilet with hurricane hand-dryer, landlord (rather like a squire patrolling his land for young scallywags) who has been rumoured to drop the odd twittering mobile phone into the pint in front of its ill-mannered braying loser, pints of pistachios and lovely lovely Tyrells crisps. Go there.
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A 70s throwback - beer served in jugs, pickled eggs and onions on the bar. Genuine old fashioned back street boozer and great for it.
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Lively popular pub in a relaxing part of Oxford, the beer is good, always seeming to have Hooky Old on. Enjoyable atmosphere, another pub for conversation, great beer garden.
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Visited this pub a few years ago and spent �3 a pint for Adnams Broadside. Current price is now �3.20 for the Broadside and also for Hook Norton Old Hooky. Apart from beer prices it is a nice pub.
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Stumbled upon it while in Oxford for a stag weekend. The garden was perfect for chewing over the fat with friends; by the end of our visit the landlord was almost getting our next round of drinks ready for us before we needed them. Great steaks too. Hard to fault.
anonymous - 16 Jul 2007 11:28 |
I do love this pub though getting less than a quids change out of a tenner for a lager shandy a pint of Stowfords and ten fags might keep me out of here more than I would rather.
anonymous - 14 Jun 2007 15:20 |
Great beer, atmosphere and always an interesting mix of clientele. Spincat is right! The landlord [Andrew] is insane! But that's why we love him. Always a taxing moment when, after many pints, the landlord will quote your price for a round in pounds, shillings and pence!
anonymous - 9 May 2007 20:31 |
On entering I was seized by two Ukrainian wrestlers who held me upside down by the ankles and shook me until all the cash fell from my pockets.
Actually - that didn't happen, but being charged �3.20 for a pint felt like it. I won't be rushing back.
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It seems awfully remiss of me not to have passed comment on this excellent little bolthole just far enough away from the madding crowds of the centre before. I am rectifying this without further ado as it deserves a positive appraisal.
Ales are always excellently-kept, and really some of the best Adnams can be found here (not always in Suffolk!). This is a key draw.
However, I agree entirely with earlier comments about the conviviality of the landlord; a quintessential tavern-keeper who after a certain hour can be found manning the front door, but with a sort of gentlemanly charm that every overcoated "doorman" elsewhere seems to lack, more's the pity. He's simply there to dictate the pace of things as the night draws on, not to deny ingress or egress. There's no trouble here!
The pub itself can get a bit tight but that's testament to its deserving popularity with the young and old, town and gown. It excels in Summer when one can get out to the rear garden and while away the sundrenched hours with friends.
All in all a splendid little place. It would always have a chance of being a nice local, but having it in the right hands really takes it up a gear. I hope the current incumbent never sees fit to depart.
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Not cheap but a real gem. Excellent Real Ales (Adnams and Old Hooky)and a real character for a Landlord. Also right next door to a very good curry house.
A must if you are in the area !
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Splendidly traditional pub to the north of Oxford, but within easy walking distance of the City centre. As other people have commented, it is indeed rather pricey. The "friendly landlord" referred to in earlier postings was not around when I called in last Saturday lunchtime, otherwise I might have told him what I thought at being charged � 3.20 for a pint of Adnams Broadside - particularly when the famous Eagle and Child in the centre charges only � 2.55.
Despite the above, I enjoyed the visit, but I'll probably give this one a miss on principle next time I do Oxford.
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Love this place - lanlord has kept it as I remember when it was my much loved local. Lots of atmosphere in teh 3 rooms and vine-covered courtyard. Bar staff courteous and helpful - landlord insane.
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Great pub. Friendly landlord who makes the time to circulate the pub and talk to the drinkers, and shook hands with us as we left. Had a few very well kept pints of Adnams, served in a barrel glass, which is always nice. Very cosy little room, plus a nice courtyard out back. Open late (at least at weekends) - well worth checking out.
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You know you're on to a good thing when on ordering your first pint, they offer you a handle mug. Tucked away in North Parade it's taken a while for me to find. Noting quite like it, exceptional ales (Adnams, Old Hooky) on tap, cosy room and a little courtyard too. Friendly landlord, shook hands as we left!
It's open til some point after 12, but doors lock before then so get there in good time. Amazing. Only downside is it's a bit pricey.
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Quintessential Oxford pub. Always an interesting pub to spend an evening in. Slightly expensive, but what does it matter?
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Great beer, great landlord. I haven't had the food but I'm betting it's great. Pretty interesting building too. This indeed a real high point in Oxford drinking.
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Glad it's back in the BITE chart. Near to where I often work. Must be one of the best pubs in the country.
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I returned at the weekend after a long absence, and it's still a great pub. Back in the late 70s I often popped in here for a Guinness and a pork pie! Since then the pub has evolved discreetly without losing any of its charm. Good beer, very nice atmosphere. I'll be back.
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A fifteen minute stroll from the town centre brought us to this pleasant pub in a residential/mini-retail area. A bit of a haven, away from the mainstream.
The traditional interior with a couple of rooms is set out well for conversation and social drinking. There is a cosy beer garded. The Adnams beer was fine, and served in a mug! Nice for a change.
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Yes, i agree this is best pub in Oxford. Have been coming here since I was 16. Came back after 10 years and landlord remembered me. Eccentric clientele - eccentric landlord and lots of eccentric little rooms and a vine covered courtyard. Good beer, good food, good fun
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Wonderfully eccentric; academics, undergraduates, locals and tourists rub shoulders in this atmospheric little pub. Usually three well-kept cask ales on tap, excellent pub grub (take note of the Sausage Indicator!), pleasant beer garden at the rear, pickled eggs, pint glasses with handles, pistachios by the pint...just how a pub should be. Landlord is a friendly fellow too, as are the staff.
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I agree, what an awesome pub, the landlady was more than friendly when I went in there yesterday and my Guinness was top drawer as well. The layout of the place is bizarre but extremely well done. I'll be heading there later today for a pint or ten I think.
anonymous - 22 Apr 2006 12:37 |
Can't believe there are no comments yet for what many consider to be the best pub in Oxford.
Gorgeous and very old pub. Split into various areas - a front room with its own bar. Behind this there is a smaller room with a fire and two long tables, again with its own bar. Very quiet in there.
Then you have a big heated patio packed with little yellow tables. There are heaters here, and an awning which can be pulled over to enclose the whole space. They do barbecues here in summer.
Finally, at the very back you have an overspill dining room which can seat 10. You can reserve this for parties. I has its own fire and looks great.
The beers on handpull were Adnams Bitter & Broadside and Old Hooky. I had the Broadside and it was great. Some interesting bottles in the fridge.
The sunday roast was amazing - �9 so not cheap, but worth every single penny.
10/10.
PS. When I was a student I remember ordering a pickled egg, the landlord proceeded to put this in a bag of crisps and shake it up, lovely.
anonymous - 16 Jan 2006 11:38 |
