please note - reviews on this site are purely the opinion of site visitors, so don't take them too seriously.
The classic Edinburgh pub, tucked away in the new town and in possession of a small bar and a stark but atmospheric side room that one imagines is just how pubs in the eighteenth century would have been. A good range of Scottish ales that do something to offset the impression that beers north of the border are inferior – Trade Winds from Cairngorm is a mainstay while Harviestoun’s Bitter and Twisted also graced the pumps.
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Thought for a minute it had been gentrified but the paint job extended only as far as the exterior.
Exactly as I remember it and yes, I am a touristy Rebus fan here for the fiction.
Intimidating, rough around the edges and I wouldn't change a thing about it.
Visit blogged at http://bit.ly/2rTWydn
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Following in the footsteps of Rebus/Rankin is why, I'm sure, most people come here; but it is a good old-fashioned beershop and the beers are very well kept. The Inveralmond Ossian was on damn good form and the place has lots of good old dark charm.
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This small and homely bar in the New Town area was my last pub of the day before my flight back to London.
3 beers on, I had a pint of Lantern Jack from Broughton Ales which was a decent pint.
The real log fire was on full pelt in the back room which in turn made the bar very warm…almost too warm.
Decent pub / bar that’s worth searching out for a few beers
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OK for one or two to experience the ambience of the place...then move on. Beer quality good and the house blend is not bad at all.
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Very quiet late lunchtime midweek. The Ossian was OK but not brilliant. Maybe this place is overrated because of what it is (was?). i.e. Ian Rankin's local (Inspector Rebus). Nice enough, but unremarkable. Deathly hush in the back room, with one local businessman in there who you could just tell was wishing that we'd b*gg*r off and leave him all alone on his own.
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One of my top 3 Edinburgh boozers. City central, good ale, well priced and friendly service. Have visited a couple of times over the years but never reviewed before.
Enjoyed the Zymic (Stewart Brewing) and Trade Winds (Cairngorm)
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Another fabulous Edinburgh heritage pub. Nothing extravagant about the interior but it is definitely "of its day". I enjoyed sitting in one of the unique window seats.
"Time Warp" is maybe an overused term used to describe pubs like this. Bit I can't think of a better one. A small gang of locals filled the tiny front bar area and added to the atmosphere. A charactersome drinking den and meeting place to put the world to rights. If you love real pubs, as they used to be, go there. As "must visit" as the Cafe Royal, in its own way. Several hand pumps of cask ales but I opted for a fine pint of Deuchars.
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It's a simple little boozer with friendly chatty staff and customers; good beer and a mellow atmosphere. One of the best in town.
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A respectful hush about the place when I went yesterday afternoon allowed quiet contemplation of my surroundings and appreciation of a good pint of Three Sisters.
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As the Bar area was full (it doesn't take many!) we regretably moved into the side room just for a quick pint. We left 4 pints later - there's something about this place - the conversation flows and the beer (Ossian in this case) was excellent and you could stay all night! Brilliant!
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I'm going to break a promise here - as I left this pub after my first visit in 6 years, an old boy pleaded with me not to tell anyone about it; well, sorry old boy but this needs to be recommended to those who enjoy their pubs simple, cosy, friendly and serving cracking beers and whiskies. I can undertand why the locals want to keep it free of marauding tourists; if only on spatial grounds the Oxford would struggle to accommodate too many interlopers. But if you're a genuine appreciater of unspoilt bars and only come alone or a twosome, then do seek this out. Excellent cask ale, and plenty of malty action to keep you warm. The bar has much character and charm, apparently untouched by any inappropriate modernisation and preserved in a traditional style. If you're in a larger group and want a more contemporary experience, go to the Cambridge up the road. But for a more welcoming, quieter, intimate vibe this is the place.
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Proper pub. Not for everyone though - a little basic. Great beer though and you meet genuine pub people in here.
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a great little pub,spent a couple of hours in here each day I was in Edinburgh visting a couple of gallerys.Good to use as a pit stop,no music in the background and told the tv was only switched on if there was a sports event,worth while to be watched.A good guinness,nice staff, and didnt seem to be anything wrong with the toilets.
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Good pub, but seriously too small to be named as a classic or favorite. Toilets are a disaster, pies are good, would spend maybe a few hours, but not an evening (sorry) .
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Great pub, good beer and an ideal haven from the Edinburgh Festival madness!
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Fantastically basic, with ales in excellent condition and some nice artistic photographs on the walls. Agreed it is probably best appreciated in the afternoon, and yesterday it was fairly quiet at 16.30. Well worth a visit - a proper pub.
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One of Edinburgh's must-visits.Good beer from Scottish micros. An absolute gem.Only downside is that it is often packed making access to the bar very difficult, so maybe best appreciated in the afternoon.
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Famous for being the haunt of Ian Rankin's detective Rebus (and Rankin himself apparently), this is a backstreet New Town no-frills boozer that is in CAMRA's National Inventory. Nothing spectacular here, just the feel that it hasn't altered in 60 years- a good thing! Two basic, small rooms, a bar room and a higher room with a gas fire, both with very traditional fixtures. The higher room has fitted bench seating and also chairs that look very rustic indeed but are also ver comfortable- all in understated brown! Bleak Rankin book covers are the only pictures in here, and fit in quite well. The bar room is usually busier wih locals and an after-work crowd. It has a library of beer-related books and a large window sill to sit on. Beer range was Deuchars, Trade Winds and Stewart Copper Cascade on my visit- the latter was excellent, possibly my pint of the day. Served with a smile as you'd expect. Very much a proper boozer and one to head for.
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Went in there last saturday during my weekend in Edinburgh, it's a no frills pub and very popular, it was packed as you would expect for a saturday and the beer i had was nice but not exceptional it was just called number 3. went back on Sunday night and it was completely different, including the bar man there was only 4 people in the entire pub and 2 of them were english and one was a canadian, the only Scot was the barman, the tradewind ale was like nectar went in for one ended up having 3.
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Always have the Trade Winds in here- it's excellent.
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The pub was packed when we called in during our crawl of GBG pubs, but we managed to find a corner while enjoying the Cairngorm Trade Winds, one of the 3 on offer. Friendly place, but it was difficult to get near the bar to see the beers available.
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The pub was packed when we called in during our crawl of GBG pubs, but we managed to find a corner while enjoying the Cairngorm Trade Winds, one of the 3 on offer. Friendly place, but it was difficult to get near the bar to see the beers available.
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As a non city dweller, this is my Edinburgh 'local' a cracking wee pub with a huge history.
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Beerslurper how can you complain about the plain decor ? That's the whole point of the Oxford bar. A plain and basic pub for drinking and conversation. Being featureless to me is the whole charm of the place. This is a gem of a pub and should be preserved for posterity exactly as it is.
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Upretentious customary Scots bar & accopanying snug. A litlle featureless and clinical for my taste. Having been in some of the more ornate of Edinburgh's hostleries not overcome by the very plain decor. However the beer was very acceptable.
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Having walked along Rose Street and despaired at what has become of some of the pubs, I needed some reassurance that not the whole of the City Centre had sold out to the tourist $/�. I found that reassurance in the ever reliable Oxford Bar. Nothing changes here and even having to wait while the regulars were served first didn�t bother me. A couple of pints of Lia Fail in familiar no nonsense surroundings restored my sanity. Long may the Oxford remain, it provides a welcome bolt hole for those looking for a proper pub.
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After a month living here in Edinburgh nothing has changed my pre-existing opinion that this is my favourite pub in the city. A good basic drinking shop with excellent cask ales and almost always somewhere to sit. My only complaint is that they don't seem to be on top of the cellar management inasmuch as the Trade Winds/Ossian seems to go off whenever I arrive and they don't have another cask to go on straightaway... :-(
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Woh! What a place, I could spoil your first visit by telling you about the bar - like nothing I have ever seen before. Good choice of beer and you can even get a pie for little over a quid at lunch time. Not for those who like to live it up, but for the atmosphere of a real local - Unmissable!
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Late comment from August. Enjoyed my Houston beer in this quiet pub.
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A basic, unmemorable pub. The beer was drinkable, the company was uninspiring (talking crap about football) and the pub was generally - nice. Neither good nor bad.
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Nothing special and that's to the Oxford's credit in my book (which remains unwritten). If this was local to me I'd use it all the time as it's credentials for a simple, unpretentious, discreet little bar are impeccable. Recommended for drinkers who like somewhere they can hear themselves think, let alone talk where the option to socialise or remain in a corner entertaining your own thoughts is always available. Isn't this what a local should be like? In it's own ordinary and unassuming way, excellent.
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How cool is this pub!? Small, atmospheric, off the beaten track, and great chairs. Excellent.
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This is difficult. One part of me wants to paint as bad a picture as possible about the Oxford, that way I worked out, fewer people would come and spoil it; the other part of me wants to shout out loud that this is the best place in the world for a pint, a chat and a bit of sanity. The truth is, the second opinion is correct, but just don't tell anyone else, keep it a secret between you and me. By the way, the pies are OK, but not the best.
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Well worth seeking out. Totally unpretentious pub. Pint, pie and a chat or a quiet read.
Sit there long enough and you will see Rebus and his mates.
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Great boozer, fantastic IPA and i am really glad the pie heater is back!
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Another honest Edinburgh boozer which hasn't really changed in 100 years. Get in there - keep your eyes and ears open and your mouth shut (apart from sampling the fine ales) and you'll begin to understand what Edinburgh is about.
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Better still, a replacement pie heater has appeared, from which the excellent products of Findlays of Portobello are available at moderate cost.
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John and Margaret Gates have now retired, and the licence has passed to their barman Harry. He does his best to be Europe's rudest bartender, but it's an act. Fine ale, great company. Be warned that the pie heater is now of pie-ous memory, replaced by a memorial photograph. You can still get a decent sandwich.
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A uniquely charming old pub. I dread the day I visit to find it changed in any way.
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Unusual bar this with all the locals crammed into the small bar area it is a squeeze to get in. But get your pint climb a couple of step and there is a near empty side room where you can read the pub mag which shows its discust at the arrival of nearby Rangers and Celtic shops.
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When is a pub not a pub?
When you get a numty like "Ron Malibu" in it.
Oxford is a great wee pub, very small I agree and when it is busy you have to squeeze passed people to get to the loo - so what -just say please or excuse me and you will get passed. Trust me when I say that despite being rotund most regulars do not eat. I have always found the regulars very friendly on my visits especially the owner and his wife.
Do not be put off just go and visit and if John Gates (Owner) or his wife is in say hello.
Warm friendly good food if you like a pie and a great pint of IPA.
james - 6 Feb 2004 12:06 |
If you think the present landlord is horrible you should have visited during the reign of "Wullie" in the 70s. Basically summed up as "English not welcome" Not a problem for me but not what you would call classic innkeeping!
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A marvellous find, tucked away in the next street up from the infamous Rose Street. A real locals pub where you are hit by the age and the small size as soon as you enter. The bar area is only about 4 feet wide but a little exploration finds an interesting snug to the right hand side. Literary articles line the walls with the pubs favourite son being novelist Ian Rankin who allegedly based some of his characters on people in the pub. Both the staff and regulars are receptive to visitors and happy to chat which provides for a nice friendly atmosphere. Definitely a pub to search out, but do not confuse with the Cambridge a little further along Young St.
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