Eating out in Oxford

Pizzas, Pints and Other People

Have you spent the last six months hankering to sit in a pub with your mates with a pint in one hand and a slice of pizza in the other? If so, now is the time to book your 2-hour slot at The White Rabbit. One of the top 5 pizzerias in the UK, this small pub is one of Oxford’s gems – and the beer’s not bad either. Farsightedly, it opened its pizza garden even before the pandemic struck – and the pizzas are as authentically Italian as the chef and as good as they ever were.

However, if you would like a bit of history with your beer, you might prefer The Bear Inn. Oxford’s oldest pub (well, one of three possible contenders for the title), it claims to date back to 1242 and used to be a huge coaching inn. Today it is tiny, but in pandemic times has come into its own with seating for 95 in the marquee out back, so you can bring friends. Unfortunately, you’ll have to wait until May 17th to see the pub’s treasured tie collection. This numbers over 4,000 tie tips donated by patrons – presumably after a few pints – framed under glass inside the pub. The ties represent schools, colleges, regiments, and sports clubs from across the world.

The Bear Inn

The Turf Tavern is another historic option with excellent outdoor seating in sight of Oxford’s old city wall. Originally known as The Spotted Cow, it doubled as a gambling den, hence the reference to the ‘turf’. It is approached down a tiny alley just under the Bridge of Sighs – follow the sign reading ‘An Education in Intoxication’ (!). Indeed, many prominent people were ‘educated’ here. In 1963, it became a Guinness World Record venue when Bob Hawke, future PM of Australia, managed to down ‘a yard of ale’ in just 11 seconds. Numerous famous names have frequented The Turf down the years – and if you go to the pub, you can read all about them on the chalk boards – Richard Burton, Tony Blair, President-to-be Clinton and the Harry Potter stars amongst others. Fictional visitors include Inspectors Morse and Lewis and the young Endeavour.

Famous names at The Turf Tavern
Outside seating at The Turf Tavern
Try something new at The Turf Tavern!

Sadly, there have been a few pandemic casualties, amongst them The Lamb and Flag, mentioned by Thomas Hardy in his novel Jude the Obscure and owned by St John’s College. Fingers crossed that the decision to close the pub permanently is reversed.

Additionally, Tolkien and Lewis fans may be disappointed to know that St John’s other pub on St Giles, The Eagle and Child, won’t be reopening until 2022. The pub is undergoing renovation and may in future function as a small hotel. This is the place where the ‘Inklings’ used to meet – a thoroughly sensible club, which mixed literature and beer.

Some pubs are currently suffering from a lack of outside space and won’t be opening yet e.g. The White Horse on Broad St, seen in several Morse and Lewis episodes and The King’s Arms at the corner of Broad Street and Parks Road, but they should be opening again after 17th May.
If you are coming shopping, then The Crown and The Plough in Cornmarket have both gone ‘al fresco’. The Plough’s seats are on Cornmarket itself and the temporarily (?) closed St Michael Street, so you can watch people pass by. They promise a ‘huge selection of gins, vodkas and whisky and a comprehensive wine list’, so if you are alcoholically inclined, you should be able to find something to enjoy.

Outside the city centre, there are some cracking alternative venues on offer, such as The White House on the Abingdon Road, where they are serving cakes, coffee and ‘sharing plates’ and they have turned the erstwhile car park into a beer garden. (Obviously, you will have to find somewhere else to park.)

If you are looking for something more exotic, try KazBar and CoCos on the Cowley Road, which has outdoor seating on the now pedestrianised Dawson Street. Pretend you have gone on holiday and try something Mediterranean.

For vegetarians and vegans, our advice would be to check out The Punter in Osney Mead. Its waterside location is attractive and the puddings in particular look terrific!

For a location combining a beautiful walk with a pub, two great options from central Oxford are The Perch in Binsey and The Trout in Wolvercote. Whilst in Binsey, find the church and the ‘Treacle Well’ which found fame in Alice in Wonderland. The Perch was one of the first places Lewis Carroll gave public readings of his classic book. Ask the staff about their ghost….

The Perch, Binsey
©philknightphotography ©walkingtoursofoxford

The 17th century Trout Inn has a lovely riverside location and if you’ve watched Morse, Lewis and Endeavour, you’ll definitely recognise it as a favoured watering hole of the fabled detectives.

So, why not take a Walking Tours of Oxford tour and then follow up with a pleasant afternoon spent eating and drinking well in one of our friendly, welcoming, traditional (or not so traditional) Oxford pubs? We hope we have whetted your appetite.

© Victoria Bentata 2021 for Walking Tours of Oxford

Endeavour Filming Series 8 – March 2021 – Part 2

All photos are copyright ©walkingtoursofoxford, please do not share individual photos but you are welcome to share the link to this post so that everyone can see!

It was interesting to see all the positive comments and eager anticipation for Endeavour season 8 as it began filming last week.

Reading some of the comments and thoughts, it would seem many people share my view that this will be the last season. That is a bitter pill to swallow as we will miss our Endeavour but I have high hopes that the writing, casting, directing …. will all be as magnificent as always. I could be wrong, I hope that I am but remember there was 33 Morse episodes, 33 Lewis and after these 3 that will bring is to 33 Endeavour. What are your thoughts? Do post in the comments below as I would love to hear from you.

My concern is that it can’t end well. We never hear of Fred Thursday in Morse later so I fear something will happen to him. I have been rewatching Endeavour over lockdown 3 and it has been gripping, when watching in close succession to see Fred and Endeavour relationship become close and then begin to wane.

I have just rewatched Coda (season 3. Episode 4) of Endeavour which has some superb acting. What jumped out at me this time was, when Endeavour and Joan are caught up in the bank raid and she is trying to conceal her identity. They ask her for her name, thinking on the spot she says ‘Joan Strange’. There is some speculation that Joan will marry Jim Strange, is this a hidden message?

Also, as we move forward is anyone else thinking that this will be the first without Barrington Pheloung? I am feeling a little melancholy. I was lucky enough to meet Barrington some years ago at Colin Dexters memorial service and he was a lovely chap. The Morse universe will miss him.

Mind how you go!

Heidi x

Endeavour Season 8 filming 14/3/21. Shaun Evans double. ©walkingtoursofoxford Christine Bainbridge
Endeavour season 8 filming 14/3/21. This scene took 15 takes! ©walkingtoursofoxford Christine Bainbridge
Endeavour Season 8 filming 15/3/21. Behind closed doors! ©walkingtoursofoxford