The best bars and pubs in Oxford, from local ales to creative cocktails
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You have to look hard to discover the best of Oxford’s nightlife: hidden down narrow alleyways, in cobbled back streets and behind medieval city walls. Avoid George Street with its chain pubs and restaurants and noisy crowds, and instead hunt down quirky pubs and bars. You'll find a few scattered around the city centre but others require a bit of a walk, either northwest to trendy Jericho or east to edgy Cowley Road.
City Centre
Turf Tavern
Tucked behind the medieval city wall, and accessible only down a narrow passageway, 'the Turf' is one of Oxford’s worst-kept secrets. The 18th-century pub is low-beamed, stone-flagged and piled high with empty barrels. There used to be real coal braziers outside in winter, now health and safety dictates that patio heaters do the same job. This is a real-ale pub with a dozen or so guest options dispensed from behind the tiny bar, so it's worth asking staff for a recommendation. Try not to bump your head, find a seat and imagine all the famous names who've nursed a pint here before you.
Contact: 01865 243235; turftavern-oxford.co.uk
Opening times: Daily, 11am-10.30pm
Price: £
Getting in: Just turn up
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The Varsity Club
Step through an unremarkable doorway by the Covered Market gateway and you'll enter one of Oxford's most popular hangouts. That is, if you persevere up endless stairs and corridors past the lounge bar, the private hire floor, and the third-floor Moroccan bar until you eventually arrive at the roof terrace, The Varsity Club's crowning glory. With sweeping views over the Oxford skyline and a menu of champagne, wine and spirits, it's the place to sip a raspberry sour as the lights come on and snuggle under a blanket late into the night.
Contact: 01865 248777; tvcoxford.co.uk
Opening times: Sun-Thu, 12pm-12am; Fri-Sat, 12pm-2am
Price: ££
Getting in: First-come first-served on the roof bar
White Horse
Fans on the Inspector Morse (and latterly Lewis) trail will find no better venue than the White Horse, squeezed between Blackwell’s bookshop and opposite Christopher Wren’s Sheldonian Theatre. A tiny, one-roomed closet of a pub with photos of college teams and famous visiting drinkers, it couldn’t be anywhere else but Oxford. If it’s available try a pint of Oxford Prospect, from the nearby Shotover Brewery. Thanks to its miniscule size it gets crowded quite early in the evening, if you want to sip a pint in comfort come mid afternoon instead.
Contact:01865 204801; whitehorseoxford.co.uk
Opening times: Daily, 12pm-11pm
Price: £
Getting in: First come, first served
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Eagle & Child
'The Bird & Baby' as it's affectionately known is an Oxford institution, and was once a favourite haunt of JRR Tolkien, CS Lewis and their literary cronies, 'the Inklings', who met here to discuss their work. In some respects the 17th-century pub hasn't changed too much, the floor still slopes with disconcerting inconsistency and the wooden benches, low beams and open fire are reassuringly snug, but the unsympathetic extension at the back rather spoils the effect. In summer it's overrun with tourists but on a quiet winter night the front bar can't be much different to the pub Tolkien would have known.
Contact: 01865 302925; nicholsonspubs.co.uk
Opening times: Mon-Sat, 11am-11pm; Sun, 12pm-10.30pm
Price: £
Getting in: Just turn up
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The Jam Factory
Frank Cooper's jam and marmalade factory has been beautifully repurposed into this thriving bar, arts venue and restaurant, just across the road from the Saïd Business School. The brick walls are now whitewashed, pot plants take the place of industrial vats, and contemporary art and an eclectic collection of trinkets lines the walls. The bar features a solid collection of beers and real ales, including a selection from local brewers such as the Cotswold Cask, alongside Belgian, American and European offerings. Happy hour is every day from 3pm-7pm and if you're peckish there's a good menu too.
Contact:01865 244613; thejamfactoryoxford.com
Opening times: Mon-Fri, 7am-11pm; Sat-Sun, 8am-10pm
Price: £
Getting in: Just turn up
Jericho
Raoul’s Cocktail Bar
This Jericho institution has been mixing up cocktails for decades, and has won many awards for doing it particularly well. There are 50 rums, 18 gins, 25 tequilas and 40 whiskies to choose from, which are expertly mixed with freshly squeezed juices and homemade syrups. As for the atmosphere, expect a retro, subterranean venue with professional bartenders and guest DJs. It gets packed on weekend nights when the music ranges from chilled-out lounge tunes early on to pumped up dance music later in the evening, although there isn't room to shake a leg.
Contact: 01865 553732; raoulsbar.com
Opening times: Sun-Tues, 4pm-12am; Wed-Sat, 4pm-1am
Price: ££
Getting in: Come early if you want any hope of finding a seat
Jericho Tavern
What looks like a fairly average local pub from the outside surprises with its cobalt-blue walls, subtly vintage vibe and cool but unpretentious atmosphere. There's a spacious beer garden at the back , a rarity in Oxford, and upstairs, a live music venue that also hosts comedy nights, spoken word cabaret and burlesque workshops. It was here that Radiohead played their first gig in 1986 and Supergrass secured a record deal after playing in 1994. The bar serves a changing selection of beers from craft UK brewers and some hard to find US imports. Try Torpedo by Sierra Nevada if they've got it.
Contact: 01865 311775; thejerichooxford.co.uk
Opening times: Sun-Wed, 12am-11pm; Thu-Sat, 12pm-12am
Price: £
Getting in: Just turn up
The Old Bookbinders
Another fine local hidden away down an unassuming residential street, this quirky pub was built in 1869 for workers from the nearby Oxford University Press. Inside, it appears wholly traditional with tankards on the shelves and beer mats and posters on the walls, until you notice the train set on the ceiling and the delectable smell of cooking. Ale enthusiasts crowd the bar and diners huddle around tightly-packed tables at the rear to sample the traditional French bistro menu. Its down-to-earth modesty makes its charm all the more apparent. Come on Tuesdays for the popular pup quiz or on Sundays for open mic nights.
Contact: 01865 553549; oldbooksbinders.co.uk
Opening times: Daily, 12pm-11pm
Price: £
Getting in: Just turn up, bookings for dinner essential
East Oxford
Kazbar
Despite its Moroccan name and souk-like ambience – waxed ochre walls, old lanterns and brightly coloured cushions – Kazbar is essentially a tapas bar, and a very good one at that. Just beyond the medieval city centre, it’s a cosily romantic venue to spend an evening. Good, mostly Spanish wines, spirits and beers, soft drinks and mint teas complement the sizzling tapas. There's also a good selection of cocktails from a sweet and tangy fig and vanilla daiquiri to Marakesh Express, a cinnamon espresso shaken with Absolut vodka and kahlúa.
Contact: 01865 202920; kazbar.co.uk
Opening times: Mon-Thu, 5pm-12am; Fri, 5pm-12.30am; Sat, 12pm-12.30am; Sun, 12pm-11pm
Price: ££
Getting in: Arrive early if you want a seat
The Chester
Tucked away in Iffley Fields, The Chester is another of Oxford's traditional pubs that's had a recent makeover. Smart without being pretentious, its lures a mainly local crowd and has a mellow atmosphere despite the fact that it's often hard to find a table. It serves a limited menu of meaty mains and champions local ales from the Vale and Loose Cannon craft breweries. The Abingdon Bridge is a good starter but you'll also get excellent pale ales such as Undercurrent by Siren.
Contact: 01865 790438; facebook.com/TheChesterOxford
Opening times: Tue-Fri, 12pm-11pm; Sat, 10am-11pm; Sun, 2pm-10pm; Mon, 5pm-11pm
Price: ££
Getting in: Just drop in, but come early if you want a seat
Expert guide to Oxford
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