The Folly Bridge Inn, Abingdon Road

Extremely friendly local pub with great atmosphere, yet oddly situated a metric yonk away from the bridge from which it takes its name. Several Wadworth ales and a guest or two, all top notch. Smallish serving area plastered with pump clips from previous guests - try to spot your favourite. Friday night seems to be either locals sing-along night, which was jolly enough, or live music (perfectly tolerable). Could be excellent for a lunchtime pint and the food has a good reputation. Old world feel without trying too hard. November 2001
Update: Larger than I remember it to be on the inside, the Folly Bridge Inn is instantly recognisable at a distance by night by the eerie green lights shone on to the trees in the front beer garden. The beer (Wadworth 6X and Henry's IPA, plus guests) remain good and moderately priced. Perfect for all occasions, with quiet nights, music nights live band nights and, I think, quiz nights. March 2004.
Update: This is the best pub in South Oxford by a mile. It's friendly, keeps excellent ale and has a fantastic (although rather lard-ridden!) menu. A true community pub, the quiz night and music events are always well attending. There's also plenty of outdoor space both at the front and the side. I'm putting this place up to the full five stars. October 2009.

The Duke of Monmouth, Abingdon Road

Quite, confortable town pub. Not particularly inspiring but a quiet relaxing pint guarenteed. Greene King pub, quite cheap, and the Abbot was excellent. Perfectly average pub, but not really worth the trek from town. November 2001
Update: Spent more time here recently with the reknowned artist Mr W.A.Wood, consuming several pints of cheap but very good Abbot. The food looks quite nice and the atmosphere a bit better than I remembered. Certainly a fairly good local pub. June 2003.
Update: Another of the many Greene King establishments that have been looking for new management, this place has just found it in the shape of a couple of Swiss friends. Could make for an interesting new menu! Report to follow once they've settle in. March 2009.
Update: The Monmouth is getting a very good reputation for its Swiss-themed food that I haven't, as yet, tried (but intend to). The insides have been spruced up a bit. The pub is roughly U-shaped from the front door. The left stem is the "restaurant" area and is now laid out beautifully with tablecloths. The right stem leads around the bar and thence to a door leading to a separate bar area. The main lounge area is decorated with historic pictures of Oxford. Usually a local crowd pervails but I've always felt welcome. The beers remains Greene King - IPA, Abbot and a seasonal. Being autumn, I had the Bonkers Conkers, which was really well kept. I'm pretty close to awarding a fourth star to this place and will be coming back for the food. October 2009.

The Crooked Pot, Abingdon Road

Previously the Berkshire House:
Heavilly NuMorrelled. I went in one evening and back the following afternoon and it felt exactly the same because of the lighting. The same crowd of regulars were there and the music was the same. Same NuMorrells tat spread across the pub, obviously supplied by Ye Olde Tat Company, a mass-producing subsiduary of Thomas Hardy's, Dorset. Standard expensive Morrells menu. Mind you, the Varsity was good and the staff friendly. A typical Morrells clone - as regards pubs round here you need walk no further south than the Folly Bridge Inn. November 2001.
Update: This is now, like the majority of the old Morrells houses, owned by Greene King and generally referred to as just "the Berkshire". Although the decor hasn't changed, the weathering of the NuMorrelled features has softened them and the place is starting to gather its own distinct atmosphere. When we went in there was big screen sport showing, but this soon finished and we were able to relax to decent GK Abbot and IPA and non-disruptive music. Quite a local crowd usually. Pork scratchings, but not particuarly authentic ones. Increases from a clone pub 2 stars to a repectable 3 stars. March 2004.
Update: Having been one of the many Greene King pubs looking for new management recently, the place is currently closed after an arson attack a very short time before the new boss was due to take over. Update to follow on the new look whenever it's fixed! March 2009.
Update: A completely refurbished pub with an interesting new name stands on Abingdon Road. The outside is fresh, but somewhat dark looking and the sign features a witch. The inside is now clearly split into two areas, one tabled and the other a more traditional bar. However, both have big TVs as before. Lots of wood and pastel shades, it all looks quite classy and wouldn't be out of place as a student place in the city centre. However, the custom is the same local crowd who are slightly insular and now seem to congregate even more around the pool table. There's a couple of Greene King beers and Wychwood Hobgoblin, which was quite cheap for Oxford and on average condition. All in all, it's an interesting new theme, but a strange place to put a pub like this. An average Oxford tavern, it balances out the pubs down the Abdingdon Road. October 2009.

The Perch, Binsey

A "summer" pub, set just off the river in the sleepy village of Binsey. A lovely walk to get here, but don't try it after several days rainfall, try the Binsey Lane instead. HUGE garden, with giant chess, and a cool rustic feel inside. I expect meals are quite a feature here and there is a seperate food servery. The bar itself is well kitted out with bar stools, and the rest of the pub sitting area doesn't have the feel that it is designed for eating only. Bass was fairly bland and the bar staff were pretty apathetic. Could be excellent if the staff were a bit more enthusiastic. June 2001
Update: After a long time away, I've been back twice in the last few months. The beer has expanded to have some well-kept Speckled Hen as well. Inside feels more atmospheric and smaller than I remembered and the prices aren't too bad. It really does maintain a decent country atmosphere despite its popularity, especially when compared to the Trout. I was too cruel last time - it deserves four stars easily. Watching the sun go down in the beer garden here recently was a beautiful end to a trip here. September 2003.
Update: This is the place that the Trout should try to be. Despite being packed and very foody in summer, it still retains a decent pub atmosphere, is not overly expensive, has a good pool table and generally does not take itself too seriously. It's also far closer than Wolvercote in the winter! February 2006.
Update: Disasterously, the Perch is currently shut following a fire involving the thatched roof. I understand that plans are afoot to repair the building and get it open again. We can only hope that this is done sympathetically. Many thanks to Darryl Pentz for first bringing this to my attention. May 2007.
Update: Now re-open after repairs and restorations. Unfortunately, I last stopped by 2 days before it re-opened, so haven't seen inside yet. Looking forward to it, though! Many thanks to Richard Linsley Hood for the information on the re-opening. September 2008.
Update: I am distinctly unimpressed with the new Perch. Previously it was everything that the Trout failed to be: a real, traditional pub that also happened to have a huge beer garden right near the river. It did do food, but was first and foremost a pub, with decent quality beers. It has now become very gastropubbed and Frenchified. The bar has been moved and made much smaller and the inside is kitted out fully for dining. We felt distinctly uncomfortable sitting there clutching our pints. The huge outside space has far too few tables for the amount of people expected on a sunny day - it is grossly under-utilised. They have set up a large BBQ outside as an alternative to the à la carte, but this is hugely overpriced for what look like fairly ordinary burgers and the staff seemed to have no idea where they were supposed to be taken to. It has lost most of the features that distinguished it from the other overpriced tourist traps, unfortunately, but is still nice enough for a pint on a sunny day. Down to three stars. August 2009.

The White House, Botley Road

Closed August 2007, re-opened July 2009
This place can't decide what it is trying to be. The long building is atmospherically tripartite, comprising, from west to east: a posh restaurant with sycophantic boss type overwatching things and preventing the barstaff doing their job; a trendy bar area with pastel shades, pine and abstract art; a darkly lit pool-table enabled mini-pub with standard chairs and comfy benches. The commercial schizophrenia is quite noticable in the diverse range of customer attracted. The main bar is in the central portion, with two real beers (40p more expensive than the pubs the other side of the road) and a huge array of spirits, including an excellent whisky and brandy selection. The beer was well kept, but that wasn't enough to convince me that this is a pub in the true meaning of the word. This is a perfect example of a place where I would clash with many people of whether it is "nice" or not: I would be branded an old-fashioned pedant while I would respond that they are foppish sheep. If you are waiting at the station for one of Mr Branson's "puntual" trains and fancy a decent pint, skip this place and cross the road. I'll stop ranting now, you'll be pleased to know! June 2002.
Update: Absolutely superb food in the restaurant bit, but you pay for what you get. Service excellent, especially the comedy French bloke. Beer still very expensive but well kept. London Pride, Wadworth 6X, Hook Norton Best, and a fourth pump that was empty this time. February 2003.
Update: West Oxford loses one of its few drinking establishments, but this is probably the one I'd have chosed. Closed and boarded up. November 2007.
Update: Now open again after a new owner was found. It is now advertising itself as a "Sports Bar and Grill". Doesn't sound thrilling but I'll pop along soon.

The Radcliffe Arms, Cranham Street

Legendary in student folklore for the cheap and cheerful meals available, leading to this pub being very busy all day long. I first visited this place late evening, i.e., post-food, to discover that huge screen sport is annoyingly shown. Beer: Pedigree, Theakston's XB and Courage Best, served sparkled, although they took it off when asked with the speed of someone who is reguarly asked to. Roo has later proclaimed the Guinness to be poured well. Perhaps owing to the youngsh crowd and huge screen TV this place feels more "modern" in atmosphere than it should for an obviously oldish pub. March 2000
Update: Cheap, decent food still in place and surprisingly quiet only one week out of term. Beer quality slightly improved and prices around average for the area. December 2002
Update: Food remains excellent value, beer up to four decent brews at good prices and the place still remains remarkably quiet mid-weeks and outside termtime. Perhaps people are beginning to forget about this place? Their loss! September 2003.
Update: This pub has clearly been struggling for the past couple of years, seeming to lose most of the passing student trade and losing its good reputation for cheap food. The last time I went in it felt distinctly unwelcoming and the beer range was reduced. In an effort to save it from possible closure there is currently talk that part of it is to be made into a Thai restaurant. This is to be welcomed if it preserves a good pub, but otherwise might turn it into a replica of the Old Tom. Down a star. August 2009.

The Old Black Horse

Over the past decade this establishment has morphed from an ancient hotel with a small public bar to a full pub that happens to have accomodation, so I felt I ought to add it. The pub part comprises a u-shaped room around the bar and a fairly large beer garden onto St Clement's. The inside is a somewhat scruffy, tatty, slightly seedy backstreet boozer with no real beer. The standard range of kegged lagers, cider and Guinness was available at city centre prices. A large TV to the left hand side was showing pop videos and it's the first pub I've ever been in where the main choice of reading matter is car magazines. The toilets would appear to be unisex and it would be nice if come of the customers would close the door while in there. The garden outside might be quite nice, except from the noise and pollution from one of Oxford's major thoroughfares. Really not worth bothering with. July 2009.

The Duke's Cut, Park End Street

Formerly Rosie O'Grady's: Hugely Irish (or "Oirish") themed pub with freqent live music of the green shamrocked persuation. On Friday and Saturday the pub is open til 12 and patrolled at the door by bored bouncers. Inside is a mixture of Morrell's style "make the pub look old" tat and lots of Irish signs, etc. The walls are covered with humourous (to a greater or lesser extent) quotations from famous natives of the Emerald Isle. Constantly playing music is - yes, you guessed it - Irish folk, played at that certain volume where it is not loud enough to be offensive, but just enough to get on your nerves after a pint. There are three main rooms inside, with a "conservatory" area next to the river. Not real beer, of course, the only standard bitter being Caffrey's. Guinness, Guinness, Guinness and Guinness! Well poured but pricey. They claim to serve the best Guinness in Oxford and if it's all in the pouring then they may be right. And to my surprise the people serving were all Irish! And they brought my pint over to my table when they had finished the "perfect pour". Nice. Theoretically, this place should only get one star for lack of real beer, but I'm going to push the boat out and go for two because it's reasonably tolerable. May 2004.
Update: This place has recently been taken over by an Irish chap who is planning on losing the Irish theme and turn it into a traditional English pub. Therefore both the name and the decor are very likely to change in the near future. My money's on it returning to the name of The Queen's Arms as it was before the "Oirish" invasion. I also hear, however, that there are likely to be big sports screens, so we'll have to see. March 2009.
Update: Well, I was totally wrong on the choice of name after refurbishment, taking the name of a section of canal north of Oxford. Unfortunately for both us and the pub, we went in on a particularly dead Monday evening just before time. Monday happens to be the day they clean their lines and therefore only a pint of Pedigree could be obtained, at a reasonable price. The beer was good for Pedigree, which is to say that it was thoroughly mediocre. Alternatives on any other day would have been Wychwood Hobgoblin and Brakspear Bitter. The pub maintains its division into several rooms, but is now much lighter with pastel shades making it feel more relaxing and airy. There was quite an impressive array of spirits. There is a large TV in one of the rooms so it is easy enough to avoid. Never forget as well that it has a garden (albeit small) next to stretch of the river, which could be very nice (but also much in demand) on a sunny day. Definitely a good improvement and I hope to try a better beer range here in the future. July 2009.