Jericho
Probably the best area to head to once you want a break from the city centre hostelries. Jericho is made up of well-presented terraced streets leading down to the Oxford canal to the east. There are numerous pubs, bars and eating spots in this area - once voted the 11th hippest place to live in the UK.
Plantation Way, OX2 6LX - web
Marstons
🍴 Food served - Fully Vegetarian and Vegan menu 🔆 Garden
The Gardeners is a picturesque pub on a corner in the pleasant terraced backstreets of Jericho. It also has the advantage of a peaceful nice back garden for sunny weather. Inside, there are two rooms, now almost open-plan, with the bar at the back of the area of the right. I'm a big fan of the 80s and 90s LP sleeves which decorate the room and feature several albums that I think I should unearth and listen to again as I'm sitting here. There is a menu of pub favourites - burgers, hot dogs, chilli etc, but all is vegetarian or vegan.
The Gardener's Arms
🍴 Food, lunchtimes and evenings
'Gardener's Arms' is not an especially common name for a pub, so it's odd to find two in close proximity to each other in North Oxford. Located on North Parade, just a few steps away from the Rose & Crown. Taken over by the Morgan pub company (who also run The Grapes in the city centre) in 2023, after the retirement of the longstanding landlords.
The Harcourt ArmsCranham Terrace, OX2 6DG - web
Fullers
🔆 Outdoor seating 🎸 Live Music
Another pub un-spoilt by progress, avoiding bright, airy modern refurbishments and all the better for it.
The Harcourt Arms is a basic single room corner pub. As you wander around these side-streets of Jericho there are clues on several corner buildings showing they were once pubs, but numbers have depleted over the years.
No TVs on the wall, no food menu's - just a pleasant relaxed atmosphere to enjoy a pint of 'London Pride'.
There is a real fire in winter and a plentiful selection of board games available.
A rear garden can be accessed via the small corridor alongside the bar.
The Jericho Tavern
56 Waltham Street, OX2 6AE - web
🍴 Food served 🎸 Live Music 🔆 Outdoor seating
Many pub music venues of this type countrywide have been lost, but the Jericho continues as a decent pub with an active gig venue on the 1st floor. Amongst the famous names to have played here are Radiohead, Supergrass, Ride, Mumford & Sons and The Vaccines, with old posters advertising these shows displayed in the bar. The ground floor is a high ceiling, open-plan room with a number of large chunky wooden tables. Three real ales are served, plus there is a range of cans and bottled beers on offer.
Jude the Obscure
54 Waltham Street, OX2 6AE - web
Greene King
🍴 Food served ⚽ Sports on TV 🔆 Outdoor seating
Named after Thomas Hardy's classic novel in which Jericho featured under the fictional name of Beersheba. It was previously named the Prince of Wales before becoming an ale house in the nineties. The owners at the time also went to Hardy's books for inspiration when opening Far from the Madding Crowd in the centre - somewhere I sadly miss (now a Caribbean restaurant).
This pub on the main road through Jericho has since been taken over by Greene King so isn't the beer lovers delight it used to be, but they have recently expanded the beer range with a craft-bar style run of taps at the back of the bar. Film posters adorn the walls, the Phoenix cinema being a next-door neighbour. The back yard has plenty of outdoor seating with sheltered tables for smokers on rainy days and an outdoor screen.
17-18 Victor Street, OX2 6BT - web
Greene King
🕒 Closed Mondays
🍴 Food served
They don't often make pubs like this any more. It's got nooks and crannies, various types and sizes of tables and lots of oddities everywhere, from train sets on the ceilings and chamber pots hanging off hooks. Morrells brewery, who many of the current crop of Greene King pubs belonged to, had an ill-fated moment in the 90's when they tried to turn numerous pubs into ale houses filled with tat, which often didn't work. But the Bookbinders seems right and brings a smile to my face when I walk in here. Food is highly rated and above usual pub standards, with booking of tables recommended.
67 Cranham Street, OX2 6DE - web
Arkells
🍴 🍔🍕 Food served
Rescued by Swindon brewery Arkells, as it looked in 2011 that it was going to be another of the many back street pubs in this area to be converted to housing. The Rickety Press has a modern feel about it, with a menu of mainly pizzas and burgers. There are only a couple of Arkells pubs in Oxford, so this gives a chance to try their brews, three being usually available.
14 North Parade, OX2 6LX - web
🕒 Don't get caught out by the opening hours: has an afternoon closed period from 2:30pm - 5pm
🍴 Food served 🔆 Outdoor seating
This is a delightful pub that is well worth the effort of getting out of the centre to visit. The easiest way is to walk up Banbury Road (from the top of St Giles), looking out for North Parade to your left, just under 1km from the centre. The Rose & Crown dates back to 1865 when it was converted to a pub from cottages. It has two small, cosy rooms at the front and back, with the bar being in the back. There is also bench seating in the corridor where a serving hatch saves you having to step into the back room. A rear courtyard has plenty of sheltered outdoor seating, heated in winter, with vines above you giving a continental flavour.
The Royal Oak
42-22 Woodstock Road, OX2 6HT - web
Mitchells and Butlers
🍴 Food served 🔆 Outdoor seating
Not too far from the centre, being just beyond the end of St Giles in the vicinity of a number of University buildings. If the clientele is coming from the nearby colleges and mathematical institute then it is no wonder that the one time I sat in here during the pub quiz it seemed fiendishly difficult. It's clear to see from the outside that this building has had a number of extensions over the years and, as such, there are numerous separate rooms inside, plus a couple of outdoor areas. It is characterful and well worth a visit.
The Victoria
90 Waltham Street, OX2 6EB - web
Marstons
🍴 Food served - Pies 🔆 Garden
A large pub on the road junction at the end of Walton Street. The Victoria offers a secluded garden at the rear and a small raised patio at the front.
Inside there are several different drinking areas on various levels, including a balcony with a large model aircraft hanging from the ceiling. Perhaps not the most inspiring beer range in the area, but if you're in the mood for a pie and a pint, this is a winner.
2 Hayfield Road, Walton Mannor, OX2 6TT - web
Duke Bars
🍴 Food served 🔆 Garden
For a long time I dismissed The Anchor assuming it had fully morphed into an eating establishment and couldn't really be classified as a pub any longer.
But I was proved wrong - to an extent.
Turn left on entering and there is a simple bar-room with a few folk just sipping a pint on my lunchtime visit. The larger room to the right, with fine tiled floor, has tables set up for eating.
There was an earlier pub on the site, but the current building dates from 1937. Enough of the '30's pub features have been retained to give this a place on CAMRA's regional inventory of historic pub interiors.
Beers come from Wadworth, with an occasional guest ale.
294-296 Banbury Road, Summertown, OX2 7BY
City Pub Company
The Dew Drop Inn
258 Banbury Road, Summertown, OX2 7DX
Mitchells and Butlers
🕒 Don't get caught out by the opening hours: has an afternoon closed period from 2:30pm - 5pm
🍴 Food served 🔆 Outdoor seating
This is a delightful pub that is well worth the effort of getting out of the centre to visit. The easiest way is to walk up Banbury Road (from the top of St Giles), looking out for North Parade to your left, just under 1km from the centre. The Rose & Crown dates back to 1865 when it was converted to a pub from cottages. It has two small, cosy rooms at the front and back, with the bar being in the back. There is also bench seating in the corridor where a serving hatch saves you having to step into the back room. A rear courtyard has plenty of sheltered outdoor seating, heated in winter, with vines above you giving a continental flavour.
The Royal Oak
42-22 Woodstock Road, OX2 6HT - web
Mitchells and Butlers
🍴 Food served 🔆 Outdoor seating
Not too far from the centre, being just beyond the end of St Giles in the vicinity of a number of University buildings. If the clientele is coming from the nearby colleges and mathematical institute then it is no wonder that the one time I sat in here during the pub quiz it seemed fiendishly difficult. It's clear to see from the outside that this building has had a number of extensions over the years and, as such, there are numerous separate rooms inside, plus a couple of outdoor areas. It is characterful and well worth a visit.
The Victoria
90 Waltham Street, OX2 6EB - web
Marstons
🍴 Food served - Pies 🔆 Garden
A large pub on the road junction at the end of Walton Street. The Victoria offers a secluded garden at the rear and a small raised patio at the front.
Inside there are several different drinking areas on various levels, including a balcony with a large model aircraft hanging from the ceiling. Perhaps not the most inspiring beer range in the area, but if you're in the mood for a pie and a pint, this is a winner.
Walton Mannor
The Anchor2 Hayfield Road, Walton Mannor, OX2 6TT - web
Duke Bars
🍴 Food served 🔆 Garden
For a long time I dismissed The Anchor assuming it had fully morphed into an eating establishment and couldn't really be classified as a pub any longer.
But I was proved wrong - to an extent.
Turn left on entering and there is a simple bar-room with a few folk just sipping a pint on my lunchtime visit. The larger room to the right, with fine tiled floor, has tables set up for eating.
There was an earlier pub on the site, but the current building dates from 1937. Enough of the '30's pub features have been retained to give this a place on CAMRA's regional inventory of historic pub interiors.
Beers come from Wadworth, with an occasional guest ale.
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| The Anchor, gastro-pub fare in north Oxford |
Summertown
The Bicycle Shed294-296 Banbury Road, Summertown, OX2 7BY
City Pub Company
Reported closed in summer 2020, with no intentions to re-open.
Sadly, a Covid-Casualty.
Sadly, a Covid-Casualty.
The Dew Drop Inn
258 Banbury Road, Summertown, OX2 7DX
Mitchells and Butlers
🍴 Food served
⚽ Sports on TV 🔆 Garden
Squeezed between modern buildings, the Dew Drop dates back to the 1800s.
There are benches out front if you want to watch busy Banbury Road life pass by, although the back garden is much more pleasant.
One to visit for Inspector Morse fans - this was author Colin Dexter's local pub and featured in several of the books.
⚽ Sports on TV 🔆 Garden
Squeezed between modern buildings, the Dew Drop dates back to the 1800s.
There are benches out front if you want to watch busy Banbury Road life pass by, although the back garden is much more pleasant.
One to visit for Inspector Morse fans - this was author Colin Dexter's local pub and featured in several of the books.
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