The Brasenose Arms, Banbury

As described by others, below. This pleasant village pub still has a fairly ordinary beer selection, but what was there was good. Ascension’s Wrath cider and Fuller’s London Pride were the only Deadly Sins represented, though we managed to bring our own gluttony and sloth to the party. The other ale offering was Landlord, so I guess we could claim avarice as well. I’m sure the eponymous college, with its tradition of Christian prayer, would see the funny side. Food was also good, well prepared and served with a smile. The other clients were a little more sombre and elderly than we, but that didn’t dampen our spirits at all. I’d be very happy to come back.

An old building in Oxfordshire stone set in this pretty village ,and the obvious place for a midweek lunchtime stop given the restricted opening hours of the Red Lion.You enter into a dining area ,which extends to the back of the building,while to your left is the bar room .The ceilings are low with beams likely to catch lanky customers,and the furniture here is a little worn with a pine circular table,a sofa,some 4 seater wooden tables and a drinking shelf with stools under the window.There are two small wood burners,but the interior is functional rather than attractive.Outside there is a very large beer garden ,no doubt much used during the annual Folk Festival,and many photos around the interior pay hommage to the event. Everybody is very friendly ,and the real ale options on my trip were Black Sheep Bitter,Hooky Bitter,Doom Bar and TT Landlord.That is hardly an exciting line up and looks drawn from a pubco list but I have to say that my Landlord was in excellent shape,noteworthy given how difficult this ale is to condition properly. Several people were eating ,but food doesn't dominate and the pub had the comfortable feel of a village boozer.Worth a visit if in the area,a short walk from the Oxford canal.

Despite a current Good Beer Guide listing, we were very disappointed to find that the whole range of real ales were in very poor condition, the Doombar being completely undrinkable. Someone was even complaining about the Amstel! Hopefully a temporary aberration but take care. Otherwise not too bad. Restaurant apparently has a good reputation but we didn't stop to find out.

Official site of The Brasenose Arms - www.brasenosearms.com

This solid, prosperous looking Cotswold stone pub has been serving customers for 350 years. The front entrance leads to a rather cosy restaurant, drinkers are directed to the left of the building where the very traditional (despite a huge, incongruous but I suspect compulsory sofa) bar is. Probably uniquely the pub has its own coffee roastery, and you can sample the product and buy the beans and various other products. There's a big beer garden to the rear, as well as a smokers' corner near the door. Service is friendly, but it does suffer from being an Enterprise lease, so you're stuck with Doombar, Broadside, Landlord. Old Hookey was the token local brew on our visit. Well worth a look, but let down by the stifled beer range.

Official site of The Brasenose Arms - www.brasenosearms.com