Gardeners Arms, Oxford

Situated on North Parade, a strange narrow side street off the main road that hosts a number of small businesses and two pubs quite unexpectedly. The interior here is a relatively unspoilt 60’s/70’s refit, a long narrow (partially knocked-through) room with a number of unusual coved banquette seating areas and some cosy features; I was quite taken with the impressive Xmas decorations. Place appeared to be run a pleasant old couple (almost 20 years at the tiller, apparently). Other stuff included a TV tuned quietly to some cookery programme with no one watching, a magazine rack, hot nuts machine and numerous framed prints of Oxford on the walls. Some random bits of clutter here and there, especially towards the rear; in fact it felt rather like an upmarket version of the Retreat in Reading. A genteel air on my Sunday afternoon sojourn, with a number of geriatric diners making up the clientèle. Three ales on; Thwaites Wainwright, Otter Bitter and house beer of uncertain provenance, with proper stewing mulled cider as a festive treat. My Otter, unfortunately, wasn’t really up to much. Nice place, shame about the beer this time. But I’d certainly pop in again if visiting the Rose & Crown for a swift one as it feels like a nice place to be.