Turf Tavern, Oxford

As previously mentioned a difficult pub to find but worth the effort if you have never visited before. I have but many moons ago and it was good to find it largely unchanged albeit having had a bit of a décor upgrade. The outside courtyard area reached through the length of the pub is still the best spot to search out on a fine weather day. It was so long ago I can’t remember the beers or quality back then, but it has for sure not improved under the GK ownership. And neither appears the service levels, with the bar staff combatting the Saturday crowd with a grimace rather than a smile. Fortunately there are enough guest beers outside the GK range and there were two Titanic ales (Steerage and Iceberg) and the Turf tavern Summer and Winter Ales, which are White Horse brews, not GK as mentioned below, when I visited and the Titanic brews were fine. So I would say still worth a visit for the history and interesting characterful interior if you are an infrequent visitor to Oxford, and best visited during a quiet period. But there are definitely better beer and more comfortable pubs in the center of Oxford.

A pub I had heard about and had to visit,I found the small side road but as Quinno has previously written there didn't seem to be a pub there,you walk down to the end only about 75 yards add you come to the entrance of a small hotel/guesthouse,to your left you will see a small sign with an arrow pointing the way to the Turf Tavern through a small open doorway set into the wall,through here and down a short corridor you emerge into an open courtyard and there sits the pub,there did seem to be another way to the pub down an alleyway in a second courtyard area at the front of building,but I didn't investigate further,time for beer. The interior is just as intriguing as the journey finding it ,several entrances to various nooks ,crannies and bars.All authentically Olde worldy inside taking as warned in the previous review not to knock yourself senseless on the low overhead oak beams.A sign in the courtyard informs us there are always 11 cask ales available,I didn't find all off these but there where five or six visible in the front bar some of which were exclusive Turf ales , I took these to be renamed Greene King concoctions ,so steered clear,I settled for a pint of Thwaites Wainwright which was ok but not great. It wasn't to overcrowded despite being about 12.30 Friday lunchtime.Not so sure about the beer but as has been intimated before, a pub you must see.