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Disappointment of the week with Real Ale Ray
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The Kings Head Inn, Chipping Norton
Bledington
Postal town: Chipping Norton
OX7 6XQ
Reviews (Current Rating Average: 6½ of 10) see review guidelines
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Gill Smith left this review about The Kings Head Inn
Really enjoyed our visit to this charming 2018 Good Beer Guide pub on a village green while on our coach tour of Gloucester pubs. Varied rooms to wander round and a log fire. Friendly staff and our beers from Flying Monk and Butts breweries were fine.
On 18th February 2018
- rating: 8
[User has posted 1339 recommendations about 1222 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Nick Davies left this review about The Kings Head Inn
This is pub of the year according to the Good Pub Guide, so you need to modify your expectations in line with that publication's ideas of a good pub. You thus get a chocolate box Cotswold stone building overlooking a village green complete with river, set in a tourist central village now comprised of the dachas of the London super-rich. It won't be a traditional ancient local full of traditional ancient locals, indeed most days it will be on the fringes of anyone's idea of a pub at all, with any remaining traditional ancient locals banished to the garden to make room for what is, for all intents and purposes, an expensive restaurant.
And so it came to pass. It looks like the original pub was the double fronted bit to the right, with the adjoining property acquired and knocked through relatively recently. There is a modern extension to the rear. It is, of course, exposed beams and open fires and flagstone floors and nooks an crannies, and completely sanitised from the days when it was a traditional village local. Why is there always a vague aroma of raffia in these places? We called on a midweek afternoon, and pleasingly not every flat surface was laid up for eating, however those what weren't had cruet sets in place - I doubt getting a seat would have been easy a bit later on. Nice Hooky attractively served, other choices included Wye Valley HPA and an example from Stonehenge.
Yes it is very nice, but hardly class leading. Visit for the setting: if you can nab a spot outside on the green on a warm weekday summer afternoon you could enjoy a very pleasant hour or two. I can't image you'll enjoy a life-enhancing experience on a weekend.
On 23rd November 2017
- rating: 6
[User has posted 567 recommendations about 559 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Ian Mapp left this review about The Kings Head Inn
Great place - great location on the village green in a picturesque cotswold location.
Four or five real ales on. Location wise, I should have gone for the Old Hooky, but I spied a new member of the Otter Family - Ottter Bright.
Couldn't resist a chance to try something new and I wasnt disappointed.
Wonderful, timeless place.
Visit blogged at http://bit.ly/2ohxFWE
On 25th March 2017
- rating: 10
[User has posted 277 recommendations about 276 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Komakino . left this review about The Kings Head Inn
As below, the façade and front part of the building are Old Worlde, with an extended rear out back. Big on food, a mass clear-up operation was being undertaken on my arrival, so I was lucky to be served promptly (Otter Amber in a hi-ball glass for £1.85 a half - the other ale was Hooky Bitter) and proceeded to grab a seat outside overlooking the pleasant green. During the summer months they also have an old-style ice cream van in their car park and was tempted to ask if they still did those cider lollies...
On 1st August 2016
- rating: 3
[User has posted 1074 recommendations about 1074 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Helen Iwanczuk left this review about The Kings Head Inn
All the ingredients are here to make this an ideal country pub, stone built houses, a nearby stream running past and the sound of bantams piercing the air (there is a sign on the pub exterior, informing you of the bantams!) Yet the interior is somewhat spoilt by dining tables laid out ready for customers. The pub does not seem to cater for the casual drinker - there are not many tables which are not set out for dining - except for outside. My partner and a fellow Pubs Galore contributer, is a real ale lover, he was not too impressed with the quality of the ales on offer. He gave The Kings Head a 5 rating. I'm adding a point because of the terrific pub sign!
On 2nd August 2013
- rating: 6
[User has posted 255 recommendations about 195 pubs]