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The Bear, Oxford
Oxford
OX1 4EH
Pub Type
Fuller'sReviews (Current Rating Average: 7 of 10) see review guidelines
Just a quick pint, then I'm off left this review about The Bear
Famously small pub, with a tiny bar and a back room that is little bigger - all full when I called in, but fortunately one of the pair of seats in the entrance lobby area was free. Very traditional throughout, with wood-panelled walls and the ephemera being a huge collection of ties. As a Fullers pub, it was no surprise to find London Pride, Oliver's Island, HSB (£5.70), ESB and draught cider being served from a total of five handpumps. Perhaps best visited at a quieter time, but I had an interesting chat with another visitor to the city, and both of us were glad we made it to this Oxford institution.
On 28th February 2024
- rating: 7
[User has posted 8117 recommendations about 8117 pubs]
Steve C left this review about The Bear
I managed to revisit the Bear after a hiatus of 16.5 years, and to be honest it was much as I remember, although I did get to have a proper look around this time with my visit being on a quiet Tuesday afternoon. This is a tiny pub with an L-shaped bar area with bar counters that support five hand pumps that were drawing Fuller’s ESB, London Pride and Oliver’s Island alongside Dark Star’s Outer Haze and Old Rosie Cider. I had my first Pride for a while which went down well as I sat in the back room listening to the American tourists come up with reasons for the multitude of cut ties in display cases on the walls and ceilings around the pub. An aged pub with character that also has an interesting history from fairly recent times. A must if in Oxford, even if only to say you’ve been.
On 20th October 2023
- rating: 7
[User has posted 5251 recommendations about 5219 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Blackthorn _ left this review about The Bear
Reputedly the oldest pub in Oxford, first impressions weren’t great when approaching from the rear, with a covered decking area which included a TV screen showing the rugby at far too high a volume. Persevere though, and you’ll find something altogether much better.
Internally it consists of two rooms, both quite small, and finding somewhere to sit is liable to be tricky at busier times. In fact when we visited, it was hard enough just finding somewhere to stand. The rear room had full height wood panelling on the walls as well as a wood strip floor, although both the walls and ceiling were pretty much completely covered with glass display cases housing a massive collection of old ties, each one apparently catalogued with an identification label. A few brass bell pushes were inset in to the wood panelling which were presumably for table service back in the day, although I suspect these are no longer in use. A small TV was rather incongruously wedged in to one corner, although fortunately this was not in use.
Beers on tap were predominantly from Fuller’s with their Bengal Lancer, Oliver’s Island, ESB, HSB and London Pride and these were joined by Shotover Prospect. The solitary cider meanwhile was Stowford Press. All in all, well worth a visit, although it’s not quite as relaxing as it could be simply due to it’s popularity.
On 16th November 2018
- rating: 8
[User has posted 1948 recommendations about 1861 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Ian Mapp left this review about The Bear
Really good boozer - just off the main drag. Great atmosphere, plenty of conversation. Great old interior with partioned alcoves and a top pint of ESB.
Recommended.
Visit blogged at http://bit.ly/2tFIpRz
On 27th July 2017
- rating: 10
[User has posted 277 recommendations about 276 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Steve of N21 left this review about The Bear
Historic 13th Century pub which is now a Fullers tied house. It is quite small inside with the not particularly large low-ceilinged main bar having two smaller rooms adjoining it, one with the impressive tie collection previously mentioned. The is complemented by a larger outside drinking area to the side of the pub, unfortunately in front of a modern brick building housing shops, so the contrast with the inside of the pub could be greater.
Unfortunately, as we chose to visit on Graduation day, every available area including the outside section was rammed so this wasn’t a very comfortable visit.
But I saw enough of the place to consider a revisit when back in town.
On 11th August 2016
- rating: 6
[User has posted 2111 recommendations about 1992 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Real Ale Ray left this review about The Bear
I didn't receive my free half of beer as I had left my shirt and tie at home, so the pub landlord couldn't take a snip. I don't mind Fullers beers, so I enjoyed a London Pride. I liked this pub and would happily visit again.
On 29th July 2016
- rating: 7
[User has posted 3382 recommendations about 3381 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Moby Duck left this review about The Bear
A tiny and ancient Fullers Pub,there are two rooms both small and the previously mentioned tie collection is quite a sight.Six pumps in all, a four and a two were serving Pride, ESB,Olivers Island and Quintesential British Pale Ale with a Gales HSB coming soon, all from the Fullers stable, along with a guest beer in the shape of Shotover Scholar.
This pub demands a visit for historic reasons, even if the beers do not set the pulse racing.
On 25th July 2016
- rating: 7
[User has posted 1872 recommendations about 1845 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Tris C left this review about The Bear
Dating from 1242, this is a lovely historic pub and one of the best in Oxford. Impossibly low ceilings and a myriad framed neck ties to the walls and ceilings, fireplaces and a rare example of a pewter bar top.
The awful landlord of yore has gone and little has changed save for some very slight modifications behind the bar.
A fireplace was full of décor so perhaps is no longer is use during the winter which would be a shame.
On 23rd July 2016
- rating: 7
[User has posted 1985 recommendations about 1951 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Pub SignMan left this review about The Bear
This small pub, tucked away down a quiet side street in the heart of the city, claims to be the oldest in Oxford. It reputedly dates back to 1242, although it would be fair to say that such an incarnation has long since gone, with the present Grade II listed building first appearing in the 17th Century. You enter into a compact main bar, with a roaring fire on the go next to the entrance and a small servery opposite with just enough space for a row of handpulls - the keg taps being satisfyingly consigned to the bar back. The servery apparently boasts a rare pewter counter, but I somehow managed to completely miss this. The room has some fixed seating, but most customers were in the larger back room which has four or five tables served by padded banquettes and some wide, upholstered low stools and benches. There are some original wall panels in here as well as bell pushes running behind the banquettes. A final room can be found to the right of the bar. This is a small snug with room for a few bar stools and its own serving hatch, but very little else. The compact interior has been acknowledged by the provision of a fair sized pavement seating area. The pub's most remarkable feature is its collection of tie ends which are mounted in numerous display cases throughout the pub, covering most of the wood panelled walls and some sections of ceiling. The collection was started back in 1952 by the then landlord, Alan Course, who would snip a couple of inches off the thin end of customer's ties (with their consent) in return for a half of ale. Each tie is labelled with details of the club, school, team or otherwise that it represents and a signature from the wearer. In all there are now over 4,500 ties in the collection and the landlord's expertise on the subject was used as a plot devise in an Inspector Morse novel, in which the landlord was able to identify a tie in a photograph Morse showed him.
The pub is owned by Fullers and five of their beers were available on my visit - London Pride, ESB, HSB, Chiswick and Front Row. There is also a regular guest from the local Shotover brewery, which on this visit was Oxford Scholar. I gave the HSB a try and, whilst it was in good condition, I can't say I enjoyed it much as it seemed far too sweet.
This is an interesting pub with a traditional layout and welcoming ambiance. We dived in here to escape the bad weather and expected it to be a flying visit, but we really enjoyed it here and reluctantly left much later than planned. Whilst it might not be the most exciting pub for the ale drinker, it still merits inclusion on any crawl around the city.
On 28th February 2014
- rating: 7
[User has posted 3114 recommendations about 3114 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Quinno _ left this review about The Bear
The interior as described in my previous review remains mercifully unmolested. An Xmas period visit found the pub quieter and more relaxed than the other city centre outlets. It seems to have ramped up the food offering somewhat, meaning that the drinkers are getting squeezed a bit as Chloe and Olivia do like to dawdle over their meals. Usual Fullers range with their seasonal Red Fox available, steeply priced. Unfortunately it was freezing cold which rather killed the taste. Like a number of OX1 pubs it is worth an occasional visit for novelty value.
July 2011
Backstreet Fullers corner pub, very small inside with two rooms. Plenty of character, with thousands of old school and club ties mounted in numerous glass cases; no repetitions and apparently they were acquired off customers who came in over the years. Aside from those, there’s wood panelling, low ceilings and a very wonky floor that would scare off most spirit levels. Real fires in each room, unlit on my visit. Authentic bell pushes too. Some attractive ceramic tiling outside features a hare and states that this used to be a Halls Oxford & West Brewery Company Ltd house – whatever happened to them? No TV, music or fruit machines in evidence but there were daily papers. If I recall there were six handpumps with Fullers beers obviously predominant, though two guests were also on, perhaps testament to the strength of competition in OX1. I tried the HSB (fine) and Butcombe (pedestrian). Worth taking in as part of an extended crawl to say you’ve done it but ale fans will probably prefer to prioritise elsewhere. Rated 7
On 23rd January 2014
- rating: 7
[User has posted 5089 recommendations about 5072 pubs]