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St Aldates Tavern, Oxford
Oxford
OX1 1BU
Reviews (Current Rating Average: 7 of 10) see review guidelines
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Quinno _ left this review about St Aldates Tavern
A quick stop-off to shelter from a passing shower gave me a good half of Dark Star Blockhead, a tough choice amongst the impressive line-up. Sneaks up another point.
November 2014
Two revisits have found truly excellent pints from the likes of Dark Star, Great Heck and XT. However on the first visit the world's stupidest barmaid messed up the change on both visits to the bar. This place really doesn't want me to enjoy it...but the quality of the beer means I'll be back again I suspect - it's come a long way in a short time. Rated 7
December 2013
A fairly new kid on the block and was recommended to me by the bar staff at the Grapes as a wildcard. It sports an attractive exterior on approach. Six pumps with four on (Late Knights, Black Iris, Dark Star Hophead and Box Steam Porter). An interesting range but claims outside of the “widest ale range in Oxford” perhaps overly boastful in context. Quality below-par; my Box Steam was OK but died quite quickly in the glass. The follow-up of Black Iris was flat. Modernised interior décor - a turquoise spectrum colour scheme, woodblock flooring and dodgy 'distressed' tables laid out in a canteen-style as mentioned below. Food offered, with Scotch eggs and 'hand cut chips' for bar snacks. Blue Room upstairs which is bookable for functions etc. A good solid outlet if somewhat less inspiring than other OX1 pubs on the ale quality front. Perhaps I caught it on a bad day. Rated 6
On 18th September 2015
- rating: 8
[User has posted 5072 recommendations about 5055 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
E TA left this review about St Aldates Tavern
Currently owned by The City Pub Company, St Aldgates Tavern is an historic Georgian building which provides an atmospheric setting for an alehouse. Was once known as The Hobgoblin. Well described below, the décor has bedded in well since Quinno's review and now sits comfortably with the parquet floor in the front bar and the flags in the small dining area at the back. The staff are also a bit more switched on than before. The pub holds regular entertainment including being on the Pub Skeptics network. It is dog friendly and has free WiFi. Six ales on, three from Dark Star, two from Box Steam and one from XT. I had a pint of Tunnel Vision which was well kept and in perfect condition and justifies its recent inclusion in the GBG. Worth coming for lunch or an evening's libation and a valuable inclusion in a City crawl.
On 23rd March 2015
- rating: 8
[User has posted 3281 recommendations about 3246 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Thuck Phat left this review about St Aldates Tavern
A lovely, traditional and welcoming exterior, complete with a board advertising fish and chips in various languages, opens into a comfortable one room space with the bar to the left at the end and a smaller area beyond.
The decor and fixtures are all rustic but modern with mismatched, aged wood furniture including one long table made from an old pine door and a parquet floor. Each table is furnished with fresh flowers in different spirit bottles and a paper menu bulldog clipped to an old book. Nice touches and they make the place feel looked after.
Mr. F below has described the food offerings well and the service was polite, efficient and friendly.
In addition to a range of keg offerings, the hand pumps had on: Animal Brewing Bastard Bunny Brew Ha Ha, XT 6, Darkstar Hophead, Box Steam Tunnel Vision and Hook Norton Hooky. A decent selection across strength and styles and all that we tried was excellent. Worth noting though that the Brew Ha Ha at 7.2% came in at £4.30 and the Hophead at 3.8% was £3.65. Not cheap but perhaps the norm for central Oxford.
We enjoyed our visit here and the ale offerings so much that, despite Oxford's rich array of alternatives, we weren't tempted to leave.
On 12th March 2015
- rating: 8
[User has posted 679 recommendations about 678 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Gill Smith left this review about The St Aldates Tavern
Called in when I left the Oxford beer festival in the Town Hall opposite, and it was busy with a mixed crowd. Chose Bartram's Megalithic which was a decent brew, and found a seat on a high stool at one of the high tables. Not struck on these stools as they are not comfy for the more ample person, but it was a pleasant enough bar to pop into while in Oxford.
On 20th October 2013
- rating: 7
[User has posted 1339 recommendations about 1222 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Oggwyn Great left this review about The St Aldates Tavern
This was one of my favorites on our weekend visit to Oxford , as you enter there is seating to both sides in the window alcoves , along the right is a shelf with high stools to the left more seats with tables and a long canteen style table down the middle , the bar is on the left opposite the stairs leading up to the function room with its own seperate bar and a large projecter screen showing the Lions rugby on my visit.
The tables are very old and very sturdy , the tops looked to be several inches thick and would not look out of place in a victorian butchers , the lighting also seemed a bit strange with large stainless steel lights that look like they came from a 1920s operating theatre , around the walls are pictures of old Oxford , some old trophies and some unusual lamps , it sounds a bit strange but works really well.
Keg included Erdinger , Tiger , Budweiser and Heiniken with Guiness and Stowford Press and Symonds Cider , Six Handpulls on with a decent selection , Hook Norton Lion , Darkstar American Pale ,Oxford Ales Pride of Oxfordshire , XT Red and the two i tried Henley Jailhouse and the exellent Box Steam Golden Bolt .
Service was very friendly with the barman being happy to talk about the pubs history and recent refurb .
I really enjoyed my visit here and would reccomend it.
On 9th June 2013
- no rating submitted
[User has posted 797 recommendations about 683 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Graham Smith left this review about The St Aldates Tavern
Has recently re-opened after a lengthy closure. A pleasant refurbishment has been made and this previously somewhat run down bar has been significantly improved. A choice of 6 ales on my visit, mostly from local micro breweries such as White Horse, Shotover and Vale. Up market food available. Sky sports was showing on the plasma.
On 27th November 2012
- rating: 7
[User has posted 47 recommendations about 44 pubs]