Not already a member?
Join our community and
- Rate & review pubs
- Upload pictures
- Add events
JOIN for free NOW
Chat about:
Random news of the day with Real Ale Ray
on the Pub Forum
Detail Pages
The White Rabbit, Oxford
Oxford
OX1 2BY
Reviews (Current Rating Average: 7 of 10) see review guidelines
Just a quick pint, then I'm off left this review about The White Rabbit
Alleyway pub and pizza joint, with a semi-modernised and partially opened-out interior comprising a compact front bar, side alcove and larger rear room. Also has an elevated rear patio beer garden. On the plus side, it usually has a fine selection of local cask beers on the five handpumps, including the Loose Cannon Abingdon Bridge (£3.80).
On 25th February 2024
- rating: 7
[User has posted 8117 recommendations about 8117 pubs]
Helen Iwanczuk left this review about The White Rabbit
My partner and I spent a very pleasant afternoon in Oxford today, and did a mini pub crawl. The Whie Rabbit was the third and final pub on the list. We have been here before, and each time is a different experience. We ended up in the covered dining area at the back of the pub, as it was quite busy inside.
Apart from everything else that has already been mentioned, the White Rabbit is notable for two things. Firstly the heated outdoor seats. Whilst this is a welcome asset during the winter months, my posterior was in danger of being scorched, due to the tempreture of the seats!
The other notable thing, is that the White Rabbit must hold the record for having the smallest toilet facilaties in Oxford, there would be more space in a broom cupboard!
But having said this, we enjoyed our visit, and would gladly return.
On 7th January 2024
- rating: 7
[User has posted 256 recommendations about 196 pubs]
Steve C left this review about The White Rabbit
The White Rabbit is tucked down an alley just off the main drag, and the car park has been turned into a long covered outside seating area. There were a few drinkers and diners sitting out here during a recent midweek early evening visit. The food is Italian and the cheapest dish is the small Margherita which is priced at £8.25. Inside the pub is a front seating area along the front windows to the right of the entrance and a U-shaped bar comes out of the right-hand wall. This faces seating to the rear and to the left where the whitewashed walls have been stamped with a rabbit stencil… I actually quite liked them, but would put them in my shed rather than lounge. No televisions spotted, but there was some background music playing from the likes of REM.
Premium and craft keg were available and the five hand pumps were drawing White Horse Brewing’s Village Idiot, Loose Cannon’s Gunners Gold, Renegade Brewery’s Good Old Boy, Siren’s Liquid Mistress and North Cotswold Brewery’s Moreton Mild, the latter being decent and the cheapest non-Spoons beer of the day at £2 for a half. I thought the service was friendly, but I didn’t find the surroundings very comfortable so maybe this is one to visit for lunch when a pizza and pint can be enjoyed out the back.
On 31st October 2023
- rating: 6
[User has posted 5251 recommendations about 5219 pubs]
Quinno _ left this review about The White Rabbit
Still don't fancy the place much. Despite its CAMRA Inventory listing the wood is glooped in a washed-out grey/green and the rest is a stark white - it all feels very impersonal despite being very tight. Four cask; Renegade, 2x White Horse and one from a brewery I couldn't discern from the clip. In fairness my half of White Horse Don's was decent (NBSS 3) and staff were friendly. But it just doesn’t appeal to me, despite the GBG’23 listing.
May 2014
Unimaginative pub-by-numbers tucked down a tight alley. Some multi-room elements remain from previous incarnations (was a metal pub before the owners moved over to the Wheatsheaf) with a couple of booths available. Bare board flooring and third length wood cladding painted in duck egg for décor. Heavily advertised beer garden little more than a small piece of astroturf. Four ales at the bar, an intriguing selection of White Horse Village Idiot and Oxford Blue, Vale Wychert and Shotover Scholar. My Oxford Blue smelt like milk on the turn and tasted of beetroot and lemon. Never had it before but sure it isn't meant to taste as it did (having had a few White Horse in my time), pretty sure the pub had cocked it up. Left disappointed. Rated 5
On 11th May 2023
- rating: 6
[User has posted 5099 recommendations about 5082 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Bucking Fastard left this review about The White Rabbit
Tucked away ,close to the coach station this is an old town centre pub which is now aimed at the student/young professional market.The interior off the narrow lane is traditional with three sections all served from the three sided square servery.The first section to the right is popular with diners choosing from a largely pizze menu,there is a mid pub snug with a huge table at the back,while down a step was a larger section ,but also used a lot by diners.Outside there is an impressively large covered beer garden with a lot of seating booths,also with most punters eating.
The pub was packed at 6pm on a Wednesday and the muzak was certainly too loud.It's in the 2023 GBG and on my trip there wes a Locale selection of Chaddingtons Oxford IPA,Vale Metroland,Shotover Prospect (£3.80) and Loddon Dragon Fly (NBSS 3,£4 which is real value in Oxford).There were some interesting craft kegs. A decent if unexceptional ale range,but a hectic experience it may be better at a quiet time but still worth a real ale crawl visit.
On 13th April 2023
- rating: 7
[User has posted 2727 recommendations about 2727 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Graham Coombs left this review about The White Rabbit
Just off the city centre but a world away from the typical tourist pubs, this is a nicely quirky drinkers pub with two basic rooms and a fair bit of painted wood panelling. Outside is a large tabled courtyard. Five very interesting ales were on: Siren Broken Dreams, Cotswold Tumbling Jack, Little Ox Hufflepuff, Oxford Matilda's Tears and Loose Cannon Gunners Gold. Food is just pizza but quite excellent. Hands down the best pub visited and not to be missed.
On 20th October 2022
- rating: 8
[User has posted 3339 recommendations about 3276 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Moby Duck left this review about The White Rabbit
Quite a small backstreet pub, absolutely rammed on a Saturday evening with the average age group seemingly late teens to mid twenty's, It was also noticeable that the gender divide was about 75% female. Pizza seemed to be a big thing here but not sure if it was cooked on site or being delivered in. Three cask ales available, Shotover Scholar, Oxford Craft Beer Co 'O'Sullivans Golden Nugget and Siren Cold Blooded.
It seemed ok here but a little too lively for a quiet pint.
On 25th February 2018
- rating: 6
[User has posted 1872 recommendations about 1845 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Ian Mapp left this review about The White Rabbit
Best pub out of the five visited tonight.
In the GBG 2017, keeps thing simple with minimalistic produce. Three real ales on and food seemed to be Pizza. The Shotover Oxford Scholar was the best pint of the night.
Great atmosphere during the quiz night. Really liked the place.
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.
Tris C left this review about The White Rabbit
Renamed in 2012 from the Gloucester Arms to the White Rabbit after the local White Rabbit Pizza Co. which makes organic, gluten-free pizzas. No surprises then that this pub's food menu revolves around...the pizza!
A surprisingly small Georgian pub, inside painted a universal off-white with part wood-panelled walls. Furniture is basic and there's a fireplace each to the front and rear rooms. Music played but it was really too loud, hence the loss of a point. Customers are of the bearded hipster type, who perhaps have got lost on their way home to Hoxton.
Ales: Loose Cannon Brewery's Gunner's Gold, Clouded Minds Brewery's Luppol Golden Ale, Shotover's Oxford Scholar and XT Brewing Company's XT8 which at £1.95 a half is good value for the area and was a fine half.
I'd definitely come here again but they'd really have to turn down the music if they wanted me to stay for more than a half.
On 3rd September 2016
- rating: 5
[User has posted 1985 recommendations about 1951 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
E TA left this review about The White Rabbit
Previously The Gloucester Arms, the pub had a reputation as a music venue. It is currently a basic pub again, mainly used by students, but with an excellent line in freshly made pizzas. The décor is basic, two bar areas served from a single counter, bare floorboards and very Spartan toilet arrangements, but it’s friendly, welcoming and civilised. There were 4 ales on, all from White Horse, I think. The Bitter was in good form, a decent pint which complemented my pizza spagnola admirably. A good place for a lunchtime pit stop, provided you like pizza, and I’d include on a crawl for the beer quality.
On 26th May 2015
- rating: 6
[User has posted 3285 recommendations about 3250 pubs]