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Detail Pages
The Harcourt Arms, Jericho, Oxford
Oxford
OX2 6DG
Pub Type
Fuller'sReviews (Current Rating Average: 6½ of 10) see review guidelines
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Tris C left this review about The Harcourt Arms
Nope. If a pub which was stripped out over the summer and hipsterfied with grey paint, industrial lamps and a bare brick, ceramic tiled and scaffold bar back deserves an '8', then I'm a Dutchman. And the guvnor drinks at the Bookbinders up the road...
On 12th January 2023
- rating: 4
[User has posted 1993 recommendations about 1959 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Ian Mapp left this review about The Harcourt Arms
Afraid I disagree with the low score below. I loved this place.
First thing - Google hours on a Sunday are incorrect. Its a 5pm opener - not 3pm. Still, you can always kill a couple of hours at the Bookbinders.
We passed a 2nd time at 16:50 and saw the staff lighting candles and the wood burner. Establishing it was soon to open, we waited 10 minutes.
The candles create an atmosphere. The London Pride - even if the first pour of the day - was exceptional. Worthy of its 2023 GBG entry.
The place filled up with folk musicians and the people that we met in the bookbinders - presumably turfed out at 5pm closing.
A great atmosphere. Great beer.
Loved it.
On 29th November 2022
- rating: 8
[User has posted 1345 recommendations about 1331 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Tris C left this review about The Harcourt Arms
On 4th September 2016:
Dating back to at least the 1870s and rebuilt in the 1930s, this is indeed a rather sombre building, almost opposite the Rickety Press.
The interior's simple with a bare boarded floor, side bar some fine settles and conventional furniture. It's part wood panelled painted a pale blue/grey and overall, it's quite cosy. In the corner stands an upright piano, otherwise, muted music played. Ales: a standard Fuller's range with Joule's Bitter which seems to be appearing in some Fuller's outlets. Unfortunately it went off as I arrived so I plumped for the London Pride at a fairly reasonable £3.70 a pint and it was fine.
This pub is perfectly decent if in the area but isn't worth a special visit and gets marked down for the dogs running about the place.
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On 29th August 2018:
A return visit the other night and the pub seems slightly more spartan than before. The ale front is similar but improved due to the inclusion of Darkstar's Hophead. Worth a visit and certainly better than the Rickety Press across the road; makes for a good mini crawl with the Victoria and Rose & Crown.
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A return the other night and oh dear: the interior decor appears to be the same, but otherwise it's been totally hipsterfied, with a white and grey colour scheme, metal shades and an industrial bare brick, shiny tiles and tubular steel gantry behind the bar. The Dark Star Orbiter was good, but otherwise this place isn't worth the effort; go to the Bookbinders next door (marked down accordingly).
On 19th August 2022
- rating: 4
[User has posted 1993 recommendations about 1959 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Thuck Phat left this review about The Harcourt Arms
As has been noted, The Harcourt is far from the archetypal, Jericho, street corner boozer but it has been recently refurbished by Fullers and is a very comfortable place to be.
The furniture is mismatched wood with one notable high backed settle and there's plenty of vertical drinking space by the bar with a second high bar opposite creating the perfect area if you don't feel like sitting down. There's been a fair amount of thought put into the layout of this relatively small space.
Added to this were two, lit real fires and a couple of friendly dogs pottering around. It feels like a proper, welcoming local pub.
Added to all this was a decent selection of Fullers beers - Olivers Island, London Pride, HSB and Seafarers with the HSB easily winning Jericho pint of the evening. The addition of Bengal Lancer, ESB and London Porter to that list would make this nirvana.
The best beer we found in Jericho.
On 22nd March 2018
- rating: 8
[User has posted 679 recommendations about 678 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Bucking Fastard left this review about The Harcourt Arms
A street corner building with a harsh exterior design amongst the earlier terraced houses,this Fuller's tied pub has had a full makeover.The interior is open plan but with two fireplaces both belting out a warm heat on a cold evening,you can imagine the old layout.There is a mix of wooden furniture,some sofas ,with some red leather upholstery but tea lights on every table and candles on the mantlepieces is part of the modern vibe here.The laid back muzak was funky,and the copper topped bar attractive.
The four handpumps were drawing Seafarers,London Pride,ESB and Bengal Lancer in great nick but £4.No urinal in the gents did give me pause to consider if I had walked through the wrong door.I didn't investigate the beer garden as the temperature had gone seriously minus.
Friendly welcome and well kept Fullers ales would make this pub worth another visit,I suppose the trendy refurb would grow on you as strong ale was being consumed.
On 23rd January 2015
- rating: 7
[User has posted 2737 recommendations about 2737 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Quinno _ left this review about The Harcourt Arms
Solid backstreet inter-war building that is run by Fullers. Interior was a right let-down, dull, opened out and modernized inside though the old (unused) fireplace looked nice. Right hand side had duck egg blue three-quarter length wood panelling, left side heavy on red leatherette seating. Apparently a rear patio garden but you need to exit the pub and go round the side to access(?). Three Fullers ales, Chiswick, ESB and Pride. My ESB was in pretty good shape, which sadly is unusual in many Fullers outlets these days. Unfortunately it was spoilt a bit by being served in a heavily-pitted glass. Laid-back piano music gave a nice atmosphere. Note: the Gents has no urinals which can cause momentary panic! Would pop back in based on the ESB but as a pub I could easily overlook it.
On 21st April 2014
- rating: 6
[User has posted 5107 recommendations about 5090 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Danny O'Revey left this review about Harcourt Arms
Currently shut, though it looks like it may be getting a re-furb?
On 7th June 2011
- no rating submitted
[User has posted 1456 recommendations about 1434 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
I L left this review about Harcourt Arms
The interior of this pub has been partially opened up but still retains a feel of separate drinking areas. has a good range of Fullers (including ex Gales ales). A bit of a walk from the centre of Oxford but worth doing if combining with a trip to the Old Bookbinders pub further down the road.
On 26th August 2010
- rating: 7
[User has posted 287 recommendations about 284 pubs]