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The Porterhouse, Osney, Oxford
Oxford
OX2 0AL
Reviews (Current Rating Average: 6½ of 10) see review guidelines
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Graham Coombs left this review about The Porterhouse
A backstreet pub which has evolved into an upmarket steakhouse, or as it describes itself "a grill with rooms". The walls have been painted in a dark blue-grey with tan leather banquettes and copper-topped tables. It did however offer a couple of very nice XT beers on pump, plus a few unusual bottles in the chiller. The steaks hanging in the meat fridge incidentally looked quite magnificent, but I dread to think what the cost is.
On 20th October 2022
- rating: 6
[User has posted 3339 recommendations about 3276 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Komakino . left this review about The Porterhouse
Changed since the recent PuG pub crawl and renamed The Porterhouse, with a dark, clean and modern internal rehaul. It's still cosy-ish and still hanging off GK's coattails with Morland Original and Old Golden Hen accompanying Titanic Stout and White Horse Wayland Smithy on the four pumps (no sign of XT, but I was informed they are still in dialogue with them and still stock their beers). The team at the nearby Punter own this, and there is accommodation available along with a meat-heavy menu (the clue is in the name) and there was a fridge to the left of the doorway leading to the toilets holding hunks of beef. Probably not as great as previous incarnations, but still the best closest bet to the station.
On 27th August 2017
- rating: 6
[User has posted 1074 recommendations about 1074 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Tris C left this review about The Kite
Well described by fellow PuG crawlers below.
A good half of XT1 set me up for the journey home.
Close to Oxford railway station and worth a visit if in the area.
On 6th September 2016
- rating: 6
[User has posted 1985 recommendations about 1951 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Real Ale Ray left this review about The Kite
A decent well run pub with a good choice of six ales and two ciders. The pub seems to have good support from regulars and locals from the area. The smoke room on the right of entrance had wall panelling and wallpapered walls, which is where our remaining PuG's found ourselves taking haven from a busy day on tour. The majority of their customers were out the back in the beer garden and around the bar side on our visit. A decent pint of XT1 definitely finished me off.
On 26th 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 Kite
A solid looking Victorian corner pub, inside the open-plan main room was,I noted at the time, a little sterile in its feel , eight pumps with a mixture of Greene King and XT beers available and two Ciders.This pub was OK but being the last pub of a 16 pub day things were begining to get hazy I'd like to give it a go earlier in the day when I'm a little fresher myself.
On 25th July 2016
- rating: 6
[User has posted 1872 recommendations about 1845 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Bucking Fastard left this review about The Kite
The final stop of an extensive PuG crawl around Oxford,this pub is very close to the station and well away from the tourist trails.Good looking traditional Victorian exterior on a street corner,the interior has had a refurb which has not left many original features apart from a fireplace and an upright piano.The tap room is open plan,while the Smoke Room to the side has it's own street entrance and a discrete feel.
Dont worry about the Greene King insignia outside,this is a local hero's lease allowing as many guests as there are GK brews.This meant on our trip GK Back of the Net,Old Golden Hen with something from GK available soon (phew) with guests XT Pi MILD,XT1(in good nick) and XT4 ,along with two real ciders.
Worth popping in to see what XT ales maybe on offer,a brewery I like although on this trip shame there wasn't a higher ABV option from XT,which are normally very good.
Great place to start or end a crawl,worth ticking off when in the city centre.
On 23rd July 2016
- rating: 7
[User has posted 2727 recommendations about 2727 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Aqualung . left this review about The Kite
This is a back street Greene King house leased with conditions by the XT brewery. I'm sure I've been here before as back in the days when a decent pint of Abbot was worth seeking out I remember drinking in a GK house near Oxford Station and think it must have been this one.
It's a fairly unspoilt place retaining a room with the bar in and another on the right as you enter. Sadly both rooms had TVs blaring with a Eurobore 2016 match that few seemed to be taking any interest in.
The bar has eight hand pumps which I was told by the friendly barman had to include four beers by Greene King and it was good to see that two of these were ciders. The two GK beers were London Glory and Old Golden Hen while the XT beers were 1, 4, 13 and Pi Mild. I tried all four of these (all £3.85) and enjoyed all but number 4 which is their obligatory Boring Brown Beer. The price seemed like daylight robbery to me but I expect there are much dearer places in Oxford.
In the unlikely event I returned to Oxford this place would be one to definitely visit.
On 27th June 2016
- rating: 8
[User has posted 2143 recommendations about 2143 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Quinno _ left this review about The Kite
A swift revisit after a long walk to check the place out since the XT takeover of the lease. The place has been blandized a bit and there's less character than previous. Disappointingly only three XT beers on cask, along with the GK. The XT 1 and 2 were, however, in excellent shape. Maybe finding its feet a little bit but really needs more XT beers on from across the range to make it as good as it should be.
August 2014
Backstreet GK pub that looks to have been recently tarted-up and quite nicely too (though I see elsewhere that opinions differ!). Two rooms on entering, separated by a pair of hinged-open doors. An extra area is further on beyond the bar. Varnished wood flooring and tastefully muted colour scheme, with a number of exposed brick areas and some decent modern wallpaper. In the rear room on the ceiling is a painted map of Oxford. A TV in this rear area was showing silent Sky Sports news (why?) and hosting a selection of daily papers. Small but nicely done rear patio beyond. Eight pumps; four ales (2x Loose Cannon and 2x GK, both of which were non-standard - St Edmunds and H&H Bitter), two ciders (old Rosie's and Thatchers Heritage) with two pumps unclipped. My Loose Cannon Gunners was pretty good. The handwritten slate tasting notes bore little resemblance to what was on offer, mind. Impressive range of bar snacks spotted. Not bad at all and easily reached from Oxford BR. Rated 7
On 23rd April 2016
- rating: 7
[User has posted 5081 recommendations about 5064 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
peter ashworth left this review about The Kite Inn
Made an impromptu stop here to ask directions to other pubs in the area after mislaying my PG map en route.On entry there is a room to the right which houses a pool table with the bar a little further on.There was 5 real ales that rotate on a monthly basis with a chalkboard displaying the forthcoming monthly ales.Tried a pint of Thwaites Nutty Black which was a fair old pint.
On 7th July 2013
- no rating submitted
[User has posted 2318 recommendations about 2275 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Graham Coombs left this review about The Kite Inn
Very much a community pub, but handy for station.
On 23rd December 2009
- rating: 6
[User has posted 3339 recommendations about 3276 pubs]