The Turf Tavern

One of the reasons why I instantly fell in love with this place is how we found it. We were just wandering around on a rainy day and suddenly saw a small sign pointing us in the direction of Turf Tavern. After a bit of a walk, some random turns and narrow alleyways we found ourselves at this quaint and adorable Turf Tavern. Even on a rainy/​dreary day it seems so cheery and wonderful. We happily walked in and ordered a beer– but where to sit? Again, we found ourselves sort of wandering around exploring the quaint little tavern and all it’s sweet nooks and crannies. The atmosphere is cozy and although it’s small it has multiple rooms and different seating options. The place is very cool, and the staff are friendly and put up with my many photos.

A very cosy sort of hidden pub past the Bridge of Sighs in the centre of Oxford near the Radcliffe Camera, I have been here a few times here during my tenure here in Oxford and it doesn’t disappoint when this time I went over the weekend. The food was OK having the pork escalope and chips but the local Old Rosie pear cider was fantastic, it strong and is full of sweet flavour!

I loved spending a couple hours here drinking pints of apple and pear ciders! It is off the beaten path, just past the Bridge of Sighs, but thankfully there was a sign posted that led my friend and I down the correct path. Apparently this used to be a locals only spot given the location, but I think that the sign has led all sorts of tourists to its doors to see the famed pub. The bartenders were friendly, the ceilings were low, the decorations were quintessentially Oxford-esqu…you can’t go wrong.

Good selection of beers, great vibe and the food was really good. I had the Pulled pork burger with chips and I loved it.

A classic my favorite pub from my Oxfordshire youth. Many a happy evening in the garden.

My FAVORITE pub in Oxford!!! The waitstaff and bartenders are all really friendly, and they bring out the food so quickly! They’ve revamped the menu recently so the food is even better than it was a few months ago. Best item on the menu in my opinion is the mac n cheese with a side of pulled pork (go hungry and ready for rich food if you’re going to get this — I promise it’s worth it!). Sometimes it’s a bit stuffy/​smelly indoors, but the outdoor area is lovely and has heating although it does often get crowded.

Fish&chips is good. But the beer called Oxford Pride didn’t taste as the name indicates. It’s an irony.

Great outdoor seating area, friendly atmosphere and quiet cosy inside too! It’s hidden away from the hustle and bustle. Worth dropping by for a pint or two!

Old worldy extended to fake oldy worldy but a pub with plenty of character and original features. Lots of quality real ale at actually a decent price for Oxford. Famous for Bill Clinton not inhaling here when student at Oxford.

This is a great pub for warm spring evenings and summer days, they do delicious cider and from what I’ve seen, the food is pretty good too (though I’m yet to try it myself). It’s always lively at The Turf, so it’s certainly somewhere I’d recommend going to meet people and make new friends as well.

Despite being crazy busy and popular it has a lovely vibe. The sweet potato fries are good and I loved the garlic flatbread. The veggie burger was ok but not greAt and so was the cauliflower soup. Worth a visit just be careful with the ordering!

Un pub inglés típico del 1300. Ideal para hobbits. Y el pub al que iba Bill Clinton cuando estudiaba en Oxford (for real).
Solía ir a The Tavern cuando pasé un tiempo en Oxford. Volví hace poco tiempo en plan vacaciones y era imposible no volver a por unas pintas. Este pub tiene un encanto particular (como tantos de la ciudad): es original del año 1300 y eso ya le confiere un aire especial. Los techos son súper bajos (porque antes las personas éramos todos tamaño pequeño) y es gracioso ver a los ahora altos ingleses agacharse para entrar a pedir algo a la barra. Está dividido en varios sectores, adentro, y afuera tiene un lindo patio con mesas para disfrutar de comida y tragos/​cerveza allí.
Precios acordes a la mayoría de los pubs del centro (no son baratos), y la comida es rica. Hay desde British Steak & Old Speckled Hen Ale Pie a Fish & Chips (a £9.25) y hamburguesas.
Suele estar LLENO de estudiantes y turistas. No es fácil de encontrar; parece estar en una locación secreta: se ingresa a través de un callejoncito pero hay flechas y carteles que te indican el camino.
Un MUST para todos los amantes de los buenos bares!

The ambiance here is great. So is the beer. This was one of our favorite hang-​outs in Oxford.

Quaint pubs with histories of academic denizens abound in Oxford and Cambridge. This one is cool and you can bump your head on the low beams or get lost trying to find the place.
We had three plates on our table — the food came promptly (we beat the 1pm lunch rush by a few minutes) and food runners were well staffed.
1. Fish and Chips — split the plate for the kids. Good.
2. Pork and beef bbq sliders — very good, if a bit on the sweet side.
3. Chicken peri peri — a special and it was AWFUL — it was overcooked chicken breast with tomato sauce.
There you have it. Have a drink, watch the plates go by and order what looks good.

Great place to go for a drink and perfect place to meet lots of interesting people.
The home brew of tap is perfect.

We heard about this place from our walking tour guide and to be in one of the oldest pubs in Oxford was a nice experience. It was also cool how it was nicely hidden away… we would have never found it if it wasn’t for our guide. We had a couple drinks here and we particularly enjoyed it for the outdoor seating.

The first night we went here, we just had drinks and were overwhelmed by the vibe and the super friendly staff. It was such a neat little place down a long corridor. We probably never would have known it was there or never would have found it had our tour guide now given us specific directions. It is down an adorable, quaint cobblestone alleyway, and it is charming from the get go.
The second night we went there, we decided to try it for dinner, and I was slightly underwhelmed by my food. It was rather bland, but I tried my friends’ food, and most of them were much tater than mine, and the Cider was still amazing, and again the vibe saved the whole experience for me. There were a lot of tourists there of course, but it is an institution in Oxford.
Next time I am visiting Oxford, I will certainly go back, but I will most likely eat dinner before or after I go here, and just hang out with a drink or two, maybe an appetizer to share for the table, but I certainly won’t be going there for dinner.
As a restaurant, I would give it 3 stars because my friends were all satisfied with their food, and mine wasn’t bad, just VERY bland with no flavor, but as a pub i would absolutely give it 5 stars!

This is one of the coolest pubs I’ve ever encountered.
First of all, this was my first trip to Oxford, first trip to England, first trip to Europe, so this American girl was easily wowed — but let’s not let that take away from Turf Tavern’s unique charm.
This spot is slightly hidden, but when you follow the signs down the cobblestone alleyway, you’ll soon see the quaint little patio and restaurant. We stopped here for some beer and snacks during a stroll through the town. Everything we had was great, but the setting was the real winner. The patio is gorgeous with pretty flowers everywhere. We were also surrounded by tables of students reading poetry and professors debating… something intelligent. They could have been plants to add to the atmosphere, but I didn’t care either way.
All in all, I can see why this place is famous. I’m so glad I had the chance to come here and enjoy an «education in intoxication»!

This was my favorite stop on our historic pub crawl. As others have said, it’s got so much character, with it’s somewhat hidden location, mix of indoor and outdoor seating, colorful kegs lining the path, and plenty of history.
The only disappointment for me was the lack of ginger beer (pregnancy sobriety…) but the Aussies pouring the beer were very friendly. After we collected our drinks from the bar, we headed to the back patio to enjoy the outdoor seating. We didn’t try the food, but it appeared to be tasty standard pub fair.
The toilets were quite nice and well-​maintained, particularly for a busy place.

My cousin and I had some drinks, and then some more. Tried a few whiskies, and some beers and ciders. All drinks were excellent; the outdoor atmosphere is fantastic (especially if you get lucky with a corner seat — the people watching is priceless — professors reading poetry on their own; students getting drunk together — all are here).
It’s not easy to find but it’s worth stopping by for at least one drink — this truly is an Oxford classic.

Yay for eats and ambiance, but the bar out front gets really backed up at times. I managed to get a couple of pints in about 30 seconds on my first try, but literally waited over 20 minutes to a place a second order (of food) about a half-​hour later, so your mileage may vary.
The burger board — a plate of six sliders with chips and a few onion rings tossed in for good measure — clocks in at just under £10 and is perfect for sharing out front on the big wooden tables.