The Nag's Head in Abingdon, under new management for a year or so now, is emblematic of the resurgence in Abingdon's pub scene in recent years. Previously an uninviting oddity on an island on the fringes of Abingdon, its rebirth has transformed it into a very pleasant, welcoming place, offering a good range of real ales (alongside the usual lagers), plenty of seating space, friendly staff and opening hours until midnight. Particularly unexpected and indicative of how far it has come is that it now offers jazz on various nights.
There are some disappointments. Chief of these is the misleading claim to having 8 "local" real ales - in practice just two of the ales were from Oxfordshire, with others from more faraway places including Cornwall.
But this is, ahem, small beer. On a summer's evening you can expect river views, relaxed atmosphere, quality brews, ice cream (I haven't tried the savoury food) and live music. On a standard night you can expect to get a table, which you might struggle with at Abingdon's more centrally located classy pubs like the King's Head and Bell.
All in all, definitely worth checking out. read more