I visited The Oxford for the first time last week, after finding that The Banco Lounge across the road had closed unusually early that evening. Having just been out for dinner with a friend, the two of us were feeling spontaneous and jolly after consuming rather a lot of wine, and subsequently in the mood for blowing caution to the wind and trying somewhere new. And that we did...
The venue was fairly quiet when we arrived, but it was a weekday evening so that's kind of to be expected. There were a few blokes playing pool and minding their own business and a few others sat around tables quietly conversing. Ordering drinks at the bar, we got chatting with the new landlord (the pub has recently changed hands) who was obviously pleased to see a couple of new faces in the joint. He was very chatty and eager to pick our brains about what we thought he should do to help dig the pub out of its hole of bad repute. He'd so far brought in a wider selection of lagers, started hosting open mic nights and spruced up the decor, which all looked very lovely to me. Reading Henry N's review, it seems this pub doesn't have the greatest reputation but I certainly didn't sense any hostile forces at play here. Perhaps people in the area need to give the place a second chance. The pub itself is nice looking, and serves a great range of drinks at reasonable prices. And most importantly, the landlord is passionate about turning things around. Come on, folks - lets make it happen for him! read more