This place was awesome! We stayed directly across the street at The Dozing Duck (Airbnb) so of…read morecourse made a reservation for dinner here. (No reservation needed on the pub side-we ate in the restaurant) The food is locally sourced, fresh and authentic rustic farm to table. Even my side salad was delicious. I highly recommend!!

Our go to whenever we are in Oxford visiting family. They have a nice outdoor area, not a lot of…read moretables with umbrellas but no worries if it is nice out. If you eat in the bar area you go to the bartender order your drink of choice and meal. Hint...if you only feel like a half portion of fish and chips you can order a half order and for me it's a perfect portion of food. They do have a bar menu too if you don't want fish and chips. But really who goes to a pub in England and not order fish and chips. This is the place to do so. They do have a restaurant but I believe you need a reservation for that. Worth every bit for a nice meal out and I believe that the menu is a bit different.

A nice cosy country style pub, it has a twist of modernity to it as well with some sofas and…read morearmchairs being scattered amongst the tables and chairs. The main attraction of this pub is the food, they don't have the biggest eating area, however the range of food is good and there are always specials available. It is traditional pub grub, but cooked and served to a higher standard than many pubs. They seem to pride themselves on good service and to be honest, given the village location this place always seems to be busy. Much more so than the size of the village would allow. We've been in there with the kids and parents and all of them found something on the menu to suit their tastes - no mean feat when one of the kids is a fussy eater! Well done to all involved in making this a nice space and one that you'll want to go back to.

We recently stayed here for three nights' bed & breakfast, and ate here each night…read more The pub itself is large, with the original early 18th Century building facing the main road, a modern extension at the rear, and a separate accommodation block behind the beer garden. The additions blend in well with the original building; the interior of the pub is all exposed stone, low ceilings and wood, with several real fireplaces (cosy on cold days- which we had on our stay!). Food is served both in the main pub and the dining area at the rear, which is brighter, with a high ceiling. We booked a superior room (3 nights B&B for £315), and were really pleased with it. It was spacious, with a super-king sized bed (two singles together), tastefully decorated, with a walk-in wardrobe (with iron and mini ironing board). Both ceiling spotlights and bedside lights could be dimmed. The bed itself was extremely comfortable - supportive but with a lovely soft topper and a mix of down and fibre pillows. Once we got used to it (being very different from home) we slept well. There is a kettle to make tea, and a coffee machine (pods). The ensuite had a walk-in rainforest shower and was well decorated with green glazed tiles, and spotlessly clean. The toiletries were decent quality from Temple Spa. The weather was extremely cold while we were there, but the central heating radiator was excellent and heated the room quickly; the water in the bathroom was also deliciously hot. It was also well soundproofed - you are completely unable to hear the nearby A41 dual carriageway or M40. In our room, you could hear people going up and down the stairs, but this did not disturb us. Breakfast was included in the price of our stay. There are no cereals offered, just cooked breakfasts. However, there is a good number of choices on the menu, including a full English; a full vegetarian; eggs Benedict; eggs Florentine; avocado and poached egg; eggs Royale with smoked salmon; waffles; and pancakes. We had the full English, the vegetarian full English, and the avocado and poached eggs. They were all good, not too much, but well cooked. (Those used to big cafe fry-ups may be disappointed, but it suited us.). In the evening, we had on our first night burgers (chicken burger, and a vegan burger); on the second night mushroom risotto with a side salad, and haddock and chips; and on the last night the houmous starter with pomegranate seeds and Italian flatbread, followed the Waldorf salad, and my partner had the salmon, cod and prawn fish pie. The food was well above your average pub grub. The mushroom risotto and Waldorf salad were in particular excellent - the risotto being one of the best that I have ever eaten in a restaurant. Service in the evening was very good, and we felt very well looked after by Neville and Henry. Service was a little slow at breakfast one morning but, overall, we were very happy with our stay. We would certainly consider returning and would recommend it both for accommodation and to eat.

Visited The Lion for breakfast on my way to Bicester Village for a shopping spree with my friend. I…read morehad The Full English which was delicious and really well priced, my friend had the Veggie full English which didn't disappoint. The service was really good, I will definitely be visiting again. Best breakfast in Bicester in my opinion.

Excellent food with a great location and service…read more Great Caesar salad and choice of desserts! Lots of available parking.

Very good meal in a very rural setting. Parking nearby was easy and service was good. Very much off…read morethe beaten track but recommended.

The pub is sandwiched between the main road and the old canal with a small car park in front, and a…read morelarge one off to the side. When you enter the pub there is a small comfortable drinking area with a sofa and a fire. I was here for lunch with a couple of friends, so we went into a nicely done extension which is the main dining area. There is a breakfast menu, which finishes at 12:00, but we were sampling from the lunch time menu. I had faggots with mashed potatoes, and my companions both had fish and chips. The food was pretty good, well worth re-visiting next time I'm in the area.

What a fun place this is! The decor is nearly perfect and matches the high quality of the food and…read moreexcellent service from the barman, waiter, and buss boy. The canal with all of its character and characters on their beautiful boats could keep me drinking and eating all day. We met so many charmers here; really lovely people. I will miss the Jolly Boatman.

This country pub is a slice of heaven…read more Hook Norton has a very good brewery, and there are several pubs nearby that carry its ales. The Pear Tree is the closest, and it's good enough that we've driven out to it from London several times. It's tucked in the middle of the village of Hook Norton, a very pleasant building. It's not overly large inside, just cozy, and made of the same raw materials that most un-renovated country pubs are. The area is great for rambling. We've done a couple of walks here on arriving, returning to the pub for our post-exertion refreshments. They carry several rotating Hook Norton ales, of course, all of which I find are worth a sample. The menu is broad and always tasty, and popular enough that they often sell out, so go fro lunch early. Illustrative story: The last time at the Pear Tree, we saw Hooky Pie on the menu. We asked what that was, and learned that it's locally-made beef and ale pie. It was, according to the woman behind the bar, very popular, and they usually sell out of it quite quickly. It certainly sounded like an appropriately hearty meal for a December day by an open fire. Then the couple at the table next to us each received that very dish, and the deal was sealed: it was huge, meaty, and tasty-looking. Three of our group of four ordered the Hooky Pie. A few minutes later the bartender came back with bad news: only two portions of pie left. One of the girls took one for the team and ordered fish pie instead. When our food finally arrived, it was as tasty as promised. Delicious. Thick. Oozing gravy. Huge chunks of beef, too, not a ground-up mush. Luckily, the fish pie was just as delicious an alternative for those that took it. A family with three kids came in just as we were finishing and tried to order the Hooky Pie. Sorry, the bartender said, we're all out. Without a pause, she pointed at our table and said, They took the last pies. Five pairs of hungry eyes glared at us from across the pub. We cast our eyes downwards and finished our pints.

The food was excellent. We had the fish & chips and the grilled pork chop. Service was quick and…read morefriendly. Parking could be a bit of a challenge at busy times.

Definitely a cut above other pubs in this area. Lovely service and very good food. We ate there…read moreon a Saturday lunchtime and chose from the main menu. The baked camembert was served with a generous amount of toast which in turn was generously buttered with garlic. The fillet steak was perfectly cooked and a great cut, it was served with plenty of good chips. There is plenty of parking at the side of the pub. I look forward to another visit.

The Bell is my parent's local pub/restaurant, and as such we often come here for some fine dining…read morewhen I am visiting. This is my third dinner experience at The Bell, and it certainly won't be my last. The atmosphere in the restaurant is calm and pleasant when it's not so busy, but does seem to liven up when the tables start filling with diners. The decor is classy, and there are lots of little corners tucked away for a private family gathering or an intimate meal for two. Food here really is something special, I have tried various meals from the menu and have never been disappointed. There are menu regulars for those who like to find their favourite dish and order it every time, but the specials are changed often for those of us who like to be adventurous. I really do think this is somewhere to come for a special occasion, it's a delightful treat each time I get to come here and I'm sure you won't be disappointed.

I couldn't help feeling that this could have been better. Nice atmosphere, I little cramped, but…read morethe food didn't quite live up to expectations and being as this isn't an economy joint, I was disappointed. I've been there twice now, I would go again, but it doesn't set my world afire.

My first visit since the refit, great decor with a lovely feel to the pub, a good improvement, some…read morefantastic pints and food was impressive good size and tasted great only missed out on top marks as food was not piping hot, service was good and I will definitely return, give it a try it's a hidden gem

Having lived in and around this village for most of the first 20 years of my life I have seen this…read morepub in many different existences. Returning back for a last minute weekend at home I went here for Sunday lunch having heard that the food is top grade. I have to say that for the first time in my life I have eaten anSunday Lunch in a pub that actually tasted genuinely home cooked. The local beef was melt in the mouth perfect and the Yorkshire pudding second to none! Accompanying vegetables and potatoes were equally delicious. The menu is perfectly sized and varied and the great offering of local ingredients is exceptional and certainly made the proud Oxfordshire lad very happy! Best of all though was the ability to wash it down with perfect pints of Hooky... see photo. This is the perfect example of what is now an English Country pub. Of course completed by fantastically attentive and smiling staff. Thanks guys! Will be back soon.

This was my first pub experience in the UK and it filled all my expectations. It's a nice cozy…read morelittle place. I only saw one or two other full tables when we came in so it wasn't crowded at all. My Aunt told me that this place can and does get very crowded at times. For me I'm always concentrated on the food. My other Aunt and I split their award winning pork pie and the caprese salad. I was surprised when the pie came out cold. Even though the pie was a little less than room temperature it was delicious. The fatty pork melted in my mouth. The pickled veggies on the side had a curry seasoning as well that overpowered the pickling effect. Sour and spicy just seemed weird to me. I wish they were just pickled, but maybe I'm just not accustomed to that type of garnish, having lived my whole life in California. The salad was carried by the super fresh tomatoes. Probably the best tomatoes I've ever had. The soft cheese and basil were great too. My Aunt also gave me some of her fish cake that I tried. I believe the fish was salmon. It was crispy on the outside and not dry on the inside. Finally we all ordered and shared the chips which were crispy crunchy yet soft in the middle. Since they were kind of big and wedge shaped I didn't expect them to be that good, but they were fried perfectly. I'm super happy that this was my first ever UK pub experience. It was everything I imagined it to be and more.