In Oxford - Best place for dinner

What kind of food and place are you looking for? Nice/elegant? Historic pub? Ethnic? English? Michelin?

Historic pub

Historic pubs are thick on the ground in Oxford, but I don't know that any of them specialize in haute cuisine. All I saw the past couple of days there was pretty much standard British pub fare.

You might like the Turf Tavern. I enjoyed a meal there last year and it was very good. The Turf Tavern is a very old Oxford institution, dating back centuries. It's a quirky but interesting building, and is composed of a number of small rooms, all attached by doors and winding alleys. The rooms all had wooden beams, low ceilings, and uneven stone floors but it only added to the charm.

The Turf, as it is locally known, has had a number of well-known patrons over the centuries, including Oscar Wilde, Stephen Hawking and Margaret Thatcher. Bill Clinton also came here when he was a Rhodes Scholar at Oxford, and supposedly this is the place where he did not “inhale.” The food, which is standard pub food (I had a very tasty burger and fries), was good and the beer even better, and it was nice to relax and people watch. The Turf was crowded but not overly so, and everyone seemed to be enjoying themselves.

This article might give you a bit more information about it. It's a bit hidden so it would help you to find it. It's in the city center so you should be able to find it on Google, but just be prepared to look for the alley it's tucked away in. https://oxfordvisit.com/places-to-see/things-to-do/gastronomy-hotels/pubs/turf-tavern/

We had a lovely lunch here 3 weeks ago https://www.geesrestaurant.co.uk/

It is a bit away from the crowded central area. We easily hopped a bus there and back and enjoyed the local neighbourhood.

Trout Inn or the Plough Inn

Can't determine the best but an interesting choice is The Punter. A bit outside the centre but close-ish to the railway station. Vegetarian / vegan. Card only.

Another is Bookbinders. Mainly French cuisine. Booking advisable.

In town, The King's Arms is a good option.

If it's a nice day and you fancy a walk by the Thames, The Trout Inn in Wolvercote, as Claudia suggests. You can bus it back.

Claire--We were at Gee's 3 weeks ago!! How did I miss you??? ;)
Stacy

Another vote for The Trout Inn.

Stacy, that is too funny! We went there based on an article in the Guardian. It wasn’t a restaurant review but an article related to two people meeting up and they happened to choose Gee’s and liked it.