Fox and Hounds in South Oxfordshire

Sunday roast has really gone downhill now. I've given this venue 5 stars on a few occasions before. The mishmash of tasteless vegetables feel like they are not fresh and over cooked. Cauliflower cheese wasn't cheesy. Roast potatoes were bordering on hard. Gravy was average. Nut roast was frightening. I'll avoid this place going forward. There are so many better places in the area than this now. A real shame.

The most wonderful food and fabulous atmospheric here . Highly recommend ..

Visited for Sunday lunch. Cosy, traditional pub with charm and atmosphere...sadly the Sunday roast didn't live up to expectations. The veg was overcooked, cauliflower cheese not cheesy enough, gravy was very bland, lamb had a lot of gristle. The roast potatoes were the best thing on the plate. Generally lacking in flavour and disappointing.

Friendly quirky pub, alcoves with nooks and crannies and a real log fire 🔥. Lots of walkers with dogs passing trade.

Lovely country pub. Excellent food and friendly staff. Dog friendly. Great stop after a country walk/hike.

Arrived for lunch - poor attitude from barman - looked grumpy Waitress not much better Decided not to stay - so left - can’t stand poor attitude and made to feel unwelcome Rather give my money to somewhere else

We went there a couple times during the last few months after our walks. Every time we encountered rude staff at the bar as if we were in the way. Today got my drink with ice in it. When I went back to the bar to ask for a spoon and an empty glass to take the ice out, I was given a fork with “I’m sorry, I’m too busy to get a spoon!”. It’s a nice pub so it’s a shame that the staff have ruined the experience. We haven’t tried the food besides their roast potatoes, last time by the bar, which were nice. Anyway, we definitely won’t be back again but I’m sure they won’t care.

Great little gem! Lovely staff and great service! Food is the best in Watlington - big shout out to Jason the Chef! Definitely recommend, will not be disappointed 👌

I first discovered this wonderful place in the early 2000's, regularly stopping off on the way back from business trips down the M40. Now retired we've visited regularly ever since and most recently had a superb Sunday lunch on New Year's Eve with friends after a 4 mile walk from the Village. Service and atmosphere and the food was top notch and in the context of current pricing, quite reasonable. The owners dog checked if we had a reservation before entering 😂

went here for a drink with a friend in the week and staff were the most sour faced, morose bunch I've come across, which i find strange when you run a pub that is so busy you'd think they would be happy. can't comment on the food as didn't eat there and now never will...

Lovely lunch in an excellent location. Food fantastic, service polite and efficient. I can't recommend The Fox and Hounds highly enough.

Arranged lunch for 16 of my walking group. After rather wet walk great to come back to a welcoming pub and all enjoyed an excellent meal. My beef goulash was particularly tasty and filling. We'll be back again next year!

Enjoyed an excellent visit for lunch. Outstanding in every way.

Delightful place to visit. Cosy, welcoming, great service and food was delicious. Reasonable prices and good menu selection also. Dogs welcome as long as well behaved. Only slight downside is the car parking is a bit limited due to popularity and had big muddy puddles, expected for a country pub but don't wear your best shoes.

Delicious food. An extensive menu something to suit all tastes.

Turned up looking for a coffee this morning … didn’t realise 20 mins before opening time, but was kindly made a decent coffee. Will return mob handed for a meal

Came for a Sunday lunch with family. Greeted at the entrance by a lovely old pub dog. Inside very quaint and welcoming. The food, service and drinks were all good and not too pricey

Only thing us that don't do a children's menu.

I was with a friend on a lengthy walk today starting and ending at the pub. Some 600m from the end of the walk, my friend collapsed in isolated woodland and needed emergency help. The pub landlord was extremely helpful offering to help guide the ambulance crew to my stricken colleague. We also had help from a local farmer and an offer of help from a nearby property owner. My friend was taken to hospital. I would like to record my personal thanks to the landlord and locals for their public spirited nature. All being well, my friend and I will return to the pub as soon as possible to eat the lunch we missed today.

Lovely country pub with friendly staff and great atmosphere!

Great place for a meal on a sunny day.

I came here with my family for Sunday Lunch. It was perfect, as was the delicious dessert and the cappuccino was the best one I'd had since arriving in the UK. I hope to come back one day ❤

Went here on a whim and wasn't disappointed. Lovely wholesome food. Gravy was amazing. Was going to have a dessert but my main filled me up too much. Met some lovely dogs on the way in.

Lovely food and great atmosphere.

Been going here for over 50 years always loved it. The food was excellent staff very pleasant1

Had a truly amazing Sunday roast 6 weeks ago, everything was cooked to perfection, lovely cauliflower cheese and a rich gravy. Today however was disappointing, fatty lamb, tough dry chicken, tablespoon of non cheesy cauliflower cheese and tasteless watery gravy. I won't be going back which is a shame 😔

Me and my friend stopped in for a meal on Wednesday night after a walk in the local woodland. There was a lovely atmosphere, with a few people in for a drink and three or four other tables having a meal. The setting is quaint and homely and the staff were all friendly. I had the fish and chips and I can't recommend enough; one of the best I've had in years. It was incredibly fresh and everything was piping hot and well seasoned. My friend had the burger and said it was good too. We will definitely be back again soon!

Nice setting. Had a very strange interaction with Landlord who spoke to me most dismissively, and as if I’d come in dressed like Oliver Twist begging for scraps. Slightly rich given the fact he’s clearly German and is our guest here …! People skills 0. Unlikely to want to return

Called in for a drink after a walk (22/08/2023) and was greeted by a grumpy landlord who was offhand when my wife went to order drinks and asked if they had any gluten free beer available (I am coeliac). Such a shame as a lovely pub otherwise.

Very good lunch in a special place.

Stopped off the day earlier as my son was hungry so booked for Sunday lunch the following day. Absolutely gorgeous food, staff very attentive, will definitely be back. Fantastic that they are dog friendly as well. Super place x

If I could rate this gem 6 stars, I would! Everything is perfect about this beautiful place: food, drinks, service, people..... 😋

Lovely food ~ lovely pub! We enjoyed the special guest at the table 😀🦮 (see photo)

Visited today intending to have lunch. It wasn’t initially very busy. Twice we asked a waitress if we could order food. The first time we were told she would get our drinks then return to take our food order. When the drinks arrived we again asked if we could place our order. She said she would go & get a note pad & pen. She didn’t return. Soon after that a large group of walkers arrived. Most went into the pub to get drinks before sitting down outside. Very soon a waitress appeared & proceeded to take their food orders. Seeing this we decided not to order food as we would have a very long time to wait while their food was prepared! We often have lunch here after a dog walk & have always found it very friendly & were intending to return next week for lunch with a friend but are now going to try to find an alternative venue. Shame!

Popped in with my young son on our weekend together and tried to just order some simple food at 1410. Kitchen closes at 1430 - and was refused anything - I think a big group were having the same problem. The staff seemed nice but on edge and the manger just basically told me that the kitchen can not cook any chips otherwise he won’t have any food for Sunday . We left confused briefly and nipped into the Mecure hotel for a small bite and they were very accommodating. Lovely place, the young staff seem nice but it wasn’t a great experience - sorry!

We were keen to try the dinner menu and were not disappointed!! We had cauliflower bites & pitta & humous to share, just perfect! I was so pleased to see a different vegetarian option…a Mushroom Bourguignon…. Wow, flavoursome and filling. The venison main went down a treat and it was obvious that a lot of thought has gone into the menu. Staff were friendly and attentive and we had a lovely evening in all. Thoroughly recommended!

Delicious lunch, beautifully arranged, great and personal service - in particular, Holly was very attentive. Dog friendly - our Cavalier King Charles bonded with Rudi (the gorgeous pub golden retriever). I've also visited recently with my walking group - again great food and excellent service. The owner, Reiner?, was brilliant and very attentive too. We will be back very soon. Thank you.

We stumbled across the Fox and Hounds at Christmas Common one Saturday, which is a lovely country pub. The staff were attentive and friendly as was the pub dog, a very laid back retriever , Good beer and good food ,in particular the best chips that I have had in a long time. I would recommend a visit if you are ever in the area.

Great menu and food (the olives are lush). Nice variety of food, lovely waiters, prompt and courteous. Wonderful atmosphere. Please note, if you park on the road don't forget to pay!

Decent lamb roast, but not five star. Slowish service, but appreciate it was very busy.

Dropped in for a drink and a meal. Characterful friendly village pub. Found a table in the sun for a drink then tasty and filling venison burger and fish cakes. Good spot for a drink and food. What you need a pub

Stopped in for a drink and meal. Characterful village pub with friendly welcome. Found a table in the sun for drinks and a tasty venison burger and haddock fish cakes. Good food, drink and character. What you want in a pub!

This has the potential to be a brilliant country pub…. But unfortunately our visit was ruined by the landlord who lacks the people skills needed to succeed. We didn’t book, so happy to acknowledge that we could have done that, but we did phone ahead whilst en route and arrived 40 minutes before the time stated for the last food orders. From the moment we arrived the reception was hostile, unhelpful and frankly rude. The pub wasn’t particularly busy (many empty tables) yet the landlord flatly refused to serve anything other than drinks and crisps, not even some bowls of chips for the children! Really disappointing. Reading other reviews it seems like many have had a good experience, but there are a fair number who report similar situations to ours, so I guess you can take your chances and hope for the best?

One of a few decent places for a nice relaxed meal in the area.

Some other slightly snotty customers were threatening to write a negative review so felt obliged to set the record straight. Choice of beers was limited but service was very good and four of us had different meals ...all were very pleased. Good quality and diverse menu. Would happily visit again.

Very aggressive Bar Manager who refused to serve chips to children because " he would have none left for tomorrow" if he did. We were shouted at in front of other patrons and made to feel like we had done something wrong for not booking ahead. Low options on beers, service takes too long and not very accommodating. I will not be going back in a hurry. If I could give a minus rating I would!

Lovely spot and great food - lots of choices for veggies too!

Absolutely brilliant. Can’t recommend enough

Absolutely awful service and attitude from the pub’s manager or owner. Zero hospitality, argumentative and hostile towards customers. I don’t expect the current management to last long. It’s such a shame for clearly good old pub in great area!

lovely looking pub spoilt by the terrible attitude of the landlord and kitchen. Turned up on a sunny afternoon with 10 kids after a long walk. Refused to serve the kids, even a few bowls of chips with the kitchen not closed. Another couple with a reservation who were delayed by traffic were told their food would be 2 hours. Landlord was super aggressive and even came out to the beer garden to confront us. Absolutely no sympathy or kindness demonstrated. Clearly an employee of Brakspear rather than a proper landlord. Fully expect to see new ownership shortly

Had a great time! We went for lunch on a Saturday afternoon and sat in the garden was very sunny the staff were very welcoming even though they were busy. Didn’t wait for food at all we had the burger and a pie with mash the pie was the best I’ve ever had and would recommend if you go, we ended up staying for a few hours and chatting to all the staff all round was a really pleasant afternoon.

Warm welcome every time. Good beers, good food, interesting menu. With good choices for the vegetarian Dogs welcome in the bar ours always hog the fire in winter. The restaurant is in a converted barn with loads of character. Nice garden, watch Red kites and go for a walk in the near by National Trust reserve. Strongly recommend that you try the homemade pies. Great for smallish groups say ten or twelve Everything is prepared for you so it's not fast food but delicious.

Beer was nice, other customers were quite pushy/entitled. Also only 1 star environmental health rating.

Lovely old English pub , great Sunday roast

Nice beer. Nice to sit outside.

Great pub with very good food. Very dog friendly too which is great when you come from London and almost everyone looks at you like you are mad if you bring a dog somewhere.

Lovely atmosphere, delightful host, gorgeous food!

We parked early for a long circular walk and then lunch, we were challenged about parking in a semi grumpy way but pleasant enough when we confirmed our booking. When we arrived back a few hours later car park was over full so we can see why. They REALLY need to sort out the pot holes. Tiny bar with fairly limited (1) beer on draught, not the for a session so fine. The food was spot on, mix of veg and chicken burgers were good... The pie of the day (steak n ale) was superb.... And not just a topper, twas a fully fledged homemade pie proper. Chips were a little anemic, veg was lush and the gravy on the side had more meat in it.... Bravo

Very friendly personnel, we could recharge our bike battery. Nice burgers

The pub is quite cute with a nice garden. Very dog friendly. The food was fine - good pub fare. However we were served 1.5 hours after arriving. While it was fine that they offered a drink on the house, would have been better if they offered a starter or a sausage roll or something as we were so hungry by the time the food came we were finished with our meals in about 5 mins. Not really the ideal Sunday lunch. I understand they were busy with a private party but then don't take so many other bookings if your kitchen can't cope.

Had lunch today at 2pm, a very lovely little pub, I would always book by phone as I’m sure this gets quite busy a lot of the time. We both ordered burgers 🍔 my partner is a vegetarian. We both found the meal to be very tasty and finished with a great coffee as very comfortably full. So great food and service and we will certainly come again soon. The only thing I picked up was it was very busy in the restaurant and found the background volume of general chit chat very loud.. this is too be expected in busy places, and did not put me off. I would Certainly recommend this one ☝️…

Only popped in for a drink. Really good atmosphere with locals as well as diners. Staff were friendly and beer good

Great food. Efficient service and friendly staff and owner. Lovely setting

Stopped off for a quick pint after a long walk. Good Friday. Very nice pint of gravity. No other Breakspear beers on. Nice atmosphere, nice country pub.

After a long walk in the area, we had lunch at the Fox and Hounds. Booking essential as this pub is popular. Too many cars for the car park so had to park in the road. I had one of the best burgers that I have ever had. Cam with nice chips and homemade coleslaw. Washed down with Breakspears bitter. My wife had the mixed roast. Large portion and she said it was really good. Card payments accepted. Recommended.

After finding this pub on the Brakespears website, we drove 40 minutes to park, go for a walk and stop at the pub for a drink and snacks. We pulled up at 1115 and my husband popped in to let them know we were walking the dog the coming back to go to the pub - the Brakspears walking page advertises to do this. My husband spoke to a young girl who rudely said they were busy and we couldn't come in. As we were getting back in the car the manager came out and was very rude saying they were fuy booked and we couldn't park there or go in the pub after our walk. I explained we were happy to come back and have a drink in the garden outside. We were told this was not possible and to go straightaway as they were fully booked. The customer service was disgusting to say the least. We drove on a few miles to the Crooked Billet in Stoke Row where the pub, food and service was second to none. Take note the Fox and Hounds - you need to seriously improve your customer service!!

Lunch on a Thursday was quite quiet, but service was good and the food was good value and quality. Good selection of food on the menu and beers on tap. A pleasant experience, to be repeated.

Cosy pub, fire place and warm drinks after a long walk felt amazing. We didn’t eat there but food on other tables looked very inviting. Might go for a meal next time

If only all pubs were like this. Very nice welcome. Food is delicious. Open fire. Nice landlord.

Very dog friendly, great hosts, car parking and close to wonderful footpaths

We arrived quite early for Sunday Lunch but even by 12.30 the 'special' was already sold out. The Plant burger was ok, if rather lukewarm and the french fries over salted. Had to ask twice for water and then given jug but no glasses. No-one came to ask if we wanted dessert or coffee and before we could attract anyone's attention someone came and told us we had 10 minutes to vacate our table, even though we'd only been there about 90 minutes - this was Sunday lunch not a quick snack! So after one quite mediocre course we left. I quite understand that pubs want to fit in more than one sitting but most restaurants allow 2-21/2 hours. If you want people to leave after less than 2 hours then the service needs to be a lot more efficient so people don't feel rushed out before they've even finished their meal!

Quaint interiors, warm ambience, prompt service, 'specials' were finger-licking good

Outstanding! Great country pub with delicious food. Lovely welcome and service. Four of us came for dinner on a Saturday evening. The food was hot, served on hot plates and there was plenty of it. I can highly recommend the goulash! It was fabulous. The fruit crumble was exceptional - one of the best I've had. Excellent value for money. Highly recommended.

Cosy and friendly pub, with some fabulous meal options on the menu. Always a pleasure to visit. Great for post walk pint and meal!

Walked into the small bar area (maybe 1.5m wide) It has a few lager and cider taps but I could only see one ale on - a Brakspear dark beer. Thinking there might be another bar area, I asked if they had an IPA on? "Just that" the barman said, adding "Don't know what IPA is" Okay then! Not a people person :) The lady behind the bar was more pleasant though. Reasonable prices and nice building.

Small old world pub with lots of charm, on the very wet day I visited, they has a roaring open fire and I had the chef's steak pie, highly recommended

A brilliant pub - always very welcoming and food is great

Lovely pub. Great people. Great food.

Might as well have a sign up saying adults only. Most un-welcoming place. Very condescending bar maid. Made it quite clear families are not welcome.

Good experience choosing Oxford sausages with Marsha and shredded veg crispy an correctly undercooked My wife had mushroom bourguignon perfectly seasoned. Recommended.

The Fox and Hounds is roughly at in the middle of one of our favourite walks and should be a natural point to stop for a refreshing pint. However, the first time we dropped in we didn't feel very welcome. But we put it down to an off day and tried again today, It was even worse. As we entered the pub the landlord rushed by, rudely barging us out of the way. The bar area was full so we took two bar stools near the door and waited patiently to he served as they were clearly busy. As we waited we were able to overhear the landlady on the phone to someone trying to book a table for Christmas dinner. They had the temerity to ask what would be in the menu and got short shrift. When she put the phone down the landlady rolled her eyes and exclaimed "unbelievable!" before walking off and leaving us waiting to be served. The landlord then appears at the bar and said "Sorry you can't stay there. This is for food service." He was unable to say why the bar stools were there and promptly began to sweep our belongings to the side without giving us a moment to pick them up. It would be hyperbole to say this is the rudest pub in the South East, so let's just say it's the rudest pub I can remember visiting in the South East in the last 25 years. It seems to be popular with the locals which perhaps explains why they feel they can treat potential customers with such arrogant disdain. We left immediately and will not be returning.

Very good we keep recommending and coming back the standard is high from start to the finish staff, chefs are the same each time so the food is always very good

Thanks for finding us a table today during the fully booked Sunday service. Delicious roast, everyone loved it. Owner very charismatic, look forward to next year's visit!

Busy even on a Tuesday evening. A really lovely old building with lots of nooks and crannies. Excellent food and beer. Hard-working and friendly staff.

A true off the beaten track with a great pint of Brakspear and a roaring fire. Dogs welcome!

Really lovely pub, great service, everyone was very helpful, friendly and polite. Being dairy-free I had to ask about suitable options and the server was extremely knowledgeable, but also everything was made with a vegan butter, so I was able to enjoy their absolutely delicious, made from scratch, steak and ale pie, and their rhubarb and cherry crumble with a vegan ice-cream. Divine! Would absolutely visit again and would recommend to anyone!

Friendly staff. Good service. Delicious chicken with boursin, vegetables and sweet potato fries, followed by an equally tasty German apple cake. Coffee in the bar in front of a roaring fire.

Lovely place for dinner and some downtime. Recently moved to the area and this is going to be a regular spot without a doubt.

Really friendly staff and great food too!

Popped in for a pint and a packet of crisps as had unfortunately missed lunch time service. Beautiful building, cosy interior

Great place. Amazing food and lovely rural location

As ever, very good indeed - atmosphere, food and service.

Nice country pub, we were on the way back from Coventry, and were looking for somewhere nice for lunch to break our journey. Friendly staff, good food and a real ale.

The location, decor and food in particular was devine essentially the sticky toffee pudding. However the customer care left a lot to be desired. On my arrive, early for my booked table for lunch, as I looked at the signs indicated restaurant and bar, a man behind the counter said ' the bars that way,' no good afternoon! I ordered drinks then mentioned that I was there for lunch. The lady went off the shouted to me from away off, what name and she shouted back no booking. Then the book was bought to me to prove it. I found the booking for her. She then said they'd reserved a table in the bar near a draughty door. I pointed out that as we had booked in advance surely we had a table in the restaurant. She said she'd have to go and check. I got the feeling she just didn't like the look of me and she didn't hide her prejudice. It was embarrassing and humiliating and not an experience I should like to repeat.. I look forward to your response.

We met up with cousins for a walk on the Chilterns and lunch here. It was roughly halfway between West Midlands and Sussex. Our meal was excellent and the service too. We were all pleased and well fed! Thank you for helping us enjoy a great day out together!

Excellent service and great food.

You could tell when we visited on Sunday, the kitchen had been hit hard. Always nice food, even if service was slower, we were well catered for, even the dog. I'd rate it 5* but they forgot my doppio espresso and the coffee here is the finest coffee around. Of course we will be back when it's time for another celebration. Ciao ciao

Their Fish and Chips were yummy and thanks for catering for us as we were just in time for last orders.

Nice pub with proper countryside feel to it. They have a fairly decent sized garden upfront and and enough seating inside. Definitely a family friendly place and judging by the crowd I'm assuming the food must be good too. Service was nice and happy. Easy choice.

Nice country pub, only popped in for drink on a very day whilst out walking. Staff friendly would like to have a meal next time.