Fox and Hounds in South Oxfordshire

The waiting staff were great at compensating for the slightly grumpy landlord. A little slice of Parisian service in Soth Oxffordshire. Food was well worth it as well.

Great pub to have lunch after a muddy walk. Beer, food, service were all really good. Cosy bar bar area with log fire. I will be back.

Had a lovely dinner food was lovely

Popped in on a Sunday after a very long walk, just wanting a drink and a bowl of chips. It was clearly very busy and the staff were flustered & rushed off their feet, but we received a very hostile welcome and they were almost annoyed that customers had turned up to a pub wanting drinks (even though we were happy to sit outside as we didn't have a table booked). Man behind the bar was very rude. Shame as it was a cute pub, so looks like it had the potential to be nice!

Excellent food and service. Lovely place to be.

Lovely spot and great food - lots of choices for veggies too, which can be hard to find at classic country pubs!

Nice country pub, landlord very unwelcoming. Turned up on Saturday lunchtime after an outing out of our local area as we were passing & looking for some food. Greeted by a very unwelcoming gentleman made to feel an inconvenience as we hadn’t made a booking. However, a kind waitress did eventually show us to a table in the back bar area. Probably because we had a 4 year old & 1 year old in tow! Food was good for what we wanted, children’s fish & chips & a couple of baguettes. There was a very friendly lady behind the bar. But the rude landlord & ‘local’ male drinkers, swearing every other word left a bad taste. Won’t be returning or recommending.

Lovely pub. Delicious orange juice. Lovely staff and colourful table cloths. Warming fire 10/10

One of the few remaining really good pub eateries in South Oxfordshire. Friendly and professional staff serving good food and well kept beer is hard to beat.

Absolutely a gem. Fantastic staff. Will definitely return.

Lovely location. Good pub food. I always tip. But sadly on this occasion "no thank you" on the card payment. This was due to the waitress service. No "enjoy you meal". No engagement. No would you like to see the dessert menu. I think maybe we didn't look like tippers. Never judge a book by its cover. Just a few extra seconds that all it's takes. !!!

Really excellent little country pub. Very cosy. Friendly and interesting local regulars (including apparently Brian Johnson from AC/DC who sadly wasn’t there). Food was superb. All home made and delicious. Would highly recommend.

Jem of a country pub. Lovely garden, cosy inside, kind staff, delicious food. Very dog friendly.

Don’t go here. Read other reviews, don’t just take my word for it. Plenty of excellent places to go in the area. Avoid at all costs. Appalling food and the land lord has a serious attitude problem l.

What a great country pub we’ll definitely be back again! Amazing food from such a small kitchen! We had our monthly Triumph club meal out there and they did an amazing job serviving all 26 of us. My wife and I had the crab cakes which were divine, and others their pie-of-the-day which was very well regarded.

Amazing food from such a small kitchen! We had our monthly Triumph club meal out there and they did an amazing job serviving all 26 of us. My wife and I had the crab cakes which were divine, and others their pie-of-the-day which was very well regarded.

Exceptional food, great seating area.

Went there once last summer and had a lovely meal so went back again and took a lot of friends. I felt embarrassed for recommending as it was really disappointing. Meal cold, staff grumpy and meat very tough

Lovely pub come rain or shine, the staff are great and the food is wonderful

Came here for a roast with my mum and daughter, staff were very friendly, food came quick however the beef was tough and chewy. However we didn’t complain. My mum went inside to pay the bill and chose not to leave a tip on card (prefer to give cash) and before she had even left to come back outside she heard the landlord ask the lady ‘did she tip you?’. He then proceeded to stand at the doorway starting my mum down as she came back over to the table. As she was telling me what she heard he came over and said ‘you know the staff here are on minimum wage, and no tip?’ He then started to hurry us along by taking all our glasses etc and said ‘I’ll tidy up after you don’t worry’. He didn’t even allow us to sort ourselves out and tidy in peace. (Baby in tow so takes a while!!) I can’t actually believe he has the cheek to try and guilt trip us in to tipping HIS staff which he is happy to tell customers that HE pays them minimum wage? If he believes they deserve more, then don’t rely on your customer, PAY THEM BETTER? Unbelievable and so so rude. FYI we gave our waitress a cash in hand tip which was very well received. Rather it go straight into their hands rather than the rude landlords pocket.

Ive been to the F&H before .... so i knew the LL was a surly chap. Def' NOT a people person!! But, having come back from the sunflower fields nearby, my family & I decided to stop here for lunch. Bad move! Without boring you with details, my effort to tip the lovely waitress myself (rather than put it onto my card) was met with distain and hostility from the LL and i had to tell the waitress that i didn't like her boss and would not be returning to the pub anytime soon. i left feeling really pissed off

Had a really nice meal with work colleagues here. Food was excellent and a nice pub garden to eat in when the weather is nice!

We ventured a little out of our local area to go to this pub which was billed as being very dog friendly and a “gastro pub “ . It is quite charming and in a lovely location but when we arrived having booked a table for ourselves and a well behaved dog were astonished at the extremely rude reception we received. The resident dog clearly did not appreciate having another dog in his space and a gentleman at the bar who it seems was the landlord was extremely rude before we even got over the threshold.Having been vaguely pointed in the direction of a table the menu looked promising but when the meal arrived it was barely edible.. but we did not complain and paid the bill vowing not to return.. only to receive another torrent of abuse from the landlord in the way out!

Awful! A very unfriendly welcome. I had high hopes but my friends chicken was very overcooked, she couldn’t get her knife through it. My meal was equally as revolting. You can see the kitchen from the dining area and it looks filthy. I walked up to the desk to ask for the bill, the landlord looked up and said ‘sure’ in a bored way and carried on with what he was doing. The food was awful. The young lady serving is it’s only redeeming feature, Without her I would have given it a minus if I could .Avoid this place don’t waste your money . it’s appalling !

Warm welcome every time. Good beers, good food, interesting menu. With good choices for the vegetarian Dogs welcome in the bar ours always hogs 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. For summer months enjoy the garden, with some shady trees. 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. For drivers there is a really good non alcoholic wheat beer - Erdinger. One of the best I think I have had. Summer 2024 Great baguettes and all the favourites on the menu Now so popular booking ahead is strongly recommended Service is as good as ever.

Great pub with a superb menu offering plenty of choice.

It's a classic English pub run by a German! Great experience

Been going here on and off for over 50 years now a lovely restaurant...pub delicious food nice friendly helpful staff. Very handsome beautiful pub dog.

Great place for a drink not sure I would eat there again

Popped in but the landlord was Closing Until Next Tuesday.

Great food and lovely atmosphere.

A nice friendly, old pub. Decent ale there. Didn't eat but seemed popular.

We had a lovely Sunday afternoon lunch outdoors. The landlord was very welcoming upon our arrival and the staff were very friendly and attentive. There were six of us in our group and we all ordered a variety of dishes and all said that their meal was delicious. I had the pork Sunday roast and it was cooked to perfection and the sides were also just as good. Looking forward to our next visit when we are in the area visiting again.

Great country pub. The burgers are really good and the staff, including Rudy the dog, were super nice!

Food pretty good. Service a bit patchy but not bad. Nice place to be. Reasonably priced and will go back soon

Great Pub, restores your faith in common humanity. Thankyou.

Amazing location, super fast and friendly service. Nice place to eat and have a drink after long 🚶 walk

Really lovely pub in a fabulous setting. The landlord was very welcoming and helpful. The staff were so friendly and attentive. The resident Golden Retriever was gorgeous and we loved him even though our Goldie girl was a bit dismissive (she loves people more than other dogs!) Food was served quickly and was tasty, would love to visit again.

Once a year, my family and I travel to the Christmas Common to enjoy the bluebells. After each beautiful and tranquil walk in the woods, we build up the courage to go to the Fox and Hound for a drink. It never ceases us, to our amusement, the behaviour of the landlord! The landlord of this pub is known to the locals as the Basil Fawlty of Christmas Common. This man is suited to be in the hospitality business as I am to play NBA basketball! I have never met an innkeeper so grumpy and so unfriendly and unpleasant to the patrons! I wonder why he chose this profession!

Lovely area for walks and very cute dog friendly bar area. We had a couple of drinks and decided to order some lunch. The landlord is rude and doesn’t know how to speak to people, we were told he couldn’t take the order then that it would be 15 minutes wait for a waitress to take the order and then it would be a long wait after that. We understand it’s a busy bank holiday Monday but delivering this message in a completely different way would have changed the tone of our visit - we felt very unwelcome. Needless to say he just turned away £70 worth of business, we left and are currently having a fabulous lunch at the Chequers in Fingest. (10 mins up the road) Don’t give these people your money, customer service is everything!

Very nice pub with a good atmosphere. Great food and the staff are very friendly and welcoming. Sat next to the fireplace which was also very cosy! There are tables available outside and several parking spaces.

A group of friends and a couple of dogs had a nice outside lunch. The service staff were attentive which was good as a couple of us were not welcomed inside to view what ales etc. were available and told to go outside and someone would come to us. This issue apart - we had an enjoyable time and were entertained by the various dogs brought by their owners and their fun antics. I'd go there again if I were in the area.

Great lunch at this lovely, athmospheric Brakspears pub yesterday. After a couple of hours walking the network of scenic Chiltern paths around the pub we were ready for our beers and they didn't disappoint. Beautifully kept Brakspear's Bitter ! Even though it was a midweek lunchtime, the pub was packed so we were lucky we'd booked. Our food was excellent and there was good choice for vegetarians like myself. Only slight downside was the service was veerryy slow. we had to prompt for each of our courses (and we made allowances for it being busy) and we lost one of our orders. Serving staff were youngsters, doing their best but didn't seem to have been properly trained or managed. Still this is a great pub in a great location and I'll happily go again..if the landlord will have me after this review..ahem ! JERRY

Lovely manager squeezed us into a busy lunch. MEAT PIE!!!

Lovely interior, even lovelier staff, who were so kind to seat us during such a busy lunch time. The meat pie was awesome, as were the veg. Will be coming back!

We stumbled across this pub after a dog walk in the countryside and decided to give it a try for lunch. While it doesn’t appear to be the most inviting pub from the outside, the staff were really friendly and helpful, the food was brilliant and the beer (Brakspears) was just about perfect. It’s dog friendly (and so’s the pub dog!) and we made the most of the good weather outside in the small garden.

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.

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.

Had a really lovely Sunday roast here recently, such a pleasant experience! Very friendly staff, cosy atmosphere and delicious, piping hot food!

Special occasion so we popped in to be not so greeted by who we think was the manager (Tall fair man with glasses) Whilst he was pouring our drinks and blanking us he continued to be more interesting in what seemed to be his regulars leaving. Put our drinks down...no thank you or eye contact...just so rude! To make it worse..on us leaving he stopped us and told us we hadn't paid! We told him we had, he didn't seem to believe us...told him again we had and he went and checked he's receipts!!!! NO APOLOGY from him....on leaving he again blanked us!!! Wasn't a nice experience. Won't be ging back!

Lovely food, quick service and nice atmosphere.

Lovely countryside pub offering quality food.

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.

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!

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.

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

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!

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

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!

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!

Absolutely brilliant. Can’t recommend enough

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