Joiners Arms in Cherwell

Really disappointing experience for Sunday lunch. After only sharing some bread between our table, after 1.5 hours no sign of our roast lunch. We were ignored and no effort to make our order a priority when they clearly had a backlog of orders with other tables coming in after us. Surely roast lunches should be fairly quick to plate up compared to the usual food cooked to order? I have never walked out of a restaurant or pub but after no assurance our food was coming, and two hungry children our Sunday lunch was completely spoilt. Despite letting the member of waiting staff know we were going to leave, no manager came to speak to us so we went! It is a real shame as I actually came for dinner on Friday night and had great food and service, so the contrast is surprising! I am a local in the village and won’t be recommending the Joiners for Sunday lunch out. Just to add to this very poor experience, despite emailing the management to share my feedback, that went ignored too so The Joiners have really let themselves down and I won’t be returning.

Went for lunch on a Saturday. Nice place. Staff were very welcoming and friendly. Food was excellent, they even offer smaller sizes on most dishes. Good selection on the menu. It was nice that they actually gave enough tartare sauce for the whole dish, most run out less than half way! Food was nicely cooked, the salt n pepper squid was cooked perfectly. Definitely recommend it.

A quick lunch with sharing board and starters was more than enough as helpings were generous. I was driving so Pepsi for me but companion had a rather nice chilled white. Very pleasant experience.

That was pleasure to sit there , eat and relax . Dog friendly ❤️

Delicious food, attentive, friendly staff in a beautiful village pub.

Great meal for my grandugter birthday

The Joiners Arms hosted a wake for me recently and I couldn't be happier with the way things were organised and how the event turned out. The food and service were excellent, the prices reasonable, and the space itself is bright and airy, opening out on to an expansive and sunny patio. Katie, Cita and Brennan were all professional and delightful managing the whole process too.

This was our 4th time since it reopened. The previous 3 were very poor service and cold food. This time, when we booked we were told we couldn’t book at 1pm but they could do 1.15pm. Expecting it to be busy we arrived in good time and it was virtually empty. We were shown to our table and we ordered. 50 minutes later the food arrived. Cold plates and cold Roast dinners. We ordered sweets of ice cream and one brownie. 30 minutes later nothing arrived and we cancelled them , paid and left. Such a shame as the building is beautiful and right on the doorstep but after 4 tries I think that will be it for us.

Wonderful local village pub modern with quirky older traits! Nice staff and great food! Gardens nice too!

I have enjoyed many lovely meals here prior to my most recent visit, but I have to say after coming here for a Birthday meal with friends very recently, I won't be in a hurry to return again. The restaurant was virtually empty and around 6 tables outside were guests ordering food. Our drinks took 20 minutes to come out and food took almost an hour to arrive. There were 4 of us, but the meals were brought out staggered, with 5-10 minutes inbetween. 2 dishes were beautifully presented and tasted delicious (seabass and chicken schnitzel), but the plant burger looked as though it had been thrown on the plate from a distance, the 'brioche' bun was cremated and the burger was missing relish and cheese. How this left the kitchen is beyond me! The dish had to be returned for what was supposed to be a fresh order. What was brought back was very clearly the same dish, with a new bun and the hot items reheated. The sausage and mash looked good on the plate but my friend felt it tasted no better than something from the feeezer section in Sainsburys. When we highlighted the issue with the plant burger, the waitress did apologise and said "we have a new chef". Not sure why this would result in such a contrast in the quality of our dishes. We were offered a discount on our bill, which we did appreciate, but when you're out celebrating a Birthday, it's a shame the decline in quality and service is the memory left behind. The waiting staff were lovely and very apologetic. Seems the kitchen may be the root of the problem. Such a shame as we thought we'd found our 'go to' place for get togethers.

Had a meal here on a Saturday evening. The restaurant part of the pub was nicely decorated and tables were nicely laid out. All the staff that we spoke to were very friendly, efficient and helpful in explaining the specials available. When the food arrived it was very good. Plenty of parking. Highly recommend.

A Sunday lunch for 6 adults and 1 child. Great service, lovely food, and a great atmosphere. Will be back again soon for another meal.

Lovely old pub in Bloxham. Service was friendly and the food was delivered quickly and was very tasty. Will be back soon.

Really enjoyed our visit. The new management team are friendly and attentive, we enjoyed chatting to them. We only stopped off for a couple of drinks on this occasion but we will be back soon for food.

The most disappointing Sunday lunch. They brought the dinner out literally 3/5min after ordering and once set on our table we knew we made a mistake. You could tell it had been sitting all day! The food was almost cold and just looked nasty. We were not asked if we wanted gravy, but everything was covered in gravy when we don’t usually have gravy on our roast dinner. The meat was pink, very fatty, very thick sliced, and we were not asked how we liked our meat cooked. Cauliflower cheese was mush! This was a terrible experience and we will definitely not be returning! We often eat out and this was by far the worst roast dinner we have ever had.

We came to this pub/restaurant for a nice dinner and as we walked in not one staff member acknowledged that we were there and when we asked if we could take a seat we were just told “yeh” we sat and waited for a menu and one was not brought to us and we were just sat waiting, what a terrible experience we will not be returning!! I have never been to a pub/restaurant with such poor manners

My husband and I had our wedding meal here and it was just fantastic! Andrew, Katy and the new team literally swooped in and saved the day! We are so grateful. Everything was thought about and nothing was too much trouble, especially for Katy! The food was absolutely first class and the chef (James) took time out to speak to us and check in. One wedding guest said it was the best soup he had ever had. The building is stunning inside and out and the garden terrace is beautiful . Thank you, I can highly recommend.

Had a lovely Sunday roast at this pub - their trio of roasts is probably my favourite ever roast I’ve had at a pub. Top quality food in a lovely environment. Would 100% recommend.

Very disappointed. Turned up to meet friends for lunch to be told the manager wasn’t aware there was a booking and they couldn’t do food at that time as they had a wedding. Surely the best thing would be to stop online bookings then. Wont go back

We’ve been here quite a few times since they had a refurb and we’ve had a fab experience every time. On our recent visit in May we brought our puppy, and our friends joined us with their toddler. The staff were all so friendly and made us feel so welcome. Great food too!

Under new Management. Wow - what a difference already - we’ve not been for a while so thought we’d try again. A warm friendly welcome . Popped in for a drink and ended up having a couple of dishes and a dessert - all delicious and presented well. We did get food envy when we saw the roast dinner (huge), so will be back soon to try. A nice relaxed atmosphere and a lovely way to spend a Sunday afternoon.

9 of us eating, 3 children. All very satisfied. The fishcake starter was lovely as was the triple meat Sunday roast. Would definitely return 👍

Another nice Cotswold pub on our list

We stopped here by chance, it was a Sunday but not too busy. The landlord was very helpful and very good but his job. The staff were pleasant if a little ditsy. More training needed to be more observant. The food itself was very nice. I had the tandoori sea bass, and my partner had the cod. Both dishes were very tasty.

Lovely outside area but the worst food we have eaten for some time. Very small portions and poor quality. We won’t be returning.

Came for Sunday lunch. We've dined here before so were looking forward to it. Sadly it wasn't that good this time. Food was ok but nothing to write home about. Very few diners which surprised us and the place was lacking in atmosphere. We would have had dessert but decidde to cut our loses and went elsewhere for coffee and cake.

Having eaten here numerous times before it became a firm favourite. We didn’t have the best experience during our last visit. The food was poor and service shocking. We felt the staff were rude when we needed to send back a plate of food that was not cooked enough to eat. We were really saddened by this. I love this venue so much and will return, I just hope our next experience will be better than the last.

Food & drink: kids burger was dry but the taste was there, as a result my boy didn't eat it. Everything else was great, especially the steaks. Service: Walking in the door, I didn't see any "wait here" type signs but we were acknowledged quickly. Apart from the minor observations above, we recommend The Joiners Arms and we'll be back.

Wow what a friendly family pub . Food was great , loved the fact it had a pool table and darts. Highly recommend . Great roast on a Sunday

If you love to be in a freezer, go and hang out. Freezing cannot describe this place. Best to compare it to being naked in the artic, whilst sat waiting for lunch. Had to get our coats from the car as it was that bad. Service was slow and we waited over an hour for what turned out to be burnt, dry and unpleasant food. There was an hair on the plate and a suspicious charters hanging around the car park. It topped off what turned out to be a bad experience. I personally had to wait an extra half hour as my lunch was missed off the order. If wasting away could be a thing that would have been by me!! I did have a word with the waitress but a face glazed with ice may be from the extreme cold. There was no sympathy or support to rectify the wrongs. I will not be returning to this pub.

Beautiful part of the world you need to visit this place the food the staff lovely all round 👌😀😁❤️😎

A lunch for my husband's birthday & mentioned it was a special occasion. As we are both deaf, a quiet area to sit was requested & they said was no problem, but we had to reiterate this on arrival as taken to main restaurant with a noisy large party. They moved us to the snug, but very cold by a window with only a tiny electric heater. The toilets were also freezing! Both our first courses were mediocre. My main course was ok, but salmon was overcooked in the bouillaibasse broth, although tasty. I requested some new potatoes, instead of the focaccia served with it & said I had an intolerance to fats also. They brought me some deep-fried chopped potatoes! No dessert, but cappuccinos ordered. Coffee! Well, you couldn't call it coffee no tase & a bit of initial froth. Sadly, a disappointing celebration!

I came with my friend on a Tuesday. The pub was a little quiet, but good vibes never the less. we spoke to a lovely gentleman at the bar (tall, redhead) who seated us and looked after us during our meal. we had a flatbread started which was delicious. Came with olives and hummus which was a nice addition. I had the vegan burger main and my friend had the beef. The fries were lovely, and we both enjoyed our burgers. The beef was your standard burger, but the veggie burger was unique in the best way! It came with a wholegrain bun and had a pesto-ey cream sauce inside which was really unusual but really nice! the patty was good, albeit a little hard as most vegan burgers are. Again, our server was incredible! He was looking after the bar and our table, despite this he was so attentive and kind, he kept making sure everything was okay.

Nice pub food Had Fish & chipset Friends had Prawn Cocktail Friendly pub that allows Dogs The waitress was really friendly and helpful will definitely visit again

We organised a party for 50 people in the rear dining room with a buffet, DJ and singer. The venue was perfect, and the staff worked hard to make the party a special occasion. The hot buffet was great. Great work from the joiners who were very accommodating. Only constructive comment is that more prosecco glasses are needed for toasting.

Excellent meal superbly presented! Compliments to the chef and team. Shame this pub isn’t getting more custom.

Great food x Good quality x Nice pub

The food was cold and tastless. It took a long time to arrive at the table, very disppointed.

Food was fabulous....staff were really nice but the service was so slow.....even our drinks took ages to come when we first arrived, especially as there weren't really many customers at all. Not marking the place down as we can see how much effort the owner has put into this....but some of the staff seemed a bit vague. Joe was fab The place is amazing. Lots of small areas for private gatherings but also a massive extension out the back for parties Will definitely go back, and fingers crossed the service will be faster.and the cheese plate will have some chutney or butter.....too dry without Thanks 🙏🏼

Excellent Sunday lunch. Joe was very attentive and helpful with gluten free requirements. A great experience.

Great lunch today at The Joiner’s Arms, Bloxham, celebrating at 70th birthday. Super meal, great service thanks to Joe and team ❤️😊

Fabulous pub Spent the afternoon with family all had amazing food and drinks, great atmosphere very welcoming and friendly staff, so helpful in every way, first class customer service from the team.

Had a birthday Sunday roast for a group of 20, the food was great and the service fantastic

Last visited in 2005 on my hen night! Lovely pub and great food, the refurbishment has been done well and it is more spacious. Staff are friendly, and food delicious. I would recommend the tempura prawns, chargrilled tuna and chocolate brownie.

What a fab place to eat super food great service. Pleasent staff, sticky toffee pudding too die for.

As threatened in our review in July we returned as we had two hungry young men to feed. Our two friends are teenage rugby players with an infinite capacity for nourishment. The Joiners turned up trumps with squid starters followed by huge burgers and then Ice creams. My wife and I had the burgers and I had a mixed sorbet sweet. The food was excellent, as was the Hook Norton Bitter I was allowed as my wife was driving. Excellent service out on the patio as the evening was the hottest for ages. Couldn't fault it.

Nice local pub. Can't comment on restaurant, but great outside seating areas.

It’s a really nice refurb and the pub, restaurant and atmosphere is great. The food is just ok. Burger wasn’t anything special, very mediocre, overcooked and bland. On all our meals the coleslaw came out with skin on the top. This would have been visible to the chef and the waiting staff so no care or diligence was given. It wasn’t busy when we went so no excuse at all. We mentioned the coleslaw to the waiter when he asked if everything was ok with the food and he looked flustered and scurried off. If you’re going to ask if the food is ok you need to be prepared for the answer, right? On the plus side the fries were really good! Prices would be ok if the food lived up to them but we won’t return.

It’s a really nice refurb and the pub, restaurant and atmosphere is great. The food is just ok. Burger wasn’t anything special, very mediocre, overcooked and bland. On all our meals the coleslaw came out with skin on the top. This would have been visible to the chef and the waiting staff so no care or diligence was given. It wasn’t busy when we went so no excuse at all. We mentioned the coleslaw to the waiter when he asked if everything was ok with the food and he looked flustered and scurried off. If you’re going to ask if the food is ok you need to be prepared for the answer, right? On the plus side the fries were really good! Prices would be ok if the food lived up to them but we won’t return.

Very friendly pub with free WiFi and the food was outstanding , would recommend for a nice meal out with friends and family, good parking and open on Mondays as two more pubs in area but not open on Mondays. Area at rear for kids to play and lovely patio area for warmer days.

Had a chicken packed pie, which was tasty and flavoursome, the only thing that let it down was I had part of the wish bone also in it, I told the person clearing our table, he said "Oh ok"

The joiners is our favourite village pub. Great for socialising with friends or as a family. The pub is so welcoming & the food is insanely good. We have had light snacks with drinks & roasts on a Sunday and never been disappointed 👌🏻👌🏻👌🏻

4 of us went for a roast dinner and was no disappointed. Very warm welcome from staff to food was fantastic and very well presented we will be back 5 star all way

Terrible! Slow service. As for the food it was awful. My meal was steak pie with peppercorn sauce. I’ve never had a pie where I had to ask for a spoon as it was more like soup pie. The meat, what little there was, was clearly cooked in a slow cooker without being seared first and the puff pastry (top only) was rolled so thin it was like paper. Also unappetising colour of the mashed potatoe. As I live in The Cotswolds I can honestly say it’s the worst place I’ve eaten and will not be returning.

Excellent service and great food.family friendly and play area for children.loveley village pub.highly recommend

The food here is absolutely delicious. Highly recommend a visit.

Been here a few times now, and the food and hospitality is always spot on! Lovely atmosphere!! Ill keep going back!

People were genuinely nice. However, it was a very slow service, and the food was well overpriced. Food served wasn't what was advertised on the menu and hair in my daughters food. Please don't waste your time and money here

Post funeral party was well hosted on this charming and spacious pub.

Quite expensive for eating but nice ambience

Good quality food, if a little pricey.

First time here, only had a drink but will definitely be going to try the food. Very modern and plenty of room

A wonderful pub, recently refurbished I understand and it looks amazing. Staff were very welcoming and the two real ales were excellent. Didn't dine so can't comment on the food but I am sure it would be top quality, everything else there was.

A small amount of vegetables per portion. So I ordered some more only to be given a bowl of cabbage and then to be charged £4.50 for it . It spoiled what could of been a very good meal.

Food good , device good friendly and nice atmosphere

Lovely pub, but a bit pricey... £9.50 for A sandwich is a bit much. Onion rings were spot on!

Went with friends last Saturday - excellent food and service - highly recommend

Had my dad's wake here. Really nice set up. Best chips I think I've ever had but terrible coffee! I would recommend going here for private functions tho, the staff were very helpful especially at such a sad time for our family and friends. Thanks for helping us give dad a great send off he would've loved it.

Food was great, quite a few mistakes but it was very busy and everyone tried their best. Would definitely recommend and go again

Fabulous place. Very nice interior with a warm, charming atmosphere. Food was amazing so will be coming back when we’re in the area again.

Feels londonesk, and I don't mean the prices. Got a nice affluent vibe about the place, which was nice. Our 1st visit on the way home. Didn't eat but will soon.

Great pub lovely food and a great atmosphere

Excellent food and service we will go again

Superb welcome and delicious food. Thoroughly enjoyed our visit

Lovely place friendly staff good service very enjoyable

We didn't eat but friendly place, bar staff very obliging and helpful, decent pint to be had. Lots of nooks and crannies to relax in!

Nice building and good atmosphere

Lovely place, fabulous waiter, but they added a £30 service charge to the bill that didn't say optional and was only taken off when I made a fuss.... How does this go to the staff? Very silly I would have given that much as a tip as our bill was nearly £300 but I really object to it just being added, I won't be going back, also lots of stuff not available on the menu even though our table was an early sitting.

Fab place hopefully going for Xmas meal

nice smiley welcome from lady. had lunch, tasty and no delays. Had an evening meal later that week, again very good. Menu quite safe.

Beautifully decorated inside. Food was excellent, especially the cod, served with new potatoes and ratatouille. Will definitely go back.

Beautiful place with gorgeous decor. Food was tasty and well presented.

Finally got back out for a bite to eat! What a treat this place was Location ⭐️⭐️⭐️ A little drive out of Banbury Town centre, the pub is situated in the heart of Bloxham village. Be warned Google makes you take a very sharp left to get to the pub Interior ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ The pub is grade II listed and is absolutely stunning inside. It has been recently tastefully renovated and there is character everywhere Exterior ⭐️⭐️⭐️ The external seating didn't wow me but on a sunny day I cannot fault it. Making the best of the space with tables nicely spaced out. Service ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ The team were friendly and helpful. We didn't have any issues and everything just flowed throughout the meal Food ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ Didn't get pics of all the food but between our party we tried lots of mains and a few desserts. All were tasty treats! Highlights for me were the two burger, the marinated chicken burger had a kick which worked soooo well with the tzatziki they serve it with, and the Veggie burger was a hit with the vegetarian people. The Eton mess tasted as amazing as it looked and although not my cup of tea, everyone who had the fruit salad were super impressed Price ⭐️⭐️⭐️ The prices are fair, I wouldn't say its cheap but it certainly doesn't break the bank either. Overall, I would say it delivers good value Overall ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️(⭐️) @thejoin is getting 4.5 stars from me. I really enjoyed my meal here and I would highly reccomend it to anyone passing through!

Food was excellent - well presented, fresh and tasty. Superb environment. Service could have been a bit quicker, both in restaurant and in bar. Once it's properly found its feet, this should be excellent.

Lovely food and service and they ordered us a taxi to.

Very nice dining inn, good food and friendly staff. Very reasonable prices. Highly recommended

Our host at Heath Farm recommended we come here. I ordered salmon and was really nervous as most places don't do salmon justice. The meal came and it was the best salmon I've had in such a long time! So delicious. For desert I had the wild strawberry creme brule and it was also delicious. The atmosphere was great and I love the decor, especially the ceiling lights! Staff were really friendly. Highly recommend

Went on the spur of the moment , but really glad we did ! Lovely atmosphere, great staff and the food wow ! We have booked and can't wait .

Was bit disappointed.Same ĺovely room and well intentioned staff.But waited three quarters of an hour for first course.I had ordered a hamburger,it was overcooked and taste less.My companions had the Roast Pork dinner and were happy with their choice.On ordering pudding,they served me the wrong one,so I was left waiting while my friends ate and finished theirs . Not a great experience,but at least we had time for a good catch up. An expensive way of sharing Quality time.

We were a party of three for lunch, having been recommended to this pub by a neighbour. It appeared to have been recently renovated, but we later learnt that it had been closed for two years due to the pandemic. It was a very airy, and well lit dining room, and beautifully clean throughout. The staff were exceptionally friendly and very competent. One of our party choose sausages with mash potato, and two of us ordered Fish & Chips, albeit one of them as a small order. The Fish & Chips came as two small orders, which was rectified as soon as the chef could, however, all three proved really tasty, and at a reasonable price too. It was well worth the visit for us.

Nice food but very slow service. We then paid the bill minus about £1.20 service charge (still giving a good tip, particularly given the slow service) but the person taking our payment then came back over and insisted we pay the remaining amount, even though I explained we just didn't want to leave that last bit of tip. All our exchanges we're pretty weird and unsettling.

We picked this place out as something new to try out. I asked a waitress for a quick tour which she did with good knowledge. However...for a place having a lot of space to tell us they weren't serving walk-ins...when it was pretty empty...well, in this case, they must be quite happy to turn away 40-50 pounds passing trade...which we spent at the Martstone tavern about 10 minutes later...

Amazing food great service. Highly recomended.

The braised beef cheeks were fantastic. This is the first time we have been back at the joiners since its refurbishment. The onion rings were very impressive too!

If you want drinks then sure. The food was very hit and miss. My food was fine. The 2 others with me thei4 food honestly was pathetic. The sausages for the bangers and mash were not artisan as they claimed there was too much dijon the mash. The monkfish wasn't seasoned the chips were inconsistent in temperature and cooking length, the rocket was wilted and the parm on it melted. On top of all of this it was over an hour wait.

Really impressive refurbishment, the extension gives so much space and fits in well. Lovely atmosphere and friendly staff. Definitely one to return to.

Ok pub grub at 'gastro' prices. Food was cold, chaotic service. The new extension is nice though

The food was very good, but need to sort out service, waited a long time for food, then brought out in dribs and drabs. Also very slow to clear plates. Will be very good once this is sorted.

Rang them in total 25 times today to book a table for the evening with no reply. Even phoned and left a message to book 8 hours later still waiting for them to get back to me!!!

Very much enjoyed a Sunday lunch here, great plate of food, piping hot and tasty 😋