The Abingdon Arms in South Oxfordshire

Popped in after a long dog walker, advertised as 7 days a week. Please check online as this is not true.

Very grumpy staff definitely not happy to help , menu choice poor and when asked for gluten free option they seemed annoyed cashes curry was sickly sweet I told waitress I was un able to even eat half she took plates away with no response and only came back to take glasses away and I hadn’t finished my flat lemonade

Lovely old pub. Community owned. Locally produced food. Charming village. Gers busy so book in peak. Roast dinner was good. Sri Lankan cashew curry was good. Near a nice nature reserve.

Amazing little pub, great food and very dog friendly!

Awful Sunday lunch. Cold veg and tough beef. Won't be returning as used to be such a great pub.

nothing 'gastro' about it - there were 3 or 4 hairs in the food

Popped in here for lunch . Was suprised as this pub is owned by the villagers. Picked a tuesday so a more limited menu but the food was very good and reasonably priced. Service was a little longer than expected ( we were in a hurry so that may affect this) but lovely staff. View from top garden area is amazing honestly didn't care how long the wait . New favourite spot .

Absolutely terrible experience. Food took nearly 90 minutes to arrive (after being told it would be 40). Sri Lankan cashew curry was nothing of the kind - just open any Sri Lankan recipe book to see how to make it. Pie had undercooked pastry and a few dessicated roasted root veg on the side, no greens. Apparently the head chef was off but the actual recipes were poor.

The food was mostly nice, but the service was almost non existent. We had to call staff over every time we wanted something, and no one came to ask if the food was ok or if we wanted more drinks. The staff seemed pretty indifferent/unbothered. This was in huge contrast to a meal the previous day at a “cheap and cheerful” Wetherspoons pub where we were actually made to feel welcome and asked by several staff if we needed anything else. Good service makes all the difference, especially when you are being charged gastro-pub prices. We are unlikely to return.

Cozy friendly pub with great views over Oxfordshire countryside. A convenient 15-20 minute cab from Oxford to Beckley village.

Visited today for some lunch after being at the hospital. We walked in and not a staff member in sight we waited a good five minutes and when someone did appear no apology about keeping us waiting.We asked if we could eat so took a seat and after waiting 15 minutes for a menu we had to ask for it and the female member of staff was very abrupt. She should perhaps spend less time looking at her phone . Safe to say we decided not to eat there so finished our drinks and left won’t be going back anytime soon . Considering we were the only ones in the pub so not like she was busy .

Absolutely beautiful traditional British pub, a true few house gem

Great village pub with really good pizza (from the wood oven 3-5.30pm) and really good food at lunch and evenings for dinner. Amazing view across Otmoor from the gardens. Staff are very friendly and lovely atmosphere inside and out.

Lovely place and friendly staff. Very quiet and had to look for staff once but they were very friendly

We chose this place for our son's graduation dinner as we liked the location and we couldn't have made a better choice. Everything was just perfect: the food simply delicious, we could also choose gluten-free and vegan menu. We felt welcome, the staff very kind and professional: they set aside a special room for our group (17 people), very cozy. We wholeheartedly recommend it!

Stopped here on the way back from my daughter’s. Wonderful roast and really pleasant staff.

Amazing place, staff are so lovely and attentive I’d definitely recommend

Fantastic staff. Food was fabulous and fresh. Highly recommend this beautiful pub The owner has got everything spot on. 5 stars isn't enough

Thankyou all the staff at The Abingdon Arms for an absolutely wonderful lunch It was absolutely delicious. Couldn't believe the time when we left. We had been there enjoying the beautiful views over Oxfordshire for hours I'd like to give special thanks to the Chef Elena who boxed me up a carrot cake for my supper x

Beautiful pub in a beautiful village. As a local, I have visited The Abbo on numerous occasions & attended many events here over the years, and I have never left disappointed. There is always a great selection of local ales & beers. The menu is varied with something for everyone & the wood fired oven pizzas really do live up to the hype! You’ll find quality food & drink here at reasonable prices, as well as a warm and friendly feel about the place. Staff are friendly and attentive, nothing is too much trouble. Really rate this place, would absolutely recommend it to anyone.

Good honest pub food at a sensible price 👌

We visited as a group of 7 adults, 2 babies and 2 toddlers. We were well looked after by all the staff who were warm, welcoming and attentive. I cannot eat dairy and the waitress kindly discussed my food options with the chef who marked a menu with all the options they could make for me. The food was pricey for what it was, but the service and atmosphere made up for this.

Updated Review - 1 year on: came back to this pub as we have great memories of the food and atmosphere. Sadly, on this occasion we found the quality in food and presentation much worse. One year ago the burger was presented nicely with really tasty chips, proper cheese and the pickles on the side, plus a nice pint of Hawkstone. This time there was no Hawkstone, the presentation was not nice, the chips were basic ingredients pub chips and the cheese was plastic stuff. The food is still quite pricey, so I would say not worth it anymore sadly!

I have visited the Abingdon Arms to celebrate with family and friends twice recently. On both occasions they have produced an amazing buffet spread that we have all enjoyed in a wonderful country pub setting. If the weather is kind the outdoor decking with it’s awning gives delightful Otmoor views but should you be unlucky the inside of the pub is charming.

A lovely welcome to a family party on Saturday 6th July. All staff were wonderful helpful and attentive. The food was delicious - super quality and plenty of variety for all palates and dietary requirements. Super, clean and tasteful toilets and garden area. Excellent choice of quality wines and beers.

Went on Sunday had a lovely lunch staff very friendly and helpful will definitely be going back

Took libertys with my friends mum who had just laid her father to rest. The family picked this venue for a wake and paid £ 700 for food and was served with food that was absolutely shocking so bad it's embarrassing will never return.

If I could give it 0 stars I would. £700 for about 3 plates of food. Rude staff. Absolute fools. £700!!!!!

Sadly this pub is ran by bad management which clearly shows from their prior responses to negative google reviews. The lady manageress' professional conduct at this establishment is under question. Demonstrating obnoxious and narcissistic behaviour. As a community owned pub, the shareholders should seek new management to sustain a viable business.

Great pub, went for a Sunday roast and it was fantastic. Staff were helpful and very welcoming

Rude staff, massively overcharging for food that had been catered for a wake, £700 first picture and £400 2nd picture! very minimal food! You should be ashamed!

Absolutely stunning views and food to match. Thanks to Vicky and Dan and all the staff at The Abingdon Arms for looking after us and making our lunchtime so enjoyable. The sardines were outstanding, thanks to Elena.

Loveky pub, with amazing views and space for kids to run around. Pizzas were fab!

Went on Saturday night. Booked for 3 people. Food very poor. Don't know if chef was on holiday but it certainly seemed so. All main courses served mildly warm. 2 people had chicken skewers. Tasted abismal. Lumps of strange shaped chicken that where supposed to have been marinated. Perhaps they forgot to do that. Tasted of nothing. Served with supermarket chips and salad bowl that looked and tasted bad. When we complained (one chicken meal returned - should have done that with the second one). The staff decided to ignore us. No apologies or anything. Be careful what you choose on the menu. Or alternatively only go for drinks and no food.

I visited the Abingdon Arms for a wake after a family funeral at the Crematorium. The service was appalling. The food they claimed was for 30 people would have barely fed a toddlers party and they charged £700! I'm absolutely shocked they think that was an acceptable price to pay for the small amount ot food they served. You would have been hard pressed to spend more than £50 at Iceland for the spread they provided. They should feel ashamed of their service! I won't be visiting this establishment again! Don't make the mistake we made, go somewhere else! If I could give no stars I would!

Wow!! What a lovely pub! Friendly staff, food was superb and quickly to the table. Now to the best bit the decking and garden is out of this world with a view like that I could have sat there all night, stunning just stunning!

Nice pub, friendly and helpful staff. But we were there on a Wednesday and found they only served pizzas on Wednesdays. We had expected a full menu. But the pizzas were fine!

Really nice place to go for a drink- great garden! The food was pretty uninspiring, though- it's trying to be fancier than it is, feels like style over substance. The staff also seemed to forget about us for twenty minutes. They came to take our food order, and seemed a bit surprised that we didn't have drinks.

Real nice pub with great views from the garden. Little bit over priced for beer but worth it

Stopped here for a drink and snack after visiting the RSPB reserve. Glad we did - very friendly welcome and tasty snacks. Smashing pint of local beer too. Terrific view over Otmoor from back garden!

Fantastic service, really lovely staff. The food was delicious. A little pricey but very fresh and tasty. We sat in the garden and the view is lovely, sadly doesn't get the evening sun. Very dog friendly. Would return if in the area again. Would recommend booking

We went on a Wednesday evening for pizzas. We both thought they were amongst the best pizzas we have had. Absolutely delicous, generous toppings. Great service too!

Super friendly & knowledgeable staff, good atmosphere and great food.

Good food. Bar staff were super friendly and polite, waiting staff were polite but quite lacklustre. Outdoor seating on the lower deck was lovely.

Chicken could have been better. It was still good. Great location

A great night out at this pub. Located in a very nice village outside Oxford. The scenery is beautiful. It must be wonderful to be here in the summer with their outdoor seating. Will definitely come back for that. Food is great. The starter was on the small portion side. The grilled Brie was amazing!! I enjoyed my slow cooked lamb. Service was good. Price was fair - shared 3 starters among 6 of us, each had a main and a drink. Paying just under £30 per person. Overall a great experience. Highly recommend!

Wonderful place for a relaxed Sunday lunch. Fast, friendly service, 100% recommend it to anyone.

Nice authentic place, ver friendly staff and amazing food.

Lovely looking pub, service was absolutely fine but the food quality and portions do not match the prices.

A beautiful pub in a gorgeous village with fantastic ambience and food to die for! The lamb was superb and the sticky toffee pudding a must! Friendly and helpful staff made my first time visit a memorable one…I will be back!

Great pub with great food and service 👌

So much clean toilet!! 🚽 I love this. Of course, food was also nice and reasonable.

Food great, pub really nice with amazing views in a delightful village. Service ridiculously slow, we had to ask to be served 3 or 4 times during the course of our visit. Overall enjoyed it though.

We stopped in during a hike. The pub had been freshly refurbished, very nice inside. We had some sausage rolls and brownies, which the staff kindly packed to takeaway. Very tasty.

The food was fine but not the standard it used to be. It was Mothers' Day and very busy and the waiters seemed very inexperienced.

A very pretty pub, good food, interesting veggie options, some very poor attitudes towards customers. Bar manager was unfriendly and dismissive when showing us our table. The young waiter was fantastic, however, accidentally spilt almost a full pint on my partner's lap. Good customer service would replace the spilt pint and also deduct it from the bill/offer something for free. They only replaced the spilt pint. We politely asked for a free pint to make up for the fact my partner was sitting there drenched, cold and sticky, and we were refused not once but twice. The poor young waiter was in the middle as he was engaging with the bar manager, who did not come out to speak to us. After dinner, we went to speak to the bar manager directly and her terse response was "accidents happen". Yes we agree they do, however accidents should be made right. In the end she agreed, without smiling, to take the spilt pint off the bill, which is all we wanted. Shocking attitude.

Disappointing. Went on a Sunday, their sample menu on the website looked good for vegetarians, but when we got there there was one vegetarian option for main and the only vegetarian option for starter was bread and olives. The bread butter and olives were a joke. .5.50 per person and it was clearly olives from a tub, margarine and bread that was all from the supermarket. Other pubs offering the same kind of food at the same prices have fresh baked bread, actual butter and use high quality olives. The Sri Lankan curry was nice, but was of the same quality as Taylors in Oxford, good, but not for 17 quid. The dessert thankfully was nice although the plate had not been cleaned.

Nice pub in a lovely village with a beautiful church Good pint and great wine But lunch was very disappointing And not cheap Terrible pie not good 😟

I'm a long-standing fan of this old pub in a lovely Oxfordshire village, especially since it became community-owned. However our Sunday lunch was really disappointing. Fish and chips were extremely greasy and the roast grey and stringy. The pudding was better. The staff were welcoming and efficient however the kitchen is really letting them down. The menu is boring, and unchanged for months - no specials, nothing interesting. What a shame.

Just had lunch Staff maybe more suited to non customer facing roles. Girl very surly and dismissive Food ok but pricey for what it was Really disappointing as had great experience last couple times we’ve been, although couple of years ago now. A long time before we return, if at all

Food and atmosphere fine but Service slow and staff not really thinking about what they were doing. Drinks late to arrive( pre drinks arrived after starter )soup served without spoon, dessert menu requested and took ages / as the bill. It was busy but staff need to be more aware.

Very friendly staff and even served us after kitchen was technically closed, which we really appreciated. The food was nice, and staff made sure we had everything we needed. Menu could be improved with more vegan options as daughter and wife are dairy free but not a reflection of service and atmosphere. Would visit again.

Such a lovely pub, I would definitely recommend it here, they really look after you, the food is fabulous! Lovely old building to!

Poor choice for vegetarians, waiting staff weren't very welcoming. Portion sizes very small which wasn't compensated by flavour.

we met London based family here for lunch on the 30th December and ordered 3 Fish and Chips . The batter was minimal and soft , and the fish looked a grey colour and of little substance . Soo disappointing, and the pub needs to up it game if such food is being served in a charming Village Pub visited by visitors looking for a good experience .

Eaten here three times over last couple of years. Last time was Dec 2023 and the food experience was very poor compared to previous occasions, which was a disappointment. Goose was inedible - hardly cooked at all. Pie wasn't a pie but a stew with poor quality pastry top 'floating' on the meat. No chips offered with pie despite this being a pub food classic. The cashew nut curry veg option sounded good but was bland and unappetising. So not sure if kitchen staff were having a bad day or a new chef wasn't too 'our taste' but this has put us off eating here again (for a while at least). It's a shame as otherwise i really like the atmosphere and as i said previous meals have been much better!

Paid £85 for an inedible meal. Two people, neither of us could eat more than a few mouthfuls. Really awful food. Nice location for a drink and beautiful views but don't eat there.

A beautiful pub and very kind staff. I've never been so grateful for a phonecable! Thank you x

lovely community run pub with good food and pleasant atmosphere. Beautiful spot with views over Otmoor from the garden.

Lovely pub. Perfect after a trip to RSPB Otmoor down the road!

Service and atmosphere is great. Very picturesque pub in a picturesque area. Food was fine.

A group of 8 of us...the table in the annexe was perfect to allow all to chat over 3 hours. Very attentive service. Lunchtime Curry was OK...we all had it. Prices reasonable for what is a lovely 'middle England'...location... We will go back...🥰🍻🍟

Not bad, but not good either. Sunday lunch was disappointing in terms of presentation, veg that came with the monkfish seemed left over from another dish and was lukewarm. Service was fast but functional. High prices, but with nothing that lifted the experience into something special.

Loved this pub, having not been there for years we popped in on the off chance of lunch and it was excellent. Food was very good, staff welcoming, and atmosphere warm. Very friendly and lovely to see so many people there of a lunchtime. Ladies toilets spacious and new. Very good experience- thoroughly recommended.

Met up with family for Sunday Lunch at the Abingdon Arms. Staff were friendly and helpful, and they could do child’s size roasts. The roast itself was a little uninspiring. The beef was rare (good) but the vegetables were a bit undercooked, and the Yorkshires and gravy could have been better. The pork was so so. They had a reasonable selection of local beers which is a plus.

We’ve been “The Abingdon Arms” customers for a long time now. Today’s roast was the poorest quality food to date: roast potatoes were old and deep-fried, the food arrived to the table barely lukewarm and when I sent it back to the kitchen, it must have ended up in the microwave because everything on the plate was chewy when it returned to the table. The roast didn’t come with a Yorkshire pudding (waiter couldn’t explain why), but came with tons of beetroot, which is an unusual roast pairing, in my opinion. The vegetables were undercooked, under seasoned and cold. Dishes looked unappetising. My daughter’s veggie option came with no gravy so it was dry (and lukewarm). We complained and got 15% the total bill. Staff were nice and service good, but very slow. Sadly, we won’t be going back for a roast. For the money you pay, you can have a much tastier meal in any other local restaurant. A shame because it used to be one of our favourites.

Tough tasteless stringy beef, dried out chicken, no flavour salsa,undercooked veg and beetroot with a roast! Staff did not ask if everything was ok, not interested in customer service have not responded to email. Sorry abbo arms, nice location but won’t be back.

I love this pub and have been going since a child. It’s really old and has the most lovely al fresco eating area overlooking meadows that look on to Ottmoor. The staff are lovely and the beer is great. Sunday lunch is excellent, rare beef and great, good quality trimmings BUT and it’s a big but £17 for pizza is too much. We went as a family for lunch and a pretty good but not huge pizza was this price which just seems crazy. Four Hundred Rabbits, a small utterly brilliant London pizza chain with about 4 branches offers their most expensive pizza at £12.50 and starts as £8. I use this as an example as they are paying London rents. At lunchtime this once busy pub was pretty much empty and I think it’s a real shame as this is all down to over inflated prices as everything else is perfect and really excellent.

The sun was shining so we paid a visit to this restaurant which offers wonderful views over the surrounding countryside from the garden. My partner uses a wheelchair, so we took the long ramp down to one of the outdoor tables. It was a Tuesday evening so they were only doing pizzas, but there is a full menu on some other nights. The pizzas were hand crafted, and absolutely delicious. I can't rememebr the name of mine, but it was very meaty, and one of the nicest I have had.

We enjoyed a delicious lunch here, very good service. We shared a mixed seed hummus starter, then my wife had a tasty and generous nut curry, while I had halibut with new potatoes and crisp vegetables, both were very good. Service was personable and cheerful.

The last time I was there it wasn't brilliant but I believe in second chances. This time the service had improved, switching tables so my elderly mother did not have to manage steps. Most importantly the Sunday roast was fantastic. I had rare but tender roast beef. The roast potatoes were notable. The Yorkshire pudding perfect in size. The range of vegetables brilliant. And a real depth of flavour gravy which is rare. The pub is lovely the village beautiful and being so close to Oxford, a great escape. Only downside can be parking as this is limited on popular occasions. I look forward to returning and trying out their outside terrace.

Weird tasting food. Both the burger and Beef brisket had a strange taste which wasn’t particularly pleasant, maybe Worcester sauce or marmite? It was also long wait for the food, which was then Luke warm. Not great experience, I was offered an alternative but didn’t want to wait another hour for it unfortunately.

This is a really good village pub with a fantastic view from the garden. Food was excellent - had the pie of the day which was steak and ale. No huge puff pastry crust but a small square of pastry on the pie. The bar staff did warn me that I might need to order extras fries as the dish didn't come with any other potatoes. Other members of our party had the monkfish scampi which was really tasty! As it was a warm day, there were many folks dining here so my advice is to get in early.

Lovely setting and the menu sounded great. It was our first visit and will probably sadly be our last. We waited 2 hours for our main course and when it arrived one meal was missing. The food quality was poor. Small portions, badly presented. A couple of the dishes tasted ok, but others were dry and tepid. It's a shame as the starters were good and menu options sounded good on paper. Very overpriced for the food that was served.

Initial impressions were good, very nice country pub with stunning views. Very clean and lovely decor. Saturday lunch menu wasn't extensive but had a good range. Unfortunately only one option for children which was the first weakness. Then the experience deteriorated. Clearly understaffed, we waited over 90 minutes for food. The front of house staff didn't seem to notice, when we asked where our food was we were told there was only one chef in the kitchen. The length of wait was not flagged when we arrived. No apology was offered. The food was nice and appeared fresh. But certainly not worth the wait. We had hungry children with us and I definitely would not recommend for families - extremely slow service and very limited options for children does not make for a happy family meal! Shame, we won't be returning.

A group of us went here for Sunday lunch. The staff are pretty frosty. I don’t remember a single one of them smiling the whole time we were there. The food was average at best. Roast beef was pretty good but everything else on the plate was inedible. Roast potatoes tasted as though they been cooked a few days ago and I couldn’t cut into my Yorkshire pudding it was so hard. Food was served tepid to cold but at least the gravy was hot. It’s a community pub but doesn’t feel like one. Most community pubs are really welcoming but I genuinely think they couldn’t care less about hospitality, customers or service. Luckily Oxon is full of great places for Sunday lunch so it’s no loss.

We have visited this pub/restaurant on several occasions but this was our first visit for a while. We shared a houmous starter which was not good value for what was charged. On the positive side the serving of meat was generous, five slices, although the beef wasn't as rare as requested. Also the vegetables were well cooked. Unfortunately the roast potatoes were quite hard and not the best, similarly the Yorkshire tasted as if it had been on the plate for a while and wasn't very nice. We asked for mustard, apple sauce and horseradish sauce. While the horseradish sauce was a reasonable proportion, the other two were literally a teaspoon full, and I do mean literally. I did go to the bar and obtain further portions. The waiter was not unfriendly, but certainly not the normal warm friendly welcome we receive. He didn't smile once. He was also disorganised as he tried to remove all the sauces, and we hadn't even been served our lunch. I have posted several 5 star reviews previously but couldn't on this occasion. At £24 for the beef we expected better

We recently hired the Abingdon Arms at Beckley for my wife's 60th birthday party. The venue is delightful, cosy, full of character with a lovely view outside of Otmoor. Hattie and her colleagues provided a friendly, helpful, and efficient service and the food was well prepared and tasty. It's a community-owned pub and we pleased to support it and delighted with the outcome.

Had a Sunday lunch for 6 adults. The main meals came at different times,.meals mixed up and waited ages until dirty plates were collected,finally had to ask them to collect.Roasts came swimming in gravy, instead of being in a small jug,so if you didn't like gravy,tough! The service was terrible and you could see that there wasn't near enough serving staff.

Friendly welcome and good service. Excellent selection of dishes, not just your usual pub fayre and reasonable prices. Prices reasonable. Food was excellent and so was the beer, (Little Ox Red Blood). All in all a very nice experience and would definitely recommend.

Not dined here for over ten years and was not disappointed with it's move to a community owned pub. Landlord and staff welcoming and knowledgeable of the beers and food on offer. Impressed sufficiently to book for a return visit there and then

A great experience - friendly and delicious. We had a table of 14 ordering a variety of dishes from the menu - all arrived together, hot and delicious. Thank you

My wife and I have been coming to The Abingdon Arms for a few months and really enjoy their roast beef Sunday lunches. The quality of the food is always high and the views over the Oxfordshire countryside are amazing at anytime of year. We...

We went with two friends on Saturday evening. The service was so poor that it spoilt our evening. All three front of house staff were unsmiling and one was downright hostile. Mistakes were made with our drinks orders, and the mumbled offer of complementary tea...

I’ve been going to the Abingdon Arms for many years ! Sadly it is not the usual cheerful pub. Staff do not seem to be enjoying their job - no engaging with the customer. Seem bored or stressed. Food used to be wonderful. My friend...

Visited today for lunch with hubby, a wheelchair user and two best friends. Greeted warmly, given a suitable table and menus. We all had 3 courses.Everything was delicious, 3 of us had the hake with sweet potato purée, really tasty, Tim had the the beef...

Roast dinner very average Unfortunately if you don’t like fish or your not a vegetarian there is not much else on the menu. Not great value for money.

Went here a couple of time for drinks and then dinner whilst staying in Beckley. The outdoor area is lovely with amazing views. the food we had was all delicious and service was very helpful and friendly. Great selection of local beers and varied wine...

Came here for a couple of drinks while walking the Oxfordshire way. A lovely pub. Service was good and drinks were great. Bar snacks were available. The sausage roll was lovely but the macaroons were a bit dry. A lovely country pub and will definitely...

We had an amazing meal with my family here last week. The sun was beaming down over the otmoor fields. The calamari was gorgeous. Most of us opted for fish as there was so many options. The salmon made my mouth water. My sister had...