The Bear and Ragged Staff in Vale of White Horse

Looking at other reviews of 5 stars, the food here is either a big hit or big miss. We recently visited and the beef was like leather. I wouldn't have fed it to my dog because it was like chewing through an old pair of boots. It didn't cut even with a stake knife because it was full of hard gristle. The staff seemed incapable of just admitting it was terrible and seemed to want to justify and defend it. They tried to convince me it was just how beef is in a roast and brought out a replacement plate of the same stuff. I sensed they either didn't care or had been told to say its fine. I found that approach to be more off putting and unsettling than the food itself. Unlikely to return because there are better places to go!

Absolutely fantastic service, and the food was amazing Michelin standard. Make it a priority to visit this beautiful pub/restaurant

A lovely winter location for a Sunday roast. The service we received throughout the meal was very friendly and the food was of a good quality, however the portion sizes were far less generous than places of a similar calibre and price.

We had the christmas dinner and all i can say is the 3 sprouts were the best part of it. It was barely warm smothered in a very brown flavourless gravy. The poor cocktail pigs had no blankets and the turkey was dry and tough with a rancid tasting layer of fat. The roast potatoes and parsnips were hard and not at all crunchy. I complained to the server but they were not interested and of course it wasn't their fault. The christmas pudding was served like a slice of cake on a puddle of bitter berries and a spoonful of brandy cusard. It was extremely disappointing for the money charged. Lesson: Do not choose the Christmas Dinner option.

Six of us chose different meals - each one was piping hot and delicious. Staff helpful and accommodating. After several visits at lunch time, all maintaining the above standards, The Bear has become my favourite lunch time venue.

Went for a meal last Friday and I ordered the Christmas dinner special. The meal arrived looking like something that would be served up in a care home, however the taste more than made up for the lack of visual appeal. However, we went again last night (Thursday 5th December). Husband had the burger, which he thoroughly enjoyed and I ordered the Christmas dinner again. Again the meal arrived looking completely lacklustre and unappealing. It didn't taste as good as the last one I had and the sprouts were missing. Asked for sprouts which arrived half way through the meal and they were as hard as a rock (certainly not al dente). The lack of care over the food and service is quite frankly not acceptable. We paid for the meal and told our server that we were not impressed and she honestly had nothing to say except "sorry". You have a great venue there and things could be so much better. We eat out an awful lot but will not in future be eating at your pub. I wish I had taken a photo of the meal you presented to me so everyone could see what an absolute shocker it was.

Dreadful. Went for lunch today with family. A special day as it was the first time I'd seen my sister after a nasty accident. The shocking lack of interest and attention from the staff was only matched by the trouble we had had trying to book (a few weeks ago) what turned out to be a half empty restaurant serving overpriced, mediocre food. Won't be going back. Ever.

Had Sunday lunch recently and it was wonderful, a special thank you to Ronan and Maddison for looking after us.

Great pub and restaurant with warm and comfortable rooms. Lovely place to stop and stay when visiting Oxford.

Fantastic place to stay. Very friendly and accommodating staff. Great food in the restaurant. Very reasonable fee for the room. Couldn't be happier with our stay.

Absolutely lovely place to stay, food was excellent and you are only 20 minutes from Oxford using the park and ride, would and have recommended to anyone and everyone

Great Village Pub with excellent food

Off the beaten track but an amazing gem of a pub. Food and beer are superb, and the guest roo.s inside the pub are just fantastic if you stay there, 100% recommend

Beautiful pub with rooms, food excellent and staff very attentive. Overcharged us on the dinner but when this was pointed out to them they immediately refunded the double payment. Very convenient place to stay on our way to the Rugby. Would definitely stay again, preferably for longer.

It was my other half's birthday, and we came in for a nice meal. The staff was absolutely brilliant, very welcoming and attentive, with a special mention to Oli who served us on the day. However, the food couldn't have been more disappointing. We opted for the Sunday roasts; I had pork and my other half had beef from the specials. My pork consisted of two thin slices, and the porky smell was very off-putting. My other half's special beef was tough and completely overcooked. The trimmings and the roast potatoes were nothing special. The venue was nice and cozy. I would happily go back for a drink after a nice walk around the reservoir, but as for the food, I'm afraid we will be staying away.

Birthday weekend staff was brilliant friendly and helpful stayed overnight in room 9 steep stairs to gain access but the room was gorgeous loads of character and the food was fabulous as well breakfast and dinner Would definitely recommend this as it was only 4 miles outside of Oxford

It had been too long since we visited the UK and were looking for a typical British getaway. This place ticked all the boxes : located in a cute little village, wonderful British ambiance, superb pub and restaurant, comfortable and charming rooms and very friendly service. Absolutely recommended !

Very good place for all meals. I had stayed a few months ago, and it was great and quiet.

Amazon restaurante. Superb food! Beef Wellington absolutely fabulous. Staff very attentive at all times.

Fantastic Sunday lunch- brilliant staff , lovely food. I used to be a regular here when I lived in Oxford . Part of the Peach pubs group who are renowned for staff training and creating a healthy staff culture - which is impressive in hospitality I have never been to a pub within this group that did not deliver!

Lovely country pub with large dining room. Large car park. Nice atmosphere and a fair range of ales. Also offers bedrooms but fully booked on my visit. So book early!

As always fantastic service, quality food and a great atmosphere. Coupled with a fab non alcoholic gin!!

Thank you all for making our Granddaughters birthday celebration meal so special. Food and service brilliant .

Came here for Sunday roast dinner. It was the best Sunday roast dinner I've had the pleasure of eating this far. It may be out of the way, but take a day trip and finish the trip with a sumptuous feast.

We had an amazing time here. Located in a beautiful, quaint village just a short drive from Oxford city centre. Very comfortable and homely. The food was the best pub food I've ever had. The very affordable menu was big enough that you can eat there for lunch and dinner over several nights. The staff were excellent, especially Ollie. What a champion. So helpful and kind. We love you, mate. Promote that man. Thank you, Bear team!

Roast pork awful, so thin, dry and dark, all piled on top of each other, potatoes tasted old too

6 if us ate here recently and we thoroughly enjoyed our meals. I had lamb - very tender melted in the mouth. The others had chicken and beef. The Yorkshire puds are spectacular, vegetables were well cooked and plenty of gravy. Service was good and all washed down with a very good Malbec. We would recommend and return without a doubt. By the way Dogs Welcome

I was excited to eat here as I’d heard how good this Restaurant was But sadly I was shocked how awful our meal was ,My and son had a different meal from me ,I had Duck with mashed potato and cabbage The duck was tough,the mashed potatoes were runny ( Yuk ) and the cabbage undercooked,The other family members had undercooked Vegetables,the meat so so tough that trouble cutting with knife . And to add insult to injury the meal was cool ,and poor service Had to ask twice to order drinks Obviously the chefs much have had the day off . It pains to write a review like this ,

Came for a birthday celebration meal. We were lucky enough to be able to pick a .table that we wanted as our booking was just before peak time. The food and drink was delicious and a good choice. Will definitely add this to our list of regular places to eat

We stayed here for a couple of days this week, the food was really good, the staff were lovely, very attentive. Ronan especially went out of his way to help us, we will be back, thank you.

We were so pleased with our short stay at The Bear and Ragged Staff. Our room was lovely, bed super comfy, location quiet. Had reservations at the Peach Pubs for dinner. We were nearly an hour late arriving but they greeted us warmly and had a table for us. Breakfast the next morning was too notch! Everyone we encountered on property was lovely. Next time we will stay longer. Cheers!

The food is fantastic so is its presentation. Very polite and friendly people, fast service. Strongly recommended!

We loved staying and eating at the Bear and Ragged Staff near Oxford! The food is delicious and everyone who works in the restaurant and inn are so lovely and kind. It really was a highlight of our trip staying there. We stayed in a family room which was perfect for our family of 4. It had been a stressful trip so far and I was pretty anxious, so it was really nice to have a soak in the deep tub in our room and relax for a night. I honestly can’t say enough about our wonderful stay. Thank you to everyone who works there for welcoming us and being so accommodating and lovely.

Good and nice room. Nice place!

Reception was very friendly, everything was well explained. Staff walked neatly to the rooms. The room was great, spacious, neat and very clean. We had a very tasty meal both in the evening and morning. Staff were very welcoming and friendly. The location is perfect.

Very good, great room, spacious. Very good breakfast. Nice. Great.

Mooi gelegen hotel, zeer vriendelijke ontvangst en onze kamer was super, mooi en heel erg schoon. Voldoende parkeergelegenheid op eigen terrein. Leuk buiten terras en werkelijk heerlijk gegeten. Ook het ontbijt was erg goed. Jammer genoeg bleven we maar 1 nachtje. Dit hotel is zeker een aanrader.

I enjoyed a delicious Steak Diane and a pint of bitter. The staff were incredible and the filet steak was tender and juicy. I will come back if I am in the area again.

Very nice and helpful staff. I regularly come here for a coffee and it's fantastic. I would highly recommend this to anyone in the local area or passing by.

Clean, well appointed, comfortable beds, great service - all requests attended to promptly. Only downside was current roadworks at Oxford railway station/bridge made access to Oxford a little difficult.

Twee keer gedineerd hier. Fijn terras en comfortabel restaurant. Sommige gerechten zijn uitstekend (de vis van de dag, de sirloin steak, het kaasbord), maar sommige (meer bewerkelijke?) zijn onvoldoende: De krabkcake met avocado had geen smaak, de lekkere pork belly kwam met een smakeloos en niet passend slaatje, de raketsla bij de vis was verslenst. Goede keuze van wijnen per glas.

Breakfast. I had the Full English Breakfast - OK value for money but not enough food - I like a FULL, Full English. - Blythburgh Sausage 5/5 - Bacon 4/5 - Mushroom 4/5 - Black Pudding 2/5 (Overcooked and very small size) - Beans 1/5 (Not Heinz I suspect) - Tomatoes 4/5 - Free-range Poached Eggs 3/5 (A bit cold on the outside) - Toasted Sourdough 1/5 (Too hard/crusty to eat) - English Mustard 2/5 (Not Colemans) Lovely staff and lovely place. However the Coffee (made with oat milk) came with a little dish of Smarties - YUM YUM YUM :) If I was near there again, I'd go back but choose something different.

Marvellous dining experience and brilliant service. Quite a disappointment for not having local pints in house.

Stayed for one night plus evening meal and breakfast at this beautiful hotel/Inn due to us visiting Oxford. Plenty of space for parking. Bus service into the city was a few minutes walk away making it easy to access. Our room was delightful, spotlessly clean and spacious with lots of extra touches. Bed was super comfortable and the village was so quiet which made for a peaceful nights sleep. All the staff we came in contact with were most friendly and helpful. The food was delicious with great choices. Highly recommend this Hostelry for either nightly stays or meals. Very impressed.

We had a fantastic lunch here, the food was brilliant and the service was even better. Thoroughly recommend.

We stayed here for one night and wish we could’ve stayed for longer. The room was clean, comfortable and nicely decorated. We had dinner at the restaurant and the food was absolutely delicious. Above all, we were really impressed with the service. The staff were very attentive and we never had to wait long for anything, unlike many restaurants which leave you waiting for ages to pay the bill. Hope to return in the near future.

The chef here certainly knows how to cook! The food was gorgeous and the service friendly. We had planned to stop here for a bite to eat on our way to Portsmouth and it really was a treat. Would definitely recommend.

Had a lovely meal for our golden wedding anniversary 💛

Thank you for the kindness and quality of service of the staff. Hotel, bar, restaurant very well located, 20 minutes from the center of Oxford. This establishment is impeccable.

Beautiful food and great service always. One of my favourite restaurants in Oxford. The sirloin beef roast is a must try!

Went after a funeral & the buffet was first class. Plenty selection.

Large pub with great choice of indoor and outdoor eating areas. The food is excellent. The service is excellent and they do possibly the best mussels I've had in years. Take it from me that is no faint praise.

We met my daughter and her boyfriend here for dinner, as it's about halfway between Swindon and Brackley, absolutely perfect, food was amazing and the staff were great

Everything excellent, nice location

Nice venue basic good overpriced

Went expecting a first class experience. No local ale and what they had was boorish. Paid 18 plus quid for gammon and chips and to he honest I've had better kn a Hungry Horse. The Greyhound s mile away is Premier League this is at best division one

Usual good food and atmosphere from a Peaches pub.

Excellent everything! Gorgeous spot with a beautiful private beer garden, sparkling clean room, super friendly staff, and the best breakfast and dinner I've had on my trip. I know I'll be back and can't wait! The reason I gave the location 3 stars is only because if you're looking to be in the middle of all the touristy busyness, this is not the place for you. You'll need a car.

We loved our stay there! The breakfast on both days was delicious, the room was comfy even with a big desk so that it wouldn’t even be an issue to stay there for work. Our dog was also allowed which is a great plus for us. The pub and the conservatory are inviting and with the old building even a feast for the eye. We had a bit of a delay with our ferry and arrived after the normal check-in hours. Even so, the staff waited for us and were very helpful explaining everything concerning our stay. I can recommend the Bear&ragged staff to anyone who rather likes stay a bit outside of the city with a scenic village and nice countryside walks available

Cozy pub with good food and outdoor terrace. Spacious, clean rooms and very friendly and helpful staff.

Plenty of parking. It is a pub/restaurant .polite and efficient staff. Restaurant lacks atmosphere because of its complicated layout . Starters : Whitebait very nice , chicken pate OK . Main : Scampi OK . Gammon pleasant but not outstanding . Side dishes very good. Dessert : Selection of ice cream enjoyable . Spotted dick not enough raisins in it. Good bottle of Merlot. 3 courses for the 2 of us £56. Wine £20 good value

We stopped off here after a hospital visit and we’re so pleased we did. We were welcomed by an excellent front of house and provided with two seating options. We started with warm bread served with two small butter pita - one containing a marmite butter mix and the other, a chunky garlic butter. This was followed by “Posh Fish & Chips’ consisting of a medley of fish (hake, bream included) with a deep fried prawn too. It was accompanied by smooth mushy peas, tartare sauce and curry sauce. My husband also ordered triple cooked chips. We both agreed it was delicious. I ordered steak and ale pie - this was exceptional - the pie was chock full of the tenderest beef and encased in the perfect amount of short crust pie. It was served with buttery smooth mash potato, greens and gravy. It was seriously delicious! To drink, my husband had a Spanish lager and I had a cranberry juice . However, there was an extensive wine and cocktail list. Situated in a pretty little Oxfordshire village, it’s worth the drive to visit, when service and food are that good!

We stayed overnight, to attend a friend's party in the village, and we loved this place. The accommodation is fabulous, the bed was comfy and the facilities were great. We had breakfast in the morning, which was included, and I can quite honestly say that it was the best veggie full English breakfast I've ever had. The service was superb, from Ronan at checking in and the staff at breakfast. We felt very looked after and had a great stay. I highly recommend both the food and accommodation here. Fabulous!

Sadly the current owners - an outfit called Resolution I believe - seem to put profit before service and are taking their regulars for granted - a serious mistake in any business, especially when there are alternatives available. I presume those in charge at Resolution are failed contestants on that awful programme “The Apprentice”. If they were my employees they would be looking for other employment. I have no complaints against the staff at the pub - who are brilliant but are being let down by incompetence from the top. You are in serious danger of losing my daily custom.

Lovely place to stay just outside of Oxford. Clean comfortable room, all toiletries provided. Super welcome and check in, great varied menu. Would happily stay again and recommend them to others. Great breakfast and lovely morning coffee.

Nice place, very good service. Starters were amazing, I’d recommend the courgette fries for sure. Mains also were good, chicken schnitzel especially. The only issue with the mains was the veggie/vegan noodle Tom yum salad dish, it probably could’ve said on the menu that it was quite spicy as we didn’t know when we ordered. Apart from this, the deserts were all decent. Overall I thought it was good and I’d go back again👍

Had some lamb was way undercooked

Our third visit, we stay every March for the car chase experience. We always have the family room, and as always it is a lovely stay, the room is spacious, very clean and staff are lovely. We stayed for dinner and breakfast, the waitress for breakfast was so lovely, very friendly, dinner was lovely however the portion size this time around seemed smaller, but that doesn’t take away the fact the food was delicious. Overall another lovely stay and once again we will be back.

What a great place to stay, eat and feel totally at home! My wife and I had a great two nights stay here, enjoying a wonderful open fire, amazing food and most of all an incredible warm welcome. Even though there was a mix up on our rooms, the staff (Inc Ronan and John Carlo were outstanding). They made sure we were sorted out immediately. We cannot praise the staff here highly enough! We would so recommend staying here in this quaint, warm and friendly pub.

We went for brunch. Portions were pretty small and mine was almost cold when it arrived. Possibly not on my favourite list to go again

Really lovely place to eat, calm atmosphere, staff were polite, accomadating, and professional. Large Party of us went for breakfast. We pre ordered, via email. Staff executed so well. They took drink requests on arrival, then food soon followed, hot, and very tasty. Would highly recommended.

Popped in for breakfast in a Sunday, actually sitting down around 10am and weekend busy! Sadly their coffee machine was broken, filter coffee was nice though. Service was a little slow to receive drinks, cute when they arrived with a few little smarties and breakfast was delicious! Hot tasty, great ingredients and fresh!!

Delicious food, can't rate the rooms despite Google asking me to as I didn't stay the night

Loved it, as usual service snd food really good quality and very good value. Thank you

Brilliant experience at The Bear & Raged Staff! Room was beautifully presented, spacious and comfortable. Great facilities, with lovely touches. The team provided an wonderful warm welcome and nothing was too much trouble. Had dinner on site also and it lived up to the same excellent standard. We are travelling with our dog, and was great to have such perfect option. Thanks again for your hospitality!

Very good food, very high-quality services, friendly staff

The Bear and Ragged Staff - Peach Pubs, 28 Appleton Road, Cumnor, We decided to spend our 53 wedding anniversary visiting Oxford City and booked at the above place. They made our anniversary special offering an update king size room, a free breakfast and a free glass of Prosecco before our evening meal. We had a lovely stay! Our room was comfy, clean and we had service every day. The receptionist team was very friendly and professional. The restaurant offered an excellent menu with the added speciality of the day to choose from. I would highly recommend this Pub/hotel Giuseppe & Maria

Great pub. Stopped off here on a walk and sat in the garden before coming inside to watch the rugby. Really nice menu, good food and all of the staff are so lovely. Helped us sort a taxi home and were all very welcoming. Great boozer!

This was our second experience of a Peaches Pub and we were delighted that it lived up to our expectations. The staff were very helpful and friendly and service was excellent. The menu offered starters and small plates in addition to mains and desserts. Our choice was a starter (prawns on ciabatta) and a small plate (tempura courgettes with truffle dip) - both were delicious and given that our appetites are not as large as they used to be we still had room for dessert. Cheese was also on offer but tempting though it was we decided to just have dessert. There was a good selection of wine available, both by the glass and the bottle and the cocktails looked interesting! The fact that we were able to reach the venue by bus was another plus as we could both enjoy the drinks.

This pub has just (re-?)introduced a breakfast menu. Have to say that it's absolutely bloody wonderful! Considering how places in Kenilworth tend towards high prices for everything, the Bear & Ragged Staff have kept the price of breakfast at an affordable level...Good on them! Will be sure to return frequently for a delicious breakfast offering.

A spacious and atmospheric "gastro-pub" with a substantial and interesting menu of well-presented dishes, including numerous vegetarian options. Nice service too.

We often eat here for lunch. The food and service are impeccable, and the atmosphere is second to none. Many thanks to John and his team for always giving us such a warm welcome.

What more can I say, what a fantastic establishment.

A beautiful meal wonderful service and very hospitable. The food was excellent ✨Thank you as you made my birthday very special ! ❤️

We hadn't been to the Bear in a very long time, having read good reviews decided to visit for Sunday lunch. We received a warm welcome from friendly staff, who showed us to our table after a short wait. The pub has changed a lot since we were last there, it's kept its old world charm and looks inviting. We all enjoyed our food, one roast chicken, a venison cottage pie and a roast duck, all very well cooked and presented. Puddings all really good too. I would recommend the Bear it's well worth a visit.

Fabulous Hamish party and the team were awesome… thank you for such a warm welcome and spectacular food!

Gorgeous historic building, quality rooms which are full of character and a high quality, friendly service. Food was amazing too. Stairs take a little getting used to but worth the climb for a great nights sleep.

A wonderful post Christmas lunch with the in laws - cheese on sourbread toast accompanied with a mug sized bowl of roast parsnip soup, perfect size to not overdo my tummy! Once you've got over the single step entrance, wheelchair access is not a problem...

I have made it a birthday and also a pre Christmas tradition to eat, drink and be merry down here - and stay overnight, even though I live in the village - the accommodation is unbelievable. Also a splendid spot for nearby Oxford, by far...

Stayed for be night and could not have been more happy. The service from the moment we walked in was exceptional. From sitting in front of a real fire to eating the incredible food I cannot sing the praises of this establishment loudly enough. If...

We spent 3 nights at The Bear and Ragged Staff in a beautiful room, absolutely loved the size of the room, massive bed, old oak doors, it was just fantastic. Ate in their fabulous restaurant where we were treated to amazing quality food locally sourced...

Treated ourselves to Sunday lunch today and chose the roast turkey with side of cauliflower cheese. Staff very friendly upon arrival choice of where to sit. Good knowledge of draft beers to choose from and a good pint. The roast dinners arrived by very helpful...

There was nothing to fault here. Accommodation was beautiful and the food was outstanding. Service exceptional. If you’re ever visiting Oxford then definitely seek this place out. You won’t regret it.

My Dog was at local specialist vets for surgery so I came to the Bear and Ragged staff to work while I waited. I was welcomed for breakfast several coffees lunch and a drink. I was given a table with power point and didn’t feel...

Wow this is hard, i used to love this place and i have left good reviews before. Sorry i cant do that now. I was at this place last night. First off why was it only half full on a saturday night. Ok so here...

To be honest it was a bit disappointing. The service was quite slow (which was fine because we were with friends), but the food was generally poor. Sorry to be negative because there were some good things (my wife had steak pie which was great...

Such a welcoming team. Had a really lovely meal here and couldn’t have had better food or service. We were welcomed and shown to a table straight away. Service was excellent and food prompt plus they checked in to see if it was all ok....

We have lived nearby for over 5 years so are often in the pub having a drink, but don't often eat anymore as the food is average at best. We recently visited and had Sunday lunch, gravy was basically tasteless brown water, tough beef, all...

Great pub, food excellent for breakfast lunch and dinner. Staff couldn’t be more friendly, welcoming and efficient Rooms are lovely too Thoroughly recommend this pub

What a delight. Expected pub food and found delightful dining. Lovely and friendly and food that was special. The chilli squid starter was fresh, crisp and not at all oily. The single serving beef wellington was a delight. Wow. And my wife had venison “shepherd’s”...