The Bear of North Moreton in South Oxfordshire

Went here on the opening night and what a treat it was. Fantastic customer service from start to finish. We started with some snacks the pigs in blankets were great the crackling delicious but the star was the stout bread deliciously rich and stodgy I could have eaten it all night. They accommodated our 2 6 years by scaling down the burger to a kids portion which was perfect. The ham egg and chips was fantastic the ham was tasty and succulent the eggs were cooked perfectly. The fish was delicious with a lovely hint of citrus and the chips on all our meals superb. The pear and chocolate tart as a tasty end to the meal. Drinks were great the house made grapefruit gin and tonic was fantastic and the ales and wine choices are great. The cost of our meal and drinks was fantastic value for money. We will be along again soon.

Fabulous food and great service! Always lovely to dine at the Bear! Thank you so much for the consistently excellent food and service.

The Bear has one of the most inconsistent levels of service in similarly top rated pubs in Oxfordshire. You go one day and you have the best service and food, on another day, you are considerably let down. Today was one of the latter: I booked a Sunday roast just before midday, and was promptly taken to a table in the newer part of the pub. My starter was the pork and blood pudding sausage roll which was very tasty. This was served lukewarm but seeing as it was a starter, I wasn’t too fussed about that. For main course, I had chosen the pork belly and asked for the gravy to be put on the side. I am not sure what went wrong here but the chef or the person preparing the plates prior to serving them was clearly having an off day. When it arrived, the roast looked pretty impressive, I’ve had pork at the Bear before so was looking forward to some crunchy salty scratching. The serving was the standard Bear offering: a decent side dish of veggies, minimal roast potatoes (if only they would add one or two more) but the main part was the sizeable chunk of meat. The pork was of very good quality, with very minimal fat but it was lukewarm to cold. At no point did the server return to ask if everything was ok and bearing in mind I had skipped breakfast, I was quite hungry and continued to eat my main. It was a weird contrast - pork that felt microwaved (very soft to chewy scratching) or that had been left on the side too long but never reheated vs the perfectly served potatoes and wonderfully seasoned vegetables. I had also asked for gravy on the side and the small pot of gravy was the most watery tasteless gravy I have ever had - previously, the gravy at the Bear was one of the best around. When the server came back to take my by now empty plate, I commented on the lukewarm pork, said that whilst the quality of the meat was very good, it was not served at the right temperature and it felt microwaved - I even showed her how soft the scratching was. She was quite abrupt and told me that since I had eaten everything she couldn’t take any money off - I was very taken aback by this comment, at no stage did I ask for any money back or deduction, but wanted to point out that something was amiss about the food preparation for my main course. She went back to the kitchen and told me they never used a microwave for their food. I did go on to have dessert, I asked if the tiramisu on offer was truly traditional and she assured me that it was. And on this, I have to agree with the server since it was by far one of the best and most authentic tiramisu that I have ever had in a non-Italian restaurant. When the bill arrived, the server told me she would leave me for a moment with it, I felt I was being dared to ask for a reduction when this was never the case. Lesson learnt: I should have asked for the pork to be reheated but I am always worried to do so in case the chef takes offence. I am not sure I will return, since when it is good, the Bear is very very good and its Sunday roast and inventive cooking is truly among the best in Oxfordshire, but when it is mediocre, it makes me wonder whether it was worth the while.

We arrived after food service had finished as the staff were preparing for a private party but Rob asked the kitchen if they could do some small plates for us. Rob & Kuba were both brilliant, very attentive and went above and beyond. Highly recommend ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Beer garden is lovely and wish we arrived earlier to be able to sit outside. Not a long food menu but really delicious. Kid friendly too!

Great lunch today - great service - friendly staff - house wine on the steep side but all in all - lovely 👍🏻

The food was absolutely delicious, especially the homemade garlic aioli sauce, which was amazing. We tried the fish and chips as well as the roasted chicken—both were excellent. The service was top-notch, with the staff being incredibly kind and helpful. It's a fantastic spot in a beautiful and peaceful countryside setting.

In Brightwell Cum Sotwell, we sought a meal, But no luck there, no food to seal the deal. So off to North Moreton, to The Bear we went, And what a turn of fate, how well it was spent! Though busy as bees, they found us a seat, With service so kind, and food hard to beat. A pint of good beer, dogs under the chair, A perfect pub night, all thanks to The Bear!

First visit, service + food was excellent. Had the pork which was likely the best I’ve had, food came quick too! Range of 0% beers, will be back for sure!

A great pub! I think we'll be back for a meal at some point as food was epic.

Such a lovely place with amazing food, lovely staff and wonderful atmosphere! I really hope it will get the recognition it deserves!

Visited for the first time today, basically on a scouting mission having seen the sign for their upcoming beer and cricket festival. The guy behind the bar was really friendly, and made us feel very welcome, so much so we actually ended up staying for a roast. The food was fantastic, one of the best roasts I've had in a while (the cauliflower cheese was banging, definitely get it) and well worth the money. The barman told me the people behind this pub also run 5 Little Pigs and The Keep in Wallingford, so it's no surprise everything was excellent. The location is right next to the village pitch, so would be a perfect place to while away a few hours watching a bit of bat and ball. We will be back!

Lovely pub with a great ethos of using local and in season foods as much as possible. Wonderful country atmosphere. Family and dog friendly! Will definitely be returning :)

Fantastic venue. Staff so brilliant. Come eat there

Thank for a lovely evening, delicious food and great atmosphere!

Love this place. It's a nice little village with a super cozy and welcoming pub. The staff are excellent and attentive. During the summer they have a nice deck outside with tables to soak up the sun. In the winter they have comfortable arm chairs and a huge fireplace. The Sunday roast was banging, good trimmings, great cauliflower cheese and some amazing port drenched red cabbage. I would have loved some stuffing with the meal but besides that it was perfect.

I would rate at a 10! Fantastic birthday meal. Looked after extremely well with different allergies in our family. Nothing too much trouble. Great food and atmosphere. Highly recommend especially if you are coeliac and worried about eating out. So nice to relax and eat with confidence knowing you won't be ill.

The first time I tried to book I told them I wanted a table for 2 adults and a baby and they told me they had no availability. My wife called 5 minutes later and said she wanted a table for 3 adults and they magically found a table for us. We didn’t go on principles. The first time I actually went I genuinely had one of the best Sunday roasts I’d ever had. So, we decided to go again a few weeks later (5th May). Unfortunately, the second time was really disappointing. The portions were extremely poor - half a single carrot, half a single parsnip… I was appalled how you can serve half a single vegetable when it’s probably the cheapest part of the meal!? They told us they’d run out of cauliflower cheese but a table of 4 who arrived and order after us had cauliflower cheese. My wife had lamb, which we extremely fatty. Really hit and miss service and food.

Great place with fantastic food . The only small negative is portion size is not over generous other than that totally enjoyed it.

What a gem of a pub. Chef is excellent with fresh ingredients and fabulous flavours the menu is a lovely twist on some classics. Staff are friendly and helpful. Cocktails delicious - could not have had a nicer experience. Perfect Saturday lunch with plenty of green fields behind to do a nice dog walk afterwards.

This pub doesn't just have great real ales and friendly staff, but some of the best tasting food in the area. It's not bargain grub but reasonable at this level, and they have some local dishes you won't see very often.

It's a lovely pub, popped in for some drinks and bar snacks. The scotch egg is superb

My parents and I went for Sunday Lunch on Easter Sunday and everything about the food was wonderful. There was a wide range of starters; the lamb and beef roasts were cooked to perfection: the sides were delightful; and the service was attentive without being intrusive. The range of starters was wide enough that we came back on Wednesday for dinner so my parents could try all the starters like a tasting menu and I had a perfectly cooked ribeye. The three of us were again highly pleased with our experience and it was very kind of the staff to accommodate the tasting menu meal structure. The chocolate torte I had was huge and made with a high enough quality chocolate for me to be able to taste chocolate rather than just sugar. I am very happy that it is within a comfortable distance so I’ll be able to enjoy the excellent food and friendly service and would highly recommend the pub to anyone asking.

We had a large table and pre ordered our food. Sam was incredibly helpful and his staff were great. The only thing I'd mention is that the fish and chips came with wedges rather than chips which weren't very crispy.

Beautiful Sunday lunch. The vegetarian roast was totally delicious. They took real care to check about what we would and wouldn’t eat. One of the party had the meat roast, which they also thought was great. Would absolutely recommend!

Lovely country pub, great Sunday roast with all the trimmings.

We went here for a birthday lunch, and on the recommendation of an acquaintance. We hadn't booked, and at first it seemed to be fully booked. The guy behond the bar offered to try to book us a table at a pub in the next village, but then had a lucky cancellation and so found us a table for two. We both had Ribeye stak with chips and onion rings. Delicious! We managed to fit in dessert too - golden syrup sponge and custard for me and cheesecake for the birthday boy. Great choices. Service was good, polite, professional and friendly. It's a bit tucked away in the little village of North Moreton and it's not somewhere you would stumble across by accident. However, it is well worth seeking it out. Apart from the excellent pub, you meander through some pretty little Oxfordshire villages to find it. There is plenty of parking and an outside garden overlooking countryside - we didn't try the garden as it was hailing when we were there!

Went for Sunday lunch, amazing food

Delicious meal in a pretty little country pub. Plus great that they are dog friendly. 👌

Had Mother’s Day lunch after multiple recommendations and I can see why! The service and food was faultless. Cannot wait to come again soon, was lovely to be able to bring our dog too.

Just popped in for a pint - same team behind the Keep and the 5 little Pigs, so obviously a charming place with great service and food.

What an absolutely fantastic pub. Great service, friendly & helpful staff, excellent food and a wonderful atmosphere. 5⭐

Want for an unplanned lunch, the staff were just wonderful and could not do enough for us. Food superb, and the drinks of high quality. We will definitely return!

Considerably gone down in quality since it opened. Service was quite basic and definitely not attentive. Had dinner on a Saturday and had to sit in the conservatory, despite having a booking. The burger took ages to come and was just edible, but not much more than that. Stale bun, burnt bacon and over cooked dry patty. It’s a shame because it used to be a pub serving great food.

Fantastic friendly pub with great food and reasonable prices.

Nice & friendly, lovely location, nice bit of character, very busy on a Saturday lunchtime, one fairly standard vegan option. Nice real ale.

Lovely place, highly recommended.

Went for Sunday lunch, very impressed with the fact they were all Gluten free and so incredibly delicious. The veg was yummy and I had pork which was crackling heaven. Incredibly welcoming front of house staff, nothing was too much trouble and a wonderful traditional pub with some low ceilings. Fire was lit, wish I had stayed to sit in comfy chairs, only downside is car park too small although it looks like they are making this bigger. Well worth a visit.

The best roast in Oxfordshire! Everything was cooked perfectly, all generous portions. Actual crispy roast potatoes, one of the only roasts I would leave home for!

A beautiful place to eat in a lovely village pub.

Delicious roast with fantastic vegetarian options!

Went for dinner. Great food and atmosphere! Highly recommend.

I’ve visited many times for lunch and dinner and the food and service has always been excellent. The roast dinners are by far the best in the area!

Really really lovely food. Lovely setting. We had the roasts, cheese tart, beef, chicken, pork belly between us. Just beautiful.

It’s a very cosy pub that has a welcoming feel to it, which is very much testament to the staff. They were incredibly accommodating of us on New Year’s Day and offered a wonderfully warm service.

This is pub food but better . Lovely service. Lovely atmosphere, food pub

A fantastic pub which I would highly recommend. The atmosphere in the winter was lovely, with a fire going and nice decorations. Staff were all very friendly, and most importantly all the food was delicious.

Yum yum yum yum. Best roast dinner in Oxfordshire without a doubt.

Had a delicious meal at The Bear! The food was really tasty! I had the veggie options and they were amazing and really full of flavour. My husband had the pate to start followed by the chicken and hock pie which was presented beautifully and was packed with good quality meat. The staff were really attentive even though they were short of two staff members. It was a Friday evening our table was booked for 6.30 and it was busy but we were really looked after. We will definitely be back!

Great service, good food, good beer.

Food excellent service excellent fair price for Roast Sirloin. Wonderful veggies.

Such fantastic food! The roast here is amazing, probably the best in Oxfordshire. I had the beautifully cooked beef which comes with a generous offering of trimmings. All the food I’ve tasted here is so delicious, it’s obvious how much effort goes into each recipe to create traditional yet creative dishes. All the staff are welcoming and friendly. Always look forward to my next lunch or dinner reservation.

Had the beef. Perfectly pink cooked. Atmosphere was good and there is a park in the field behind for kids. Ice cream from piggy wig was great too

We has a really fantastic roast today! The beef and pork belly were both cooked perfectly! Delicious roast potatoes and the vegetables were very tasty! Really lovely staff and great atmosphere! Can 100% recommend.

Was really excited to try this pub and me and my partner decided on a spontaneous Saturday evening to go and get dinner! We called ahead and booked a table for an hour later. When we got there pub was lovely and inviting and everything we hoped for. Unfortunately we where a little let down by the service. No so much the waiters and waitresses. Which were both really nice more so that we had about an hour and 15 min wait for our food. And when our food arrived is was really not good. The burger bun was super dry and brittle. The meat was also super dry and the coleslaw was super salty. The fish cakes so dry they were almost inedible. I don’t know if we just got an off night. As I know they were busy. But the impression I got was our food was ready for a while in the kitchen and left in a oven to keep warm or under a hot lamp to keep warm. Resulting in drying the food out. Either way I was gutted. We had really high hopes for this pub and like I said maybe it was just an off day….

Creative and tasty options, generous portions, friendly service (if a little slow on a Saturday evening). Starters & desserts around £8. Would definitely recommend.

Great village pub with a lovely friendly atmosphere and great food! Right next to a playground and cricket pitch.

Food fabulous and friendly staff eill be back

My boyfriend and I popped in early afternoon on Sunday in the hopes of having a good roast, and they did not fail to disappoint! Despite being very busy, the staff were extremely helpful and friendly and they managed to squeeze us in. After a short wait with a nice cold glass of wine on their lovely outside patio, we were seated and enjoying one of the best pub roasts I have ever had! Definitely planning to visit again and will recommend to friends and family. Thank you to all the team, and see you again soon!⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

What a delightful pub! The staff are so kind and friendly, the food is amazing the ambience is so quaint and cozy. Easy to find and only six minutes from Didcot Parkway station. Great for lunch / business meetings too!

Excellent village pub with an amazing beer garden backing onto the village recreation ground. Excellent choice of drinks and quality food using local produce. Great service 👍🏼

We have been to The Bear several times in the past and experienced the various changes of ownership. Today we met with friends, who are North Moreton residents, for lunch. The current standard of service is of the highest quality. We were made to feel welcome upon arrival and that our custom was very much appreciated as we left. One or two minor points, which can be easily rectified; for the price, the fish portion in the fish and chips, could have been larger and with the excellent sausage roll starter, beware of the mustard. It is instant, sinus clearingly strong! However on speaking to the chef afterwards, we found they do have alternate mustards. If you cannot take the full strength variety, there are other options available. We will call again when we are in the area and in the meantime, well done to all the team, for a most enjoyable lunchtime experience today.

For £15 the crab sandwich was not worth it. Bread was dry and the little filling contained bits of shell and had no taste. The setting is ideal but a great shame about the crab sandwich

Wonderful pub. Good food. Nice people.

Amazing french onion soup and burger. Service top notch as well.

A lovely pub serving out of this world food! The service is amazing and atentative. The menu is packed with beautiful home cooked food. In my mind, probably the best eating establishment in Oxford.

First time visit for a birthday celebration. Good food, great service and lovely old pub style atmosphere.

Lovely lunchtime meal. Lovely menu. Did not feel rushed and accommodating of a baby with high chair.

It was just ok have had better.

Lovely food and drinks and a nice atmosphere, highly recommend!

Fantastic pub - lovely warm welcome, great food and drink. Thoroughly recommend.

Excellent quality Sunday roast. Definitely one of the best in the Wallingford/Didcot area. Great ingredients well served.

Popped in for a quick drink. Lovely old traditional pub. The staff were very friendly and made us feel at home. The food looked and smelled amazing, so we may pop back for food sometime. We only live in Didcot, so not far to travel.

So very nice food, both the wife and opted for the burger. Fresh and well cooked. Good fresh beer on tap. Service was nice and friendly. I have given 4 as it was not quite a 5. Look forward to there beer and cricket festival if they do it...... Solely for the beer!

Another real country village pub. No airs and graces, just a solid old world venue. I had the beef burger, loaded, with beef dripping thick chips. Really good.

Went for a late Mother's Day meal, fantastic quality & service, great value, and very cosy interior. She was very impressed.

First visit for several years and we were impressed. We visited for Sunday lunch as despite offering a very short menu (3-4 choices per course) we all really enjoyed the food. The restaurant was busy which may explain the slightly slow service, although it was polite and professional. I'm sure we'll visit again.

We have eaten here a few times since December 2022. Every time, the food has been delicious and the staff helpful and willing. Particular things we have enjoyed are all the starters, the fish pie, steak and Hollygog pudding. Today we have just eaten the best Sunday lunch in the area. Loin of pork with loads of proper crackling and a Yorkshire pudding and similarly delicious roast beef. The roast potatoes were both crispy and fluffy and there was a great selection of seasonal vegetables to go with it all. Absolutely delicious. Thank you. Make sure you book well in advance!

Late lunch on Saturday - good food, well cooked, prompt service and very friendly staff. We'll return!

Absolutely delightful pub, a rare treat. Food was excellent; I had the fish pie, which was delicious, followed by the hollygog (sic; yep, that's a new one for me too), also superb. The service was excellent. Dog-friendly. 10/10 Gold Star

After golf, four of us thought we'd try The Bear. We were not disappointed, the food was tasty pub grub and we enjoyed the local Oxford Beer, attentive service and friendly atmosphere, definitely worth a visit, we will be going back!

Sadly missed the mark, where not on point.

Great food, great service. Super value for money.

Fabulous roast. Lovely decor. Friendly staff.

Lovely proper pub. Busy and lively - and terrific food! Our fish pie was fabulous, really delicious. Sam, Rob and Aimee are doing a great job - they deserve all the support they are clearly getting. When we arrived on Friday lunchtime we found that they were fully booked. Fortunately they found a table for us. In summer it must be a perfect spot, with a beautiful cricket ground adjoins the car park. Keep it up guys!

Excellent meal here with a friend this week. The beef short rob and fish and chips were really good. Great atmosphere, friendly team run the pub and good vibes

What a fantastic pub. It's gorgeous inside, the blueprint for quaint and cosy rural Englishness; think open fires, brickwork and beams. It was busy and bustling, but the service was excellent. The main draw here is the food though. It's just as they describe: hearty and humble, but very clearly cooked with great skill and passion. It was absolutely delicious. A good beer and drinks selection rounded off a superb experience for the four of us. Highly recommended.

Food was fresh and delicious. Thank you!

Service was excellent and staff are very friendly

Had a lovelymeal here - the vegi burger was superb!! Incredibly good french rose wine too!

Great family meal out, good food and friendly staff

We had a lovely dinner at The Bear Inn, the food was delicious, the service personal and the place was decorated beautifully. A great experience overall!

Lovely food for my birthday. Great service in lovely surroundings

Very expensive for poor food, rip off on the portions as well. Wouldn't recommend it.

Great little Spot Friendly staff Good food Stopped off after visiting donkey sanctuary up the road.

I stayed in St Peter's campsite, the pub is a 5 minute walk from the tents. The road it's based on is picturesque and gorgeous.Absolutely loved the pub! Old style interior with low wooden beams of an older building. Tables are all hard wood and suit the interior perfectly. There's a huge fireplace at one side with a table in front. The staff were great to chat to and were super helpful! The large portions of food and how good the food is. The cost is worth every penney! Even the sides of chips are much bigger than any pub in town! Also a fantastic selection of top shelf alcohol. Tried a number of whiskey's and rums in my stay in the area. Highly recommend for food, drinks, or a chat! Definitely will be returning to North Moreton for this place!

Really nice welcoming people the food was amazing even had some games there to play while we was relaxing

Friendly pub with good food, slightly higher priced than average pub grub

Really lovely good quality pub food.

Went here for an anniversary meal and it was lovely! Nice and cosy with intimate service. Rated 4 stars rather than 5 as a lot of menu options were not available - not the fault of the owner who was having sourcing issues but unfortunately meant we couldn't get our first choices of dishes. Will definitely be returning 😁