The Broad Face in Vale of White Horse

Booked in to the Broadface a few weeks ago and wasn’t aware it had changed ownership (I loved their Pavlova it was amazing) so when we arrived and it was new faces I was slightly nervous and yes the menu had changed. First time we went they had lamb (wasn’t on the menu this time I think they’re refining the menu as they find their feet. I ordered the grass fed beef my partner had lamb. There’s no rush and they make you feel at home and nothing is too much trouble. They have a good range of alcohol/ alcohol free and the winner for me was they do Mediterranean tonic! Really friendly welcoming staff. When the food arrived it looked beautiful really well presented, cooked to perfection and the gravy (their gravy has its very own tang with a number of ingredients just trying this dinner for the gravy is highly recommended simply beautiful). Meat cooked as requested too brilliant. Second time round we didn’t get side dishes but the portions were very generous. This time around (for me the gravy pot was too small- I love your gravy I want to celebrate that because it’s amazing) I can only describe the rest as a taste sensation just when you think you’ve discovered all the flavours from the honey roast carrots and parsnips ham the beauty of the rosemary potatoes. It’s not simple pub fare they’ve really knocked it out of the park. I loved the place anyway for its decor but very impressed with the food. So much though has gone in to the flavours, presentation and making it adaptable to picky eaters like me. Well done guys love everything you’re doing. We will be back 😍

Super charming pub with a good beer selection and good food

We visited the Broad Face about 3 weeks ago for a light lunch. Ordering from a menu that wasn’t particularly clear we got charged for a set menu for 2 courses but only had 1 course. When a member of our party called after reviewing the bill the manager was extremely rude and unprofessional. We then were told by a member of staff that the manager Johnny instructed him to call us a profanity when they saw us. We will not be coming back and hope the owner Joshua comes across this review.

We went for a meal at the Broad Face after dinner plans elsewhere fell through due to the flooding. The staff were really friendly and helpful and fitted us in without a booking. The food was amazing, we both had the beef burger, which was fresh and delicious. We will definitely be back again.

Had a fantastic time at the pub with locals bringing their dogs and having a quite Sunday evening. The staff is friendly and helpful. Would definitely be visiting again.

Very nice English pub, lovely atmosphere, friendly staff and good food. That's all that's needed for a good time.

Good service and generous portions of food for a roast. Pork unfortunately tasted like bread for some reason.

Friendly staff. Great choice of beers and good quality... Nice decor. Have now tried the food and can say it is fantastic. Still really friendly and a fine selection of ales. Often 8 or 10 ales on so well worth a visit.

Unfortunately they were understaffed, but worked hard to make up for it, food was quite good, well presented.

We had the most amazing experience on Saturday evening! First day eating at the Broad face and we will be back. We have always loved going for a drink here and thought we would have a meal as well for once. I had the pie and it was gorgeous and my boyfriend had the fish and chips and loved it! You must get the arancini, it was delicious. The service was immaculate, and there was only 2 people on shift and that didn’t make the slightest difference. They were both very attentive and made our meal so enjoyable. Thank you so much to you both, I’m so sorry we didn’t get your names! Will definitely be back soon.

My mum and I had the most Fabulous evening at the Broad Face tonight. I had to write a review as our waiter Sean was incredible! His customer service was spectacular and he was fantastic with all the customers despite having to man the restaurant and bar all by himself. Please congratulate this young man on his ability to multitask with such a calm demeanour and constant smile on his face. We will absolutely dine here again! Thank you Sean for a wonderful evening. Aurelia Broadbent-White

After show drinks following a show at the unicorn theatre. Great atmosphere, quick friendly service.

It's a great place, even had my wedding reception. Had to take one star off for the prices.

Great food and service. We had the chicken burger, beef burger and the pie of the day(fish pie). They also allow dogs in the bar and restaurant area. They service was efficient and the food came out without a very long wait.

Excellent roast. I had chicken and my friend had the pork. Lots of vegetables etc and generous portions. Good quality. Super staff, very welcoming and lovely ambiance. Lovely interior. Highly recommend.

Lovely pub with good, friendly service and various beersplus good food. Near thr Thames and the circular walk over the lock.

Great food, beer and service. Will definitely come again.

Smallest pie I've been served in a pub was nevertheless delicious. Batter on the fish was too thick and undercooked, but otherwise a decent meal. Beer was well kept and a decent selection.

This is a really nice pub in a good location. The service was perfect and the food was better, reasonably priced and great quality. The pub is clean with vibrant decor. Friendly staff

Warm and inviting, the staff are always lovely and the food is really good, especially their roasts

Great pub to go for a drink after work, however i have found on both my visits that the service was a bit slow

One of the best Sunday roasts in Abingdon

The bartender is second to none.

Had a drink here with a family last week - would recommend for a nice pint or two. Very relaxed atmosphere and a lovely place to enjoy your drink.

As normal the beer was really good same as the choices. The staff are always friendly

Light and airy great staff, very clean

Called in for a meal with my wife and son We required gluten free and the staff were very accommodating and knowledgeable. The meal arrived and it looked lovely. It tasted even better Would highly recommend

a wonderful place to eat the staff are absolutely delightful food spot on,at a fair price. would definitely eat there again.

Staff are awesome, good food and a lovely pub with a friendly welcome

Lovely menu, great staff and excellent drinks choices. Especially enjoyed they have a whole choice of alcohol-free beer and cider, which is not often seen as soft drinks are usually just the only option. Highly recommended for food and lovely vibe

Adult Sunday lunch was good, let down by the children's menu as the pizza was stale and hard as a rock. Staff made up for it by offering a bowl of chips, which made my son very happy as they are great. Overall good experience, good selection of local ales too.

Didn't eat,nice pub,seems a bit confused as to what its actually trying to be.The fake flowers and the fake green ivy wall are bizarre.worth a visit .

Lovely atmosphere 🙂 hoping to come back soon.

I had lunch here today, The food was very tasty and well presented. The staff were amazing too. Definitely coming back again when I'm in the area. Dog friendly although we sat outside as the sun was shining 😁

Delicious meal, and a welcoming atmosphere. Great location.

Popped in for a beer and stumbled across an open mic evening. There were some fantastic musicians in, hope this becomes a regular. Enjoyed my beer and enjoyed the music

Great range of beers, dog friendly, nice local atmosphere.

We ate here in the past and the food was excellent. We recently came for a family celebration and the food was disappointing. One carrot with the roast. Bland tasting. Slow service. No table covering and unattractive decor.

Such a shame...good position and friendly staff but when we ordered a lovely treat of Irish Coffees..we were told they didn't have any cream... unbelievable.. especially given this photographed accolade. So disappointed.

Excellent, friendly service and great pies.

Wow that food was amazing. I wasn’t to sure of the the outside looking at it but inside was nice atmosphere well here we go the food was amazing super hot quality of the food was delicious. The wonderful staff was nice and heating was warm inside of the pud. Would highly recommend this to everyone who is hungry it will not disappoint too establishment. Thank you the broad face

Lovely 'village' style pub. Great decor and ambience. Friendly staff too

Excellent meal with friendly service, lovely atmosphere

Good food and service. There can be less cream on top but more meringue and berries/ cherry sauce for the pavlova.

Where other pubs shut early when they're not busy, the Broad Face thrives. Always open late and the bar staff are amazing. Always great for a late drink, probably great for an early one too. Edit: still a great drinking pub, great selection of ales, Teagan is great, but the other bar staff could do better. Half a star lost for the current staff.

I would have given it 5 stars the only let down was the soup was cold and over salted. The pie of the day the turkey was moist but there was no white wine sauce Inside, pastry was good though. They were kind and let my partner have a Yorkshire pudding with it for no extra cost. I had the chicken roast the chicken was very flavorful lovely fluffy roast potatoes but the honey roasted veg was so thin it was a shame there were 3 pieces of roasted veg around 3mm thin and peas. However the staff were so polite and welcoming and I wouldn't hesitate to try the other food they serve.

Fantastic food, amazing decor through out , staff very friendly and the whole experience was outstanding. Well done to all that work there . Hats off to the chefs . Best food I've had in abingdon for a long time . And they did there upmost to cater for allergens. And dog friendly felt like I was overseas on holiday. 👩‍🍳🎄

Went to Broadface for Christmas Day lunch had a wonderful time , staff lovely and attentive , food excellent ! Thank you so much for such a special Christmas Day

Amazing food, excellent service

Food was nice, they can do better with a bit of decoration and some nice music in the background

Good pub with some excellent jazz

We ate here for a Sunday dinner. We were looking for somewhere quite British where we could get a proper roast. Overall satisfied with the gold, both main and dessert were tasty. Portion sizes aren't huge so you could easily have a 3 course meal. Staff were friendly and the selection of beers was decent.

Excellent range of beers - friendly staff - a little expensive but overall worth visiting - never had a bad time. Staff also very knowledgeable and helpful about the beers. Just had a Sunday Roast there and that was excellent too. Ate about 4 in afternoon (not too busy) and very relaxed atmosphere - will definitely be back again. Have been in again since initial review (but not to eat though) - Sunday 13/08 just witnessed a bit of class - one of the bar staff wiping down a table with a scourer covered in a cloth napkin - quality and in my opinion the 3 regular 'barmaids' have got to be amongst the best in Abingdon - service is outstanding. Oh yes and it's got 'easy to use' free WiFi - no messing around with registering + it's good too - password on a chalk board on the bar - simple and other pubs should take notice. Have been in many times since above reviews - but recently came in or my wife's birthday and had Sunday Lunch - food excellent and 'filling' - however best touch was the two bar staff improvised with a rice pudding sweet which had a candle in it and accompanied by them singing "happy birthday" - not prompted by me at all - a small gesture but meant alot - still maintain my earlier comment - Best Pub in Abingdon !! Yes a further update - something else I've since noticed - the 'mains' plug sockets have the latest 'built-in' USB charging ports, so very easy to keep your tech items/phone powered/charged - just bring your own usb lead. May only be a small point but very useful in this day and age. Nice touch. Well it's been sometime since my last update - so time to come up to date - and yes, it's still the best pub in Abingdon - everything above still applies - it's now in the Camra good beer guide (which speaks volumes) - normally 8 real ales always on - the restaurant side gets busier and busier and yes it's still got the same staff - can't be many pubs in Abingdon that can claim the same. So probably an update due - still under the same ownership but with change of some personell. Manager has come from 'their sister pub' in Newbury - but head chef and head barmaid have remained the same (which has kept an element of continuity) - some nice decor changes too. However the important point is - still excellent in all respects - beers well looked after and all new staff trained to a high standard and capable of multitasking - great atmosphere and very welcoming to new visitors too. Still consider it to be the best pub in Abingdon. Food menu top notch too. Currently some live music at selective times. Always a cheerful welcome on arrival and dogs welcome too. Many 'locals' still been coming here for years (even during the Covid era when allowed) - and overall a real family type atmosphere. Generally attracts a more adult crowd and very little issues with undesirables. Yes, I'm a 'regular' so might be considered 'biased' - but actually it's a top pub and quite unique in the area. Update October 2022 - And yes - it's still good and the 'head barmaid' is still here along with the manageress - have been other various staff come and gone, but they're all trained well and the overall continuity is still there. Still friendy atmosphere and generally still pretty busy even in these difficult times. Places like this deserve our support where we can otherwise we will loose them. The big 'chains' have their place but independents like this have their own character.

The steak was not ribeye steak at £29, actually not sure what it was. It was like hard shoe leather. The haddock was overcooked and burnt looking, no taste to the curry, the halumi burger was dry. Basically the worst meal We have all ever had.

Dirty glasses on the bar for most of the evening. Why?you have a glass washer. Why weren't the bar staff removing the glasses? Maybe more staff required...

We decided to pop in without booking after a walk with the dog. We had a lovely spot outside as a lot of inside was reserved. We both had the roast beef (not carvery) which had an excellent variation of vegetables a huge Yorkshire pudding and some decent slices of beef. All cooked to perfection and tasted superb. My only comment is that it was a modest serving so don't expect a plate piled high like you may do at a carvery! The staff were wonderful, friendly and attentive. Overall a great experience.

Lovely roast dinner in this dog friendly pub. Service good staff friendly.

A liitle gem with great food and friendly service. Fantastic find. Recommended.

Arrival. There was a heated argument going on amongst the serving team. I was passed by a coook who made a remark over his shoulder. I could not tell if it was directed at me or the arguing waitresses. Comfort. Seating good. Spacious. Service. No sign of the earlier altercation. Friendly, affable, swift. Cuisine. My rare steak. Excellent. My wife's fish and chips. Good. My son-in-law' steak : excellent. My grandson's macaroni and cheese : dry and generally unappealing. Likewise the apple Crumble. No thought had been given to the needs of a child. Dine there again? Yes

A beautiful, cosy, little pub with great staff and excellent food. Highly recommended.

Having boated up the thames for 8 hours, we where ready for some serious food, and we found it in The Broad Face pub. Delicious Sunday roast, apple crumble and custard. 🥳. Excellent and friendly service.

Good food, fantastic service and excellent beer.

This beautifully decorated pub is where we all go after our shows at the unicorn theatre. The staff are always very accommodating to our varied and boisterous group! Drinks do sometimes take a while to be served but they are always served with a smile. Facilities are clean and well stocked. It isn't overly expensive. About right for the area. Some seating outside. Lovely pub, lovely drinks, lovely people. Enjoy!

Lovely pub with very friendly staff close to the River Thames. We enjoyed are drinks and food,would recommend a visit.

Lovely meal, I would certainly go there again

Friendly enough pub for a drink. Bit quiet later on at night but a nice place.

The main room felt more like a canteen than a pub/restaurant. The service was excellent but to my mind the food was disappointing and the portions did not justify the price.

Bit pricey but good for a pint near the river. They have some outdoor seating available which is nice on a summers day

Nice shop in a very calm env :))

Lovely pub. The beer is great as is the food. Well worth a visit.

Pints are expensive but love how they have decorated the interior recently (over two years ago now). Great atmosphere and friendly staff. Have heard that food is good but cannot confirm.

Nice atmosphere, and food good. I think it was a little over priced for the quantity and quality. Would I go back. Yes.

Fantastic food and great service!!

Had a lunchtime meal which was excellent and staff were brilliant and booked for a Sunday lunch

Delicious food and friendly staff. A slightly reduced menu on the night due to unforeseen circumstances but had the best food to choose from. The menu does not disappoint. Fresh, tasty and comfortably filling. A very relaxing atmosphere and fantastic service! Will definitely be returning soon.

Lovely people in there amazing food

The Broad Face is quite a foodie pub really. Trying to be a bit more interesting than just average pub food. We shared some calamari as a starter which was really rubbery. I then had the vegan burger which was pretty tasteless. Maybe I just chose badly but I can't rate them much higher on the food I received.

Beer - good, Food - good, and not spoken about enough, toilets - good!

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This is the 3rd time I have visited. Each time I have had a roast dinner which has been absolutely lovely. Well done to the chef.

Had a fabulous meal for my birthday, highly recommend. 😁😋🥰

Really impressed with our meal tonight and great service!

This is a lovely pub with good food and drink.

Found on the off chance & very impressed. Good menu selection & excellent service - will definitely return.

We stopped here while walking the Thames Path with our dog. We were all given a very pleasant welcome by the friendly lady behind the bar. Thank you.

Food was lovely,service a bit slow but not a problem as we weren't on a time limit

Welcoming, friendly service with a good range of beer

The food was tasty, the atmosphere was good and the waitress who served us was really nice, polite and kept checking in on us. We also left a jacket here which was looked after by the staff until we realized and promptly returned.

The chips are delicious. Great pub;

Nice pub by the river, friendly staff too

Good selection of well kept real ales.

Nice food, friendly service and reasonable prices

Absolutely fantastic food. I had the steak and it was perfectly cooked with beautifully crunchy chips and a zingy side salad would absolutely recommend.

I had the Roast Beef Sunday lunch. Nice balance of veg on plate. Good service, nice location. Will return.

Food was delicious and the service was fast and friendly. Will definitely go back

Went for Christmas dinner with large group of friends. I've not been to the Broad Face in many years but it is lovely inside. The staff were attentive and the food very good. Definitely intend to go back.

A very expensive Christmas menu Not worth the money

Have tried this pub for the first time and had a roast dinner. Excellent food good portions and value for money. All fresh food (no frozen)

An outstanding experience at the Broad Face this weekend. We booked a Christmas meal for 21 people and everything exceeded expectations. The food was great and piping hot, service was excellent and the drinks we great too with a choice of 4 real ales. Hats off to the team, thank you for helping us celebrate together. We'll be back.

Went for a family lunch - the pub was busy with a great atmosphere, the staff friendly and efficient and most importantly I had the best pie and mash I've ever had this side of Manchester! Can definitely recommend.