The Chequers in Oxford

The food and the beers we could get were very good, but it is a bit strange that at 8:30pm many of the items on the menu were not available any more: the fish soup, the shepherd's pie, even your house beer... This is disappointing, you new it was friday, and we reserved in advance, being a group of 9... I think that a better planning could help you very much to get a full score next time!

We briefly went to Oxford to explore the city, luckly a couple of friends guided is to chequers. It has a vibrant vibe, both indoors and outdoors. It was almost full which is always a good sign from a pub. The prices are normal (24£ - 4 beers).

Great venue, we had a lovely time celebrating my leaving drinks, staff were very accommodating, would definitely recommend!

A really great old pub with good food and friendly staff.

Lovely service from the staff, and a fantastic pub where you can feel the history when sitting inside. Ordered the bar snacks and was pleasantly surprised at how nice it all was.

I was last at The Chequers several years ago, before its refurbishment under new management and was looking forward to repeating the atmosphere on the earlier occasion. This time we were a party of three pre-booked for lunch. On arrival we checked in and went to an upstairs room table some way from the bar which I’d pre-selected from online photos as we wanted a quiet corner to discuss business. The table top felt generally sticky; whether this was because it needed wiping from previous use or if it was the type of varnish used I don’t know, but I was loathe to rest my jacket arms on the surface. Menus were already on the table so we chose our courses and waited for service for 10 mins before calling a passing staff member, only to find that we had to place the order ourselves at the bar. We hadn't been advised of this on arrival. When the food eventually arrived the vegetables were only lukewarm and slightly undercooked. We’d had to pay when placing the order and the process included an optional tip upfront – which at the time I was happy to provide but in retrospect would have given less generously if I’d known what was to come.

Best fish 'n' chips in town! The pub itself is one of the nicest in and around Oxford.

We dropped in for a late lunch. It’s quite easy to miss the pub as the sign from the street just says ‘historic pub’ without its name. Beautifully old fashioned inside. It’s Nicholsons food so it’s nothing special but it’s fine. It had a lovely atmosphere.

Typical pub with good atmosphere. Average food, nothing remarkable. The meat pies were a little dry. Very slow service.

Lovely old pub. Our son lives in Oxford and he goes here quite a lot for drinks, especially as they show sports on the TV's. But this was our first visit and we liked it. For three of us, we had fish pie, steak pie and a burger, some garlic bread and three pints, came to £77, which I thought was reasonable. Friendly staff, nice atmosphere, would return and recommend.

Superb environment. Full of history and culture the friendly and patient staff makes me enjoy this place more The pie is perfectly cooked, best traditional pie I have ever tried in the UK The gravy is incredibly delicious Must try in Oxford!!

Good food, charming effective staff & nice surroundings

Take a chance and go down the alley and you will come across this hidden gem of a pub. Plenty of seating inside and out, order at the bar from the friendly staff and then just enjoy a pint and a bite to eat, you will not go far wrong here.

Wow , this was so good, staff amazing , food amazing, can't say more than that ... Ps Raspberry Cheesecake was beautiful

I'm so glad I stumbled upon this amazing place. Amazing back garden with sturdy Teak tables and chairs. Great traditional British pies, Fish and Chips, and burgers as well as small sharing plates round out the menu. The staff are friendly and knowledgeable. Great selection of Beers, wines, and cocktails. Darts and vintage pool games are hidden upstairs,

Wonderful spot, excellent beers, lovely staff, dog friendly, the food is great, I love this place, huge garden and even larger inside

Bangers and mash was very good and drinks were decent quality. I liked the backyard are, quite chill and peaceful. The barcode on our table didn’t work tho so we had to go inside the bar to order but sll good.

We came here 24 years ago when we found it to be one of our worst pub experiences ever. A gutted cavernous barn of a place serving burnt pies. Now owned by Nicholsons it is as it should be. Large attractive beer garden and three well appointed levels of inside seating. There is even a bar billiard table to the rear second level. Excellent real ales. Paulicarus and Jorvic took a Farne Island beer. First since our Northumberland visit 4 months ago. Several TV's showing England v West Indies..we are doing OK at lunch Day 1. Good food menu. Would have been 1* 24 years ago according to Jorvic.

Went in at 12:40, nice environment. I asked one of the staffs standing at a table “ Hi can I sit here for food”. He looked at me and coldly said “ yes “. Then I sat there for 5 minutes looking at the menu and what to order, the staffs sitting next to me were chatting and laughing didn’t care about me at all. Also there were staffs passing by me, none of them asked me what would I like or tell me how to order. Not accommodating at all.

It's a fantastic pub, great service and atmosphere. The food is superb

Bad quality food and rude service. We just ordered french fries and they tasted so bad. Color was brown and seriously, they were terrible!!! One of the staff member has been very unprofessional. She came to the table taking our sauces away without saying anything. We were still eating!! No napkin was given.

Bad quality food and rude service! French fries tasted so bad and one of the staff member took away all the sauces while we were still eating. Never again!!!

Beautiful hidden gem in the center Close to the museums and bus station for a day trip.

Dropped in on a warm day for a drink, all was OK bar service was reasonable, nothing special. Not a large range of wines, but what we had was good. Good choice of seating both inside and out.

The world’s your oyster in Oxford, let’s be honest. We’re pretty local and were just looking somewhere for a pre-theatre meal and tipple. Been here a few times over the years and it’s a safe bet in my experience. Never left a review before but the time I felt I had to. Had a landlord’s platter and a few drinks whilst watching the Euros and what a lovely atmosphere and the food was beautiful. Love the ambience of this place. The all-female staff serving were lovely ladies and so attentive and friendly. 10/10. Our waitress was a joy. Thank you.

Duty Manager today blond hair very loud and brash could hear her all around the pub she has no idea how loud and overbearing she is . Even when I went to order food I tried to order she stopped me in extremely loud voice saying First things first have you food allergies she was abrupt rude she seemed to think her voice was all that mattered will not be returning

I booked a big table for 22 people for a work event and we were so impressed with the quirky venue, the fantastic service and the food. I will personally be returning again for the lentil and veg pie. 10/10 to the staff for managing our big group , getting all our orders out and being so patient.

Ótimo pub inglês em Oxford. Como sempre, pedi fish and chips. Tem várias boas cervejas. Acompanha bem o fish and chips, que era bom, mas não incrível.

Pleasant friendly staff. Great fish and chips

We have a day trip to Oxford and stop by this lovely historical pub for a lunch. Lovely staffs and nice pie.

My children really enjoyed this pub. They loved the burgers especially. They liked playing bar billiards too. The beer is well kept. It’s a very old traditional space and the tiny alley definitely has a Harry Potter feel to it! Friendly staff. A nice place for family lunch just off the hustle of the high street.

The Chequers Nicholson's pub is situated down a narrow alley but opens up into plenty of nooks & crannies, outside space with great ambience. Henry Weston's on draft was an added bonus. What food we had (that was available) was very good, especially the 1 steak that was left & the chicken burgers, but sadly several choices were unavailable when we went to order, which soured our trip slightly.

Food was amazing and the service was very fast even when the pub was full! Would recommend the pies

This pub was the perfect spot on a cold rainy night. It's warm and friendly inside. Great selection of ales. The menu items are a cut above standard pub food. This is a definite place to eat or just drink in Oxford.

Pub/restaurant: very nice, good atmosphere and very warm welcome. We sit in the backyard (fortunately because the entrance to the establishment overlooks the road) Perfect setting for a drink and/or eating excellent food. I highly recommend.

Very nice old and typical pub. The food was delicious, they accept kids (during the day at least) and there is a large choice of draft beers. I've been there a few times already and I'll go again for sure.

Great pub to watch sport in and have a pint with friends. Loads of ale pumps as well

Lovely atmosphere, good range of ales and nice looking interior

One of the nicest pubs in Oxford, lots of good beers, nice atmosphere.

Food was lovely.not rushed at all.

Nice historic pub where you get nice ales and typical home-made pub-classics. Can definitely recommend a visit

Really nice pub, located in the centre. We tried a hamburger and a sandwich, a slightly more typical dish. The burger was really good, the sandwich didn't convince us 100% but it was pleasant. The potatoes were delicious and they bring lots of accompanying sauces. Advised.

Most expensive pie is lacking meat in it. Taste was ok.

We ordered the pies and chicken . The food was delicious and the place was cozy

Food was very good, lovely little hidden away historic gem, service was amazing even though they were incredibley busy

Amazing service!!! Lilly and Harry took such good care of us. Our go to place when in Oxford. You must stop in for a pint or 2

Great atmosphere and friendly staff. Lily went out of her way to find us a table and showed us how to turn on the outside heaters.

Had a lovely night in here, with nice food and brilliant service. The Chequers turned a bad day into a good one.

i contacted several times to say that i didn’t make a reservation and to remove me from the reservation. you kept contacting me regardless with no response

Nice spot in centre of town, Harry the guy that served us was excellent and very helpful!

Great Food, staff all looked great in the St Patrick's day gear.

What a gem of a pub. This pub has everything, great ales, a good selection of wines and the best staff. Everyone is so friendly. I can not fault this pub. I highly recommend.

Great place to eat in Oxford. The Beef Rib Pie was impressive and delicious.

To start with our table was really sticky. Well waited a while for food as they were busy, brought our out, looked nice. shame it tasted crap Two of us ordered the roast - parsnips were rock hard Sea bass muscles n prawn - the potatoes were rock hard I had fish chips mushy peas - peas were stone cold Couldn’t pin a staff member down to mention the issues, when we finished and a member of staff cleared our plates (40mins) after eating, i reported the potatoes were raw, she didnt even apologise, just ran away with our plates! Table across from us also had problems- burned food - cold food So disappointed

Following a visit to Christ Church, lunch in the Chequers. Steak and Ale pie with Rosemary mash and Carrots with delicious gravy and a Boar and Chorizo pie with same vegetables and gravy; truly memorable and very welcome on a cold March day.

Went to watch the six nations. Firstly we had to wait for the football to finish to watch the rugby which meant we missed the first part of the match. The food was horrendous. The halloumi fries were swimming in oil. Save your money people!

Very nice pub, interesting historic building, I would like to learn more about its mysteries!!, the food is tasty and the Ales are very good, friendly staff, highly recommended

Cold Sunday lunch, with friends from America. Tried to charge for horseradish. Very tasty meal but honestly like it had been left on the counter for a hour. We were so disappointed. No tab allowed so had to keep going and paying for everything. Sorry. Not great. The staff were friendly and did compensate us with a pint of larger. Not ideal. Come on chequers. You can do better than this. If you had a tab system we would have stayed all afternoon. We felt rushed to order and just didn’t enjoy the service. Sorry but a very disappointing NO from me.

Lovely Oxford pub. Excellent drinks. Heartily recommend the pie and mash.

Cool place, great atmosphere. I recommend it for a nice evening. 👍👍👍

Very friendly staff and a good selection of decent ales. Had booked for dinner; my wife hag macaroni cheese which was decent enough; I had the fish platter starter for two ... as my main. Awful!! Prawns in Marie-Rose sauce ... nit sure if raw, cooked, something in between ... a most disgusting texture. The smoked salmon, which could have been good ... was served on limp toast smothered in Marir-Rose sauce .. . que?? The 'fish cskes' a tasteless luke-warm mush, scampi: warm air encased in a greasy cardboard and the gougons were small bits of grey something covered in a duvet of unappealing, flacid batter. 2/10 hmmmm

Great pub in central Oxford to stop in for a drink at.

Well we went to get something to eat but well we were advised that there was a 45 minute wait and menu is limited, the fun is that you have to run back and forth your told to find a table that isn't reserved but then your supposed to leave your jackets then go back to the bar to order. I done that once after taking a seat going over the menu the only thing that interested me was runny scotch egg but when I went back to the bar advised sold out. Just found out they have an app that you order while seated, bar staff didn't say anything about that they advised had to order at bar

Cozy pub, great beers, great feel to the place.

Best fish and chips and best beef brisket burger in Oxford. Will definitely go again.

Best pub in Oxford to watch football. Can sit inside or out.

Great place to meet friends. Beer is always great. Can’t speak for the food as i’ve never eaten here.

I love this pub. My favourite in the town centre, but they should get rid of the TVs playing sports.

Had a decent lunch, was more like a posh weatherspoons if I'm honest. Decent place though and had the football on while we ate.

The place is full of character but the food lacks the charm or quality you would expect. The menu looks really authentic but the food did not reflect it. The Fish pie had flavour but looked like it had been microwaved. The Chicken in the roast was not roasted and may have been fried twice to look that bad. The vegetables were ok. Shame the care you would expect hadn’t been taken.

I had lunch on Sunday at The Chequers with my son. The pub was all decked out in its Christmas finery and looked great. We got an amazing table on the balcony overlooking the ground floor and bar. My son had the roast beef Sunday lunch which he demolished. I had the beef shin pie which was huge and delicious. Highly recommended, but you will need to book as it gets very busy

Fantastic, typical pub with a very welcoming atmosphere and food to enjoy. Excellent cuisine and excellent choice of beers

Despite serving award winning pies, there was no food on that evening - no mention on their web site when I looked. Understandable since they were doing Christmas meals but then needed more than a notice on their door as you came in. Great beer and hope they serve meals next time.

Definitely mid-to-low tier food. OK service.

Endearing place, with a very good atmosphere.

Absolutely incredible pies , best I've ever had!

Old coaching inn type pub with a large main room and an upper floor level. There were three real ales on including Golden Sheep and Black Sheep. Ordered the Sunday roast, which conveniently can be booked online and was smooth. The roast wasn't very warm and should have been out on warm plates to ensure it didn't cool down. Gravy was a small amount and more like a thin jus. Meat chewy and dry.

Macaulay Culkin was lovely, great customer service...Corey Feldman could loosen up a little. Overall lovely pub, lovely staff and great food.

They take a long time to serve the food, but it is very delicious and you can wait for it while drinking, they have a wide variety of beer and the place has a lot of charm.

I enjoyed their burger and calamari. I sat on the first floor with my team and there was no cellphone network there. It was a bit uncomfortable to be disconnected from the mobile network for about two hours. I don't know if it is within the restaurant's control but it does affect the overall experience.

Tradicional food in an historic pub just in town centre. Good food, great vibe. I have fish and chips. The portions are big, there are plenty of tables but was full went we visited so it would be advisable to book in advance for larger groups. Outdoors seats available.

lovely historic building a real hidden gem 💎😍

Nice pub, quick to serve. Lovely ambiance.

One of the most delicious platters of sausages and mash I've had altogether! Definitely can recommend, the atmosphere is great as well.

Good selection of beers, ciders and lagers. The pies are very good, plenty of filling. Good atmosphere and all reasonably priced

Super little pub. Probably hasn't changed in centuries (apart from the TVs!).

First pint, always a good sign. London Pride, very nice . Dinner was excellent, I had a mixed grill, Mrs Ellis had the chicken schnitzel, both meals were spot on. 2nd pint, Dark star Hoppy beer, lovely pint too. Coukdnt fit a pudding in but really wanted one. Good place friendly staff, Yorkshire lass was very pleasant. Looked after us well. Thank you.

Very chilled lovely pub with a decent selection of drinks, all went south when my £18.50 beef pie arrived with veg (peas, carrot,green beans) and mash which were warm at best, pie was steaming though and full of....peas, plenty meat to be fair but very bland, I don't leave food but this I gave up on halfway through. I'd definitely call in for a pint again but on this experience wouldn't bother with the "chain pub" food

Very historic with some tremendous quirky corners and a great private outdoor courtyard at the back. Well worth a visit.

Great service and people especially isabelle

Do not go here to eat! Maybe to drink beer. Terrible pie, sausages, mashed potatoes, salad and wine. Wow!

Excellent Indian restaurant with high quality food, Service and staff! Staff very friendly and welcoming who could not do enough for you from start to finish! Enjoy

Visiting Oxford during school holidays , mid Summer we expected to find pubs & eateries well crammed but The Chequers was very quiet. Maybe the fact that it situated down a narrow alleyway contributed to the fact. Nicholson's Pub, as is the fairly nearby Crown round the corner. The Chequers is very centrally situated , being off The High Street & very near to Carfax. We sat in the courtyard which extends from being narrow to open up further down. Very atmospheric interior with beams & boasting a long history dating back centuries. Very long bar also dining room. Menu typically Nicholson which means good choice for all dietary requirements. My friends Ham , egg & chips was so large in respect of the ham that he asked for a doggy bag which the waitress kindly supplied. My vegan puy lentil pie & veg ( had it before ) very tasty but could have done with more veg. Excellent choice of ales & lagers. Also wide range of gins. Toilets clean & well furbished. Staff competent & pleasant. A good choice.

Great historical pub. Went for the steak and ale pie with mash and vegetables with a pint of Nicholsons Pale Ale which didn't disappoint. Large atmospheric rooms and outside courtyards, well worth a visit. Service could not be faulted top marks.

Place with great history and the decor to highlight the same. Great vibes at this place. But for my choice, the cider ‘Rosie’s pig’ was not that great. Worth an experience though.

Hidden gem. Lovely, traditional pub. Fantastic Sunday lunch. Good value. Pleasant staff. You can’t believe how big the place is once you get inside. Lovely outdoor area. Very impressed. Thank you!

Incredible service from may, loved her style

Delicious meat pies and good service.

Had a great time! Service from may was amazing

Excellent service and food great historic pub in the heart of oxford