The Cowley Retreat in Oxford

Good Place to hangout with friends.

This guy Nick is absolutely standing on business. Utterly delightful chap. Definitely give him a raise or two.

As a Brookes student, Cowley Retreat has always been the go to spot for social drinking, but after my most recent experience, it’s safe to say that I will not be returning. On Sunday evening, a ‘bartender’ by the name of Josh joined my friends and I in the outside seating area and joined in on our conversation. I was disgusted and shocked when he casually dropped a racial slur, one specifically targeted at south asian people, multiple times, to which he insufficiently justified as a white man having ‘grown up around them’. I am incredibly outraged and disgusted at the ignorance of the staff and will not be recommending to anyone.

Very much a student pub, not great food but nice drinks and staff are ok, sometimes a little cliquey bit that is expected with a student pub.

connor and jess had great chat and served me super quick. proper good atmosphere.

Great service, a good amount of drinks to choose from

Just a couple of beers good choice. .very nice inside and out

Friday night. Nice atmosphere, not too busy and not too quiet. Food was top tier. They even offered a free drink because of the delay for my meal, which was very generous. Very attentive staff, I would recommend to all.

Visited last week. Very nice pub with "very friendly" staff. Very kind, very good food and excellent beers

Its a bar! Was very busy, good atmosphere and plenty of seats

Amazing place however the lack of wheelchair accessibility due to the wheelchair entrance being blocked off was not great for my friend who uses a wheelchair. Luckily she can walk short distances but it still meant she had to get up a set of steps and also the wheelchair had to be carried up and down. Many disabled people cannot walk so what would have happened if she was unable to walk up the stairs? Aside from this we enjoyed our experience but the lack of accessibility was disappointing and the blocking of the entrance can often make disabled people feel like an afterthought. Thank you to the staff member who helped when we left the building and helped lift the wheelchair as well.

Friendly staff. Good atmosphere. Reasonable prices.

A few of my friends and I visited this pub expecting a nice experience. We were greeted with friendly bouncers, decent bar staff and all was okay. Then a Jonny depp wannabe came over to our table, shouting and screaming, because we had joined our tables together to accommodate. A nice ‘sorry you can’t join furniture together’ would have sufficed, but instead, we had got screamed at, belittled and down right disrespected. Ruined the experience and the pub as a whole. P.s up the gas

My friends and I attended the Cowley retreat on a Friday night, as we usually do, to be approached by a member of staff who very rudely addressed us in a very aggressive manner. Unfortunately, I am left with no other choice to leave this review after being treated in such an unpleasant way after he shouted at us about the fact we moved a table a few meters to accommodate our party of 8. This member of staff of staff looks like a BTEC Jonny Depp with a more server case of alcoholism.

Friendly staff, good music, prices not too bad

Good beer, friendly staff and a good location

Best espresso martinis I’ve ever had thanks to the lady behind the bar, nice atmosphere outside with the outdoor heaters too. Student friendly with happy hour and 2 for £10 on cocktails - will be sure to visit again!

What a lovely experience on a Tuesday night. The barman who we’d like to call a “Johnny Depp lookalike” was super friendly, and made an overly fussy customer very happy. Went out of his way to make our night. Extra spicy Bloody Mary was on point. Place is lovely and clean, garden beautiful with heaters for the winter. 10/10

Good for locals with an outdoor area. Not many students.

One of the hotest places to go to in oxford. Stunning pub garden decked out. Must for uni student

Myself and my Daughter visited this pub before going to the 02 academy this week… Friendly staff , quick service , reasonable prices overall had a very pleasant visit and would recommend it.

Good cocktails, service could have been a little better.

Spacious it is. It has a few couches, if sitting lower to the ground is your thing. Conveniently close to the O2 Academy if you fancy a pre/ post concert drink.

Plenty of seating, good selection of drinks

A large pub. Often either very busy or very quiet. A good place to go for a pint or two though

Staff were nice, polite, and fast to collect glasses from us.

Lovely service from all the staff. Will was a lovely bartender. Would definitely go again. Good for students.

Lovely drinks & affordable. However, I am very disappointed in the disabled toilet currently being used as a storage area. Not very inclusive for the disabled community, as you wouldn’t be able to use the toilet safety as you can’t reach grab rails and also the amount of clutter doesn’t make it an accessible toilet.

Nice comfortable pub in a great area. Friendly staff and a lovely beer garden.

Staff were hostile and rude, waited over 10 mins for our drinks to come whilst the bar was virtually empty. Only giving an extra star because my drink was nice.

Won't be coming back soon. There are better placed in Cowley Road. Our drinks tasted weird as if they didn't clean the systems. We didn't go further after that as we wanted to order some food. Not good experience at all

Sam the barman provided outstanding service he really made us feel welcome. Go Sam!

Big pub decent garden although toilets were bad all 3 urinals were blocked and flooded with piss which had spilled all over the floor

Great atmosphere quick and friendly service and in a popular area

Staff are great by the way. But the mens toilets are really quite nasty. As an establishment really need to sort out the loo's.

Not a great range of beers but it has a large outdoor area and garden which were absolutely rammed on a Friday night with youngsters

Only giving it 4 stars because it does smell like farts and only sell mojitos in a jug. As a fully grown adult that is nearly in her 50s I should know better than to hit cocktails. Becka was very capable of mixing those said cocktails snd for her troubles also was more than capable of booking a taxi home for us. Thank you Becka, keep up the good work 👍

Great pub, lots of seatings, outside and inside

Sat in the sun outside... Great pub

Very average pub. The Doom Bar was undrinkable, XT and Guinness were ok. Staff are friendly and efficient. Need to do a better job of looking after their beer.

Friendly staff I only went in there for the toilet but end up having a drink because the staff was so friendly towards me, will be back.☺

Great place great and delicious food!!

The black guy that works at Cowley retreat is such good staff. Ready to assist.

Made the mistake of visiting at the end of freshers and safe to say Never again. There were various spillages which we took to believing the toilets had overflown, later finding out it was vomit (yea lovely) the atmosphere here leaves much to be desired. Positives are the alcohol choice and staff are lovely.

Cool bar and a good spot for pre drinks before visiting the 02 academy, food was good if you take it for what it is too...

The outside area at the back is nice but that’s about where it ends. We sat in a booth at around 7:40, it was pretty busy with maybe one or two tables come free in the time we were there. A few minutes after we sat down, a member of staff almost ran past our table (so quickly I didn’t even see them properly) and plonked down a sign that said the table was reserved from 8:00. It would have been fine if they had actually taken a second to just speak to us but it was done without even a word and totally rude. I flagged this to another member of staff who was apologetic but the drinks were awful, gin and tonic was tonic from the pump and drowned out any flavour of gin due to the amount used and the lager was almost flat. Needless to say we had a couple of mouthful of drinks and left in plenty of time for the 8pm table arriving.

Right opposite Tesco on cowley road. You can't miss it. I visit every now and then. The staff are really kind to me. Gets busy with Brookes uni students during term times.

Good place, decent atmosphere. But… Do you want the exact same food and drinks, for a lower price too, just go to Spoons.

Great place, good shots.... Nice ladies on a Saturday...

Solid pub, stopped serving food surprisingly early but great atmosphere and amazing staff

Really good food. They have recently got rid of happy hour which is a bit annoying.

Very friendly staff, nice environment. At a reopening stage of the pandemic and they dealt with it well in regards to the rules and how the security treated you

Nice , cosy place on the cowley Road, just had drinks, previously had cocktails and they were great too. I like the garden seating and the fact it wasn't busy when I visited, felt comfortable on my date.

I’ve been here a couple of times now in the last few weeks and the staff are just beyond amazing! A big shout out to the lovely lady with short hair at the front door, her enthusiasm and strive to ensure everyone is happy and their needs are met is beyond me. The beer, cider and variety of shots are just *chefs kiss* and don’t get me started on how beautiful the garden ambience is! Definitely my favourite pub

Good variety of beer, but other than that, food is horrible and staff is rather rude. Tables are also sticky / dirty. I would not recommend this place.

I’m totally disappointed by new staff’s behaviour. Not welcoming at all! It’s a shame because they have a big and beautiful space there and they don’t appreciate it like they are just working and they don’t enjoy their job. In lockdown situation everywhere have a sign in paper and the qr code! They kept us waiting for a while and after my sister told them the nhs application doesn’t work on her phone and she needs to write down the contact details, the waitress said: show me that it doesn’t work! Otherwise I cannot let you in! When I said but this is not supposed to be this way! She said: it’s the policy! (NO ITS NOT ANYWHERE!)I understand pandemic and safety policies but we also work in a restaurant and this kind of rude behaviour is not acceptable. We always welcome people who don’t have the nhs application on their phones by writing down their details. In addition this is a pub! Not even a restaurant! We know the manager and other staff there and I didn’t expect this to be honest. I won’t go there again,Hope they improve their behaviour by seeing this comment. All the best!

My sister and friend took me there yesterday because of the bad news I'd heard to change some air. We're weekly regulars there. A short hair lady was on the door and asked me to scan the track and trace. I told her that m y application didn't work so I un installed it, but I was happy to write down my contact detail as I always do there. She kept on saying install it again ao maybe I can fix it like I was lying to her! I was in a very emotional situation and she kwpt on discussing with me and there was a long que... Then she said she won't let us in! Everywhere you go now they have the sign in papers for those who their application doesn't work! But she didn't let me do that.. I am working in hospitality and we never have such a rude manner to the customers. It'snnot the first time I see this behavior in here. Last time there was another girl, she throw the sign in paper to me on the table... I'll never go back there again.

My sister and friend took me there yesterday because of the bad news I'd heard to change some air. We're weekly regulars there. A short hair lady was on the door and asked me to scan the track and trace. I told her that m y application didn't work so I un installed it, but I was happy to write down my contact detail as I always do there. She kept on saying install it again ao maybe I can fix it like I was lying to her! I was in a very emotional situation and she kwpt on discussing with me and there was a long que... Then she said she won't let us in! Everywhere you go now they have the sign in papers for those who their application doesn't work! But she didn't let me do that.. I am working in hospitality and we never have such a rude manner to the customers. It'snnot the first time I see this behavior in here. Last time there was another girl, she throw the sign in paper to me on the table... I'll never go back there again.

Very friendly and welcoming staff great service and lovely garden booths with heaters, would highly recommend to one and all A******* Football friendly too woop woop 🙌⚽️

The worst atmosphere of any pub on Cowley Road, don't bother with food as you will be disappointed, the staff are rude and whilst they allow walk ins, they will kick you out without any warning even if they've just let you buy a drink. There are so many better places to go than here so save yourself the trouble.

Visited Cowley Retreat a few times now and I've regretted it every time. Dead vibe, rude staff and don't even get me started on the food. Ordered a burger and got a Tesco bun with a dry patty alone for £9.70, was told I had to pay extra just for ANY sauce. An extra £3.10 for a small side of cold chips. Would recommend anywhere else but here. Our favourites are The Library, Brewdog, The Star and Big Soc.

Got food and a drink. Food cost over £10 for a very average burger. Had to pay extra for a measly sachet of ketchup which was no where near enough. Asked for more but apparently can only order ketchup through the app. My friend was delivered the wrong drink. Fine for a drink but not for food.

Good pub well equipped with a large garden and different varieties of outdoor seating, staff are friendly and drinks are fairly standard prices for Oxford.

I would give zero stars if i could. Firstly, i booked 2 weeks in advance to eat in BUT! the server couldnt find my name on the booking. He pretended to find it and proceeded to tell me that i could only stay for 1 hour. We then got told to leave even though everyone else in the pub had arrived before us. We were then rushed to order food. The menu was absolute crap. My burger (if you can call it that) consisted of just a bun and a tiny sliver of chicken with no sAuce or salad. To future customers: AVOID AT ALL COSTS!!

Good place for a pint but avoid buying food at all costs. Paid over £10 for a really poor quality burger which had one small bit of lettuce in it, chips were not included so had to buy them on top for over £3 and all we received was a small ramekin of them. To top it off we had to pay for ketchup and it was just one sachet! I don’t normally do reviews but this was very disappointing.

The limited menu choice was extremely disappointing. The quality of the food was bland, yet very expensive - a McDonalds would have been significantly better in both taste & value. Overall not a location that I will return to.

Manager, Javier, lacks managing skills. Appalling, upsetting... Horrible customer care

Terrible service, as a memeber who requires no face mask wouldn’t let me in even with a lanyard. Questioned my disability ... never returning man at door (Italian/Spanish) extremely rude and arrogant would fire immediately

Great food, great drink and nice atmosphere

We had an amazing time at this great pub, the staff was friendly and the drinks affordable. They placed us outside as they have a lot of seats where we felt safe.

Aoife excellent management, thank you for sorting us another table and delt with me as if I was a customer rather then a student!

I'm disappointed I can't rate below 0. We ordered two burgers - they took 50 minutes to arrive and when it did it made KFC look like a Michelin star restaurant (it was definitely a supermarket burger). I wish I had just walked into Tesco and saved myself 30 pounds. Never going back.

Came here on Saturday and was very disappointed. Firstly I ordered 3 pints which never came, and only received them after calling over a member of staff and showing them the outgoing transaction on my mobile banking app! I then ordered a burger which when it arrived looked similar to one I would pay for at a kebab van (thin sad looking burgers), which I was not offered cutlery or condiments with and still didn't receive even after asking for them. Can't imagine I'll be returning to eat on a busy Saturday night again.

Wicked pub, excellent beers, great staff :)

Probably the worst pub meal I've ever had so far! Paid £13 for a burger which looked liked it had been bought from Icelands. It looked absolutely pathetic. I'm normally not the one to do reviews but felt like I was robbed of my money. Would have been better off buying myself a Happy meal.

So first off there bar staff can’t speak English so you can’t order and then when we asked the manager he was extremely ignorant and denied everything despite us paying for our drink he refused to give it to us. Terrible hospitality.

Exceptional service from a girl called Etha, approached us in no time and remembered about the request about moving us to the outside seatings. In times of the covid restrictions its a massive thank you when it comes to customer service capabilities. Thank you.

Pleasant, good health standards against covid, excellent service

Service quick 🤗👍👍, under the circumstances they're doing things right.

Really good venue. Plenty of outside seating on a warm summer night. We were lucky as we hadn't booked but that lovely Indian man host slotted us in anyway at 8pm..Good drinks. Most regular lagers and it's a table service.

One of my favourite pubs for a weekend night out in oxford

Good location. Good drinks and seating

Best Australian barman ever. Amazing and talented!

Good place to have a drink and close to the river

Visited before Christmas for drinks before going elsewhere . Nice pub with good range of drinks and friendly staff . My major concern was that at least one of the fire exits was locked shut despite the place being full . I raised my concerns at the time with the manager who advised that in the case of a fire alarm he would leave the bar to check the panel before then unlocking the door if needed . Hardly the quickest thing to do in the event of a fire with everyone trying to get out . I have since tried to raise my concerns directly with the owners/ managers but my email has been ignored.

The beer is cold and food is nice.

Good pub - good pub food - service is good - Happy your every night is always a bonus - well rounded pub. Great outside area, only downside is not all the heaters work

Burnt beet burger. 👎 Pub garden has heaters, though... 👍

Amazing place to have a pint with friends.

Lovely pub, only popped in for one but such a nice place and friendly staff we stayed for a couple more. Highly Recommend it.

Pleasant staff. We had burger and chips. Unfortunately the chips were salted(why?) The burger was hot and well presented. The toilets...one was dirty one had no seat one had a wonkey seat and the last no light. There is a large heated outside seated area. If not for toilets,it would have been 5*

It always impresses me when I can get served quickly in a busy pub. Great beer and lovely people

Very warm and welcoming, the waiters are lovely.

A good experience. Quite a large place with a good selection of drinks.

Popped in here to escape the rain and have a swift halt, it's quite nice in here. That's about it

Very traditional British pub ideally located on Cowley Road (towards St Clements). The staff is very friendly and polite! Drinks are not overly priced and there's a happy hour with 2 for 1 cocktails.

Lovely pub with great food . But pricey.

Food is good but the pub was cold!

Good atmosphere drink prices reasonable and good food

KEEN Oxford loved our trip here, super friendly, will be back next term