The John Barleycorn Inn in South Oxfordshire

My friend and I visited for lunch. We’re both vegetarian and they had several options to choose from. Food was delicious, and the service was very friendly and welcoming. Can’t wait to come back again 😊

On holiday on canal boat so moored up and booked Sunday roast , nice pub staff friendly the service was good and reasonably quick are meal arrived it looked ok only 1 carrot each and cauliflower cheese looked like baby food the meat was nice Yorkshire pudding was home made plenty of gravey just think a bit more veg would have made it but overall it was nice

This very old pub has a low doorway and beams. Inside. a warm welcome on a very hot day. Seating inside and out. A single step make movement easy as long as you keep your head down. Good selection of food

We arrived at this place mid afternoon,m just as they were finishing food. The landlord soon had water sorted for the dogs and we took a seat in the garden for a few drinks. The sun was beating down so we just chilled out and all commented on how nice the landlord and landlady were. They were engaging, served great drinks and just made us welcome, so much so, we decided to wait until the kitchen reopened. The food was lovely, home made and would definitely come back.

As I write this I am in the bedroom that looks over the garden, listening to wonderful singers. My partner and I enjoyed delicious food; I very much enjoyed mine and then I enjoyed his too. A beautifully prepared sole and then a chicken jubilee in honor of the Queen’s 70 years of service. My only complaint is that the pudding recipe is naughty: we had toffee something and then an apple crumble with custard.

Stayed here for a wedding nearby - staff were extremely helpful and welcoming, the room was great, and there was no curfew, which made the whole experience extremely easy. Would highly recommend for a short visit to a beautiful part of the world.

The JB has always been a favourite of ours but over the years it has been rather hit and miss as to what sort of reception you received. Under the new ownership the place is looking much better, with improvements to the decoration having been sympathetically carried out. Staff are much friendlier and appear to be making a real effort. Not eaten here yet but having a dog friendly pub in Goring with good real ale is excellent.

I and three family members ate at the JB last Thursday (8/4/22). One of our party has an allergy to onion and garlic, which makes eating out very difficult but the waitress and chef went out of their way to make sure there wasn't a trace in that person's food and even created a one-off dish especially. Very impressive, and the special dish was apparently very good. I and my partner had veggie bangers & mash which was a lot better than it sounds, with every ingredient of good quality and perfectly prepared. The fourth member of our party's meal was also excellent. It's great that Goring has such a good pub for eating out. The previous landlords, Steve & Mon, produced very good food but I'd say the new landlord's food is even better. I would highly recommend the JB. I've eaten in all the pubs in Goring & Streatley and the JB is by far the best. I am not in any way related to anyone at the JB, by the way!

Trip Advisor, on your quote 'best fish & chips ever', ranking the John Barleycorn in Goring no. 1 of the top 10 places to eat, we ditched The Swan's Coppa Club, where we were staying the night, in high expectation of a fabulous fish supper, for our special night out. The chunky chips were frozen supermarket style & arrived smothered in sea salt, which was not discussed or wanted. That has NEVER happened in ANY restaurant or pub for us EVER. Tartare was shop bought. Beer battered fish was ok, but far from expectations..try Smiths in Wapping or Ongar for best fish & chips ever! Very, very disappointing

There are new owners from before - still learning we think. Food took an age to come - good fish and chips but a chicken burger which was just s piece of chicken - red wine selection poor and not easy to drink.

We spent two nights here in mid December, we had a delicious sandwich lunch which was served with salad and chips which made it a full meal. We had dinner later, my wife loved the leak and potato soup, I had a tasty meat pie. Finally we had their Sunday roast lunch, I had the really tender pink roast sirloin, and my wife the roast chicken, she thought she did not want all the half chicken advertised so asked for just some slices of breast, which arrived beautifully presented. Richard and Lindsey are welcoming and friendly hosts, and the atmosphere very warm.

This cosy little pub has only recently re-opened for food, after changing hands, so we booked in for a Sunday roast which was wonderful, the starter of goats cheese was brilliant and the mousse dessert equally good, the staff are very jovial and the local customers are good fun to chat with, I would highly recommend giving it a try

Called in here today on a tour of the village pubs. I found this to be an excellent pub. It's a proper local pub. A small bar with comfortable chairs in both bars and good atmosphere. Beer quality was excellent together with the prices and service. Would wholeheartedly recommend a visit here.

Loved it in ere, so much so we felt part of the community meeting locals from goring. Lovely friendly atmosphere, will definitely be back, cant wait.

We visited here for a drink after a hot day in Oxford. We had read good reviews so thought we would try it for ourselves. Such a lovely atmosphere in a proper authentic pub, with so much history. The owner and the locals were so friendly and welcoming. It was our last day in the lovely village of Goring so we look forward to travelling here again. Would recommend 100%.

Our booking was lost, despite us ringing to confirm on the day. The service was poor, the food disappointing... would not recommend.

Been going for many many years and the current owners have had the best food since we started going. We wish the current owners well in the coming years as they are changing soon. Therefore come before 24th of August to experience the best fish and chips in the world.

Great food, great menu, great atmosphere can't get better than this. Absolutely fantastic with to die for dessert. Would visit daily if I could

We went to the barleycorn for our 1st post lockdown meal and as always it didn't disappoint! There are good social distancing measures in place with plenty of hand sanitizer placed on every shelf. I had the fish and chips and it tasted better than I remembered! The kids had ham, egg and chips and they cleared their plates (which is unusual for them!) Well done Steve and Mon it was lovely to be back again!

What an amazing pub we have! Mon and Steve done an amazing job with our last minute dinner me and my partner decided to have. I couldn’t recommend this pub enough you will not be disappointed!!

We are blessed to have this fantastic local on our doorstep They keep a good selection of well kept real ale and serve probably the best haddock and chips in the area. From the specials board we have recently discovered Mon’s delicious vegetarian chilli - the best we’ve ever hadGo there for the warm welcome, the beer, the food, the roaring fire and the bar billiards - and if the landlord starts singing Elvis numbers, don’t encourage him

This is a Pub/Restaurant for locals and tourists. Known it most of my life. You cannot go wrong. Current owners serve very good well priced food.

A warm and welcoming entry guaranteed! Staff and owners alike are great...A bonus is the traditional feel, warm log fire and especially - the food!! I’ve had a few traditional pub meals here, scampi which was lovely and pork steaks which were excellent but the real treat is the Zrazy!!! One of the owners being Polish puts this on as a regular special and it is gorgeous - a beef roulade, mustard mash with beetroot purée!If you’re a meat lover and you see this on the specials board - DO NOT HESITATE!!! I’ll be back as often as possible and I recommend very highly!!

Fabulous food, great service, suuuuuuper friendly staff ❤️ would deffently be paying a return vist thankyou guys for a lovely evening x

Amazing food (burger is the best around), lovely owners and lovely pub atmosphere. One of my favourite places to come to with family.

Absolutely fabulous food and a wonderful atmosphere with lovely staff and management. Monica’s Polish offerings were brilliant and great to have an opportunity to try something I haven’t had before and they certainly impressed!

Working in the area and had a few meals all excellent including the infamous fish and chips and even a new polish dish I had never tried. Amazing traditional pub with excellent food.

Really traditional, lovely country pub, log fire, bar billiards etc. Had the best fish and chips I've had for ages!

Highly recommend. Popped in after a lovely dog walk by the river. Perfect. Great atmosphere, Really friendly staff. The bar billiard table is a lot of fun. Having such a good time decided to stay for dinner. Absolutely delicious. Will definitely be back.

Four of us had Sunday lunch here at this local village pub. Lovely Sunday roasts - fresh vegetables, fluffy roast potatoes, lots of meat and tasty gravy. Quick and friendly service and food arrived hot. My Malbec wine was good, too. We'll return. Thanks guys. :-)

Best burger and chips! Didn’t have to wait a life time either. Really polite bar staff couldn’t ask for better service.

Another faultless visit to the Barleycorn, can’t recommend this place highly enough. Always look forward to the next visit

Lovely traditional village pub. Friendly service. Had beef and Stilton pies which were outstanding. Deep filled slice, full of tender beef with great flavour. Will definitely return.

We happened upon the John Barleycorn whilst walking up from the river, a very convivial landlord and staff, customers were lots of fun and we have never had such amazing fish & chips, would highly recomend a visit, we will certainly go back when we are in the area again

A really friendly welcoming when entering the pub the food was lovely and came out on time with a friendly service will be visiting the John Barleycorn again and would recommend to others.

Decided to have a lunch out with my wife and dog and picked this pub as it was in a place we had never visited. We walked in to find the table was ready for us together with dog biscuits on the table (nice touch). We quickly ordered and received drinks from mine host who appeared to be here there and everywhere. The pie of the day was still in the oven so had a steak and kidney pudding my only complaint about my very nice meal was that it could have contained a little more meat. My wife had a small ham, egg and chips which meant she still had room for a very light jam steamed pudding with lashings of custard. It was a really enjoyable lunch. Parking is difficult due to lots of double yellow lines but there is a pay and display car park close by.

Stopped off here for a meal and drinks while visiting friends.we got a warm friendly welcome and food was great. Very helpful staff who couldn't do enough for us. will be visiting again .

Warm friendly and welcoming, it has a restaurant that serves good traditional pub grub that is well presented, served up by very friendly staff.

visited The John Barleycorn while passing through goring. We enjoyed our time there food was lovely staff were really friendly had great customer service. will be visiting again when next in goring !

We stopped in for a burger and a beer after a long hike. It didn't seem as though the pub was interested in serving us. The food was okay and so was the beer, but just not a welcoming place.

Visited Wednesday evening, 19.30, having booked a table for 6 adults.

John Barleyorn serves the most amazing food. The manager and bar staff are friendly and it has a very happy atmosphere with friendly customers too. We have eaten in all the available places in Goring and every time we always come back here. Very good for money, well worth a visit.

Small village pub with 3 rooms, all nicely furnished, 2 with baths, my room was clean, comfortable, large bed, loads of tea and coffee, usual luxuries in bathroom but it looked as though it needed a little TLC - bath chipped, shower screen broken, sadly I was not able to eat there as the kitchen was closed.

Stayed here as part of our walk along The Ridgeway. Accommodation is standard for a pub but clean and comfortable. Very friendly host and great traditional home cooked food at dinner and breakfast. Goring is lovely and glad we stayed at The John Barleycorn.

One of the few places that offers consistently excellent food, great location, great prices, great staff. Love this place

Popped in for a couple of beers after a long day cruising down the Thames. Service was good and the beer well kept. We didn't eat but the menu and food looked good and I willnext time I'm passing through.

The staff are fantastic. We had a family gathering and had my brother in law stay here. Great place and a typical villag3 pub. The food is all home made. The best fish and chips ever. Also tried the homemade pie and steak burger......wow......you can5 go wrong here and no huge prices......will definitely be back when in Goring

Great location with loads of picturesque walks. Staff were friendly and helpful and nothing was too much trouble. The food, especially breakfast was delicious however lunch and evening meals were also delicious with very good prices. Our room and ensuite bathroom was clean, tidy, comfortable and more than adequate. I would thoroughly recommend it.

A lovely village pub with good decor original not themed thank goodness not spoilt just good and proper. Beer garden at reas when hot. Lovely place to spend a few hours

Nothing fancy, just great fish and chips and an excellent bitter in classic surroundings. If you are boating on the river Thames don't miss this stop over, as its within 200 yards of the water.

Visited this pub for drinks twice whilst in the area. It really is a lovely old historic pub. The small front door is just a start as you enter Great drinks reasonable priced. We didn’t eat unfortunately. Hopefully next time.

We come to this pub every time I visit my parents (they are regulars) and it’s one of the few places which offers consistently excellent food with a lovely atmosphere and friendly owners/staff.

Passing through on the boat and had a very nice plate of fish and chips. Beer was excellent and afterwards we played bar blliards for some time - no idea if we won or not...

Stayed mid week, room was fantastic, Steve & Mon first class as were the rest of the staff. Evening meal and specials board available. Great location. Would stay again.

This has to be my favourite pub in Goring! The food is fantastic and the staff are always welcoming and a pleasure to be around. I would highly recommend😊

Lovely pub set in the heart of the village, warm friendly welcome, great sunday lunch menu with lots of choices, nice beer garden.

Another trip to Goring to see elderly father, always difficult even more so as he isn’t well and I had a funeral to attend. Thank God for Steve, Monica and all the crew and locals at The Barley to keep me sane! Really comfy bedroom, great food and a grand pint of Breakspears or two as well! What could have been a nightmare trip had some great moments of stress relief courtesy of the Barley, thanks so much to you all. Can not recommend this pub highly enough as a place to stay and enjoy this wonderful village and the Thames.

Had a family meal here last weekend, the food was amazing and the service was excellent, would 100% come here again!

The John Barleycorn is a very welcoming country pub with great ales, cider and wines. It has a snug public bar, beer garden with bench tables for more clement weather, and a restaurant bar serving a satisfying menu of classic pub fare, including rather fantastic fish and chips, and a variety of roast dinners. We have received a very warm welcome from the friendly patrons and staff on the occasions when we have dined there and find ourselves returning more and more frequently with each great meal!

Had a great time with the family last night. Friendly staff and the best fish and chips I've ever had. Beer on point. Very nice

Lovely food and staff , nice warm resturant , Steve on the bar was very helpful and friendly. Homemade pie was a winner!!!!!

Here's for an English pub experience as you expect it. Welcoming from the start and all the way through until you leave. We had fish and chips which were delicious. The leak and potato soup also very good. Great atmosphere, clearly a pub for the locals, where visitors are made to feel very welcome too. Keep it up!

The John Barleycorn has become a favourite haunt for us. It has it all:- a cosy,

After a walk around we decided to go for Lunch. It was a very good decision to go there. The Service was good and Staff was friendly and we got our food served after just a few Minutes of wait.

Proper pub food. Well kept ale. Nice staff & friendly atmosphere. Bar billiards. Dog friendly. Good value. Tidy beer garden. The sort of pub you return to. It is ideal for boaters on the Thames as it is only a short walk away.

So we came for dinner, and I can be a real pain sometimes, so I asked the guys for a burger and chips, then spotted the goose eggs on the bar............. they had never tried it before but they are such awesome hosts they gave me exactly what I had asked for! And the picture is proof!!! Amazing hospitality, good beer, good food! Would highly recommend!!!

As my previous review, I can't recommend The John Barleycorn enough. Always my first choice.

Great relaxed and friendly atmosphere. We were made to feel very welcome. The roasts and the fish and chips all went down a treat. Our dog had no complaints about the supply of biscuits. Definitely recommend. Worth booking on a Sunday.

Another wonderful meal here , best fish and chips around by far😍 every time we eat here we have scrumptious food.added bonus great service 😍if you haven't paid a visit I highly recommend you do.

This is a great pub, I was stopping close by so used the pub every night. Over the course of a couple of weeks I must have tried everything on the menu and can say it was fantastic.

Wonderful traditional English pub. The owners Steve and Mon are great and always make everyone feel really welcome. The food is good, hearty and always fresh. By far the best Fish and Chips in the area. Great pies of the day and if you are lucky and Mon cooks her Polish Stew you won't be be disappointed! I highly recommend The Barleycorn! Ps. I did overhear one of the men at the bar praising the beer!

Great traditional pub. Stopped to grab some food after work, great food with a perfect pint. Would definitely go again .

Lovely old pub, latest management have done a great job making the atmosphere warm and welcoming. The food was excellent both in terms of value for money and quality. The food was fresh and flavoursome. I would highly recommend this place.

We took our mother-in-law for fish and chips for her 86th birthday. Steve had a bunch of flowers for her. She said that they were the best fish and chips she had had for a long time. At the end Steve made her a special cocktail. The best birthday she has had for a long time!

Visited this pub after exploring goring as soon as we walked in we had a lovely warm welcome from Steve , my boyfriend and i had a drink in front of a lovely warm cosy fire, Steve came over and chatted to us for a little while ,we then decided to have dinner , so we went for the cheesy jalapeno bites with salad, upon arriving there was only 2 bites and some salad which was very nice but for the price I think you should have got a few more cheesy bites .

We have returned several times now to the John Barleycorn as the food is always of a really good standard, in particular the fish and chips. Last night we went on the off chance, we had a warm welcome from Steve the landlord and had the steak pie which was really good. There is also a good range of beers, we would definitely recommend the John Barleycorn for good honest food, well kept beers and a friendly welcome. Bev and Pete.

After spending a day in Goring looking at Mr Michaels lovely house we nipped into this quaint little pub for a bite to eat, all I can say is we were made to feel really welcome by Steve the landlord, the food was amazing, couldn't fault the place at all...and the rooms are very nice as well if you wanted to stay over, all in all a great little public house with a friendly atmosphere.

Wonderful pub with great food and a lovely atmosphere as well as brilliant staff and a good selection on the menu. I would thoroughly recommend it to all

Walking the Ridgeway as our ancestors have done for more than 6000 years. This amazing pub at Goring was the halfway point for a well earned roast beef Sunday lunch. Excellently cooked meal and the people were very welcoming. I was really happy to find a proper English pub with great food!

I stayed for two nights at the John Barleycorn, in early December. I stayed in the 'French' room, which was comfortable and very clean, with a very comfy bed.

Compact Menu gives decent if unspectalular food, lacked presentation despite friendly staff - Hearty for the locals

I have been going to this pub for years as my parents live near by and unlike many pubs it has stayed at the same hi standard with beer food and service.

Just had lunch at Jb had steak & kidney pie followed by jam sponge pudding with custered delicious 😋

Great beer, good selection, friendly staff, fire is roaring, east walking distance from anywhere in the village, what’s not to like??

As always, fantastic service with a warm atmosphere. Well-maintained lines, solid range of stock and good food. The banter is pretty decent too!

Excellent place to visit, warm and friendly staff, food has been delicious, rooms and dinning area immaculately clean too!

Firstly- this should be my 2nd review but the 1st one seems to have disappeared into the electronic ether.....

Just enjoyed a lovely couple of hours in Steve and him teams company at this gem of a pub in the heart of the village. Steve is always welcoming and remembered us despite only having been in once before. The food was great: large portions, piping hot with perfectly cooked veg. The fish pie was wonderful, as was the liver and bacon, and all very reasonably priced. We will definitely be coming back on a regular basis. Thanks again for a smashing evening Steve. M

As well as the usual pub food there were a couple of interesting options. My husband loved the Polish Hunters Stew and I had a very tasty homemade beef pie with all the trimmings. Cosy, warm and welcoming pub. Just the job on a gloomy November evening.

What a great pub The John Barleycorn is! We are newcomers to the village of Goring and we have, every visit to the Barleycorn been warmly welcomed by Steve and his staff. It is just great in a world of far, far too many gastropubs to find a local that does what locals should do best - great food, a lovely, cosy traditional pub atmosphere and excellent customer service. The food is all freshly homecooked and although the menu is not extensive, there are always lots of interesting "specials" to try. We have, time after time had great suppers and lunches there - it is truly top quality traditional pub food. Never stop doing what you do so very well Steve and Mon and thank you - it is great to have our own local pub at last.

I have been to this pub a few times for drinks but only had the pleasure of dinning there twice! Both times really have been superb with generous helping of flavourful, perfectly cooked, traditional pub food! Much (if not all) of the food seems to be locally sourced, so all is incredibly fresh! Went with an older couple who both commented on the cosy atmosphere when busy and even when it had thinned out a little later. The staff are friendly and seem to genuinely enjoy working there, which I find makes a big difference and helps the quality of the food and service really shine through! If on Going/Streatley or just passing through, really worth stopping in... The steak pie is to die for!

We know of no better pub in the area for good food and a friendly village pub atmosphere, with great value for money. Steve and Mon are wonderful hosts who always make you feel welcome. Have eaten here regularly for some years and it is consistently good whether you choose from the main menu or specials board or go for the tasty Sunday lunch.

Proper old pub. Lovely open fire and good Guinness. Would definitely pop in again and worth a visit.

Can't help but think the management could make more of this place, it's really old and uncomfortable, the staff distant and pretty unhelpful, strange as the locals are very friendly and what's more it's freezing cold in there. So cold we didn't look at the menu, but then it wasn't offered nor was it seemingly on show for anyone to view.

Good menu choice Delicious homemade cottage pie with good depth of flavours - generous helping too; accompanying vegetables were overcooked which seemed careless.

Called in Sunday about 1.30pm, hadn't booked but thought would chance it as passing. Greeted warmly by the waitress and were able to be seated straight away. Nice selection of ales, we all selected sunday roasts, and service was good and quick.

Great pub with restaurant section offering fine food, with freshly cooked ingredients. We were glad that we booked ahead as the restaurant had been packed both for lunch and dinner. Vegetable soup starter was excellent as was the herring. Steak and kidney puddings as the main was exceptional. As one of our party is vegan, the chef produced a good avocado salad and vegetable selection. Our only suggestion would to either this on the menu as a vegan option, or put some thought into creating a vegan option for the menu which uses ingredients already in the kitchen. Bar billiards in the public bar is also a bonus as is the friendly landlord and landlady.

Proper pub for drinkers and eaters alike. Friendly landlord and landlady who run the place with passion. I always pop in when visiting Goring. Highly recommended.

Went with a group of friends on a river trip to Goring. We arranged a Sunday lunch at this lovely little "old world little pub" None of us had been there before so we didn't know what to expect. We were nearly half hour late due to certain locks along the Thames but the staff were so understanding and served us all (12 in number) very quickly . The food was lovely and we appreciated the patience and quick service we received from all the staff concerned so we will certainly return again the next time we are in Goring.

Called into this pub after a lovely walk along the Thames. We felt a nice village pub atmosphere as we walked in. The building is very old and has lots of memorabilia everywhere which makes it interesting. We were impressed that dogs were welcome,