The Old Auctioneer in Cherwell

Very dissatisfied with meal today. We both had steak but quality of steak has really gone downhill. Steak used to come with onions and mushroom now you have to pay for this. Steak is the same price but come with less. Potatoes were boring and bland. Steak was rare even asked for medium. Poor value and service not exsistent had to go hunting to find someone to pay the bill. Value for money very poor since changes to the steaks has been made.

Mediocre food and incredibly rude staff. The food was okay, but nothing special. The thing that really ruined our experience was the abruptness and rudeness of the staff. Several waitresses were working, but all had the same attitude which made us feel unwelcome and rushed. I also heard a member of staff completely berate another visitor as they had sat down at a table without telling her they intended to order food first (the pub was dead, so.shouldnt have been an issue). We definitely won't be returning.

Celebrated our son's 18th and liked the fact we could decorate in advance and they let us move to a more secluded area. Food was good as always and worked out around £30pp with drinks, plus the service charge, which for 2 courses is not bad!

Good atmosphere on a Sat night. Busy & Lively. Attentive waiting staff. Nice food.

Best place in Banbury by a country mile!! Staff are very welcoming and amazing (remember your drink and face), security is amazing, the bouncer is so respectful and is well respected

I have eaten here several times and not once have I been disappointed. Staff are always very friendly and service is great. The food is fantastic and highly recommend the buffalo wings or at least the sauce, it’s fantastic. Only downside is that it is expensive however it’s the only time where I walk away feeling it’s money well spent. Better to go daytime as nights are pretty much booked solid I shall return for more food Note: check the receipt for service charge as I nearly double tipped the waiter.

The food is always good at The Auctioneer so it pains me to write this review, but the segue has been going downhill lately. We have eaten here for years and have slowly noticed the service seriously lacking. Last time we had to ask for desserts menu and our experience yesterday really wasn’t good. When the drink orders arrived they were just placed on the table without being handed out, ok fair enough, then we had to get the waitresses attention when we were ready to order, then the food arrived, always good. When we had finished again no offer of a dessert menu, so we didn’t order. We had to get the attention of the waitress again for the bill, it was eventually brought to us with a service charge hmmm, then no one came to take payment, so we had to go to the bar and pay. You might as well make it a pay and order at the table system. As the waitress service was very basic.

Absolutely brilliant. Food was amazing.

Brilliant quality food and great atmosphere made a lovely date night on our holiday to banbury. Gunpowder chicken was fantastic with real bbq taste and my partner had the rack of ribs. impressive kitchen facility with pizza oven. All at a reasonable price very friendly staff we had a great time. We also got to try the famous Toblerone cheesecake which is a must.

This is the only place to go to eat if you want chicken wings! Literally the best wings ever

Brilliant and unexpected Saturday evening meal

Attentive service. We didn't have to wait for drinks or food. We were looked after as soon as we walked in. The food was lovely, especially the skewers. The waiting staff checked everything was o.k. Outstanding food and service. We were visiting family in Banbury, so this is a great location too, as right in the centre.

Worst experience I have ever encountered - for my sons 11th birthday - big mistake to go to this establishment. We got put in the corner as a family of five squashed against aloud of men out for a meal. The waitress when taking our order I asked if the fajitas were spicy her reply was no it’s not spicy just fajita seasoning so I ordered for me and my teenage son when arrived me and my son has a wrap each and it blew our f***ing heads off when I ask the waitress about it her careless attitude response was well everyone’s different aren’t they which absolutely shocked me, myself and son just couldn’t eat it at all due to the amount of spice. When the nachos come we wanted the queso cheese ones when arrives had no queso cheese on and again her response was I’ll let the chef know. After all this rubbish food and service and few of us hungry and squashed we were surprised with a bill of £170 which was not worth it at all!! Please of you want a nice family evening and dinner this is not the place the waitress we had was awful and hadn’t a clue about customer service at all and shouldn’t work there. Go to somewhere that appreciates your custom and having a sons birthday there. Will not be returning or recommending worse evening I’ve had in a long time.

Great food as always, staff could be a little more attentive , wasnt asked if food was ok until finished and had to grab someone to get another drink . Love this place though always going for the wings

calling last orders at 10 pm on a Saturday night, particularly when it is bank holiday weekend, is an absolute travesty! People were coming in wanting drinks and turned away by the Doorman who was keen for us to leave as soon as possible. It is a huge pub how they make a living I don't know!

A last minute booking to celebrate my birthday proved to be a fantastic choice. Everything about our visit was fantastic, including the very warm welcome from our lovely server. Terrific menu, everything delivered in good time, obviously freshly cooked - totally flawless and very keen to visit again

Great place to eat and chill out. Very dog friendly. Service is excellent.

As this was our 3rd visit on our 2 weeks holidays, must say the food is great. Well worth a visit.

Food was excellent. I did order corn in the cob but they didn’t have any. Ceasar needed more dressing but this didn’t detract from overall experience

As holiday visitors, it is hard to know where it is good to eat. I'm so pleased we found this. In fact, we have been back tonight. Great food, good service. Would recommend this pub.

First visit to England and we loved the food and service!

We sat in the garden as a warm evening, food was delicious, there were 6 of us and we all had different foods everyone really enjoyed their meals. The cheesecake won the evening, though that was delicious, staff were all friendly and efficient, would certainly return to this one.

Had a lovely afternoon for our anniversary. Nice and relaxed atmosphere. Ever server was welcoming and nothing was to much, Very attentive. Food was delicious and served very quickly. Will be bs I soon.

A menu with lots of choice, there was 4 of us in our Group and we all had something different, we all enjoyed our meals and said the food was the nicest we have had in a long time. Great cocktail menu too!

Lovely being able to sit outdoors to enjoy out meal. Nice atmosphere, good service and lovely food.

the pub and garden have a lovely charm to it The staff and time for waiting for food was good The food itself was ok… the 3 different chicken dishes we had for mains were all very dry.. my sons sirloin steak was very fatty.. Starters: The chicken wings 2 of my party had were enjoyed… the dough balls were definitely hand made and plentyful, my boy enjoyed his nachos!! Overall The starters were better than the mains But we did feel it was over priced for quality of food I would go back for drinks but not for food

Good food as always but the service and atmosphere here really is terrible, and not just a one off. They can't wait to get you in, served and turfed out by security like it's an unfriendly fast food joint. We were seated just before 8pm and by 9.15 security are visiting the table to tell us we need to be out. It seems that because the staff can't be bothered offering another drink or to check in with customers, we just get the unsavoury experience of a doorman who looks like they should be working the club giving us the boot. The whole experience at the Auctioneer is extremely uncomfortable these days and not worth the money they charge, especially then to automatically add a service charge to the bill! I wouldn't mind if some kind of service was provided but instead it's clearly just a money grabbing exercise.

We had a family evening meal here. Food was lovely, service good with friendly staff. Wings by the kilo appears to be a popular option. My Gunpowder chicken was tasty.

Came here on a narrow boat holiday and came I for food and drinks ,service was immaculate and the food was superb,so good we wish we lived closer ,will definitely visit again if down this way , superb pub and well recommended.

We went for the 2-4-1 wings and we just love them! The staff is always friendly and nice. Lovely evening

Prawn skewers were not on skewers, and were cold and not fresh. The salad had far too much dressing on, which made it inedible. Burgers were good Staff were not attentive and got drinks orders wrong twice. Security staff were overbearing, and we were asked 3 times if we had book in an aggressive manner, bar was not full, but not made to feel welcome

Absolutely delicious food and cocktails. The cheesecake was divine ! Barely any wait for the food given how busy it was. Will be back for the wings!

The range of food is great and you will find something for everyone guaranteed. The atmosphere was great (it was sunny so the outdoor space at the back was full). There is a great story about the building, menu and lots of the items in the building which gives a sense of character. The food was excellent and they were happy to box up the extras ( we over ordered as there was so much on the menu we wanted!) Would recommend to everyone.

We had the most amazing time last night for my husbands 30th birthday. I’d dropped off some decorations and a cake the day before and when we arrived it looked wonderful! Service was great, food delicious and a wide range of drinks. The staff were on point with the cake, I didn’t even need to hint or ask to bring it over.

Great outside place. Their chicken wings are amazing. Best I have ever had

Toilets were filthy. There was even vomit on the floor. To add insult, there was a 12.5% service charge, for what service if you can't even keep the toilets clean.

Great atmosphere, excellent food and lovely staff. We love eating at The Auctioneer and usually bring our friends and family when they are visiting us.

Very nice place with cozy corners. Good food, and friendly service.

Great place, food is always delicious here and the staff is polite and friendly.

Great service and food Our table was right outside disabled/ baby changing So every time people wanted to go in we had to move, not good when you are eating, especially when there are 6 of us and a high chair

Food was amazing!! The night it went was quiet, not many diners in and we had a table in a quiet spot, it was my parents anniversary. Despite it not being busy, the service was not up to the usual standard. We were pretty much left to our own devices and I had to ask for assistance a number of occasions by getting up to find someone, for more drinks, to order an dessert and to get the bill and even to pay it. They did knock off the service charge which is optional, but felt very disappointed as never experienced service lacking like that there before

Wings on Sunday- best wings, worth travelling for. Sunday offer 2 for 1 on 1/2 kg and 1kg

Very nice meal in a really cool location. The building really has a sense of character! Burger and toblerone cheesecake were especially good

Party of 7, outstanding in every way , love this place always our go to when out with family. Best wings you’ll get anywhere

When I visited a few days ago, the last order for food had ended, so I visited again. The terrace seats had a nice atmosphere and the chicken was delicious! The volume was also perfect.

Always a lovely atmosphere and great service.

Nice ambient and good food. Juan was super nice and helpfull. All the staff was superb.

Lovely food, lovely people, lovely place. Would recommend for any occasion.

Great place in the middle on Banbury. But really disappointing that they HIDE that they add 12.5% optional (ha!) service charge onto the bill right on the very last line of their 10-page menu - putting it at the bottom of every page would be rather more honest and obvious. Sorry guys - pay your staff what they are worth and put it on the prices rather than misleading customers as to your prices - this is middle England, not the USA.

I’ve only had 3 bad meals here and last night was one of them. My steak was so salty it was inedible. Really disappointing. The wings were great though 👍

Delicious food and cocktails very friendly staff. Definitely place to visit

Always wonderful food, friendly accommodatin service. Just an over all pleasant experience

What a gem of a place first of all! We stumbled on The Old Auctioneer by a Facebook recommendation and as we were on holiday we decided to book in for dinner on our last night and are glad we did. We arrived and were taken to a lovely booth and placed our order. Our starters arrived promptly and were delicious. I had deep fried Halloumi and my partner had the garlic bread. We then waited a short while for our mains. I had the BBQ chicken pizza and my partner had the ribeye. It was cooked to perfection! My only complaint is that we were full so couldn’t manage a dessert! Highly recommended to everyone and will return if in the area again! Thank you :)

Unique setting, fitted out from recovered wood crates and shipwreaks. And a unique menu designed by chef Olga. Such a great change from chain pubs and national standard menus. We had beef ribs, pulled pork burger, haloumi fajitas, steak fajitas and a haloumi burger. Washed down with Dirty Bear real ale, cider, and Pinot Grigio. A special lunch!

decent food, a tad spenny, car park not far from the entrance, easy to find

Wings were awesome nachos could have done with more pulled pork but overall good. Young lad that served us was very good indeed

Lovely busy pub nice to see a thriving business. Food came super fast and was lovely. Only gripe for me is it is a bit high end priced.

So much food was lovely good quality highly recommend

As always great service and amazing food! The chicken wings are just incredible, we get them every time we visit!

The best Caesar salad! 😍 the kitchen know exactly what they’re doing and the staff are passionate and attentive! Highly recommend :)

Good choice of food on menu. Prices not bad if a little pricey in some cases but the food is pretty good. The service is decent too. Can get quite loud but a nice atmosphere.

Food was great The service charge was very high considering the service

I feel the food is overpriced and so are the drinks. There are a lack of places to have good pub food and I feel the this place takes advantage of that.

Our server last night was by far the friendliest and professional we have ever experienced here before. Thank you for making our experience so great. Food was fab. Prosecco was ridiculously priced, £17.50 for 2 is not ok for banbury when we got a bottle for £20 in a pub straight after.

Came here as a recommendation and the venue, cocktails and food did not disappoint. I had however read some bad reviews about the service and how right they are. despite wearing funky Hawaiian shirts which give off a fun and friendly vive the staff are all miserable as sin. Menus were literally dumped on a table for us, told to order as quickly as we can (despite it only being 8.30pm on a Friday night), no check backs, no smile and thank you when presenting the bill. The atmosphere is the restaurant reflected this poor service. On giving our feedback to the manager (who was the one friendly person we came across) he didn't seem at all bothered. After all of this poor service on checking out bill after paying we realised there was a 12% service charge added. Sort the service out and this place could be amazing!

Dirty bear pizza delicious. Great beer as always.

Loved the garden dining experience , service was great , staff were all really lovely. I ordered vegetable calzone I wasn't wowed by it and wouldn't order it again. Most of the group enjoyed the food. *Service charge added to bill *which we didn't realise until we left as we had also tipped.

A must are the incredible wings, Sunday 2 for 1 offer is great.

Price is going up and items were disappearing from menu . Charge for extra sauce when order 2 kg chicken wings That’s not fair .

Food is always quick and delicious Don't enjoy sitting next to the toilets though

Had a pizza that a friend had on a previous visit. Was a little disappointed as it didn't come out looking as good as hers did. Still tasty.

If you don't know about this place, how? The wings are amazing. Cooked to perfection and amazingly they can get them to your table by the tonne. We had a large group of 13 and 8 people of that group ordered the 1kg of wings, and everyone loved them. Service was quick and we all ate at the same time. The Auctioneer is a must visit when you're in Banbury.

Excellent quality "elevated" fast food. Friendly, efficient service. Lots of nooks and crannies in the pub to explore. Piped music was unnecessary, however. Went for a second time recently. The food, drink and service were just as good, but there was a substantial 15% service charge added to our bill. I didn't see that mentioned anywhere on the menu, so maybe it was hidden away in the small print. In view of this I have deducted one star from my rating.

Fantastic food and service. Best place to eat in Banbury!

The good was delicious, the wings are amazing and the fajitas were perfect. I’m definitely going again

The food was absolutely brilliant, just would’ve liked to have had a more attentive server. Due to this we declined to pay the service charge.

I went here as a guest of friends I live in Norfolk this establishment is brilliant from Decor, atmosphere, service and excellent food. We will be back

Hot wings were superb. Nice ambience to the whole place. Attentive staff. Would definitely go again.

Food was excellent and the service very friendly but still professional

The Wings that they make such a fuss about are AWFUL. What a waste of money. Sucked in by the hype on the menu and feel conned. Luckily had the truffle burger too, which was delicious. Service was fast and nice. 3.5 stars overall

We love going here!! The food is always great and the servers are always polite and cheerful! For the quality of food and drinks the price is justified. We came for our friends birthday I booked online very easy and the table was perfect for us all (9 of us).

Great service and fab food as always! The drinks and food came out quickly despite it being busy.

Food was perfect as always - highly recommended :)

Very nice always for love or friendship or relationship

Great ambience, quick service and amazing food! We got two different burgers, two different pizzas and the salmon. All were amazing!

No issues apart from no check backs and didn’t offer any condiments, I wanted mayo but no one came back I tried asking when they dropped the food but they walked off too quickly but I understand it was busy.

Great experience on our 1st visit here. Lovely food, attentive waiting staff and great ambience. The starters were generous, the mains excellent and the sticky toffee pudding was best i have had, we will definitely return soon! Dave

Great atmosphere and cool decor. Food is always fresh, with big portions and tasty. Wished they did a light lunch menu. Highly recommended chicken wings.

Been here many many times, but sadly a few weeks ago I had a disappointing experience, I even emailed in to discuss but no response sadly so here we are. I noticed my bill was higher than normal so checked it, to find a children's meal was added which we did not order we ordered him an adult main for us to share ontop of our main. When coming around to ask if we need condiments I asked for bbq sauce, which was brought over and no mention of extra cost (which would of been fine if mentioned bare in mind bbq sauce is the same price as tomato and mayo now). The food was definitely a lower standard than usual and a pint of Diet Coke I forget now but was £5 or £6 which is criminal when the syrup is turned down massively. After many good meals here I emailed in to give a chance but clearly no one can be bothered to get back to loyal customers so we just simply won't go again.

Food is always amazing but we miss the old security staff. The new security staff are unfriendly and feel intimidating, the old security staff were lovely and weren't afraid to be friendly and have a joke with you.

Very unique! Their sweet chilli chicken wings are a must! Absolutely delicious! The team is super friendly and the manager is always very attentive 🤗 100% recommend!

We had saved this pub as a summer place because dogs aren’t allowed inside. However, the lovely door staff managed to convince us that the outside area is lovely, comfortable and most importantly warm. We decided to give it a go and we are so glad we did. This is an outside space that has been well thought out and executed. Very comfortable seating with heaters to keep you warm and a lovely atmosphere. The food was fantastic and we enjoyed every bite. Will definitely visit again.

Lovely food, staff very friendly and cocktails went down too well !

Love the food here. Chicken wings especially. Service is really good. Love the place too.

Friendly staff, good service, good food. It's my favourite place in Banbury.

Booked a table for 5 for a Mother’s Day Sunday. Was rather hoping that my wife and I could order a Sunday roast but was disappointed to learn that that was not on the menu and only available at Christmas. I found the menu quite limited so opted for Burger and fries not really a Sunday meal or alternatively Pizza! The staff were friendly and accommodating. For a special occasion such as Mother’s Day it would have been nice to have a traditional Sunday menu.

Great food as always, not the most attentive service towards the end of the meal however, but still enjoyable experience

Perfect birthday celebration, thank you. Great service great food and amazing cocktails!

I recently visited as after second change , for rubbish service a few years ago . Hasn’t change , uninterested staff . 10/10 for the most uninterested bar staff . Told her we had book a table told us to talk to people over there and called off . Stood around a till waiting to be aknowlged , then abruptly shown to table and menus dropped in front of us …. Rude !!!! Will not use again !!!!

Not impressed with the staff attitude. Miserable staff behind bar . Food was good but let down by staff ! Will not use again