The Old Auctioneer in Cherwell

Overall everything was very good - small complaint was that the table we had was in a through draft so a bit cold! Something that couldn’t be helped

Joly good food at home atmosphere full of love in the air Barry White retro climate, very polite and friendly service. You can feel the holy spirit of Christmas with warming tender love and care of all staff members. I have not tried yet the whole menu, but definitely I will be a returning customer. Bless you and Merry Christmas.

Food was lovely and the staff were amazing. Will definately be coming back.

Hadn’t been in the Auctioneer for a while so when our friends came to town we thought we’d take them there. Kinda wish we’d gone elsewhere tbh. Staff looked at me like I had two heads when I asked for Magners and then actually told us where to sit even though the place was absolutely dead (on a Saturday night I hasten to add). After 10 minutes someone told us they were shutting shortly, followed by another man telling us again shortly afterwards (incase we didn’t get the gist first time round) and then someone came again to tell us we had 10 minutes left. It wasnt even 10pm. The bouncer on the door looked bored out of his mind btw and I really can’t say I blame him. For a Saturday night the atmosphere was awful. For the record The reindeer pub just down the road was absolutely jumping btw and a lovely atmosphere.

Referred here by another pub, burgers out of this world, steak perfection. Great friendly service and fast food delivery. The toblerone cheesecake is to die for. If you like good food you must try this wonderful establishment!

Nice experience, will definitely go again if we are in the area.

We were new to the town and booked this beforehand. We passed a lot of lovely looking restaurants on the way and were worried we’d chosen badly! We hadn’t. The restaurant was packed, the food was great, the atmosphere was lively. A great choice.

Visited yesterday service was pretty slack but the food was good. My main gripe is when it came to paying the bill we asked that it be split so we could just pay for our own, but what they did was split the cost 3 ways so I ended up paying £18 for £10 worth of nachos

Not spectacular, we were there for 3 hours and only had 2 drinks, the 2nd drink we had to ask for as noone was around asking if we needed anymore. Waited for someone to offer dessert, we ended up having to ask for dessert menu but as we waited so long, decided against it once we saw the menu. Food nice, pub clean, just could improve on service.

I’ve been here multiple times and I’m often impressed, the service, ambience and food quality is very good. This time we also had the complication of a celiac restriction and they had a good gluten free menu which gave a good amount of choice. One thing that slightly undercuts it for me is that the menu has barely changed in the last few years meaning we tend to order the same stuff over and over again. Would return but won’t be too often due to this

Food was delicious , had bbq ribs , fries and coleslaw . Possibly larger portions would be nice but just being greedy , wife had salmon which she said was very good

Starters okay. King prawn & garlic mushroom Main course fillet of salmon punched potatoes & seasonal veg served on cold plate the salmon looked like it had been kept under a heat lamp or hot plate dry & no slice of lemon The chicken again was dry like it had been left while we ate our starters alsso served on cold plate chips dry too. The pub was cold as well. On top of a very bad experience I indvertently got a parking ticket at Market Place by no putting on enough time. Bad day in Banbury will not be visiting again.

My goto place for burgers and wings, the most amazing wings ever!

always a nice place to go to , good food and great atmosphere

Brilliant venue so quirky, warm and welcoming. The food is delicious 😋 try the ribs yummy! Lovely staff very helpful and attentive. Just an all round great dining experience - can’t to come back.

Food is great. Service was good but starters came out at separate times.

Perfect food, perfect place and perfect service as always! Thanks

Great food - fresh with plenty of choice. Great service - attentive, friendly. Plenty of seating in lovely surroundings and liked the write-up about the pub and where some of the floorings, lights and bar came from :)

I've had buffalo wings ac the USA, even in the BBQ belt... These are the best I've ever had. The pizza also rivals pizza in Italy. This will now be the only place I eat when I come to Banbury.

The 1st time we went in for a couple of drinks on a lunchtime it was lovely. We didn't eat there but the food that was coming out looked very good. We decided the next evening to go back for drinks, (2 couples, late 50s, early 60s). We went to the door and the bouncer said, no room, we've stopped serving food. My husband replied that we only wanted drinks.(We could see an empty table). The bouncer said there was no room and ushered us out. We went further down the street but the pub next to it was shut. We turned round, went back up the street past the pub and the bouncer ran to the front door and stood there defensive eyeing my husband up and down - most odd. Anyway huge mistake on their part as we ended up in the church house restaurant up the road and spent £130 on cocktails. Their loss!

Lovely food, good atmosphere, staff really friendly and helpful ,definitely going back.

As always,great menu choice,fantastic service and excellent cocktails. Have visited many times and will definitely be back.

Well worth another visit, so I can finish going through the menu

Fabulous food and service on Boxing Day, as always

The atmosphere was great, the service was impeccable, the beautiful wings were delicious and the overall ambience was amazing.

Excellent service. The food was fabulous I highly recommend the wings. They are delicious The staff really went above and beyond. With helping my son Nothing was too much trouble for them

It was a great evening out, the food was amazing, the place has a nice charm to it, looking forward to go again.

This place is amazing! The food is delicious, the service is great, and the prices are very reasonable. The atmosphere is also really cool. You definitely have to check it out when you’re in Banbury!

Olde world pub, wings, lots of wings!

This place is absolutely incredible! The food is amazing, the service is top-notch, and the atmosphere is electric. It’s definitely worth checking out if you’re ever in Banbury.

Imagine having a staff Christmas party to with 9 members of the team to be told last orders is in 10/15 minutes before receiving deserts at 9pm at night. Absolutely miserable bar staff, completely disconnected from any customer experience. Want to book a Christmas party where you will be rushed out after (during) spending some dough and staff that can be miserable then get your Santa hat on. Food was okay, doorman seemed to be the only person throughout the meal to show any customer service; speaks volumes. Won’t be returning! Merry Christmas!

Lovely food and excellent service. Highly recommended

Great family meal out , great service and food is unbelievable.

Loved everything.. this is one of the places where we keep coming back to

Great food, always busy and a good atmosphere. Nachos are a must.

We booked a table for the Victorian Festive Market. We was pleasantly surprised with the food but disappoint with a service charge that was automatically added to our bill with not explanation.. Tipping should be discretionary not automatically expected.. Had I realised that I didnt have to pay it.. I wouldnt have..

Quote from someone I ate with: “I’ve had a lot of wings before but I have to say, these are great!!”. They said the bbq was nice and the wings were crispy. Service was efficient, environment was nice enough. The chips were pretty good.

Food and price average. The pizza was fresh and delicious. However, the heated garden where we sat down was cold for dining. The staff was very accommodating and friendly.

This place NEVER lets you down. Staff is always amazing: humble, helpful, nice and all that. Food 10 stars out of 5. Drinks always the best, can’t recommend The Old Auctioneer enough. 👍👍👍

The food was delicious, we had the dough balls, buffalo chicken wings and bacon cheese burger. All was warm and tasty. The service was the best its ever been at the OA. Will definetely go back and recommend :)

Drink prices expensive also when paying the bill one of us had a blue card which is for the NHS and school working teachers should have got 10% off and she gave a less than 1% off which I wasn't happy with

We were in Banbury on a stop over on a long journey, we were pleased to find the Old Auctioneer for dinner. I had the wings which were plentiful, tasty and well cooked. For mains we had ribs and salmon, both were nice size portions, well cooked and tasty. The pub had a nice vibe about it and the staff were absolutely lovely, a credit to the establishment. To finish off we had an espresso martini which was freshly and properly made and delicious.

Lovely evening & catch up with my friend. Food was superb staff were lovely & friendly ambience was great we definitely will be back.

Smartened up, good choice of beers, and the kids and grandparents love eating here.

Staff are attentive and friendly, service great, and food/ taste good quality

Wings used to be amazing in this place, now not anymore. The worst ones I have tried. Not crispy, oily sauce that even separated itself, anyways, not coming back

Something has changed in recent years or so, food is nit as good as it was. I had salmon with roasted potatoes and there were heated up in microwave ali think so were vegetables , well overcooked salmon tasteless

We always love going here thanks to the variety on the menu, quality of food and portion size. Service is always good and the ambience is real nice.

Wings - some of them very dry and cold and some of them very hot- don’t get how these are so famous. 1 kilo is not enough for 2 people. Bear in mind 75% of that are bones . Bizarre. Overall too expensive for the quality. No spaces for a parking. Good atmosphere

Not as good as it used to be. Food seemed lacking service was poor was ignored for quite a while and it wasn’t busy. Hopefully just an off day.

Lively, pleasant place, very cool decor

Staff nice and friendly, did their job well. However ordered a kilo of wings and received maybe 6 or 7 pieces, asked if this was the kilo ordered and was assured it was….so maybe 5 wings cut in half is apparently a kilo. Not convinced.

Wish I'd got photos. Food was good value, huge portions and tasted amazing. Service was fast even though they were busy. Will definitely be back, the hype for the chicken wings is real.

Overall previous visits have been good but on this occasion the service was not as good. The drinks orders were taken in bulk but delivered in different installments with large gaps between each delivery. Over the space of 1-2 hours we were not asked if we wanted more drinks until the meal had ended but we were looking to stay a bit longer for a social chat amongst friends. We ordered 3KG of wings all of which turned up with extremely different amount of wings per plate and when I asked if we were definitely given 1KG rather than 500g I got a quite abrupt answer of well not every portion is the same. On this occasion when I think 1 plate has 26 wings and 1 plate has 14 wings there is going to be a pretty big weight discrepancy there. The ribs weren’t very hot and at no point throughout the meal did anyone ask how our food was as this would have been raised at that time. Overall during the eating period it was poor table service from the staff. When the table was cleared of plates and glasses we weren’t asked or offered to order anything from the desert menu which on this occasion all of us were contemplating having something so again felt this is where the service was poor but also they’ve missed out on 5 deserts being sold. Normally we do our social gatherings for birthdays and general catch ups at the auctioneer but we’ve already agreed we won’t be going back next time.

We've never had a disappointing visit,staff are great, service is swift, food is lovely-lots of choice! Looking forward to our next visit!

It was worth a visit, but I've had better chicken wings.

We had a fantastic time in The Old Auctioneer, the food was fantastic, but it is not just about food, most importantly it is what people working in the restaurant. We met Beautiful Bela she was our waiter, she was the very kind and beautiful in her heart, she did her job from the heart, treated us with respect, we asked to change table and it was not a problem for her at all. Thank you Bela for everything you did and for stay the same way, because kindness is the most important in this life. Treat people how you would like to be treated. Many thanks, with love Alex. ❤️❤️❤️❤️💐💐💐🙏

The people are lovely, but it’s clear the establishment is interested more in making profit than providing good decent food to it’s customers. 16 quid for nachos which came with salsa… from a jar…. Guacamole… from a jar…. Sour cream… from a jar…. Topped with melted cheese and a few sporadic jalapeños. Considering their delicious wings are 18 quid…. To charge 16 quid for something that’s come straight from a packet and lobbed under a grill for a couple of minutes just shows what the owners care about most…. Appalling…. Wings were overpriced but delicious so happy to fork out the extra for them but 16 for the nachos was daylight robbery….. add to that a 15% service charge for simply dropping off plates leaves a sour taste in your mouth…. And not from the canned sour cream….

Could not fault the food at all But charging for service is just a joke when you don't even get any! Food orders taken, food on the table even have to cut your own garlic bread Waitress asked if I wanted anything boxed up I said yes, to then have not listened and threw it away, then made a fresh one but more or less threw it at me across the table.

We just love this place. Tasty food and staff are always welcoming

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.

First time visiting this weekend and couldn’t fault it. Lovely atmosphere, great staff and amazing food. Will definitely return.

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.

Amazing decor and food. Appreciated vegan options.

Great food and friendly staff !!

I had dinner twice in this place. Both pizza and the burgers are tasty, really good. Awesome! I recommend it.

Absolutely love this place, the food is amazing and the staff and service are brilliant. The Wings truly are Incredible the best I've ever tasted! Can't recommend enough

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.

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.

Absolutely brilliant. Food was amazing.

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.

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.

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

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!

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.

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

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.

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