The Old Bookbinders Ale House in Oxford

A lovely first visit to the legendary Bookbinders - Josh is a fantastic host - the atmosphere is wonderful and the food and drink fantastic - will be back …

Very crowded on the Saturday afternoon that I visited

Any one of the things that make this place brilliant would warrant a five star rating alone: the staff, the atmosphere, the drinks, the food, the cozy interior.

The Bookbinders is a real find and has restored my faith that there are still great places to eat that don't cost the earth. The staff are brilliant and the food is exceptional. Great atmosphere, we will be back. Thank you.

Had the fish soup off the specials board - it was really tasty.

Very busy but lovely atmosphere. Good came quicky and was tasty.

Walking down Oxford Canal You might find Yourself thirsty and peckish. Bookbinder will fill Your needs. Real Ale and good grub. Highly recommend.

The Bookbinders is a great pub, delivering excellent food and well-priced drink for locals. Portions are good and the French menu has good variety. Everything is very well cooked too.

A really lovely pub, with brilliant service staff, but this pub isn't for you if you're a vegetarian. Unfortunately, it has very limited v/vg options if you want a meal.

Frenchish food and decent beer choice Nice atmosphere and lots of stuff going on.

Stunning atmosphere - hits the 'shabby chic' nail right on the head. Food was wonderful - very good standard. Look forward to returning

Delicious food, good service, great selection of draughts.

World class. Doesn’t look like much more than a corner pub, but the menu is remarkable and the waitstaff clearly has your experience paramount in their list of priorities.

Efter en fredelig spadseretur langs Oxford Canal, kom vi til Bookbinders Ale House. Vi fik et godt bord med udsigt over lokalet. Der er masser at se på over det hele, både på vægge og i loftet. Vi blev betjent af Izzy, en sød og charmerende tjener. Menuen var begrænset på grund af problemer i køkkenet, der var et lille kort, men med gode muligheder. Maden er god og priserne rimelige. Jeg drak en mørk bitter som smagte fremragende. Alt i alt et særdeles godt valg at besøge Bookbinders Ale House.

WoW! English pub with cuisine with a French essence! Great atmosphere, there are open mic nights where people can sing and play! If you go there be sure to try the onion soup, wonderful!

Lovely old pub on edge of Jericho and next to Oxford canal. The interior overflows with musical and literar trivia giving a bohemian air. The food is unashamedlyFrench and is high quality bistro standard in execution. We enjoyed boeuf bourguignon which was top class - rich and generous. Dessert was a lighter than air mousse with a small brownie. Good real ales, gins, short but good VFM wine list. The service was a standout feature, being both friendly and accommodating.

Oh wow, what a fabulous pub The Old Bookbinder’s Ale House is! We were looking for somewhere to eat with vegan options for my husband. He had a wonderful vegan cassoulet and I had Caesar salad which was generously portioned and full of flavour. We both had vegan cheesecake for pudding. It was amazing! Wish I could have the recipe. The serving team are all really lovely, working their socks off, smiling and chatting with customers. There’s a really warm atmosphere. Ladies’ loo is immaculate, tastefully and very thoughtfully set out. We visited on Open mic night, and really enjoyed the music - and doggie applause from Toto the terrier. I was all set to ask for a turn at the mic but my husband thought he might turn into a pumpkin if we stayed any longer. Pity, as a young woman was just starting a beautiful version of ‘It Ain’t Me, Babe.’

A very lovely pup to visit, enjoyed my time there.

Quirky, interesting pub with well kept ales.......food looked very good too.

Does the pub make an evening great or does the company?! Definitely the company - that said this pub made it so much easier! The food was good despite my not realizing how French it was. The service was always great and with a smile and several laughs given our happy disposition. We shared a bottle of wine recommended by the landlord and hostess and it was good. The pub is located off the trodden streets and pavements of Oxford so you may have to wander broadly to find it but it's well with it.

Great atmosphere, definitely recommend

Great place with a great atmosphere. Drinks prices were reasonable.

Can't say anything about the food as I just went for a drink. However it looked and smelled amazing and a lot of people were ordering and getting takeaways so it must be good. We arrived on a trivia night and it had a really nice crowd of what seemed to be locals who enjoyed trivia. If you want the english/oxford cozy pub experience this is it. Servers were kind and helpful and menu was great.

My local! Wonderful service . Great menu.

All around excellence. Quintessential pub with a flair Francaise.

A local favourite, definitely work checking out with (very French) great food and delicious ale!

Wonderful pub. Excellent food and drink. Very helpful staff. Great.

Have visited The Old Bookbinders 3 times now for lunch, lovely little pub tucked away down a quiet Jericho side street, good drinks selection, really great food, and friendly staff. Looking forward to another visit soon.

What a great find. a beautiful traditional pub. Had a couple of portions of excellent chips. Will defo be back for a main meal soon… the smells coming from the kitchen were fab!

On a walk through Oxford and found this place tucked away near the canal. It was absolutely lovely with a good selection of draught beers and a really nice atmosphere. It was classic pub setup with lots of little pics and trinkets plastered all over the walls and a very cozy feel. Although we didn't have food, they were preparing for dinner and it smelled amazing so I bet the food is also pretty good!

Great charcuterie board for a light bite, nice outdoor seating and fantastic atmosphere inside. A real hidden gem!

Very good bistro-style food and excellent choice of drinks. Efficient and friendly service even on a busy Friday evening. Great atmosphere in this cozy corner-pub, full of character.

Good beers, although the ones in the street for the festival were too warm

This is a Victorian pub that has had a makeover in an attempt to make it look older internally. This has been poorly done. Staff are extremely helpful and friendly. Real ale is excellent, but expensive (even for Oxford). We didn't eat there but meals seem over-priced as well. Was very busy though, so perhaps the locals disagree

Fantastic old pub with plenty of charm with a French influence that makes it unique!! Food is wonderful and the services great. A pleasure to visit. Thank you.

We haven't been this way for some years and were happy to see this lovely old pub in its quaint location hasn't changed. I had a very pleasant cloudy cider. We would love to eat here one day but have never been around at the right time.

Excellent place for dinner (although getting a table is definitely the tricky part here). We had the 2 course set menu (£20.50 each). I had a delicious goat cheese and med veg tart to start followed by sea bass. Whilst the other person had same starter but the French style burger (no bun). The service was friendly and efficient and they answered all my allergen questions having checked with the kitchen without making me feel like I was difficult! Good drinks selection. Overall a great little find.

What a wonderful place. Four of us visited here for a meal while we were moored up on the canal nearby. A little gem with a cornucopia of items decorating everywhere keeping us fascinated. We had delicious filled crepes; the menu is mainly French. The waiting staff were delightful, able to discuss aspects of the local area.

Classic pub, good range of drinks. Food has a limited menu if you don't eat fish. Has quirky options like snails. Good atmosphere, bit of a walk from centre of Oxford.

A pub with a French atmosphere in Oxford where you can enjoy a variety of crepes. The interior atmosphere has an old yet traditional feel. You can eat peanuts freely from the wooden barrel at the entrance.

Only stopped for a quick drink, at 5 to 5 Sunday afternoon. Looked like an interesting old pub. The bar person was pleasant enough, but I do wish she had told us that the bar was about to close, as the rather surly looking girl who followed us outside proceeded to inform the seated customers of this fact, and went from table to table taking down the umbrellas. Felt about as welcome as a fart in an astronaut suit, but luckily we had a train to catch, so didn't hang around.

Having visited with friends for drinks, I was convinced by the wonderful smell of the food to come back with my boyfriend. We tried the burger (added bacon and brie) and the minute steak with garlic butter. I have to say both needed salt, but we do have salty palates so it might just be us! The waitresses are very sweet and friendly. We didn’t have a reservation but turned up when they opened at lunchtime and they fit us in straight away which was nice. I must say that we did see (presumably) the owner / landlady take the half pint of coke we ordered from the bar and pour some out before letting the waitress bring it to us… bad impression for something that would’ve cost you less than a penny! But the atmosphere in general is good, the specials sounded nice, and we will come back at some point as it’s a good place for a casual lunch.

Great service from staff and bar manager

Decent meal sitting outdoors. Great beers too.

Classic pub with a nice atmosphere and very friendly service. Large selection of beers and attractive menu. Very good hamburger!! Everything was perfect in this friendly pub.

Excellent old-school pub in Jericho. Tucked away down side streets, near the Oxford Canal. Not too far from town or the train station so easy to get to. Comfortable and cozy inside, it does get quite busy, with tables often reserved. Plenty of beer options and friendly staff. Didn't have food when I last went but what I saw people having looked good. Definitely worth a diversion from town.

We took our chances turning up here on a late Saturday lunchtime without a booking but the staff were fantastic in finding us a table. The level of service was maintained through our lunch which featured some excellent French dishes. We will be back.

Glorious food, atmosphere and service.

Lovely quirky pub. Gets very busy

Great food (awesome crepes) great beer great staff

Lovely traditional pub with great variety of beers (including cask ones). The deco is cool and it makes it different from other pubs.

Great quirky pub with very interesting decorations from yesteryear. Superb little French bistro style cuisine. Had a great brie tartlette for starters and an excellent fish pie with roasted vegetables, and a lovely coffee to finish off.

Really nice pub with a great atmosphere. Food was good, service was great even though it was very busy. Some good beers on tap too. Quiz was great!

We were hoping to spot a certain famous local here, but we did not succeed. However, we did enjoy a French onion soup that needed a bit of salt, but was otherwise solid. I didn't love the Chevre crepe, but appreciated the effort. The fries were yummy. Order another round! It's an adorable pub, and service is friendly and kind, bathrooms are clean, and I would def sneak in for a drink or fries in the future.

Food and service excellent. Atmosphere great as well.

Brilliant service - friendly, helpful, enthusiastic and prompt. Food was great too and overall it was a real pleasure.

It's a wonderful life; this is a wonderful pub. It has so much going for it. If I were more local, I'd frequent it

highly recommended, lovely pub and great food.

Superb old boozer which served as the location for many an Inspector Morse scene. Busy food service, but the main main area has some real charm.

Great pub with a lovely atmosphere with very tasty food and reasonably priced. The decor was interesting and the lighting ambient and not too bright.

Can't praise this place highly enough, great food,fabulous ale, friendly warm professional welcome from ALL staff and reasonable tariffs. Word of warning Oxford City Council has changed restrictions to ALL RINGO app car parks, one is handy and nearby. choice is five hours at £4.30 or twenty four hours at £15.30, no inbetween, five hours can no longer be extended. For me this means day visits to Oxford and this pub to meet up with a relative from London every six to eight weeks or so will have to be lessened or find another city and sadly another pub.

We attended on a Saturday afternoon in mid-March. As always the quality of food was exceptional. The service homely and friendly. I recommend Le Steak Haché - delicious and on the menu fixe which is a very affordable option especially given the quality. It is worth coming to Jericho just for this very special pub

A great local pub with a French bistro atmosphere, including excellent crepes, with good British real ale too. The set menu has a good selection of dishes and it's good value.

While the food in the end was middling, the service and great pub ambience more than made up for it and combined for a very enjoyable meal. We all started with the French onion soup and it was fine, just a bit bland. The Chevre crepe I had was also just fine, but distinguished a bit by the higher quality goat cheese flavor. Service by the entire staff was excellent and the eclectic decor created a vibrant atmosphere.

Get some of the crêpes, filling, super-delicious and well priced. The IPA is not bad either 🤤

First time here, will definitely come back again. Really nice atmosphere and staff was really kind.

Lovely community pub. Great choice of real ale and AF beers. Friendly atmosphere.

I had not been here for some years but found the set lunch outstanding.Good choice and excellently cooked and presented.And as a non drinker there was the added bonus of Guinness zero.

Be sure to come early or reserve a table since this lovely pub fills up fast on a Friday night! Great atmosphere, good service and a good selection of drinks.

Fantastic place. Lovely food and exceptionally reasonable prices. Nice selection of ales and superb service. Creme Brulee is gorgeous. A hidden gem 💎

Recent discovery. Cosy warm vibe ideal for discerning bohemians. Not yet tried the food but it looks fab.

Excellent and classic pub. French family owned which adds a twist to the atmosphere and the food. Highly recommend.

An institution. Great food staff and location

Delicious French food in a great British pub atmosphere. Dog friendly.

Such a great find, they catered for all food requirements and offered lots of options. Amazing decor and atmosphere and the food was lovely. We spent a good few hours there catching up, all together a great time was had by all.

We had a wonderful meal at The Old Bookbinders, and found the service really friendly! Really nice and tasty food, and great prices too. I would highly recommend.

Poped in for a drink before going on to eat elsewhere. Loved it so much that we booked a table for the following evening. Extremely friendly staff.

WHAT A PUB! What staff, what atmosphere, what pub quizzes - the compère should be famed for his pazazz. TENS ACROSS THE BOARD

Great local pub in Jericho neighborhood of Oxford. We had the crepe complete, steak frites and mousse au chocolat and all were excellent. Service is friendly and environment is charmingly quirky and unique. Highly recommend.

We visited on a Sunday and our server must have had a late night as she was there but not present and had an attitude. The menu is slightly limited but the specials make it more expansive. I ordered off the 2 course menu but had just the one course and it was well prepared tasty and worth the wait. Atmosphere was ok but it was Sunday lunch so not great.

Such a lovely evening at The Old Bookbinders. I went with my partner to eat as we were in the area - it happened to be their open mic night. The atmosphere was great including the music, the service was friendly and efficient and the food was reasonably priced. We loved the decor and the French Bistro vibe!

Went here for a birthday meal with friends, absolutely wonderful atmosphere. The food was amazing. The staff were lovely and very helpful. The crepe with toffee sauce for desert was a highlight!

Very attentive staff .Lovely ambience Gluten free bottled beer . If you’re gluten free and lactose free it’s very limited.So unfortunately unable to recommend if your both .But GF is fine no other restrictions.

Great for just a drink or food. It tastes and feel like home

Great local and lively boozer, hearty food and a fantastic welcome

We visited the Old Bookbinders before our daughter was born which was 8 years ago! This is a very old review but we are planning to especially stop off for the first time in all those years on our way home within the next week. Hoping its as fantastic as way back then, with amazing food, great atmosphere and the barrel of monkey nuts!!

What a super place - recommended by friends - nicely busy on a Friday lunch time but staff coped admirably - lovely welcome and the food was absolutely delicious . Prawn Pili and fish soup - and pate and steak hache - plus a shared creme brule just to be greedy as portions generous - would return in an instant

A real find! Delicious French cooking and good value too.

Lovely quirky pub with brilliant atmosphere

Absolutely amazing! It entirely warrants the overused phrase 'hidden gem'. Pleasant staff, excellent food, and a warm atmosphere. One really couldn't ask for more. Make sure to book if you'd like to eat as this pub is rightly in demand.

One of the best pubs in Oxford. Really nice warm atmosphere inside, great beers on tap. Very close to the river. Prices are reasonable.

I can't speak highly enough of the place to be honest .friendly staff good beer and nice food at reasonable prices in a comfortable atmosphere. Only reason I don't go more often is the limited parking in the area.

C'est super! Lovely atmosphere, quirky homely decor, friendly and charming staff. Excellent classic French food too, too we had a lovely dinner here. Definitely returning!

The atmosphere, the service, the food... All simply outstanding!

Very good. Great cosy atmosphere. Christmassy. Beef bourguignon not brill. Meat was tasteless and chewy. Not cooked for long enough. Should use shin or bavette. Sauce too thin. Fish soup, snails and fish pie excellent. Oh yes Romanian pinot noir bit average. Good beers. Definitely will go again

A good pub with good atmosphere and excellent range of drinks.

Limited menu but oh what a gem. Our party had a few coeliacs and we where all cared for. If they weren’t sure they check with the chef. Roughly 4 starters and 4 mains with daily specials, and a great pudding menu too. There isn’t a wall or ceiling which doesn’t have something on it, musical instruments, sheet music, nick knacks, matchboxes. Something to look at everywhere. The radiator in the back room looks like it was done by a dodgy plumber. The drinks where great, a good selection of beer and cider, wine and spirits. Its not in central Oxford, more like the ‘burbs, the clientele is an eclectic mixture of students, couples and families. Parking is non existent, so get a taxi or be prepared to walk. We will be back.

Unfortunately poor. As a semi regular here for meals over the years, we had the misfortune of meeting the landlady during our lunch today who was verbally hostile and rude towards one of our meal guests, ruining what should have been a pleasant family birthday meal. Which was a shame as the remainder of the staff were hospitable and welcoming as they usually are. In terms of the food, this was mediocre and overpriced. £12.00 for a very plain rather dry burger with fries - no salad accompaniment- £4 more if you wanted to add cheese and burnt bacon to your overcooked burger, suggests that this is a place now firmly resting on its laurels. A shame as it had been a previous favourite of ours. Oh well, there are fortunately plenty of other good places to eat in this area of Oxford.

Great selection of ales and ciders. This is a lovely old world hostelry. Highly recommended

I’m obsessed with this place. It was the perfect ending to my Oxford and London trip before heading back to the States. The staff were so friendly and it was such a magical and warm place to find refuge and peace in the midst of a rainy day. I love this place and it was one of the highlights of my trip.