The Punter in Oxford

Great food, service, and atmosphere

Lovely vegetarian/vegan pub along the canal, with a limited by very polished list of food options. In particular, we appreciated the possibility to order the weekly specials even though we dined on a Saturday night. For starter, I ordered the Tofu and Aubergine in miso sauce. The tofu had a nice crispy layer, while being very soft inside. I found the aubergine a bit bitter or overcooked, unsure if it was due to the miso. For main, I've had the fried polenta with ratatouille, and it was delicious!! Not too much expensive, I guess in line with the cost of living in Oxford. Definitely reccomended if you are hanging out with somebody having special dietary requirements.

The veggie only menu is so good I didn't even miss the meat.

This pub used to be called the Waterman's Arms. It was cosy and carpeted and warm. It claimed to serve the best sunday roast in Oxford. And it really did. It really did! It had a true community feel too. Now, they've ripped up the carpet and turned it into an overpriced and overrated vegan / vegetarian gastro-pub, and the staff seem both arrogant and officious. Maybe one day it will go back to being a good pub.

Sunday afternoon by the river. Good food and live jazz - what's not to love?

Lovely, vegan & glutenfree. Super service aswell!

Fantastic food. Rightly recognised as a top spot for vegan and vegetarian food in Oxford. Generous portions and delicious.

We had a most enjoyable evening in this charming pub by the Thames. An excellent dinner, with attentive, but not overbearing, service. I am not a vegetarian, but that did not matter in the slightest. I especially enjoyed my stuffed courgette flower and the crispy duck egg was delicious. I shall definitely come again. Thank you.

Great little pub, no wait and food smelled good but didn't get any.

We moored up right outside this pub at 5:30pm on Friday and it was already very busy. We hadn’t booked a table but they managed to squeeze us in on a table reserved for 7:00pm. The Punter has become one of our very favourite pubs for vegan and vegetarian food. It’s a pleasure to have some genuine options rather than just the ubiquitous vegan burger. All meals are homemade and freshly cooked. We took advantage of the three small plates (olives, pea scotch egg, hummus) for £13 offer along with the Crispy Polenta with Ratatouille and confit tomatoes. The Chocolate and orange deluxe with hazelnut Chantilly was exceptional!

Really nice meal - nice to have a veggie burger a) that isn't made of hideous meat substitute and b) isn't served in a brioche bun. Veggie Scotch egg for starter was nice. Only minor niggle, would have preferred chunky chips not thin fries. Service was friendly. Nice experience in a oub that I remember as the Waterman forty years ago.

Wonderful traditional pub with a modern bohemium feel located right next to a quiet tranquil river. We both massively enjoyed the vegan food ordered which was as full of flavour as our tummies were when we finished, which was very! Service was great, welcoming, warm and with a smile. Dog friendly too which was brilliant for our two four legged companions. We highly recommend.

Veggie, vegan needn't be the determining factor here - this is just great food in a pleasant location a short pleasurable walk from the city centre alongside a narrow boat section of the Thames. We called on spec late on a Bank Holiday afternoon unsure if they would be serving but glad to say they were. Service was extremely efficient and professional, sat outside in the small courtyard and was served entirely at table. We shared a selection of food from the appetiser, small plates and main sections - all were tasty, fresh and interesting. I'm a meat eater and not once did I feel I was missing out on anything. Looking forward to a return to try more of their dishes.

Delicious, healthy food in an unpretentious venue. We really enjoyed the food here, from our starters (salad) to the main course (tofu satay curry). The menu is well labelled for vegan/gluten free options too.

Delicious food and a good menu choice.

I was walking past on a hot day, so dropped in for a pint of beer. Outside and inside seating. After lunch was not busy, the outside had several people there, inside less so. Good range of cask beers. I had an excellent pint of XT, from Long Crendon. Plenty of tables, both inside and out. The place was clean. Near the river and the canal boats.

I have been a regular customer here since 2021, always appreciating the quality of the food and the overall dining experience. However, my recent visit left me somewhat disappointed. As always, the food was well-prepared, flavorful, and clearly made with attention to detail. However, I found the portion sizes to be smaller than expected, leaving me less satisfied than usual. The service, unfortunately, was below par. We were served a white wine without any ice in the bucket, which affected its temperature, and no plates were provided to share the starters, which made the experience less enjoyable. Given the prices, the experience didn’t match the standard I’ve come to expect over the years. While I’ve enjoyed dining here for the past few years, this recent visit has made me reconsider whether I will be returning anytime soon.

The waiter had a diva attitude, rolled his eyes and smack his lips. Except him, the garden is lovely, interesting menu, pleasant setting.

Fabulous food fantastic service and wonderful atmosphere, I will be visiting again and recommending to my friends and family

Wonderful food- so tasty. And very kind staff

Very disappointed, we had reserved a table for my partners birthday celebrations on the 1st of August. We had bought some Port in from home and agreed to pay the £50 corkage charge with the waitress, however there was a change of staff and the new waitress was not made aware of the arrangements. When we asked for glasses she was extremely rude and refused our request even after we had told her that we were happy to pay the corkage. She then went back inside, complained to her manager and the manager demanded that we leave the premises! Amazing poor service and communication. We had spent a lot on various meals, and drinks through out the afternoon as we had a stream of friends visiting. The manager finally realised that a mistake had been made but did not apologise. Tom, please have a word with your staff, I often recommend both places to numerous guests and friends. The young lady who served us, just assumed the worse, got on her high horse, did not listen and is not suitable for your place. She was full of her own self importance. Thank you.

Excellent little place with decent beer on cask, well kept too. But you must try the food. Those who might think vegan food is dull or uninspired, or even stubborn people who refuse to try it (we all know one, right), will definitely be impressed. The chef here really knows their stuff. The flavour is immense and excellently balanced, and you get plenty too which is a bonus. The only gripe I have is that we live too far away from here so it was only on holiday that we could visit. Properly excellent 👌.

What a delightful pub this is! First time here despite having lived in Oxford for forty years! Tucked away down East Street in Osney, The Punter is a charming pub offering vegetarian food and a range of really good beers including Kolsch. We tried smashed new potatoes with asparagus, gremolata and scotch duck egg. Very tasty! Geordie who served us was helpful and patient, especially as it took us a while to choose from the varied menu. Great experience and we will definitely come back.

Love this place so much! Being vegan and living in London, I have tried many different places that serve vegan food but I now find myself making plans to stop at The Punter whenever I'm around or passing Oxford. This is some of the best vegan food I've ever had - so much flavour in the dishes. Can't wait to visit again!

Perhaps the most understated pub in England from the outside (a refreshing change) in a superb position on the Thames, and the lovingly-prepared and beautifully-prepared vegetarian/vegan food was a complete revelation. A new experience for us and absolutely delicious.

Great G&T at a great price. Superb art on display too. Pleasant place for a pre dinner drink before heading into town .

A very relaxed environment with excellent customer care. Despite moving to an all vegetarian menu, they have a selection (albeit limited) for Coeliacs and those with allergies. Just be sure to double check the allergen menu ;-)

Wonderful old building with lots of framed artwork. Very cordial staff. Seating indoors or out. The food was amazing; everything on the menu is at least vegetarian, and most are fully vegan. The majority of those that aren't vegan by default can be ordered that way. We really enjoyed everything we tried. It's not an inexpensive place to eat, but I think you'll agree that it's worth the price.

Great place for original vegetarian and vegan food

The food at The Punter was very good again (our third visit now). I had the mushroom & lentil burger which was very tasty and held its shape whilst munching (so many vegan burgers just fall apart.) The fries were hot, tasty and crispy. Mrs N had three small plates including the hummus, scotch egg and the truffle and parmesan fries which she very much enjoyed. I finished up with the lemon tart (an ideally small portion but a bit over-priced) at £8. Our welcome was very-luke warm (felt like we were interrupting a conversation) and our table was in an awkward position between the disabled loo, the till and directly in front of the coffee machine. I like the smell of coffee - but not while I’m eating. My chair height meant that I was afforded an eye-level view of the dust and spills below and up the side of the machine.

I was looking for a vegetarian pub in Oxford for a quick lunch for four, and found the Punter online. The menu was intriguing - vegetarian pub food as hoped - and the food itself exceeded our expectations. Simply the best veggie food that I've seen in a while. The atmosphere was a little 'bare' but it was after 2pm on a Saturday and not full - some fascinating artwork on the walls though!

Wanted to love this place but food (all our dishes) were incredibly over-salted. And that's coming from someone who loves salt. The service was also of the mono-syllabic teenage-ry style and they both seemed hungover or keen not to be there. Sad and hope we just had a bad night.

Fantastic. Best vegetarian food in Oxfordshire. It's not cheap but "buy the best, screw the rest"

Light and airy inside, and a narrow garden outside.

This is a great pub but unfortunately doesn’t take cash such a shame there seem to be more pubs like this. My money will go else where. ☹️

Stopped off in the late afternoon for a couple of beers. Spent £40 but the staff were competent rather than welcoming. Beer OK but not much choice. Fabulous setting alongside the Thames.

Amazing vegetarian food near to the centre of Oxford

Very innovative vegetarian menu

Great place, out of town. The food was amazing and very friendly staff.

Very tasty food! Usually vegetarian and vegan restaurants always offer the same thing, curry and a burger. But this pub had a very nice menu and good choices. Would go again. Parking is a pain.

We were denied service for reasons that the waitress who accosted us unable to articulate.

Delicious food. Beautiful views of the River Thames. I had a pea risotto that was wonderfully creamy and on the side the scotch egg was cooked to perfection.

Very good vegetarian restaurant in a quiet peripheral location.

It's a great pub. Not cheap but good food for vegans etc and a great little spot.

A good place and it's a vegan pub tho i dont really like vegies but i still can it them and their food is delicious, it's just the portion is too big for my small stomach so i couldnt finish my meal.

Came here for food today and whilst the food was nice we were served soft drinks that were so salty that we had to return them. We were told that our drinks contain brine from the water softener which is why they are so salty and that this is an ongoing issue. Our new drinks were also salty and one of the waiters was not at all friendly about this. For the price of meals and drinks you don’t expect to be served drinks that made us feel ill. I am writing this review to encourage the owner to fix a faulty issue and to make sure customers drinks are safe.

Great to see the only vegetarian restaurant in a pub setting in Oxford. I wished there were more vegan restaurants in Oxford. Beautifully decorated with blue themed oil paintings which gave a relaxing/calming atmosphere. The starters, main course and desserts were delicious and a good choice. Great service. Nice outdoor seating area. Do recommend.

Superb menu, beautifully cooked too. Much appreciated, thanks! Scotch eggs, miso aubergine and hasselback butternut squash where particular highlights.. yum!

Bold statement but the best natural vegan / vegetarian food pub in the UK !! Made a special effort to visit The Punter, Oxford based upon the Good food Guide recommendations and it did not disappoint. All 3 courses were excellent, between the 9 separate dishes our group of 3 ordered not one single dish would be described as boring. All ingredients were fresh and natural with no processed mock meats in sight which is a refreshing change. The food quality was simply excellent and would be described as high end restaurant quality. One word of warning due to road works near the train station car parking was an absolute nightmare ( April 2024 ). We informed staff that we would be 30 minutes late and this was not an issue. This place would easily be in my top 3 places to eat as a vegan / vegetarian in the UK.

Lovely restaurant with great vegetarian and vegan options. My only reason for four stars is that there were several options with peanuts and given the small menu size, we were slightly limited for our group! But would otherwise highly recommend!

Mixed review and experience, unfortunately. This place sounded great on paper, and I love that it's all veggie and vegan, but it was just ok overall. We had a set lunch. The chocolate orange delice was really fab. The aubergine miso starter would have been better with more aubergine (it was loads of tofu with a small aubergine garnish). My main, tofu satay curry, was tasty but the texture ended up being too much after a while: just a load of sticky sauce with little textural difference. It has no rice or anything, so it felt like eating mainly sauce and tofu. I couldn't see any of the advertised chickpeas or spinach. So it was ok, but not amazing for us. What was disappointing was the service. It felt a bit cold and unfriendly throughout (though efficient). The place was empty so it was not like they were too busy or similar. At the end, I realised we were being overcharged for the pudding which they charged separately from the set lunch (it was actually part of the set). There was no apology whatsoever, which was disappointing. I'm not sure I will rush back in a hurry. Might give them another chance if in the area, but I wouldn't come especially.

From start to finish this evening was perfect, service was efficient, friendly and knowledgeable, but the food was out of this world, as a big ugly Rugby playing carnivore the thought of a veggie/vegan pub was a bit frightening, but i was blown away by the food. The wild garlic risotto in particular was 10/10, as was the miso aubergine, and the Parmesan chips, actually I could go on and on it was all perfect! Thanks so much, had the best time

A sublime meal worth every penny. The menu is more restaurant than pub, but the atmosphere and drinks selection are certainly "pub". My experience is that booking is necessary.

Good meal and pleasant staff, would thoroughly recommend.

I arrived having not booked on a Saturday evening but they happily found me a table. The building itself feels like its had centuries worth of history of being a pub and that adds a lot of character to the place. It’s refreshing having a creative and completely vegetarian menu and it’s one that restaurants could take note on. That said the 3 courses i had, the salad was good and on par with similar I’ve had in restaurants. The satay sauce had a beautifully mellow warmth to it and the sliced chillies meant you could give it an extra little kick if you wanted. I felt the crumble had slightly too little topping but that was particularly noticed as the topping itself was flavoured beautifully and was far superior to any crumble I’ve had before. I would say it’s well worth a visit even for those who wouldn’t normally go to a vegetarian/vegan place

Excellent food though limited menu. Friendly staff and traditional pub atmosphere. Off the main road apiece and can be crowded and noisy late in the evening. Definitely return again

Some of the best food in Oxford. And the beer’s good, too.

Ate a lovely meal here today - the portions were quite small but fairly filling along with a starter and fries on the side. We really enjoyed the parsnip rosti which is currently on the menu. Nice Negronis too and a very pleasant wood burner. The staff were very helpful. It felt a bit cold and sterile in the pub somehow, perhaps could have done with some soft furnishings to absorb the noise, also there was music at a very low setting which was barely audible so the atmosphere wasn't maybe as relaxed as it could have been - but maybe that's just a personal detail. No parking available so please bear this in mind if visiting from afar.

Tasty food, pleasant staff and nice atmosphere.

Have been here a bunch of times with various friends. Great pub, food is excellent. Highly recommend.

Great to have a pub with many good vegetarian options, quite pricey though. Burger buns were a little dry, but enjoyed the other dishes. Dog friendly.

It’s a while since I asked for a message to be sent to the kitchen to say thanks for the excellent food. Every dish we had was excellent. I wish I had this down the road where I lived; I would never be out of this place. The beer, wine and service were also top notch. Very happy customer.

I chose this vegetarian pub for my birthday dinner because it looked so cosy and because I love supporting veggie/vegan places. I was not disappointed. The fire was lovely, the pub is a warm and welcoming place. Our waiter happily explained the menu, he was kind and unpretentious. Our water ran out and without us asking he zoomed in and replaced it. Our food was served quickly and was hot and tasty. A perfect evening. Thanks very much we will be back.

A very nice place, the food was so good It did take a long time to choose because I wanted to try everything on the menu. Try the crumble but you might have to share.

Always a lovely place to visit with plenty of seating & lovely waterside views. Freezing temperatures outside made the warmth of the wood burner all the more cosy. The staff are welcoming, polite & provide excellent service. Our meals (vegetarian pasta & burger) & drinks were delicious. Highly recommended.

Absolutely beautiful vegan food. Highly recommend.

Great vegan/vegetarian menu! Food was on the expensive side, but deffo justified when it hit my taste buds which was great, but I HATE IT when the gratuity gets added on to the bill at the end, especially when the service was less than mediocre (the waiter wasn't sure if the drink I was about to order was an ale). I much prefer to pay a tip if I think the service justified it. However, my hasselback squash was delicious!

Very nice spot. vegan and vegetarian food and delicious.

Lovely cosy pub on the river, with cosy atmosphere. Food was well presented and loved the sound of EVERYTHING on the menu! Creative and inventive veggie food! However, portion of hummus was small for price/amount of pita, and my food, although looked wonderful, was exceptionally salty which is a shame!

A nice small cosy pub. You can order food there too. The barmaid was friendly. I have not ordered food there yet but it was busy when I went there and everybody was there to dine so that's a good sign

One of my favourite pics to go to for a treat. Delicious food!! Lots of gluten free choices for me. Plus, I’m able to bring the puppy into the pub. The parsnip dish was superb.

Very cosy on a cold, wet Sunday evening. Food was incredible and the service was brilliant. Will definitely be back.

We had a great evening with delicious food. Loved it, thanks

Welcoming, great beer and such good food.

Nice location, attentive staff and quick service. The menu looked great. However, the food was very average and bland for the prices paid. £17-18 for a main. If the food was half the price, I would have been satisfied. There are so many imaginative ways the food could have been improved for a little more effort.

Great art decor! Food was amazing, the best mushroom burger I have ever had! Great service as well. We went for a drink and lunch, is slightly out of the centre so wasn't too crowded but still had a nice buzz

All around 5, the vegan and vegetarian options are great--no "forest food" here!🙂

I enjoyed the vegan meal - celeriac soup and paneer satay with a couple glasses of wine. Lighting was too low for me but I imagine during the summer a nice place to patio dine outside near the canal.

Incredible food and impeccable service, the candlelight meant it felt cosy and comfortable. Am planning on coming back

Excellent food and service in relaxed pub setting by the canal. Staff polite and efficient, all dishes were tasty and well presented. Drinks and food all good value. This was our second visit and experience had been consistently good.

Cosy veggie/vegan pub by the water. Very impressed with the food….not your average pub grub.

Friendly staff with good draft beer downside cards, only no cash.

Three non-vegetarians, but I have started watching what I eat. We were tired, and it was close to our hotel. We had a nice short walk beside the canal, entered a spacious room that felt exactly right, and settled. Vegetarian Scotch egg? How could I not try that? We all found something that suited us, and awarded full marks for taste and value.

Nice vegetarian/vegan pub good food nice atmosphere in nice place by watrrway

Utter waste of time, beer was off yet the bar persons protested that it was "okay" even though it was basically mud water I could have scooped out the Thames. They have deleted my comment once, so I expect the same as they do not like or receive negative feedback

Wow, fantastic tasty food. It's amazing how much vegetarian food has changed. Service was excellent. Can't fault it, if you get a chance go.

Really excellent vegetarian and vegan food!! A tad on the expensive side.

nice interior with lots of artwork and nice old wooden tables. the polenta was better than the burgers

Pricy but really good food. Very pleasantly surprised by how good the food was.

Solid food and great staff. Yea, it’s vegetarian or vegan, but it’s delicious for meat eaters too

This is a very popular vegan and vegetarian restaurant and I would advise booking if you want to eat at a particular time. It is extremely handy for people arriving by boat. We had moored up just opposite and went in at 6pm to enquire about availability and were told either "now or 8.30" as all the tables were booked. The food we ate was excellent and the service attentive. 12.5% is added as a service charge to the bill but it's all shared with the staff, which is good. Food prices seemed a little high, but that's probably the Oxford effect.

Excellent vegetarian restaurant located in Oxford, on the banks of the Thames. The dishes are all excellent and the products are quality. The pub has a friendly and cozy atmosphere. The service is great. In short: a gem!

Delicious food, great warm evening atmosphere on the terrace.

Nice chilled pub by the river with good staff and a nice ambiance. Slightly limited wine list.

Lovely pub with friendly, helpful staff. The food was amazing; finally a place that makes good vegan food that isnt all mushrooms. Plently of great options done well with good portions. Can't fault it, thank you!

Super amazing place. Food was amazing too. Really would recommend this place

Went for a weekend date night. Staff were very friendly and attentive. Food choices were ample and came out in a very timely manner. Atmosphere was very relaxing and chilled. 5/5 - will definitely be returning.

Great vegetarian food, the hosts were polite and helpful. Recommended even for meat eaters.

Innovative veggie food, great location and kind service. Shared miso aubergine, peach and labneh salad(really good), tofu satay, lemongrass curry and greek salad. Subtle clever flavours and good quality ingredients. Staff lovely and attentative.

The Punter is excellent. It has truly excellent vegetarian food, cask ales, friendly staff and a really chill atmosphere right along the Thames. Great place to catch up with friends or come alone and read a book. Highly recommended