Ye Olde Reindeer in Cherwell

This used to be a nice quiet "local" pub with a good ambience and atmosphere. However, we visited on a Saturday early evening and found it spoilt by kids running around playing and squealing out of control. In fact, it was worse than Wetherspoons! One child was even allowed to run around behind the bar (which is illegal) and allowed to ring the bell. Total chaos in this place now and we won’t be visiting again which is a shame as were regulars. If you like a nice quiet pub with an adult atmosphere, then avoid this place. If you want to sit in a kids creche then you will be happy here. Shame on the Landlord for allowing this to becoming the "new Wetherspoons"!

Fantastic old coaching Inn with history that is a must if visiting Banbury. Big food portions, all of Hook Norton ales available on tap

We stopped in for dinner. The ale and ciders are great. The food not so much. My wife ordered the fish pie. I ordered the Shepherds Pudding. The fish pie had watery runny mashed potatoes and so little fish she actually questioned if it had any at all. My dish had watery runny mashed, peas in the sauce and very little lamb. Overall I wouldn’t recommend the food here.

Possibly the oldest pub in the town. Reasonable deal all round 🙂

Great food great drinks good crack!

Both my wife and myself were looking forward to having an evening meal here after reading their reviews, unfortunately we were to be bitterly disappointed. I ordered the Fish Pie, which was described as containing at least three types of fish, it might well have done, but there was no mention that it was 90% potato. Similarly my wife ordered the Shepherd's Pudding, which was like a Shepherd's pie served in a large Yorkshire pudding, again the majority of the pie filling was potato. We could not recommend either of these choices from the menu.

Lovely pub/restaurant, we visited in the evening for dinner and drinks. The staff (Hannes and Marjan) were attentive and friendly, really welcoming to my disabled mother. The food was excellent, highly recommend the Mac & Cheese Bites.

Lovely old pub in the heart of Banbury

Great old pub. Popped in for a break from the motorway on a long drive home. Staff were friendly, Food was traditional and well done. Nothing fancy, but all good

Good food and service, go and try their burgers and wings

Quite a surprise this pub. It's far more than meets the eye from the street and has some fascinating history. I was part of a large family event but all the food came out close together and was hot. I had a roast and I felt like the vegetables were a bit stingy but there was plenty of meat. Dessert was top notch too.

All good - beer, food, atmosphere. Although £5.20 for a pint of Hooky feels pretty steep!

lettuce was end of the iceberg big lump of the worst part. Chicken outer was dark almost burnt. feel like the food has gone down hill from what it was which is a shame as it was good. Next time I will think twice and perhaps go to KFC

Delicious food Real ale was well kept. Warm welcome from the guy at the bar. Unfortunately can't say the same about the waitress

Perfect service, patient, hard working staff, great food, great prices. Staff were so kind and accommodating to allergies and dietary restrictions. thank you very much!

Delicious food and well kept ale. Beautiful old pub. Service from the waitress wasn't great. Sadly this affected the score

Such a wonderful pub, it's ancient and it owns it. Food was good, and had a nice pint too. Can't fault it

Great service and help from friendly staff

The best pub in banbury, great food I had piping hot cheesey lasagne...real ale in good condition with a reasonable choice. Tried 9 other banbury pubs on the day..

Food was ok, drinks good, Ale excellent as expected expected from a Hook Norton Brewery Pub but my god, in all my long years have I ever come across a more miserable, so unwelcoming bar staff I’ve ever come across. To the point that there are customers sat down right now looking at her and smirking about her. It’s almost laughable, that possibly it’s a set up! Been coming here for 8 years as a local, and this is quite a low. Beyond having bad day for her, at least show some professionalism!

Excellent home cooked food. A must when we are in Banbury!

Great menu. Really traditional homecooked food, which came out promptly and was super horrible and tasy. Allnfournofnus loved our meal. £65 for food amd drinks. Excellent. 100% recommend. 5 minutes walk from the Premier Inn.

Great old pub, beautifully decorated and maintained. Inside out out side tidy clean and friendly staff. Food was very good, had a chicken burger that had been home.made and was very good quality. Very good price for meals. Would have expected to pay more.

Lovely food and excellent service.

An excellent summer evening of beer and food in the courtyard of this atmospheric old town pub. The Hook Norton beers were superbly kept, and the food all-round was very good. The pie was delicious, but I had been about to order a burger when I noticed that all burgers are chicken, not beef!

Lovely oldie worldy pub with a welcoming atmosphere, friendly staff, great food and lovely ale. Dogs are also more than welcome, being allowed inside as well as in the "secret" & very pretty courtyard garden with their own menu of treats to choose from! Cannot recommend highly enough, will certainly be returning again the next time we're in Banbury.

ordered and no food ever arrived. called the pub to question where the order was after 2 hours and was simply told to complain through the app.

Nice pub, with good food and good beer.

Great food and service loved my meal ..

Regular venue for a Blues Jam. Small though

Visited for the Blues Jam, 1st Monday of the month at 7.30pm

nice food though we do need to go to the Reindeer and eat in person 🔜

Ok, so I know I mark generously as a rule, mainly to encourage businesses that are doing well but have room for improvement, but in this case, I award 5 stars across the board for faultless service and fabulous food. Ok, so I'm a sucker for a traditional pub serving real ale and this IS an establishment with clear history and a wide range of Hook Norton ales, but the star of the show could be either of the service or the food, both of which were faultless. A fabulous welcome and attentive service were complemented by 5 meals of freshly cooked and homemade food. None of us could find a single fault with our food (throw caution to the wind and try the caramelised onion and goats cheese tart, its fabulous) and the size of the plates, well... wow! Even a 'small plate' is a decent size. Full marks though for the lemon cheesecake pud, so often served lazily, but not tonight with a warm, tangy lemon sauce. A full five stars across the board, exceptional in this day and age. Seek this place out, its worth the walk!

Nice local pub, lots of history, very expensive drinks £15.30 for a Peroni and a medium NZ Sauvignon took my breath away.

Visitors to Banbury. Walked in on Friday evening. Casual pub, find a table where you can - though be careful you’re not near doors to garden as all the smokers congregate there, which is off putting. Varied menu, mostly homemade…. Hubby had pie of the day, an individual pie ( complete pastry case), I had the shepherds pudding - basically a shepherds pie in a medium Yorkshire pudding. Both had an excellent homemade sticky toffee pud ( dark and flavoursome, not sickly sweet) . Reasonably priced. Friendly service. Would go again, if in the area.

They keep a superb pint of Hooky

First time I’ve had to reheat the food, tasted great as always once it was hot again.

Quality of the ingredients was great however all the chicken was over seasoned with salt and coleslaw was missing from the burger which is why I ordered it so overall it was a disappointing meal.

Best food I've ever eaten, great prices. Atmosphere was excellent love the paintings and the taxidermy Staff were very friendly

Full of character. Well worth a visit.

A wonderful pub!!! It was such a lovely experience and it was one of the most beautiful pubs we have ever been to! This establishment has an incredible history dating back to the 1500s with a rich civil war involvement with even Oliver Cromwell dining there! The atmosphere was excellent being comfortable, cosy and friendly with lots of historical pieces. The prices were reasonable with large portions and delicious food. Fresh, homemade with lovely customer service. The fish pie, chicken burgers and tenders, and desert were delicious as well. Absolutely recommend and please visit if you are in the area if just for the fascinating historical influence!

A very good pint worthy of 5 stars, so good I had 3 pints! Why only 3 stars then you ask? The man in there serving behind the bar very rude and abrupt, had he of been more professional I would have awarded 5 out of 5.

One of the few places in Banbury that was actually open on a Wednesday lunchtime and would let my dog in. A rare example of an historic building that's been left alone and not updated. A proper pub. Friendly staff, don't change!

Went to a restaurant for dinner then popped in here for drinks. Lovely drop of old hooky THAT WASNT COLD! And the cider was from the Napton cider: excellant. Good ambience, friendly staff and very intriguing historic globe room.

Great delivery and lovely food, but would like the £1.00 back for the ranch dressing we didn’t get. ( tried the things missing from the order tab but it only listed the 4 main items.)

We visited Banbury and absolutely loved this pub. They offer a great range of locally produced beverages and food. We tried the local cider No. 6 and Old Hooky beer, both of which the attendant helped us choose. For food, we had the fish and chips for the kids and the goat cheese tart, which was amazing! Everything was fresh, well-cooked, and reasonably priced. We were also impressed with the decor and the variety of different rooms. The atmosphere was nice, and the attendants were very attentive and helpful. We will definitely come back when we're in the area.

Lovely little pub on our way to chipping norton,stopped for a drink and a brief walk good service and selection of drinks

Really great food, great ciders, and an interesting venue with plenty of history. The perfect place to take visitors to Banbury.

My wife and I ate here two days running and they were able to cater for my wife's special dietary requirements without any problems. Would recommend it to everyone. Bar staff were extremely helpful and we will definitely return if we're in the area in the future.

We had lunch in the garden / yard. Service was super fast when ordering via the QR code on the table. The food was great. My only complaint was the portion size was too big for a lunchtime. Hunter’s chicken was two full size battered chicken fillets accompanied by about half a pint of coleslaw. Could do with a “lite” option! The music was a little loud for outside, but at least it was Frank Sinatra, so not too bad.

Popped in for a drink over the weekend, nice pub, didn't get any food, but will next time I'm in Banbury

Great historic pub owned by Hook Norton Brewery and serving their excellent beer. Friendly atmosphere with lots of locals.

Pub great, just not a warm welcome when your spending money. A smile would not go amiss.

Great pub for a drink in Banbury, especially nice in the winter when the fire is on! We come here regularly and would recommend. I have never had the food so unable to comment on this though!

First time visiting food good prices good service good and beer good, all in all a good value

Such a beautiful pub and the food is incredible

Called here for lunch to break up a long journey. Four of us all had food & couldn’t fault it - it was delicious. Friendly staff & good selection of drinks.

Lovely in here, great ale and great food. Staff were very polite and friendly.

We had a group of 12, the table was reserved and all ready. When we ordered, the food came out really quickly. The food was lovely. The staff were polite and helpful. Great!

Food arrived within the time but was cold. food is very average at best but your charged a premium price. 1st time we ordered but probably won't order from here again.

End of the night, so I can't really say about the atmosphere. I haven't tried the food yet, so I can't comment

Just a burger & chips type of pub

It good place for date nights for people are in relationships

I have have used this brilliant pub for over 16 years since I moved to Banbury,the staff have always been fantastic and the food and drinks are excellent, never had a problem with either of them 🍺🍺🍺

We came in on a quiet Monday afternoon for lunch. Very impressed by the menu. We both had pie. Sadly the food had no taste, with extremely oily, watery gravy. It was also burning hot like it had been nuked in the microwave. The staff were very friendly, however we never received a check back. Neither did anyone clear our table and ask if everything was OK with our meal so we couldn't explain. The our itself is absolutely beautiful. Great atmosphere with decent music

Excellent place to eat and drink but not all the dishes available on Sunday lunch time. Dogs friendly.

Not a local (although familiar with Hook Norton ales) so didn't know what to expect when we visited here. Suffice to say well definitely come again when back in the area. From the warm welcome by the friendly staff to the excellent food (great value compared to other venues we looked at in the area) and atmosphere this place was a real treat. Highly recommend it.

It’s a shame the menu has been cut down a lot for the wing options but still a solid favourite in the area

Didn't eat there went to the blues club everyone there was friendly, enjoyed the evening.

Great vegan burger & the garlic rub fries are just the best! Thanks for the variety of sauces too, just the surprise I wanted! Will defo order again.

Was not great. Tasted greasy and not nice at all

Excellent pub, great food and fantastic ales

Wonderful little pub. Great food. Good custom service

Best pub in Banbury if not the world.

Nice food, good beer, very nice classic decor.

Excellent service, marvellous and delicious food and beautiful pub! We will definitely be attending the Reine Deer again! 10/10!

Been going there for years. Cosy. Expensive!

Lovely pub, really nice atmosphere and doggy friendly. The food was delicious and I particularly enjoyed the vegetarian cauliflower and halloumi rice, really tasty.

Sunday lunch with friends - 12 of us booked but on arrival had table for 4 & table for 8 reserved for us! Where we could have been seated as a group of 12 with 2 tables put together had 2 people seated on one of the ! So not the best organisation when seating people together that pre booked weeks before. Food was ok. Not enough staff waited ages to get a drink & order food as most of the time had 1 person behind the bar.

unfortunately the food was over cooked. I had previously ordered from this restaurant and the food was amazing but last night the food was almost burnt.

Food arrive stone cold. Must of been waiting for the driver. Had to heat up in the oven when it arrived.

Lovely atmosphere, I like the decoration

By chance, as we were passing through, we tried to book a table. It didn’t work, but the staff called us and said “no problem” so we popped in for lunch. Glad we did. Traditional old pub, with pleasant and capable staff, and my wife and I both enjoyed shepherds pie in a giant Yorkshire pudding. Wish we’d had time to stay for dessert. Good food, good service, good fair price.

Just moved into the area, and this inn was highly recommended and rightly so, all four meals were excellent and value for the money plus great staff, will be back soon.

arrived cold and over an hour after expected due time. Raised issue but no response.

Good range of real ales at reasonable prices. Pizzas are their Forte. A student meeting place. Good music, basic seating.

Been here a number times and have always had an enjoyable time. The food is well cooked and possibly the best avaliable. The service is friendly, welcoming and attentive with all the staff having a smile despite the odd rude customer. I would and have recommended this olde worldy pub and restaurant to anyone looking for a friendly pub offering fantastic food.

The barmaids were extremely unfriendly and unappreciative of our patronage, to the point of being disrespectful. At lunch, I was made to pay for a side dish that they forgot to communicate to the kitchen which I said I still wanted after our food arrived. To me, this reflected extremely poor customer service, firstly as it was not my error, and secondly, as I was made to wait. At any other establishment of repute, this oversight would have been properly acknowledged and they would have been embarrassed to charge the customer on top of their lack of efficiency and communication. The devil is in the detail and there is no better PR than when customers go away feeling happy and treated well. Added to this, two of our family members ordered the scampi and fries. In theory, you would expect both the owner and the cook to be mortified by the fried scampi flavoured puree that was dished up, but clearly, this is a money-saving measure that trumps self-respect and pride. Having been schooled and lived previously in the UK for many years we were visiting on this occasion as we now live abroad. Later in the evening my husband and I returned to order a snakebite and black for old times' sake. Very disappointingly, they had no idea what this classic British pub drink is. Instead of leaving, we opted to stay and ordered a dry rosé and brandy for each of us respectively. We were given a sweet rosé and a brandy instead, but I didn't say anything to avoid a fuss. Upon ordering our second round, my husband again requested a dry rosé and brandy and saw that the price was more than he had paid for the first round. The barmaid admitted that she had given us the wrong wine the first time and the reason the price had changed was because the dry rosé cost more. No big deal, we all make mistakes. It was her terrible attitude that stood out the most. In the end after hearing how unpleasant, defensive and argumentative she was getting with my husband ... the same barmaid who at lunch didn't properly communicate my order to the kitchen ... I got up, gathered our stuff, went to my husband and told him I was going to leave. I said something to the effect that this is a very simple order that doesn't warrant such an unpleasant experience. The barmaid showed absolutely no communication or customer service skills. No appreciation for our patronage whatsoever. In fact, during this whole debacle, the two barmaids started talking animatedly to each other in another language obviously saying ugly and negative things about my husband, right there in front of the rest of the customers and him. Honestly, this was the worst customer service and experience I have ever had. This is only a place I recommend you go if low quality food and unfriendly, disrespectful, unprofessional barmaids are your jam.

Order never turned up but said delivered

Great food and drink at reasonable prices. Staff were excellent.

After 2hr waiting i asked for a refound!poor service poor experience!never again!

Real home cooked food lovely. Two roaring fires. The oldest pub I've been in.

Went with friends for a meal. Went for the chicken mushroom pie. OMG. To die for. A full encased proper pie. Beautiful filling. Came with chunky home made chips and veg and a pot of gravy but I was just happy with the pie. Not stopped talking about it all weekend. Lovely friendly pub with a great atmosphere

Sunday roast did not disappoint, good portions well cooked meat, I had the lamb and my partner the beef, I opted for extra meat and genuinely didn’t need it, although the giant Yorkshire pudding and cauliflower cheese were also added extras. We were stuffed to say the least and we will be back.

Booked work christmas dinner in there, and it was really good. Food, atmosphere, and service were spot on. Lovely place

Good quality food delivered fairly quickly, but wow the Louisiana hot burger was far hotter than I expected! Definitely not one for the faint hearted!

What a Cracking pub. Atmosphere staff beer and food was a delight. So worth a visit. Well done to the landlord and staff.

A friend and I had a pleasant late lunch here one cold day. I had a mild curried chicken dish and a pint of beer and paid about 22 pounds, which was good value. The service was pleasant.

The food was excellent quality and tasted great, however, they put the chilled drinks in the same bag with the hot food so the food was cold by the time it arrived so I guess it would have been more stars if I didn’t have to deconstruct the burgers and heat it all up before we could eat it. Would still order again but they really need to put the drinks in a separate bag.

Huge and tasty chicken burger, great quality. Beautiful presentation too (the spring rolls were lovely).