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ventaWarning: this post is probably really dull if you don't know Oxford
Jude the Obscure is a nice pub.
Yesterday we went to Bicester shopping village - the pub up the road is the only place to get a proper meal, so we trundled along to it at about half four. Breakfast had been about half eleven, so we were just right for dinner.
No, said the person behind the bar, they weren't serving food til 5:30. Because "We got bat at lunchtime". At least, that's what it sounded like. We were halfway out the door before we realised none of us really knew what he'd said.
Home to the Fox and Hounds by our house. yes they were serving food. No, there wasn't a menu, only a carvery. Brief consultation: none of us really felt up to a full roast dinner. And it looked like it had been sitting keeping warm for several hours...
Plan C: we went to the Beefeater pub at the top of Cowley road. Yes, I know there are lots of places to eat on Cowley road, but (a) we felt like not-Indian, not-Chinese, and (b) remarkably few places are open at 5pm. The Beefeater said we could have a table (so long as we finished our meal in under two hours, as the table was booked then - guess they must have been booked for a party as there were only half a dozen tables full). We sat down, we ordered drinks. Nearly 40 minutes later, with no drinks and having not got to order our food, we[*] decided to cut our losses and leave.
Unable to think of anywhere else at our end of town, we drove up to Jericho with the intention of going to Cafe Rouge. It said it would open at 6. We thought we'd amble to Jericho Books to kill the few minutes left til 6 - it was shut. Then the Cafe Rouge staff told us that, because a member of their staff had died unexpectedly the day before, they weren't opening til 6.30. And they were going to be limiting numbers, so if we hadn't reserved a table we were stuffed.
A little further up the road, we tried Pierre Victoire - all closed up, and looked like it was getting ready for a private party.
Back up Walton Street... the Jericho Tavern was serving food! They let us buy drinks! We ordered food, and it arrived!
The staff were friendly. They went out of their way to help us, even. The music was not bad either - lose a point for playing Oasis, but bonuses for Divine Comedy and The Smiths. I don't know the Jericho pubs well, having never lived over there, but that would definitely merit a return visit...
[*]That is to say, Andy and Samantha decided. I'd have been more inclined to go and grumble at the staff.
And: don't try to get a fried breakfast in Oxford centre after 11am. I don't think it's possible. Anyone who can recommend a location where you can, closer to Carfax than the St Giles Cafe, wins a fried egg sandwich.
Jude the Obscure is a nice pub.
Yesterday we went to Bicester shopping village - the pub up the road is the only place to get a proper meal, so we trundled along to it at about half four. Breakfast had been about half eleven, so we were just right for dinner.
No, said the person behind the bar, they weren't serving food til 5:30. Because "We got bat at lunchtime". At least, that's what it sounded like. We were halfway out the door before we realised none of us really knew what he'd said.
Home to the Fox and Hounds by our house. yes they were serving food. No, there wasn't a menu, only a carvery. Brief consultation: none of us really felt up to a full roast dinner. And it looked like it had been sitting keeping warm for several hours...
Plan C: we went to the Beefeater pub at the top of Cowley road. Yes, I know there are lots of places to eat on Cowley road, but (a) we felt like not-Indian, not-Chinese, and (b) remarkably few places are open at 5pm. The Beefeater said we could have a table (so long as we finished our meal in under two hours, as the table was booked then - guess they must have been booked for a party as there were only half a dozen tables full). We sat down, we ordered drinks. Nearly 40 minutes later, with no drinks and having not got to order our food, we[*] decided to cut our losses and leave.
Unable to think of anywhere else at our end of town, we drove up to Jericho with the intention of going to Cafe Rouge. It said it would open at 6. We thought we'd amble to Jericho Books to kill the few minutes left til 6 - it was shut. Then the Cafe Rouge staff told us that, because a member of their staff had died unexpectedly the day before, they weren't opening til 6.30. And they were going to be limiting numbers, so if we hadn't reserved a table we were stuffed.
A little further up the road, we tried Pierre Victoire - all closed up, and looked like it was getting ready for a private party.
Back up Walton Street... the Jericho Tavern was serving food! They let us buy drinks! We ordered food, and it arrived!
The staff were friendly. They went out of their way to help us, even. The music was not bad either - lose a point for playing Oasis, but bonuses for Divine Comedy and The Smiths. I don't know the Jericho pubs well, having never lived over there, but that would definitely merit a return visit...
[*]That is to say, Andy and Samantha decided. I'd have been more inclined to go and grumble at the staff.
And: don't try to get a fried breakfast in Oxford centre after 11am. I don't think it's possible. Anyone who can recommend a location where you can, closer to Carfax than the St Giles Cafe, wins a fried egg sandwich.
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no subject
Date: 2002-12-15 06:36 pm (UTC)There's a pub on Cranham Street just off Walton Street which is normally very good for decent but cheap food - can't remember the name. *Google, Google* http://www.ox.compsoc.net/oxnet/directions.html suggests it's the Radcliffe Arms, but this neither rings nor unrings bells. Had I been there at the time I would have moved for a trip to Peppers, the best burger bar in the known world. Mmm, Peppers.
I need an Oxford icon. This will have to do.
no subject
Hmm
Date: 2002-12-16 12:36 am (UTC)Re: Hmm
Date: 2002-12-16 03:18 am (UTC)Wrong
Date: 2002-12-16 04:11 am (UTC)BHS, Allders, Debenhams and Littlewoods all stop serving breakfast at 11am. And seemed to think we were rather strange for wanting one at half past.
no subject
Date: 2002-12-16 04:14 am (UTC)Room service doesn't count, no.
McDonalds would have had to count (reluctant though I'd have been to eat there), but stops serving breakfast at half ten.
The Radcliffe Arms does serve nice food. But I don't think it does breakfasts and, more importantly, it's further away from Carfax than the St Giles Cafe by some considerable margin. Peppers, being a burger bar, doesn't serve breakfast either, and is even further away.
no subject
Date: 2002-12-16 05:45 am (UTC)I dunno...
Date: 2002-12-16 05:55 am (UTC)Best answer so far, though :)
no subject
Date: 2002-12-16 06:11 am (UTC)When ?
Date: 2002-12-16 06:41 am (UTC)If the latter, we were trying to avoid the town centre, as we had a car with us. The Crown certainly used to do rather nice food, though...
Was the Grand Cafe open?
Really, venta, one must get one's priorities in order.
Re: Was the Grand Cafe open?
Date: 2002-12-16 02:18 pm (UTC)Why skip breakfast when you can then have high tea later as well?
Re: Was the Grand Cafe open?
That being said, don't some of the cheesier pubs (like the King's Arms) do a cooked breakfast on weekends? I thought that the Lamb and Flag did, but a) I could be wrong, and b) it's further north than the St. Gile's Cafe, isn't it?
Re: When ?
Date: 2002-12-17 02:44 am (UTC)