Quick info
About King's Arms, Oxford
King's Arms, Oxford is a pub on Holywell St in Oxford, built in 1607 and still standing in its original position as the oldest pub in the city. The old city centre building has rustic indoor spaces and a long history to read about while you drink. Young's bitter and Tribute Cornish ale are on tap, part of a large selection of beers. The kitchen serves fish and chips with triple cooked chips, crunchy batter and tartar sauce, and the bar snacks include pork pie and scotch egg. Guests order at the bar, or from the table through the app using the table number. Dogs are welcome.
Good to know
- ReservationsAccepts reservations
- ParkingParking
- AccessibilityWheelchair: entrance, seating
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Reviews
What reviewers say
Reviewers most often mention fish and chips, beers on tap, pork pie and scotch egg and apple and rhubarb crumble.
What reviewers say
Reviewers most often mention fish and chips, beers on tap, pork pie and scotch egg and apple and rhubarb crumble.
Customer Review Summary
Fish and chips is the dish reviewers raise most, with one calling the batter the crispiest they had eaten and another praising the triple cooked chips and the tartar sauce. Close behind are the beers on tap, including Tribute Cornish ale, and bar food such as pork pie, a blue cheese and mushroom starter, a burger and fries, and a chocolate and tea tart. Diners describe the atmosphere as cozy and rustic, with seating inside or on the terrace, and the service as friendly and quick even on a busy Monday night. A few mention generous portions and reasonable prices, and one liked the Oxford sauce. The complaints are about particular dishes. A scotch egg was not runny inside, a trout order arrived as salmon though the reviewer still enjoyed it, and the chicken and leek pie was only okay. The lowest review came from an apple and rhubarb crumble that arrived cold, with lukewarm fruit under a full jug of custard.
Customer Review Summary
Fish and chips is the dish reviewers raise most, with one calling the batter the crispiest they had eaten and another praising the triple cooked chips and the tartar sauce. Close behind are the beers on tap, including Tribute Cornish ale, and bar food such as pork pie, a blue cheese and mushroom starter, a burger and fries, and a chocolate and tea tart. Diners describe the atmosphere as cozy and rustic, with seating inside or on the terrace, and the service as friendly and quick even on a busy Monday night. A few mention generous portions and reasonable prices, and one liked the Oxford sauce. The complaints are about particular dishes. A scotch egg was not runny inside, a trout order arrived as salmon though the reviewer still enjoyed it, and the chicken and leek pie was only okay. The lowest review came from an apple and rhubarb crumble that arrived cold, with lukewarm fruit under a full jug of custard.
Featured reviews
- Bryn Mullen
“Sunday 25th October – The Kings Arms - Apple and Rhubarb Crumble Environment - a lovely Oxford city centre pub, filled with new students being dropped off by proud parents set the scene for tonight’s desert. I struggled to find a table but found my luck with as a party of 6 were vacating as I searched. I took a pre-warmed seat on the large to start my desert journey. After setting my coat down and noting my table number, I made my way to the bar. “A crumble and a Murphy’s please” I asked the barmaid. £13.75 for the pair, a modest price for this prime Sunday location. Custard - thick and hearty, but warm at best. At first I had thought this measly jug would not be enough to coat the crunchy crumble but I was wrong. Once the jug had a full pour and was well mixed into the crumble I found myself spilling the custard over the lip of the bowl. I had to take my first two bites quickly to contain the custard crumble breaching the boundary of the bowl. It was at this point the disappointment set in. The crumble was cold. After an exciting pour of custard, this was not what I had hoped for. Whilst it was a healthy portion, I could only think of the vast quantity of luke warm fruits that lay ahead of me. After a few bites I had understood this desert would be far more fruit than crumble. Despite my best efforts to mix crumble, custard and fruits, after 6-8 bites it was not much more a bowl of room temperature cooked sugary fruit. It would be hard to say I enjoyed this crumble, the temperature is what let it down. On another day, with a hot serving of crumble, this could have been an 8 or 9/10, but today this crumble gets a 5/10.”
- Лидия Б
“I’d like to say special thanks to lovely Grace! She was very positive, friendly and suggested me a tasty combo — her favourite light beer with fish and chips✌🏼😋 Also portions of the dishes are generous!)”
- Mateusz Cieslak
“Great typical old school Oxford pub with awesome ambience, large selection of beers on tap, good drinks, and food options.”
- Adam Carbajal
“Of all the fish and chips I've had, this was the crispiest. I could hear the crunch of the batter from the first to last bite. My wife got the burger and fries which were very good. I think I like their fries more than the chips. Great service, and great atmosphere inside or outside. Easy to order from the table via the app.”
- William Nelson
“I absolutely loved my visit to the Kings Arms Pub! The rustic atmosphere inside the pub is just the authentic experience I was looking for! Their beer selection is quite excellent! And the food is very good! We had fish and chips and our friends had roast beef and the meals were fabulous and the prices were reasonable! And the staff is very welcoming to us foreigners from America! Highly recommended.”
Hours
- Monday
- Tuesday
- Wednesday
- Thursday
- Friday
- Saturday
- Sunday
Highlights
“The famous Kings Arms is the oldest pub in Oxford, built in 1607 and still standing in its original position. We're quite possibly also the brainiest pub in Oxford too, known for having the highest IQ per square foot of anywhere in the world! Loved by Oxford scholars and tourists alike, renown for fine cask ales, hearty homemade food and our resident ghost.”
- Great beer selection
- Popular for solo dining
Amenities
- Wi-Fi
- Wheelchair accessible entrance
- Parking
- Accepts reservations
- Dogs allowed
- Dine-in
Show more amenities
- Food at bar
- Cozy
- Onsite services
- Beer
- Food
- Solo dining
- Offerings· 4
- Alcohol
- Cocktails
- Hard liquor
- Wine
- Dining options· 1
- Seating
- Facilities· 1
- Restroom
- Atmosphere· 2
- Casual
- Trendy
- Highlights· 1
- Great beer selection
- Crowd· 2
- Groups
- Tourists
- Accessibility· 1
- Wheelchair accessible seating
Location
Bars near King's Arms, Oxford
- Turf Tavern4.57,3430.1 mi£20–30ReservationsWheelchair accessibleOutdoor seating
sunday roast, ale selection, scotch egg
- The Chequers4.32,0340.2 mi£10–30ReservationsWi-Fi
pies, fish and chips, courtyard seating
- 0.2 mi£20–30
sam smith's beers, digital detox signs, schnitzel and sausages
| Place | Rating | Distance | Price | Mentioned in reviews |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| King's Arms, OxfordReservations · Wheelchair accessible · Wi-Fi | 4.32,481 | — | £20–30 | fish and chips, beers on tap, pork pie and scotch egg |
| Turf TavernReservations · Wheelchair accessible · Outdoor seating | 4.57,343 | 0.1 mi | £20–30 | sunday roast, ale selection, scotch egg |
| The ChequersReservations · Wi-Fi | 4.32,034 | 0.2 mi | £10–30 | pies, fish and chips, courtyard seating |
| The Three Goats Heads Pub | 4.4734 | 0.2 mi | £20–30 | sam smith's beers, digital detox signs, schnitzel and sausages |
The 3 nearest bars by distance. Ratings, hours and review terms come from public business profiles.
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