The Oxen Bar & Grill

Name: The Oxen Bar & Grill
Address: Milton Gate Milton, Abingdon, Oxfordshire, United Kingdom, OX14 4TX
Telephone: 01865 671480
Price range: £25 and under
Rating: 4.2

4.2

45 Reviews

£25 and under

British

Top tags:

Take sanctuary from the street-level bustle and dive in to the flavours of local British cuisine, our all-day neighbourhood brasserie nestled at home in the Courtyard Oxford South Hotel. With leather snugs, Oxfordshire inspired details, exposed bricks, soft handwoven textures, this intimate Oxfordshire restaurant and bar is a perfect antidote to busy life. Featuring an open kitchen with a stone pizza oven, alfresco terrace dining, and an urban lounge bar.

The Oxen offers a super cool casual dining spot, for local inspired food, craft beers, wines, gins and cocktails. Our menus feature local produce from Oxfordshire and the Cotswolds, with award winning rare breed longhorn steaks, freshly made pizzas, and seasonally inspired cuisine. Farm to plate at its best.

Make a booking

No. of diners

2 people

DateTime

5 Dec 2023

19:00

Experiences are available.

Additional information

Dining style
Casual Dining
Price
£25 and under
Cuisines
British, Pizzeria, Steak
Hours of Operation
Dinner Daily 18:00–21:00
Phone number
01865 671480
Website
http://www.theoxen.co.uk/
Payment Options
AMEX, Mastercard, Visa
Dress Code
Business Casual
Catering
<br />
Private party facilities
Please get in touch with our reservations team at 01865671480 or reservations@courtyardoxfordsouth.com
Private party contact
team@courtyardoxfordsouth.com: 01865 671480

Location
Milton Gate, Milton, Abingdon, Oxfordshire OX14 4TX
Area
Abingdon
Cross Street
A4130
Parking Details
Complimentary for all patrons
Public Transit
From Didcot train station catch the Milton Park Shuttle which runs thought the day and drops you right on our door.The X2, X33 and X32 all stop on Milton park Bus stop B and we are a short walking distance.
Additional
Banquet, Bar/Lounge, Beer, Beer Garden, Cafe, Cocktails, Counter Seating, Full Bar, Gluten-free Options, Happy Hour, High Tea, Late Night, Outdoor Smoking Area, Patio/Outdoor Dining, Patio/Outdoor Dining, Private Room, Wheelchair Access, Wine

Experiences

LOVEOXEN MEMBERSHIP
Multiple dates available
#LOVEOXEN MEMBERSHIP OFFERS FOLLOWING BENEFITS: 20% discount off food and drinks at The Oxen Free car parking Free use of co-working space Special discounts for event and meeting rooms for up to 150 pax Invitations to special events Special weekend rates for new, oversized bedrooms with modern amenities Invitation to free networking events Special member only offers Free Wi-Fi.

What 45 people are saying

Overall ratings and reviews

Reviews can only be made by diners who have eaten at this restaurant

4.2

4.2 based on recent ratings

4.3Food
4.2Service
4.1Ambience
4.3Value

Noise • Moderate

45 Reviews

B
Barbf
1 review
5.0
1 review
Dined on 5 November 2023
overall5food5service5ambience5
I have eaten at oxen bar and grill (carvery) twice both time's myself and partner have enjoyed it very much so it will be a regular thing it certainly is a really lovely place to eat staff are really nice and friendly
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R
Rk123
1 review
3.0
1 review
Dined on 14 October 2023
overall3food4service3ambience4
Lovely afternoon tea, but coffee provided is instant coffee and not great!
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OT
OpenTable Diner
Oxford
1 review
5.0
1 review
Dined on 24 September 2023
overall5food5service5ambience5
Cant fault anything ...amazing service ...food excellent I loved the lemon cheesecake...to the cheese and crackers roast and great you can have unlimited coffee and tea ect...great value for money x
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CE
ChrisE
1 review
4.0
1 review
Dined on 10 September 2023
overall4food4service4ambience3
Even though we were a late booking the quality of the food was still very good and plentiful. The staff were very friendly and helpful, thank you
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G
Gnomes24
1 review
4.0
1 review
Dined on 10 September 2023
overall4food4service3ambience4
Booked online for Sunday lunch - really easy system, Restaurant easy to find and actually smaller than I expected. However this was a bonus as the atmosphere was calm and mostly adults. I liked the buffet style, plenty of choice for all courses. I don't have dietary requirements and I am not vegetarian/vegan so cannot comment on their choices for the carvery. Amazing value for money, and will definitely eat there in the future.
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M
Michael
1 review
4.0
1 review
Dined on 10 September 2023
overall4food4service4ambience5
Had Sunday carvery. Excellent value. Food was a reasonable quality. Didn’t expect 3 courses and coffee Only problem they had no beer-only lager and the bottle of white wine brought to the table was room temperature- had to put ice in it from the ice bucket.
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MF
MariaF
1 review
4.0
1 review
Dined on 19 August 2023
overall4food4service5ambience3
Great waiters , lovely pasta and salad . Pizza could be cooked more ,
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AH
AndrewH
Oxford
1 review
5.0
1 review
Dined on 9 July 2023
overall5food5service5ambience5
Absolutely delicious starter, main and dessert. Very friendly staff and a nice restaurant
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d
dragonlady
Berkshire
2 reviews
4.0
2 reviews
Dined on 9 July 2023
overall4food4service5ambience4
Staff were friendly and attentive food was well cooked. Very good value for money. There was a nice ambience about the place, I would definitely go back again.
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CA
ChrisA
Oxford
1 review
5.0
1 review
Dined on 25 June 2023
overall5food5service5ambience4
Staff extremely helpful with food allergy problems and excellent meal enjoyed
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SS
SarahS
1 review
5.0
1 review
Dined on 18 June 2023
overall5food5service5ambience5
Lovely meal at oxen bar and grill for Father’s Day. We had the carvery and it was great! The staff are lovely and will go above and beyond for you. My only bad point to the whole meal was that it’s abit unorganised at the food collection part. The starters are in the middle of the carvery instead of at the start and we did have a little wait for the veg but apart from that everything was good, clean and friendly. Would recommend and I will be returning. Also free pool table so my son and husband loved it!
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LT
LesleyT
Oxford
4 reviews
vip
3.0
4 reviews
Dined on 18 June 2023
overall3food3service5ambience3
Sunday Carvery review … Asparagus soup with warm bread rolls or salad with mixed meats to start. Roast beef and roast gammon with fried roast potatoes! Parsnips, carrots, broccoli, cauliflower cheese. Shop bought stuffing balls and Yorkshire puddings. Nice gravy. Other things on offer fish cakes and mushroom risotto. No horseradish sauce for the beef!! Criminal! Desserts… lovely looking chocolate cake, fruit cheesecakes, strawberries and cream, fresh fruit and jugs of cream. Tea and coffee included. £25.00 each person, it was Father’s Day. We enjoyed our meal.
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JP
JamesPQ
1 review
5.0
1 review
Dined on 11 June 2023
overall5food5service4ambience5
Went for the carvery, beautiful decor, food was great, only issue was the containers were not filled up quickly enough, so we had to wait for cauliflower cheese. But the the friendly manner of the staff outweighed the wait. Didn't realise til the end that tea and coffee also available as part of the price, so over value for money was incredible or 3 course meal and hot drink. Lovely foreign lady with dark hair was our waitress and I can't for the life of me remember her name, but she was fabulous. The manager also good at checking on all tables and accommodating a party of people who had turned up to the wrong venue for their afternoon tea. Nothing too much trouble for the staff. Will definitely be going back. If I may just add for future carvery days, it might be worth putting a pot of gravy on display with serving pots so customers can either put extra on their plates or take a pot back to their table. Most people I know like quite a bit of gravy, this is not a criticism just a note to take on board in future as it may help.
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SS
SusanS
1 review
5.0
1 review
Dined on 29 April 2023
overall5food5service4ambience5
Good food. Service was good although at times slow but worth the wait. Food is nice.
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ES
EdwinS
Oxford
1 review
5.0
1 review
Dined on 19 March 2023
overall5food5service5ambience5
Food was first class and great although service was a bit slow.
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SC
StaceyC
Oxford
1 review
3.0
1 review
Dined on 25 February 2023
overall3food4service4ambience2
Lovely setting, lovely food, but the music was blaring and type of music did not match the environment at all.
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D
Disappointed
Oxford
1 review
1.0
1 review
Dined on 16 July 2022
overall1food2service1ambience2
The experience got off to a bad start and never recovered ! Despite having booked on-line the day before it became immediately apparent there was no table for us . We were told our booking should never have been accepted because they were full with coach parties ! Asked to wait in the bar and someone would come. 15 minutes later no one had come. I think by now you have got the picture. We ended up eating a very average meal in the bar ! Four star hotel....never !
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MA
MarkA
London
15 reviews
vip
1.0
15 reviews
Dined on 1 July 2022
overall1food1service1ambience1
The place was dead with only 2 other people in the restaurant, despite it being the Grand Prix weekend. They messed up the food order, then forgot the drinks order. The manager was very apologetic saying that they have issues in the kitchen (but only 3 people in the restaurant?). I the morning for breakfast, around 06:50 I was pointed to the hot food buffet, only to find there was nothing there as they hadn't got around to putting any food out, despite breakfast starting at 6:30. I won't be going back
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MI
MIRIAMO
Hungary
1 review
3.0
1 review
Dined on 21 May 2022
overall3food4service5ambience3
There are 200 Afghanistan refugees at this hotel that have been there for 2 years (we were told that the ones that have been there 2 years have refused local housing as they want to live in London near family that have already settled there). Whilst the refugees are not a problem as they are quiet and the children are well behaved, they constantly come into the restaurant for supplies like food, bottled water, fruit and utensils etc. The children often go into the restaurant in their pyjamas if at night. Whilst we didn’t mind as it must be hard for them, especially the children, if you want a romantic meal this is not the place to go. (The refugees do have their own dining room and supplies in there). We booked in as it said it was an award winning restaurant and it looked lovely online but be aware that your heart strings will be pulled at and you’re constantly watching people coming and going wondering what is going on. In the end I asked a member of staff.
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J
Jacs
Oxford
1 review
5.0
1 review
Dined on 10 April 2022
overall5food5service5ambience3
The manager Daniel and assistant Joe were very attentive and provided excellent service. Food was very nice, hot and qell presented
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o
owenhall
London
4 reviews
5.0
4 reviews
Dined on 27 March 2022
overall5food4service5ambience4
Excellent staff and great food. Splendid venue for Mothers day
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RS
RobertS
Oxford
1 review
3.0
1 review
Dined on 11 March 2022
overall3food2service4ambience3
There appeared to be a party or wedding being prepared which meant doors were open and shuttung frequently causing quite a bad draft on a pretty cool day. Service was good the food was well presented but not very hot and lacked something for our taste.
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HJ
HimalayaJoe
Aberdeen
4 reviews
2.0
4 reviews
Dined on 24 February 2022
overall2food1service3ambience2
Menu descriptions don't really match up with what is provided. For example, the prawn and chorizo gratin is not anything close to resembling a gratin. It's a couple of mushy prawns and 2 slices of chorizo served in a bowl of grease and what is supposed to be a "white wine reduction". The burger promises "west country beef" but what is actually delivered is generic mass-produced dense burger patty of untraceable origin. Onion rings are straight from the catering equivalent of a Farmfoods frozen bag. I ate here because I could not face the Harvester restaurant next to the hotel, the Oxen is pretty much the same sort of food, i.e. if it's not deep fried or grilled, it's microwaved. Nothing is being cooked from scratch here which is fine if you're not trying to give the impression that you're some kind of locally-sourced farm-to-table type of operation.
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DH
DarrenH
New York Area
4 reviews
5.0
4 reviews
Dined on 12 February 2022
overall5food5service5ambience5
I’d booked ahead but didn’t need to The food was very nice and the service was great would recommend going to the Oxen
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SO
SueO
Oxford
1 review
3.0
1 review
Dined on 10 February 2022
overall3food3service3ambience3
Nice environment with the right amount of atmosphere. The food was of a good standard and value for money. The service could have been a little quicker. We were a table of seven for a work lunch.
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A
Alex
Oxford
2 reviews
4.0
2 reviews
Dined on 8 January 2022
overall4food4service4ambience3
Staff were friendly and attentive, food was great, I’m not a big fan of steak but tried the ribeye and loved it. A little expensive but if you’re planning a fancy meal it’s a good choice.
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K
Kb44
Oxford
1 review
1.0
1 review
Dined on 22 October 2021
overall1food1service1ambience1
Booked a table for 5.15. When we arrived told kitchen doesn’t open till 6 and no food available till then.
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TW
TonyW
Oxford
1 review
5.0
1 review
Dined on 10 September 2021
overall5food5service4ambience4
Always worth a visit and eat here each time we stay. Good range of selection of drinks and fayre and staff are attentive. Recommended.
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PC
PaulC
Oxford
1 review
1.0
1 review
Dined on 7 September 2021
overall1food1service1ambience1
Woeful! Maitre’d showed no interest in our booking, no interest where we sat ( I booked an outside table which were all occupied with smokers), so we asked to sit inside. Same attitude when we found somewhere (a booth). Table was still dirty - not wiped down as there was still evidence of glass marks, not very COVID-19 friendly in that regard. We were then passed a menu, which was a paper photocopy of a photocopy, which made the text fairly illegible. We had one d5ink (expensive) and left.
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CM
ColinM
Essex
1 review
5.0
1 review
Dined on 17 July 2021
overall5food5service5ambience5
We had a very nice meal here on a Saturday evening. Food was freshly cooked and delicious. Our server was a young lady who looked after us very well. We would certainly return here.
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KD
KarlimayD
Oxford
1 review
4.0
1 review
Dined on 31 October 2020
overall4food3service4ambience4
Some parts of the food was ok but some wasn't the chicken from the chicken tikka tasted very rubbery wasn't every nice and also with the breakfast the sausages was not cooked they were very pink.
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HB
HarveyB
London
2 reviews
5.0
2 reviews
Dined on 24 October 2020
overall5food5service5ambience5
Our server Sam made our meal very enjoyable, he was great. Food was good and prices are really good. We got 25% off food too
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SL
StephenL
Oxford
1 review
5.0
1 review
Dined on 17 October 2020
overall5food4service5ambience4
Had a wonderful meal here,the barman sam is such a lovely lad so very polite helpfull and very attentive, well done Sam for making our evening so welcoming
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CW
CliveW
Oxford
1 review
4.0
1 review
Dined on 16 October 2020
overall4food4service3ambience3
The food was as good as ever as I have eaten there are a number of times. Due to the circumstances at the moment there are only two other people eating in the restaurant on a Friday evening at 730 so it's a little unfair to criticise the atmosphere. The only criticism I would have and I know it's a difficult balance of cost and other circumstances is that the service was somewhat slow, this you could see was due to only two people being able to serve in the restaurant and I think possibly only one person in the kitchen and they were being helped by people from the restaurant. Being objective with this stop me from eating here again no it would not in the service personally from the staff was excellent.
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JP
JonP
Oxford
2 reviews
3.0
2 reviews
Dined on 11 October 2020
overall3food2service2ambience2
The restaurant is lovely, modern and clean but it lacks some background music. The food was a good menu but it felt like the food was microwaved and not freshly prepared which was very much a shame.
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OT
OpenTable Diner
Oxford
2 reviews
5.0
2 reviews
Dined on 14 February 2020
overall5food5service5ambience5
This isn’t the second time we have been and both times the food was amazing, staff are polite and friendly and it’s never to busy so you have a nice relaxed evening without feeling crowded or having to sit to close to other diners. Will definitely be booking in another visit
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PB
PamB
Oxford
1 review
4.0
1 review
Dined on 12 January 2020
overall4food4service5ambience4
We were disappointed to find that Sunday Lunch finished at 2pm (our reservation was at 2.15 pm) so had to make do with burger and chips. The meal was good but if the website had shown that Sunday Lunch ended at 2pm we would have made our reservation for an earlier meal. There was no indication of available times on The Oxen Bar and Grill website which is a huge criticism in our opinion!
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TC
ThomasC
Oxford
1 review
3.0
1 review
Dined on 1 December 2019
overall3food2service5ambience4
The chef was clearly very skilled but working with very poor ingredients. I have never tasted beef so tough. The vegetables were creative and the gravy good. Lots of effort here but with poor quality material to work with, Won't be returning.
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N
Nick
London
3 reviews
1.0
3 reviews
Dined on 28 October 2019
overall1food2service1ambience2
Night did not start well when I was told to change fat chips for skinny fries would cost £1! The reason is a menu change costs a £1 even when they are priced the same. Starter of hot prawns was sent back twice as the prawns were not cooked and were still grey! I did not wait for a 3rd attempt. Steak was very good and perfectly cooked. Pizza was okay but not crispy all round which suggests it was not turned in the oven! Staff were not great and did not interact with the diners at all. To their credit as well as not charging me for the starter I did not eat, they also did not charge for the steak.
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f
fiftyplus
Buckinghamshire
1 review
4.0
1 review
Dined on 28 June 2019
overall4food4service4ambience5
Light, airy surroundings, well-spaced tables and helpful staff make for an enjoyable dining experience. There is a fair variety on the menu, including some imaginative veggie options. Helpings are sensible and the quality excellent - well worth the price.
The Oxen Bar & GrillResponded on 3 July 2019
Hi Fiftyplus, Thankyou for taking your time to review your recent visit with the Oxen, the team really appreciates your feedback. The Head Chef works hard on making the menu available to all dietary requirement, and the varied selection and daily specials make sure every visit you can try something new. The team look forward to welcoming you back in the near future. Warmest Regards Alex Food and Beverage manager
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Safety precautions

Cleaning & sanitising
- Surfaces sanitised between seatings
- Digital, disposable or sanitised menu provided
- Sealed or wrapped utensils used
- Common areas deep-cleaned daily
- Sanitiser or wipes provided for customers
- Contactless payment available
Physical distancing
- Limited number of seated diners
- Distancing maintained in common areas
- Extra space between tables

Protective equipment
- Waiting staff wear masks
Screening
- Sick staff prohibited in the workplace
- Staff temperature check required
- Contact tracing information collected

FAQs

The Oxen Bar & Grill is rated 4.2 stars by 45 OpenTable diners.

Yes, you can generally book this restaurant by choosing the date, time and party size on OpenTable.

Make a booking

No. of diners

2 people

DateTime

5 Dec 2023

19:00

Experiences are available.

Milton Gate, Milton, Abingdon, Oxfordshire OX14 4TX

Additional information

Cross Street
A4130
Area
Abingdon
Hours of Operation
Dinner Daily 18:00–21:00
Price
£25 and under
Cuisines
British, Pizzeria, Steak
Dining style
Casual Dining
Dress Code
Business Casual
Parking Details
Complimentary for all patrons
Public Transit
From Didcot train station catch the Milton Park Shuttle which runs thought the day and drops you right on our door.The X2, X33 and X32 all stop on Milton park Bus stop B and we are a short walking distance.
Payment Options
AMEX, Mastercard, Visa
Additional
Banquet, Bar/Lounge, Beer, Beer Garden, Cafe, Cocktails, Counter Seating, Full Bar, Gluten-free Options, Happy Hour, High Tea, Late Night, Outdoor Smoking Area, Patio/Outdoor Dining, Patio/Outdoor Dining, Private Room, Wheelchair Access, Wine

Website
http://www.theoxen.co.uk/
Phone number
01865 671480
Catering
<br />
Private party facilities
Please get in touch with our reservations team at 01865671480 or reservations@courtyardoxfordsouth.com
Private party contact
team@courtyardoxfordsouth.com: 01865 671480

The Oxen Bar & Grill

Make a booking

Additional information

Experiences

LOVEOXEN MEMBERSHIP

Menu

Soup of the Day

Hand-Carved Roast Beef

Hand-Carved Gammon

Unlimited Sides

Crispy Roasted Potatoes

House Salad

Golden Yorkshires

Roasted Carrots

Garden Peas

Cauliflower Cheese

Stuffings

Desserts

Bread and Butter

Pudding

Cheese Platter

Tea & Coffee

Unlimited Tea & Coffee

What 45 people are saying

Overall ratings and reviews

Safety precautions

Cleaning & sanitising

Physical distancing

Protective equipment

Screening

FAQs

How is The Oxen Bar & Grill restaurant rated?

Is The Oxen Bar & Grill currently accepting bookings?

Make a booking

Additional information