King's Arms, Oxford Reviews Summary

Atmosphere

Pros:

• "It has a lovely atmosphere."
• "The atmosphere is fun, the people who work there are very nice and friendly."
• "The atmosphere also good for discussion and chill out together with friends."
• "Splendid wood panelled pub...clean and smart despite its age the pub managed to have a contemporary airy feel...it has a lovely atmosphere...relaxed, convivial everything an Oxford public house should be..."
• "A friendly, warm atmosphere."
• "Buzzing atmosphere on a Saturday."
• "Great atmosphere, saw families there looking happy."

Cons:

• "Zero Christmas atmosphere, no music and A tree and that’s it."
• "Well, the tables were dirty, it is a chaos with staff moving around all the time, but not much is done."
• "The overall dish was flat, boring and lacked garnish for colour and good presentation."
• "Terrible welcome. We gathered on boat race day and staff refused to turn on sound until the last minute which spoilt the whole experience."
• "When you enter the place smells of stale beer that spilled on the floor."
• "The pub is obviously crowded all the time due to closeness to all the tourist locations in Oxford so it was a bit difficult finding a table."
• "The lively, friendly atmosphere suggests I'm not the only one."

Service

Pros:

• "The service was prompt and friendly which was thoroughly appreciated."
• "Attentive staff."
• "The staff were friendly and helpful, catered for gluten free and it's dog friendly."
• "Great service and brought the food out to the outside table for us."
• "The staff were friendly and professional, the beer was kept well and not too pricey."
• "Super friendly staff, never saw so nice people!"
• "The staff was really helpful and nice, thanks to them I got fed and drunk after a long day, and - most importantly - didn’t miss the train!"

Cons:

• "Shockingly bad, surly and unfriendly staff with real hostility."
• "A few years ago I visited and left a negative review. Now years later nothing has changed. Just the same horrible service."
• "Personally thought the service could’ve been more attentive for the service charge."
• "It was very difficult seeing the bar manager joining in the bullying and physical harassment of a vulnerable person."
• "The bar staff are also very young and nervous and repeatedly made mistakes with orders."
• "Bar staff not great just serve the next person that catches their eye as opposed to who's been waiting longest."
• "The two individuals behind the bar this day at 2:33pm could use some help in providing quality customer service."

Food & Drink

Pros:

• "The fish was a generous portion of haddock and in a delicious batter."
• "Food was great, beer excellent."
• "Food wise perfect timing and great traditional food especially scotch eggs and fish&chips."
• "The cuisine is very food as well and the staff is very attentive."
• "The roast pork and crackling was good."
• "The waldorf salad was amazing, and the steak and ale pie was equally great, perhaps the best I've had during my journey here."
• "Had their fish n chips and pork and leek sausages with mash and gravy. Great quality ingredients made into delicate flavours."

Cons:

• "The wine was quite expensive which we didn't mind but it was served in horrible, cheap glasses."
• "Burger I had instead was deeply meh with a stale bun and barely-cooked fries."
• "Not only is the food here totally overpriced for the quality, it also gave both of us food poisoning!"
• "Venison burger was terrible though - didn’t expect it to be so sweet and didn’t like the flavor or spices at all."
• "The food however was a huge let down. The steak and ale pie (puff pastry lid) was under seasoned and was in an anaemic, watery gravy."
• "Absolutely terrible service."
• "The food was really, really dreadful."

Value

Pros:

• "The staff were friendly and professional, the beer was kept well and not too pricey."
• "The prices are reasonable considering the portions and quality of the food."
• "The beer prices remain reasonable for the centre of Oxford."
• "The food is pretty good too (and reasonably priced for Oxford)."
• "Food was superb with generous portions and price as expected."
• "A popular traditional pub, serving a good range of beers."
• "Good selection of real ales and very nice warm winter Pimms."

Cons:

• "Beer well kept and a decent selection, but so expensive."
• "For £20 this was a complete rip off."
• "MINISCULE STINGY PORTIONS! Even by London standards, the portions are ridiculously small."
• "Drinks and food are overpriced."
• "Paid more than 16 pounds for this **** food. Only try drinks and avoid food."
• "The King's Arms possesses the kind of abundant charm that doesn't need messing with...but the management know this charm is very alluring, so charge a premium for a pint."
• "Bullied by wait staff and management. Charged 8 quid to add four small strips of chicken to a salad despite holding cheese."

Cleanliness & Maintenance

Pros:

• "The pub was lovely and clean and Alister let us know the pub is actually dog friendly so we will be back in July with our pup."
• "Clean and well-maintained toilets add to the positive ambiance."
• "The place is clean, and their beers are wonderful, so you're gonna have a good time no matter what."

Cons:

• "Furniture is outdated & the toilets are extremely dirty."
• "When you enter the place smells of stale beer that spilled on the floor."
• "The gents toilet was a bit grim, getting served at the bar can take some time, and it can get pretty loud with everyone's conversations."
• "The toilets were awful. One had no light, there was no loo roll in the two lit toilets and the hand dryer didn't work."
• "Well, the tables were dirty, it is a chaos with staff moving around all the time, but not much is done."

Accessibility & Convenience

Pros:

• "Ordering via a phone app was simplistic and easy."
• "The pub is well situated and nearby to the centre of town and a bunch of colleges."
• "Great location, right in the middle of all the most beautiful Oxford buildings."

Cons:

• "Nice and central, fine for a drink but wouldn't recommend a visit for a Sunday roast."
• "The pub is obviously crowded all the time due to closeness to all the tourist locations in Oxford so it was a bit difficult finding a table."
• "No wheelchair access toilets was disappointing in this day and age."
• "Nowhere to change a child in the toilets so not good on that front."
• "Our online booking was belatedly cancelled just as we arrived."