Pub of the Week: The Star, Oxford
Oh we do love a quirky a pub! And The Star in Oxford is just that. This one is new to us, but one we have come to really love very very quickly, and its easy to see why when you visit. Tucked just off of the Cowley Road, amidst a collection of traditional terraced houses, this pub is a real hidden gem. As an Independent Free House, it’s clearly a favourite watering hole with locals and makes for the perfect after work drinks pit stop. With relatively new owners having purchased the pub during lockdown, they were keen to preserve the vibe and community that its reputation had built up over the years, an achievement of which can only be described as a complete success. After a refurb and re-jigging of the garden area, The Star is better than ever.
From the front, the pub almost blends in with the houses that sit either side and across the street from it, which is to its benefit, in-keeping with its surroundings. Multi-coloured fairy-light bulbs strung across the front of the building give you a flicker of what to expect on the inside. Inside, the atmosphere is cosy and warm, with deep red walls and rich wooden beams creating different booths within the bar area. Various different quirky bits of artwork will certainly catch your eye, almost as much as the bar itself does. The Star is known for its excellent selection of craft and local beers and they never disappoint. As purely a drinking pub, The Star make sure they’ve got the best range of beers going. They’ve recently had a few of our beers featured on the bar, and like to keep them on rotation – when we visited, our classic bitter, Farmer’s Best was on, providing a proper session bitter to balance out some of the more niche craft beers available.
This pub really comes alive when everyone ‘clocks out’ from the office, and is a bustling evening and weekend hub, ideal for meeting up with friends, playing a game of monopoly or scrabble provided next to the tables, over a few pints. The real draw for most people to The Star though, is that it has one of the best beer gardens in Oxford. This large beer garden provides an escape from the bustle of the busy roads surrounding it, is spacious and has plenty of cover for when the weather is slightly on the grey side. Planters and hanging baskets give it added colour, and finishes off the final charm of this fun and quirky pub. If you’re looking for a pub to relax and hang out with friends, The Star Inn is worth a few visits!
