The Taverns of our Youth. A Guide to Oxford's Student Bars

The first and perhaps foremost point of your Oxford drinking adventure is the Turf Tavern in St Helen's Passage. This narrow cul-de-sac is best accessed from New College Lane, just beyond the Bridge of Sighs. Incidentally, the house where Edmund Halley discovered his comet is also very close to the pub.
The place hides between the remains of the medieval city wall, preserved since the times of Alfred the Great, and the cozy inn on Bath Pace. Originally a coaching inn for Oxford students, the pub became a tavern in the 13th century. The main pub building dates back to the 17th century and looks like a cosy hobbit hole inside - the ceilings are as low as they are. There's also a garden - by the way, one of the earliest examples of pub gardens.
At the turn of the twentieth century, the pub begins to be mentioned in literature and painting. Evelyn Waugh mentions it in his book Return to Brightshead, stating that Charles and Sebastian were regulars. The Bath Place Inn was a longtime resident of the writer Dorothy Sayers, and she too mentions the pub in one of her works. Jane Burden lived here next to the pub and is depicted in several Pre-Raphaelite paintings (e.g. Rossetti's Proserpine). Her house is now a student dormitory with a blue plaque on the wall announcing that the famous "muse and seamstress" lived here.
In the middle of the last century, the pub was the site of Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton's secret rendezvous when Burton played at the Oxford Playhouse Theatre. The pub featured prominently in the Colin Dexter novels and the Inspector Morse TV series. Poet Seamus Heaney, Professor Rodney Needham and former US President Bill Clinton all enjoyed sitting in it. It was also frequented by the Harry Potter film crew during the first parts of the saga.
What to eat: We recommend the burgers (all made with Scottish meat), and the traditional Sunday roast also goes down well.
What to drink: There are many varieties of local beers and ales sold here that you won't find anywhere else. Look out for the barrels in front of the door and ask to taste the ales they hold.

A pub that rivals the Turf Tavern is, of course, the Eagle and Child (more commonly and more famously called Bird & Baby or Fowl & Foetus in Oxford). The sign shows a baby being snatched by an eagle.The pub has been owned by St John's College since 2003, before that it was owned by University College for over three centuries. The first mention of the pub dates back to 1684 and is accompanied by the clarification that the eagle and the child are elements of the coat of arms of the Earl of Darby.
It was here, in this pub, that the famous "inklings" met: C. Lewis, J.R. Tolkien, C. Williams and others. From 1933 onwards they met regularly on Thursdays at Lewis's at Magdalen College, and on Mondays and Tuesdays at the pub. They took up a secluded back room, nicknamed the Rabbit Room, and read their manuscripts to each other there. This was where heated discussions of The Lord of the Rings took place. Here Lewis handed out a draft of The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe to his colleagues. But in 1962 an extension was added to the pub, causing the rabbit room to lose its chamberiness and become a passageway.
The Inclings then moved to the pub opposite. The cosy, oak-panelled nook where they met for nearly 30 years now features photos of Lewis, Tolkien and Williams. And to put the subject beyond doubt, there's a plaque on the wall bearing the names of the pub's great regulars. By the way, Colin Dexter was a frequent visitor here after the Inklings.
What to eat: It's worth trying the interesting varieties of English pies, such as steak and ale and beef on the ribs.
What to drink: Turtle Peach, Jarl and, of course, the signature Cornish Nicholson's are all good pale ales; an ale from Oakham called Dragon in Bavaria makes you smile; Good Old Boy is also good. If you prefer darker varieties, Betty Stogs, a prize-winning ale from Cornwall, is a revelation.

Another student favourite is the Bear, a vintage pub. Located at the intersection of Alfred Street and Blue Boar Street near Christ Church and Merton College. According to its signposting, the institution was founded in 1242. A student Richard Eads (later rector of Worcester Cathedral and one of King James I's Bible translators) immortalised the pub in his 1583 poem Iter Boreale, telling the story of its owners Matthew and Doll Harrison and their tame bear cub.
Today, Bear grabs your attention with an unimaginable collection of ties featuring the emblems and patterns of various clubs, colleges, schools, and sports communities. Each tie has a label with the name of the former owner, the name of the club or college he went to, and the year he lost the accessory. The tradition was initiated in 1952 by the former owner of Bear, Alan Coors, who was also a cartoonist for the Oxford Mail. In exchange for half a pint of beer, he persuaded the owner to donate his signature tie. As a result, ties from every corner of the world can now be found here.
What to eat: In addition to the traditional sh-and-chips, the duck pâté, Auton lamb, all kinds of burgers and apple pie are all worth trying.
What to drink: I recommend the local ale, Oxford Prospect, and Golden Ale.

For educational purposes I suggest at least a short visit to The Crown pub on Cornmarket Street. It was here that John Davenant (future mayor of Oxford), the owner of the pub, many times stopped William Shakespeare with a troupe of actors to change horses (there were the stables), have a meal and spend the night on his way from London to Stratford-upon-Avon. The name of the pub at the time was not Crown but Salutation Tavern.
What to eat: salmon, squid, crab, cod, mullet, plaice and sh-and-chips of ocean fish.
What to drink: wine, champagne, rum, and, of course, beer and ale. The selection is rich: English craft beers, non-alcoholic lagers, gluten-free beers, as well as German, Mexican and Belgian beers.

If you have the time and energy, be sure to visit the Trout Inn. It's no longer just a pub, but a gastropub. A great upgrade on English cuisine. The pub, which has been there since the 17th century, is now loved by students and professors alike. It has been mentioned in Lewis Carroll, Evelyn Waugh, Colin Dexter and Philip Pullman. It appears in the Inspector Morse series and The Saint with Val Kilmer. The Trout Inn is also related to the medieval legend of the beautiful Rosamund, favourite of King Henry II.
What to eat: beef salad, baked Camembert or roasted brie, oven-baked prawns and lobster are also good. The main courses include lamb, lobster and Devonshire crab cakes, and fried chicken. And if you like fish, sea bass fillet. For dessert, there's a chocolate and peanut bomb or tiramisu, or the legendary Eaton Mess if you fancy something a little lighter.
What to drink: connoisseurs praise cocktails like the pineapple daiquiri.