While it’s hardly going to rival London for diversity or liveliness, Oxford’s nightlife is well equipped enough to cater for most tastes. Venues tend to cater for either locals or students (‘town or gown’, as the saying goes) but there’s always a fair amount going on. Check In Oxford (www.inoxfordmag.co.uk) for reliable info on what’s coming up.
As its name suggests, the Head of the River occupies a prime spot on the banks of the Thames. It’s close enough to town to stroll to the main sights, and a mixed clientele usually makes the place feel busy. Can get crowded when rowing competitions are on.
Folly Bridge, St. Aldate’s, Oxford OX1 4LB
Tel: (01865) 721 600.
Actually owned by St John’s College, the Eagle and Child is one of Oxford's oldest pubs. It’s famous for being the meeting place of the Inklings literary group, which consisted of, among others, CS Lewis, JRR Tolkien and the poet and novelist Charles Williams. It has been variously nicknamed the ‘Bird and Baby’ and the ‘Fowl and Foetus’.
49 St Giles Street, Oxford OX1 3LU
Tel: (01865) 302 925.
A museum-piece of gold leaf and marble pillars, The Grand Café has legitimate claim to being the oldest coffee-house in England (the most incontrovertible evidence coming from no less than Samuel Pepys). For any visitors who like their fix of caffeine in stirring surrounds, it’s unmissable, and location on the High Street makes it easily accessible too. By night, it buzzes with folks keen to sample its cocktails.
Tel: (01865) 204463
Website: www.thegrandcafe.co.uk
A 13th century ale-house frequented by dons and tucked into a pleasingly central location, the Turf Tavern is the kind of place that hidden-away afternoons in the pub were designed for. There’s an outdoor area too.
4 Bath Place, Oxford OX1 3SU
Tel: 01865 243235.
www.theturftavern.co.uk
Raoul’s, in the Jericho area, is a great place for cocktails, with bars on two floors and knowledgeable bartenders mixing the drinks. It claims to stock one of the best ranges of spirits in the country, and has previously been recognised by a national newspaper as one of the 50 Best Bars in the UK.
32 Walton Street
Tel: (01865) 553 732
www.raoulsbar.co.uk
A classy nightclub over two floors that offers a relaxed atmosphere, a wide range of music and a programme of popular club nights that attract both students and locals.
6-9 Hythe Bridge Street, Oxford OX1 2EW
Tel: (01865) 242526
www.bridgeoxford.co.uk
Formerly the much-loved Zodiac, this illustrious venue is where the bigger names from the rock and indie worlds tend to set up shop. It attracts a very strong calibre of touring acts, and has three separate performance spaces for live events.
190 Cowley Road, Oxford OX4 1UE.
Tel: 01865 813500.
www.o2academyoxford.co.uk
Renowned as the place where Radiohead and Supergrass were discovered, the Jericho Tavern has in recent years been given a new lease of life as a place for live indie rock music after it fell into obscurity in the late 1990s – expect performances from both local and touring bands. The pub has a good selection of real ales.
56 Walton Street, Oxford OX2 6AE
Tel: 01865 311 775.
www.thejerichooxford.co.uk
Set in The Wheatsheaf opposite , the Spin Jazz Club enjoys a reputation as one of the country’s leading jazz venues (with the awards to show for it). The roster of those who have played here – from John Etheridge and Gilad Etzmon to Tim Garland and Art Themen – ensures it has a faithful following.
129 High Street, Oxford OX1 4DF
Tel: 01865 741909.
www.spinjazz.com
Formed in 1965 with a view to laying on live classical music of a world-class standard, The City of Oxford Orchestra performs regularly in the city year round (unless on tour) and makes use of a number of the city’s most attractive historical buildings, in particular Sir Christopher Wren's Sheldonian Theatre.
Midsummer Cottage, Boars Hill, Oxford OX1 5DG.
Tel: 01865 744457.
www.cityofoxfordorchestra.co.uk
Formerly the Oxford Apollo, the New Theatre stages a broad variety of different productions throughout the year, from stand-up comedy and West End musicals to opera and ballet. There’s a 1,800-seat capacity, and the venue caters well for people with visual or hearing impairments.
George Street, Oxford OX1 2AG
Tel: 0844 847 1585.
www.newtheatreoxford.org.uk
The main theatre in Oxford, and one of the most noted in Britain. It hosts a rich programme of drama, dance, music, music theatre and children's theatre. Its Burton Taylor Studio, just around the corner on Gloucester Street, is an intimate 50-seater studio theatre situated at the top of two flights of stairs, which during term-time plays host to a wide variety of student productions,
Beaumont Street, Oxford OX1 2LW
Tel: (01865) 305 305.
www.oxfordplayhouse.com
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