Far From The Madding Crowd

They have a cash-back option when you pay with a card at the bar. Pure awesomeness.

Noe (Unverified), 01/05/12

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Moving to Oxford a month ago, I visited the Madding after reading reviews of the place, fast became a regular and have to say I have not yet been disappointed. Tucked away in a little alley, it's easy to miss but well worth taking the effort to find.

The beer selection and quality is excellent, with 5 frequently changing guest ales plus Brakspear Bitter as the regular. Being a free house, the beers are sourced from all around the country by Dave and Lauren the landlord and landlady, with no restrictions as is becoming so common with tied pubs. In the last month I've drunk a wide variety, including many from breweries I'd never even heard of (and a green beer - a first for me!).

As well as the great ale choice, FFTMC stocks several draught real ciders, both from founts and from polypins and also a large range of bottled ciders. I'm not a cider drinker myself but several friends I've taken there have been very impressed. They also serve home-cooked food, again well recommended.

Prices are about average for the city centre - around £3.40 for a pint of ale - but a special mention has to be made for "Dave's Special", a guest ale where Dave has found a bargain and passes it on to his customers at £2.80/pint.

Previous commenters have decried the atmosphere in the Madding as being a bit "Wetherspoons" but given that the building used to be a warehouse/storeroom for Debenhams, I think they've done a pretty decent job on the interior, with plenty of seating throughout and some pretty comfy sofas!

The staff are friendly, efficient and knowledgable about the wide range of drinks on offer and there's great banter to be had with both them and the regulars, leading to a very pleasant place to spend an evening imbibing. There are a few things on in the evenings, an open mic on Monday, pizza night on Thursday and a popular quiz + curry night on Sunday.

Overall, if you love your ale, I would recommend the Madding as an essential part of any night out in Oxford - you won't leave anything less than thoroughly satisfied (and maybe a little bit pissed!).

ChaoticReality (Unverified), 30/03/12

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Truly great pub. Great food. Great staff. Ok, so the atmosphere is not often 'banging' but it is a nice place to go if want to have a conversation and not spend the entire time bellowing at the person next to you. It has a piano and board games. It is also lovely and warm in the winter, and air-conditioned in the summer. The music is subtle, with some great tunes playing! They don't call it a hidden treasure for nothing! If you can find it, you'll love it!

Si (Unverified), 19/11/10

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Just had a fish 'n' chips as Sunday lunch. Impressive mash & peas and crispy fish. Friendly staff show you many options for food and ales. Not the historical kind of pub but it's comfortable and very clean. Really wondering how other people can find it except locals. Overall a very good experience there and definitely will come back.

01/08/10

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This is one of my favourite pubs in Oxford, simply because of the variety and quality of real ales. The staff really know how to look after beer and you never get a bad pint here. Also, due to it being a free house, Far From The Madding Crowd is free from the bland big brand "real ale". In fact, I have tasted some rather exciting ales from relatively unknown microbreweries here. Because of its layout, this isn't the most atmospheric of pubs but the quality of the beer and the friendliness of the staff compensates for this.

dralbion (Unverified), 25/08/09

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Enjoying a bit of a rejuvenation is this pleasant pub; new landlord very friendly, and the Swanvale cider is what keeps me coming back for those cheeky halves when town is proving hectic... it does exactly what it says on the tin.
Well done guys!

21/08/08

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Great ales! Always new ales to try and the free testers make it much clearer to pick great ales. One of a dying breed of pubs that aren’t owned by a faceless brewery. Great friendly staff, a great pub to have a peaceful drink in and the free Wifi is fast and very handy.

james (Unverified), 10/08/08

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This reincarnation of the much-loved spirit of Jericho's Jude the Obscure pub has an arts emphasis, nearly half the venue being exhibition space. Spacious and open, with large glass frontage. Friendly staff, some live music and even student theatre previews.

Jack (Unverified), 19/07/05

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