Café, Drinking Establishment & Gig Venue
Characterful free house undergoing constant refurbishment. Homemade cakes and cream teas, local beers, limited home-made hot meals (call to check). Venue for hire. Canoe hire and boat storage. CASH PAYMENT ONLY - no cards accepted. | |
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Ah, the lemon polenta cake - even moister today then ever. No-one makes it better. The last owners had turned the poor place into a shadow of its former self - scampi and chips, burgers, etc. Jonathan and Jane have rescued it and turned it into something unusual and full of character. I really like the fact that there is a limited menu, and once it's gone that's it for the day - OK, sometimes I have turned up late and the best cakes have gone or the hot food is sold out, but that is the price you pay for Slow Food of this quality. So if you want a quick meal that's mass-produced and the same every time, don't go here. If you want a relaxed outing with excellent and unusual home-cooked food (and of course a walk by the river) there is nowhere better. I'm bemused by comments that the owners can be 'frosty' - just because you're reserved doesn't make you frosty, people. I've always found them polite, helpful and interesting to talk to. All hail, Isis Farmhouse.
LL, 15/08/10 We went to a wedding reception here recently - what a great venue for it. Town hall wedding, walk to the river and then a trip on the ferry to the Isis. Service and food excellent, a superb time was had by old and young together. Thanks Isis team, would recommend you to anyone. Brian, 04/08/10 I'm really surprised that people complain about the landlord - I've never had any problems with him. Maybe that's coz I always remember to bring cash - (remember that one if you are going there!) I went in there with my husband a few minutes before closing and he gave us free tea and cake because it was our anniversary and we'd arrived too late to eat. Yes, the cake was probably going in the bin anyway - but who cares? I've been in many a pub where the landlord would have just told us to go away. It's a uniquely lovely place in Oxford, and frankly if the people who only appreciate false politeness and plasticised menus stay away after reading the comments here, then great! Claire, 03/08/10 Great place. A real find and totally un-done-up or over-gentrified. It was packed in the big garden on a sunny Sunday, lovely and peaceful- no big roads nearby. Distant hum from the A34 but hey ho this is the 21st century. shezma, 26/07/10 We went to the Isis Farmhouse on Sunday. I had looked at the OS map and decided it might be a nice walk from Iffley (despite not having been there before) to Oxford. Luckily I was right, not only is Iffley a beautiful little village but the lock is interesting and the walk is perfect for a Sunday afternoon. Apart from the village and the lock, the 'Farmhouse' was a definite highlight. There was one meat, one fish and one veggie dish when we went. We shared the meat and fish dishes and they were delicious and not expensive. Also tried the beer and cider and it was great. On the way back from Oxford, we popped in again - this time for tea - and the cake was also delicious. So ignore all the negative comments and try it - if only there were more pubs left like this in an un-'done-up' state. Tim, 21/07/10 Have frequented the Isis, well, frequently, and reading the reviews here, I'm a little bit surprised to hear the owner is regarded as unfriendly etc. He's certainly not "Have A Nice Day" but I think that's a good thing. The decor is definitely shabby chic. I'm not shabby chic myself (just shabby) but actually it I think it suits the atmosphere of the place. Never tried the food. Instead I tend to smuggle in Monster Munch from the Co-op. Mr T, 09/07/10 What a wonderful place! I had the pleasure of attending a private function at the Isis, and the landlord couldn't have done anymore to serve us. The food was excellent, I shall definitely be returning. Ld, 27/06/10 A beautiful summertime pub. I'd live here if I could. Local ales from the keg, bottles of English cider, outdoor tables under the shade of the trees by the lock or out the back to watch the sunset over Iffley Meadows. The Landlord/bar staff are always extremely friendly and welcoming to me. middleclaire, 22/06/10 What a brilliant atmosphere! And saved from Greene King's destruction and neglect. This haven is off the beaten track and away from the tourist hoardes of central Oxford and yet only a stones throw away. Lovingly tended by the couple who run it with improvements monthly. We love coming back to see the gradual transformation from cumbling farm house to quirky welcoming pub. Great home-cooked food and proper ales. Love it! elle, 18/05/10 Sounds like the below comment may have been written by the landlord himself? It's certainly in line with his attitude towards paying customers. I visit fairly often, and it seems more often than not he treats his patrons like a nasty rash that he's keen to see go as soon as possible. If there is any problem with your food, don't both complaining, it's more hassle than it's worth... On the plus side, the beer selection is very good, and not too pricey, and the atmosphere can be great, especially as many of the other visitors are extremely friendly. The likelihood is that many of them will also have received a verbal thrashing from the landlord at some point, which breeds a strong sense of companionship! DJ, 30/04/10 Good food, good beer, good prices, good location, and good riddance to corporate mentality. If you're completely unable to cope with the price of all this being a bit of traditional British grumpiness then please go somewhere else. Somewhere where the food's probably shite and the location a bit dodgy, but the walls are all painted magnolia and the landlord sells his beer with the cost of his inflated bonhomie factored in. Don't complain, enjoy. This is the only pub worth the name left in Oxford. Eccentricity is priceless, for everything else there's Weatherspoons. shev, 19/04/10 There is general theme across all of these posts which is summed up, I think, by my own view that this pub has charm and a beatiful location, but can be let down by its customer service. PROs Beautiful location to sit in the beer garden and watch the river activity. A lovely walk to reach it in either direction, and nice not to be able to drive to the door for once. Honest home cooking at reasonable prices Fair prices on drinks too and well kept beer. CONs Shabby decor which may be shabby chic, but a few hundred quid on a decorator would make a world of difference (why did they spend all that money on the ladies loo, and not on the main room of the pub?) The landlord seems reluctantly helpful to his customers at best on a very good day, but more often than not seems to find us all an inconvenience. I have witnessed him being rude to pefectly well behaved customers who raised a reasonable query about their order. If he wasn't the owner, and someone else employed him, in my opinion he would be sacked by now. It seems that the landlords find the business a stress to run, and this gives us all the feeling that this (great) business idea is all a mistake but they are now stuck with it. The other partner in the business seems to be the inspiration behind the kitchen, although she doesn't deal with front of house. I dreamily go back each time and enjoy the Isis for the location and the food, but more often than not the landlord's attitude leaves a bad vibe in the air which takes all this enjoyment away, and I leave disappointed. With a little investment, and training of staff to care and nurture their most valuable asset - their customers - this place could be thriving, rather than just surviving. BH, 08/04/10 The Isis is great in many ways. wonderful cakes, great toast, nice atmosphere, but I've been there dozens of times and the service is uniformly awful. Sure the staff are sweet, but they are so slow it's maddening. There is always a queue, which would be fine if it weren't avoidable. A till and a system for communicating with the kitchen would resolve so many problems and prevent there being so many disgruntled customers - and there are many of them. I see them every time I go there. Management can be very rude, too. Again - I've seen it many times. It could be truly great, but they need to sort out the service issues. BW, 14/03/10 This is a great Oxford place to be, walkers, thinkers and nice people... if you like the George Street lager houses, you'll hate the Isis. Show me food that tastes that good at that price anywhere else? Of course the choice is limited - it didn't come out of a packet. So good to see this place rescued from Greene King. Pliny, 13/03/10 I have been to the Isis many times, the new owners have taken this pub and turned it into a welcoming pub (it can be a bit cold if they do not have the fires going). I work in Ireland and when I get home for along wekend it is the first pub I call into. This is an old pub by the river and is great for getting away from the world at large, just do not expect too much from it, as a lot of work still needs to be done. Burn, 04/02/10 Third time I've been here, first time it's actually been open and only knew it would be open this time as I preordered a ticket. Not impressed. The rooms were freezing, the staff were rude and clueless, I don't feel the landlord dealt with me in a professional manner. The only decent thing was the music in the "room" they have for hire at the back, but it was also freezing in there. I would not recommend this place to anyone. Tom, 02/01/10 I have been to this pub on a few occasions since the new management took over, namely for Truck's Harvest festival & several of the brilliant "Queen of Clubs" nights, (both of which sadly no longer take place at this venue). Unfortunately, on all these occasions I have found the management as frosty as stated in previous reviews and I have been left wondering why the manager here decided to run a pub at all, as he seems extremely put out whenever customers arrive and makes no secret of the fact. It feels very unwelcoming which is a real shame as the pub is in a beautiful spot and has so much potential. After my repeated bad experiences at the Isis, I decided to give it one last chance and attend the New Year's Eve bash as several of my friends had bought tickets. I didn't arrive early enough to eat but apparantly the food was decent, although the choice was limited with just 2 dishes on the menu - one veggie and one meat. The evening itself was wonderful, there was a disco with a lovely friendly vibe, and live music from a great Irish band who played a gorgeous version of "Fairytale of New York" which sounded much like Shane and Kirsty in the original! The male singer also lead a rendition of "Old Lang Syne" at midnight which really got people into the party spirit! However, as soon as the party really started the music was forcibly turned down and the DJ was treated to a very public telling off by the chef! Myself and my friends then retreated to the bar where there was a very subdued atmosphere and the staff seemed grumpy and like they couldn't wait to get rid of everyone. Despite this we found a corner and carried on drinking, only to find out that the whole place closed at 1.30! This was apparently due to the fact that they had to (begrudgingly?) open for New Year's day, but in our opinion this was very early to close on New Year's and dampened our spirits somewhat. I won't be returning to the Isis unless it comes under new management - this lot couldn't organise a drinks party in a brewery. Jen G, 02/01/10 Both my boyfriend and I love the Isis, in fact it was during one of those wonderfully relaxed wasted Autumn afternoons that I realised that we would be continuing to have such magical afternoons for many years to come. The second I walked through the door, I felt instantly at home and relaxed, and have felt more so every visit (of which there have been many more since!). Whatever the season, it is a pleasant distraction and change from all the faceless attempts at gastropubs that litter towpaths along the Thames. Stocking fabulous local beers, a great selection of affordable wines, amazing range of teas and coffees and delicious organic home-cooked food, this is a real gem, which refuses to cater for the majority. It may seem like arrogance to the uninitiated, but the management have supreme confidence in what they do, and deservedly so. We have always been treated as welcome guests by bar staff and owners alike, and I would drink there above any other pub in Oxford. Combine this with live music and poetry, and you have (in our minds) the perfect watering hole. Bonfires in the winter, and family friendly festivals in the summer, what more could you ask for! xx Rach, 05/11/09 I have to agree with the majority of people who have mentioned the frosty reception from the owner - assuming the chap behinf the bar is the owner. I have been in several times and his attiude is dismissive and unfriendly. The service is appalling - it is cold, slow and generally not a good atmosphere. I love the Magic Cafe type of place with home made organic vegi food - it is a great idea for the Isis but is run by people who don't seem to know how to run a business that involves dealing with the public. When I first came to Oxford around 2005, the place was thriving, packed in the summer,with a relaxed atmospere and friendly staff - as much as I love the idea of local beers, organic food etc - I 'd rather go to a place with atmospere and a friendly face any day. A real shame for a place with such potential. 25/10/09 I love the Isis. Whenever I am in Oxford: winter, spring, summer, I go there. Last week: sitting in the garden, enjoying tea and cakes, reading the Sunday paper. Last autumn: sitting inside, eating funny kale-cakes. The Isis offers me cherished moments. Willemien, 19/08/09 I completely agree with Kate's review below, and can only add one or two comments of my own: I understand why other reviewers have been disgruntled at the often overbearing management, but surely it is the customers too who can be overbearing. The kind of aggressive and bullish behaviour that one often finds in pubs is actively discouraged here. Speaking as a woman who likes to sit in beautiful pub gardens alone with a quiet pint, I welcome the management intervention against the louts who spoil the tranquility for everyone else. I recall an occasion in early spring when I was in the (almost empty) pub, lunching with a friend. There was a group of three drinkers on the sofas and the girl on the bar on her own had to constantly ask them to keep their dog from trampling on the sofa. She was treated with increasing rudeness, until one of the men started shouting at her, and she asked him to leave. Surely in this case it was the customers "oppressing" the staff and others, rather than the staff oppressing the customers. I can only speak from my own experience, but I find that most "good old-fashioned pubs" can have an "oppressive" atmosphere that the staff of the Isis work hard to eliminate from their pub. My only complaint is with the music - I was there for several hours the other day and the same cd was on repeat for the entire duration. A little tasteful music planning would work wonders on the atmosphere indoors. Trashy pop is not in my opinion the best accompaniment to excellent locally-brewed ales! oxford 1, 16/08/09 We came across the Isis Farmhouse quite by fluke while walking on the towpath. We were seduced by its quiet, almost mournful, neglected air of a farmhouse fallen upon hard times which has opened its doors in a last ditch effort to remain in its family's ownership. Whether this is, or was, the case I don't know. What I do know is what a gem it appears to be. I was immediately taken in by its informality, atmosphere, music ('sensible' jazz / blues) and the quality of the beer (Appleford). We were so enamoured that we decided to include it as our lunch stop on the next day's walk. So imagine our surprise, not to say disappointment to find it closed at lunch time on a week day! What a lost opportunity given the current economic climate with people not going away for their holiday but staying home with the odd treat here or there. Undaunted, we fully intend to visit in the future for a meal, on the assumption it will still be in business, given some of the other reviews on this page! All I can say I found the barmaid to be utterly charming. PS. No sign of the management! Hurryhome, 25/07/09 This is all getting rather personal and, it seems, biased. Lots of people leave the Isis having whiled away a pleasant hour or even a pleasant day, and come back the next week or even the next day for more. I am one of those many people, and there seem to be more and more of us. The Isis is clearly a tricky place to do business - there is no road access, for us or for them - so trade must be highly variable, and the effort to import supplies is presumably significant - beer is heavy! In that context, to be able to buy a gin and tonic for £3.00 in one of the most beautiful parts of Oxford is impressive. If your budget can stretch to £10, and mine usually does, then you can get the gin AND a hearty, home-made meal, with fantastic just-cooked bread and local free range meat/veg. This is frankly incredible value, especially as there are lovely new ladies' loos, and free newspapers and magazines. I go here a lot, sitting quietly with a book, often for 2-3 hours, watching what is going on around me, and I'm shocked at the liberties that people take in what is a) a space to be shared with many other people, and b) a space that is owned by the owners, and not by the people of Oxford. The pub was in danger of closing for good, and I feel privileged that I can still sit in its garden. Thanks, owners! It's nice to have a place to go where those running it have a firm line on bad behaviour and don't rely on signs to state the obvious. I've seen the owners 'oppressing' customers who have had uncontrolled frisbees, dogs or children. Try it out - take a tenner and a book and a hat to the Isis, have a drink and a meal, and enjoy the lovely, relaxed, outdoorsy, family-friendly atmosphere. Kate, 23/07/09 I love The Isis and it will always remain one of Oxford's gems. It has been run before by very relaxed folks who had the tenancy for years. It is lovely to see it now in the hands of someone who has the potential to make it a pub very much unique to Oxford by welcoming its cultural varities. However, many people have left The Isis disgruntled at the attitude they have experienced here. I suggest the landlord does some serious market research and gains a thorough understanding of how pubs work, how to relate to people, how not to create an oppressive atmosphere. He may currently own this delectable spot, but it isn't his front room at home. It is our Isis and we would all be supremely happy to support his endeavours and would like a little respect in turn for doing so. Parsnip, 17/07/09 The Isis is in a lovely location by the river, and a definite improvement since new management took over. There are wonderful cakes and the food, though very limited in choice, is excellent. My only - serious - complaint is the frosty management. Often, though not always, cold and unfriendly (although not the bar-staff or female chef), which is a real shame as this place has huge potential. My friends have a running joke about the number of "DO NOT DO XYZ" signs that seem to keep appearing! I hope they learn soon the importance of a warm, relaxed and welcoming atmosphere. Also in the winter it can be very cold. Still, it's a gorgeous spot for tea and cake in the summertime. AshTheCat, 23/06/09 We have walked past this place so many times during our many stays at Iffley but never ventured inside. Easter Monday we took the nephew to feed the ducks at the lock, a lovely sunny day, saw the crowds sat outside so in we crept. A fantastic atmosphere awaits, decor may not be everyone's taste (!) but the cakes have to be. :) Lovely waterside setting, fantastic beers and cakes, very friendly staff!!! Don't walk by like we did, go inside, it's fab. nick, 15/04/09 This place is as quirky as Fawlty Towers with staff to match but it has the kind of appeal that just keeps pulling you back without you being able to work out why. It can't just be its fabulous situation on the river at Iffley Lock, with big riverside front garden and massive rear garden (mostly a building site while the owners slowly redevelop it, doing most of the work themselves as far as one can see); or the delicious homemade cakes and hot meals; or the way the venue looks like a private house, its only signs being faint chalk on small blackboards; or the way the bar area desperately needs redecorating, the lighting is sometimes just candles, and the service is painfully slow because every transaction gets written down on paper; or the real log burner that provides most of the heating for the front bar (though I notice they've just installed heating units in there and in the rear venue, the barn, where top-notch gigs including Stornoway and the amazing end-of-the-monthly Queen of Clubs Cabaret take place - in fact they have a new bar there now too); or the way you can watch the sunset over Iffley Meadows Nature Reserve from the side decking area; or the way the loo lights are activated by motion sensors; or the outdoor stage in the back garden which is built into a tree. Maybe it's all of those things - I just don't know - but I know I'll be going back. :) Leslie, 31/03/09 Really like the food and the cakes at the Isis. Service is VERY slow but staff are pleasant (though the owners seem very frosty!). The place could really do with a lick of paint and as it is a family pub why are there so many dangerous things (like rusty saws) lying around? The back garden is an accident waiting to happen - all it has is a small 'closed' sign, why isn't it fenced off? As for not taking cards - this seems ridiculous as they will miss so much passing trade. However, I will definitely be back as I like the food and the location! Maggie, 27/02/09 The Isis is like Marmite - you either love it, hate it or desperately want to like it but just can't. So some punters may love the damp smell of the place, the peeling paint, the icy cold and the fleeced up punters desperately clinging to their cups of coffee to stay warm. They also may enjoy the lack of a till, or a card machine, the inexplicable queues even when quiet and the random opening hours. I just can't. I want to love their simple all home cooked menu of local and organic produce - even if it tends to be rather "stew heavy" and lack some subtleties in its taste - and to fall for the baked beans on toast that is always on offer. But something just holds me back. I want to love The Isis like I want to love Marmite - and I do love the Cotswold Lagers they have on tap - but I just can't. Mark, 06/02/09 Interesting that James Attlee - author of "Isolarion: A Different Oxford Journey" - chooses the Isis as his "place to meet friends for a drink" in his recent article about Oxford in the Telegraph. See: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/citybreaks/4399222/Oxford-My-kind-of-town.html I guess that is hardly surprising. Attlee clearly delights in finding and enjoying the eclectic best of Oxford. The Isis is not mainstream, but it is great. Well done. SpinDoc, 04/02/09 One good thing – in fact the only good thing about the Isis Farmhouse is that it allows dogs in, but then again, so do other hostelries which have many other selling points, the main one being that they are not afraid to put the heating on. I suspect that the dog concession is constantly under review – the landlord seems to make a point of frowning whenever he sees one come through the door. During the summer, when you can sit outside and enjoy the wonderful location, then you can overlook the slow service, seriously limited menu, irregular opening hours and insistence on cash only – even though it’s located miles away from the nearest cash point. These things are much harder to overlook when it is freezing outside – and remains freezing inside. I went there yesterday with my friends Posh and Bex after a brisk walk along the river bank. The opening hours were displayed, as usual, on a board at the gate. On three days the Isis is closed altogether, on the other days the opening hours seem to have been arbitrarily selected – we noticed that on one night it closes at 10pm, on another it said “around 9” – why? Most people who are in a pub at 9pm are there for the evening, they don’t want to relocate for the last hour or two. However, if they are going to insist on keeping such bizarre hours, then surely it would be fairer to display them closer to civilization, to walk all that way and then find out that it is either closed – or soon will be – doesn’t seem very sporting of the owners. Anyway, back to yesterday’s ordeal. The Isis Farmhouse has gone for the car boot sale chic much-loved by East Oxford’s glitterati (think Magic Café - only not as grand). We made our selection from the plethora of wobbly trestle tables and ordered our drinks. Gin and tonic was out of the question for Bex as they didn’t have any ice – they never have, even when it’s tropical outside, so she had to slum it with lager. Posh was happy enough with his wheat beer and so was I. We did not plan on dining – I won’t eat anywhere where it is too cold to take off my coat – but we did look at the menu which comprised the following: Pheasant casserole £4.50; lentil and something curry £4.50; beans on toast £4.00. Apparently beans on toast is always on the menu, I’m not sure about the target audience, presumably it’s not for the vegetarians’ benefit, they’ve got the lentils to look forward to, so I guess it must be a sop for the kids, the place was teeming with them and for one horrible moment I thought I’d walked into Donnington Doorstep. Half way through her drink Bex put her woolly hat back on – I didn’t need to, I hadn’t taken mine off. The staff seemed to finally take the hint and lit the stove fire, but it was all too little too late – the Isis Farmhouse is a big place and it doesn’t warm up in five minutes; the fire should have been on all day. We finished our drinks and left – as we walked out into the icy winter evening, it seemed slightly warmer. Sparkler, 03/02/09 This is just a stunning pub. The food is fantastic. I had a vegetable soup with kale and beans and you could tell from the taste and smell that it was fresh and homemade. I much prefer one or two homemade dishes to a ream of options that go straight from freezer to microwave, which is standard fare in most pubs. As to the service, my visit was busy, and I queued for a long time, but it was obvious that the bar staff were working as fast as they could. The girl who served me was friendly and polite despite being rushed off her feet. My advice: be patient and enjoy the atmosphere while you wait. The food itself was brought very quickly and with a smile. One word of warning: the music can be excellent, but can slso be terrible. A place like this needs laid-back music, especially on a wintry sunday afternoon: classical, jazz or (good!) country music. No more cheesy 80s pop or (worse) dance music please! It completely spoils the atmosphere of a beautiful country pub. oxford1, 19/01/09 Just a great, great pub - ignore any carping reviews you see that mention the service and queuing (go to a chain pub in town if that's your main concern) and set your sights instead on the quality ales and cider, good food, atmospheric and idiosyncratic decor, wood fires, laid back and friendly landlord (the service is fine, incidentally), the fact you have to walk there and earn your pint, coffee or cake, the riverside location, the lack of traffic noise, the sense of an individual and uncontrived pub CHARACTER - what's not to like? Well, actually, one thing: the music they play can be both out of place, horrible frigid cafe del mar style stuff, and a bit too loud. But still - pretty much a pub as pubs should be. 12/01/09 Look guys you have done an amazing job of the restoration of this place to stellar beauty and you can cook so why not treat us with more prompt professionalism and take the baked beans off the menu and replace them with a proper veggie choice! Then I will bring EVERYONE ok? Sam, 03/01/09 As far as we are concerned this is one of the best pubs in Oxford albeit a tad unconventional. The food is limited but good if you are vegetarian or like home cooking. The pub is being renovated but it is perfectly acceptable with an atmospheric ambience in the evening. Good to cycle or walk to; if you drive go to iffley and walk. Wine is very reasonable. If you are a beer drinker there is real ale and usually chilled bottles of interest. Cider available. Try it. 17/08/08 Lovely place, great food but thoroughly disorganised and badly run. Queued for ages, I would hate to go there when they are busy! Also charged £1.50 for a pint of soda which they only sell from the bottle. They don't accept cards which is just daft as there isn't a cash point nearby. Food was very tasty peasant fare, served simply and thankfully quickly. The menu was limited but all this added to the charm of the place. Good selection of bottled beers but the barrels were off. Lovely large garden and right by The Isis, a short-ish walk from the city of Oxford. Staff friendly but I couldn't face going up for a second round of drinks and queuing for 20 minutes behind 4 people; there didn't seem to be any mitigating circumstances either. The queue and the sting of the price of soda somewhat took the pleasure out of a really lovely evening. I would go again certainly but only when I had bags of time. David, 26/07/08 Wow. It is fantastic - they have now got all of the Cotswold Brewery lagers including the Wheat Beer! What a nice way of spending a Summer's day or evening. Mike, 01/07/08 It's fab to see this pub up and running again and there is huge potential for it to go on to new strengths. The beer is good and I enjoyed my lemon cake very much! A word of caution (to the management really) - they need to learn how to run a pub quickly else customer goodwill will run out, if as yesterday you have to queue up outside the pub to get to to the bar. I know the re-launch is in early days and it's a lovely pub but the staff had moments of mild chaos yesterday handling customers and we've not started summer proper yet; the punters will revolt if that chaos continues into full summer with even more customers. Go and support the Isis lovely pub. But management beware - managing large numbers is an art form and needs to be done well if you're going to make a real go of it. 11/05/08 Like the previous reviewer, I think the new riverside café incarnation of The Isis is brilliant and a huge improvement on the several sorry previous pub ventures run from here recently. I ate from the short menu (a choice of 2 dishes - and one of them was beans on toast!) and found the food to be delicious. There are also some fabulous ales from the Cotswold brewery and some even better bottled ciders, courtesy of Henney's. I do think, however, having a choice of just 2 items is a little restrictive, no matter how good they are. It is also pretty pricey - £5.50 for a vegetable, pine nut and feta bake. I realise these dishes change daily and I guess you are paying for the dining location as this is one of the biggest selling points. It's situated next to the Thames in quite a peaceful spot (you can only just hear the distant hum of the bypass!) I would highly recommend a visit, particularly on the a beautiful summer's day, but if you want to eat something other than crisps or cake, be prepared to make small sacrifices. Joe B, 09/05/08 I went there yesterday to take advantage of the early summer weather. The surroundings are beautiful, as is the Cotwolds beer. They only had one meal that they were serving throughout the day, but it was absolutely delicious (and organic). I would rather go to a place that did one meal really well than a long sub-standard menu. I recommend going here. It's my new local and I live two miles away. jd, 09/05/08 This is a very special pub, and it's great to see that it's now in good hands. I'm looking forward to seeing how the owners develop it, and have faith that they will do a good job! A good range of local beers are on offer, plus all the yummy cakes, coffee, etc. Highly recommended. I enjoyed my walk to Iffley Meadows on Wednesday to see the Fritillaries, followed by a beer in the pub's garden - made me full of the joys of Spring!! Mary, 25/04/08 Oh wow, this really is what this long-neglected venue has been waiting for. On a Sunday afternoon walk we reached the boathouse after its usual closing time (5pm) to find a sign redirecting us to the tavern - hooray! The relief. Sadly they'd run out of all but one of their excellent cakes, so we settled for a capuccino, a Fentimans ginger beer and two fat slices of just-baked wholemeal bread with butter and damson jam. With the evening sun streaming through the window onto us and our table and some chilled-out dance music playing in the background, this was a perfect end to our weekend - and with the cakes all gone and the venue still buzzing with people (and they've only been open 2 weeks!), it's obvious that this is what quite a lot of other folks are after too. I can't wait till they start doing dinners - and we're going to try to get there earlier next week in order to catch the scones. Shame they've lost the bar billiards table though - I wish the the new owners could have bought that from the brewery along with the building! Roo Stuffer, 10/03/08 Good news! The Isis Tavern is open again - under new management. It's going to be run by the same people who run the excellent coffee shop in the old Isis Boathouse a couple of doors down. They've already started tidying it up and it looks better already...I know the food is fantastic in the coffee shop so things might well be looking up. Amy, 22/02/08 (Boathouse review) Excellent cakes (as good as any I've had elsewhere) and a very nice environment - I've been there a few times now and plan to go back lots more. Danny, 15/02/08 (Boathouse review) What a lovely welcome, having negotiated the wet and slippery tow path in teeming rain. We had delicious home-made cakes (gingerbread and coffee/date/walnut - both of which I'm already planning a return visit to scoff again) and I was delighted to find that they have a wide choice of teas including herbal. There's a wood-burning stove to warm feet/dry out sodden rainwear whilst lounging on the sofa and they didn't object to the dog either. Altogether a very pleasant experience. 06/03/07
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