The Fishes

The Fishes radiates convivial hospitality, a love of good eating and centuries-past heritage.

Outside, I admired the alternating fish scale and scalloped clay tiles. A fortuitous nod to the name. It’s a late-Victorian building: high gables and emphatic brickwork chimney stacks. Classic “Old English” revival style popular in then new pubs of that time. A real rural pub within easy walking distance of Oxford.

Our first visit today. It turned out a treat. Two for lunch on a Friday. We booked ahead. There’s sufficient space without that, especially on a sunny day; but if you’d like specific seating, the bright conservatory or open terrace, you’d better arrange beforehand. We were enthusiastically greeted and at our table quickly with menus and water. So much that tempted us in the Spring menu. Specials too. The kitchen’s careful attention to ingredients, flavours and preparation was abundantly clear. We chose from the specials, English asparagus with a beautifully poached egg and hollandaise spilling over, followed by slow-cooked lamb shoulder, with roasted Mediterranean vegetables, new potatoes and oregano-laced chimichurri. But also, from the menu, the fine pairing of soft braised beef cheek & mustard croquettes with a well-balanced truffle mayonnaise, followed by the salmon & smoked haddock fishcake with crushed peas, poached egg & hollandaise tartare sauce.

Our hosts, Justine, Simon and John, were warm, energetic and attentive. We didn’t want for anything that hadn’t been thought of. The service was well-paced, we enjoyed our dishes and didn’t feel rushed. The Fishes has a good team.

We appreciated the “Zero Heroes” non-alcoholic selection when we ordered our drinks, but there’s a good choice of wines and beers.

I couldn’t resist a dessert. Many favourites, but the raspberry trifle with Pedro Ximenez sponge was my answer. A pecan pie on the specials board; I didn’t try it, but will keep my fingers crossed for another visit.

Wished goodbye, we strolled around the garden and down to the Seacourt stream. This is a fine place.

Afterwards I was curious; I’ve dug into the story of this impressive pub. It extends hundreds of years and encompasses the tributary of the Thames which winds around what is now the pub's wooded grounds. A ferry served the crossing between west Oxford’s Osney and North Hinksey, even before the enclosure award of 1777. A Ferry House stood on the North Hinksey bank, right about where the footbridge now lands in the pub’s garden. By 1880 the Ferry House also served as The Fishes public house. By 1903 it had been replaced by the late Victorian building we admired today, instead up by the road but then, of course, facing the footpath to the ferry which plied the watercourse until 1925. Oxford’s Morrell’s supplied The Fishes from its Lion Brewery for about a century until the brewery’s closure. It’s still easy to walk from Oxford to The Fishes, along Ferry Hinksey Road, via the causeway in the meadows liable to flooding, over the footbridge and into The Fishes garden.

Thought I'd pop by for a birthday lunch, but the main portion of my food had gone off. Had some lovely chips and beer, but the roasted butternut squash/cous cous was starting to go rancid and smelt really bad!
I was told it had been cooked the day before, which was a hot day, so maybe that's why?
It was so disgusting I had to go home and brush my teeth from the little I actually ate.

The staff weirdly suggested it might be the flavour of the dressing.. so is it designed to taste off? I won't go back to find out.

We visited The Fishes, a pub and restaurant on the outskirts of Oxford, after parking at the Seacourt Park & Ride before heading into the city centre earlier in the day.

It’s a lovely pub with several different-sized rooms, which gives it a really nice atmosphere and plenty of space for groups. Our party of nine was given a fantastic long table with wicker chairs, cushions, and a booth along one side, which worked really well for us.

The menu had a great range of choices. The Sunday roasts were a good size and came with all the usual trimmings. The extra side of cauliflower cheese was a real highlight and definitely worth ordering.

The mains arrived very quickly, which was great, but unfortunately the desserts were the opposite. They took quite a while and the quality wasn’t quite the same—some dishes were boiling hot while others were cold.

Overall, we would come back. It’s in a lovely location and the outdoor garden area with seating and the pizza shack looked great, especially for warmer days.

If I could give 0 stars, I would.

I'm not leaving this review for a generic, robotic response like others have received—this is for potential customers who might consider dining here.

My partner and I are locals and frequent The Fishes regularly. Normally, the food is okay, and the best feature is the lovely outdoor area. However, this recent experience was beyond unacceptable.

After waiting 40 minutes for our food (with no explanation), it became clear they'd lost our order. Instead of owning up to it, they seemed to rush together a meal—quickly frying some chicken and tossing it onto a plate. My plate was barely warm, suggesting it hadn't been sitting on the pass for more than a moment. While the fries were hot, the chicken was raw in the middle. Yes, raw—as in visibly undercooked and unsafe to eat.

Nothing quite says "bon appétit" like a side of salmonella.

Loved the venue we were lucky to get a seat on the veranda. Plenty of parking and large gardens down to a river. Service was good and quick, no service charge added to the bill which is a big thumbs up from me.
The menu was slightly ambiguous as we had assume two courses for £28 which we thought included mains but were told when we queried the bill that the main had to be a roast.
The prawns, soup, lamb were all excellent. The rainbow lasagna was good but need a little more taste to it possibly a little more of the pesto.

The roasts were great, but the desserts were the real standout — a must-try. The outdoor seating had a great atmosphere, making it a lively and enjoyable spot. Service was a bit slow, but it was understandably busy.

Very nice restaurant.
Party of 12 for lunch so we pre-ordered from the set menu at £35 per head.
All choices were delivered correctly and in good time, can't complain!
The food was very well presented and prepared (maybe the chicken in the supreme was a bit overcooked or sat a little while but no biggie).
Good choice of wines, beers and soft drinks.
Well made coffee to finish.
Excellent attentive serving staff and we really appreciated the bowl of chips!
Thanks for making our family meal a great one.

Took my mum to the fishes for Mother’s Day. What a wonderful Sunday roast we had and the desert was amazing on top of this the service was brilliant will definitely be going back again.

We had a wonderful experience at this cozy outdoor sitting area. The ambiance was perfect for a relaxed meal, and we enjoyed the crisp autumn air. We tried several dishes from the autumn menu, and everything was absolutely delicious. Each dish was flavorful and well-seasoned, capturing the essence of the season. Highly recommend for anyone looking to enjoy a comfortable dining experience with great food!

I struggled a little with this review because I wanted to give 5 stars. I had to give 4.

The location, decor and general feel of this venue is amazing. We love it.

I’d like to say the same for the service and food. Unfortunately, I can’t.

The service needs to improve to a level to match the venue. More friendly, more attentive and more caring.

I had the full English. The bacon was rock hard, the sausage overcooked and the black pudding minuscule.

It wouldn’t take much to have better service and better food to complement the venue and I think the challenge is laid down to achieve just that. Better. Please.