Chester Arms in Oxford

Lovely place with a nice atmosphere. Decent selection of wines, though the food selection is somewhat lacking. Having heard of this place for its food (particularly the steak), there didn’t seem to be a particularly expansive menu, however as a pub it does well for drinks and such. Clean and well presented, however it is a little dark, and the signage on the door is unclear, which leads you to believe it’s closed even if it isn’t.

Went here on a Sunday for a carvery. Had good reviews. You can not book a table, and it opens at 12pm, so we arrived 11.50 so we were there when it opened to get a table. When we arrived there was already a queue outside. We managed to get a table. Had to keep my coat on for a while as it was cold, this was partly due to the door being open letting the long queue of people in. Lovely decor inside, friendly staff, food was ok. We ordered the chicken to share, one pork and one beef. These best thing about the food was the roast potatoes. We waited ages for the bill at the end also, despite asking 3 times. I didn't feel the food and whole experience lived up to the reviews. Was a nice meal out but nothing that stood out for us to make us rush back.

What a little find. It's a bit out of the way but food, drinks and service all awesome. We had a big table and all the food was lovely and out at the same time. Good beer options as well! Most of us went for the shared steak plate (see photo) and I can confirm the 2/3 person one is perfect for 2.

Absolutely sublime food. The steak platter was fantastic - we asked for medium rare and in my opinion was perfectly done, juice and moist. Incredibly enjoyable food. Highly recommend and will be going back!

We first came here sometime during the week assuming it wouldn't be very busy. We were wrong. Even though we didn't have a reservation, the staff was really nice and helped us find a table. Great! I can say I was really hungry. We had the steak platter and it was beyond delicious! Though I should really emphasise this: share! The portions are very generous. Next time, we went for their famous Sunday roast and even though we had to wait in the queue for a bit, we got a table in a matter of minutes. I had the lamb and it didn't disappoint. Their selection of cask ales is also very good. They don't have many, but the ones they offer are incredible! One of the few pubs that doesn't do QR code, but instead old style waiter service.

The £5.50 bread was two small slices sliced in half that had star anise in it leaving an awful taste of liquorice in the mouth. Moving on to the main. We had the 3-4 person steak sharing platter andunfortunately was the worst steak I have ever had the displeasure of trying to eat. The steak knife struggled cutting through it, Cooked medium rare one slither of steak was taken from this plate and when we complained of the poor quality we were told they would charge us for the serving o 2-3 people instead. Even though we had only consumed a few chips.As pictured on the bill £59.40 and left extremely hungry. They are also advertising for a full time chef so not sure if the previous chef who got the good reviews has left. But I have had better steak at a beefeater.! I hope this establishment can better their quality and cuts. The menu does specify its a butchers piece of meat so they can swindle charging above £50 for meat I wouldn't consider putting into a stew

We ordered the whole roast chicken which is suitable for 2/3 - but I think it could serve 4 easily. We had lots of chicken left over and asked for a doggie bag. Very tasty chicken in herbs, and very good veggies. Served with gravy and bread sauce.Very friendly staff and very attentive. Highly recommended. Glad I found this hidden gem- it’s down a back street.Get there early if you want a table and roast - they sell out early. Get in the queue at 1145 to get your table.

Ordered the "3-4" serving of the steak for 3 of us which was definitely enough for 4 to 5 people. Very delicious steak, cooked well. The chips soaked up all the beefy juices and the cabbage full of bacon was excellent. Good service too, nice staff.

Lovely new beer garden with sheltered bits, it’s great. Sharing platters are delicious. Their website hasn’t been updated for years which is confusing, and it’s not always clear from their social whether they are open and full menu is on or not.

Excellent food and excellent experience even though we were sat outside in the rain (under a canopy)! We came here when Al Fresco dining was the only option but still had a lovely time. The staff were friendly and the steak sharer was amazing. Definitely worth the price. We are big eaters so went for the 2-3 person option. It was pretty enormous but we only left a handful of chips. The steak is excellent quality and the side of cabbage and bacon was really nice. After a little while, the chips did become a bit soggy as they are all under the meat, but tasty nonetheless.