The Anchor

You'll find The Anchor tucked away on Hayfield Road, in that part of North Oxford where the university types mix with proper locals who've been coming here for years. It's the kind of pub where you can nurse a pint without anyone expecting you to order something precious—wooden beams, worn leather, the works—but the food menu takes itself seriously enough that you won't be disappointed. Whether you're after a quick drink after cycling through Port Meadow or settling in for proper pub fare, the place has that rare quality of feeling genuinely welcoming rather than performatively quaint.