The Magdalen Arms

After fangirling over the beautiful food at the Canton Arms in Stockwell, I had their sister pub in Oxford marked on my maps. As part of a road trip we stopped at The Magdalen Arms for lunch and how wonderful it was. The menu concept is the same as that of their London pubs; authentic international/mediterranean classics executed very well. This time we went for the Sicilian style polpette in dandelion broth and then we had the Provençal fish stew accompanied by the house focaccia. Both dishes were divine, made with fresh seasonal produce and the fish was cooked to perfection. A must when in Oxford and when you’re looking for a traditional English pub but with fabulous food that goes way beyond the standard beige offering. What a lovely Gastropub with welcoming, attentive staff.

Far too expensive for the quality it provides. I've order some risotto, because how can one mess up rice? This looked and smelled so bad it was untastable. And I know it's a pub... so I'll say it - their fish and chips was the worst I've ever had also. Do not recommend it.

Such a great pub with friendly service, outstanding food & very decent wine list & prices.

Exceptional food, great pub. We (4) shared the lamb shoulder and still had loads to take home

Last night we shared luscious peppered peaches with wafer thin prosciutto; a magnificent globe artichoke crusted with cheese and herb crumb; pig's brawn deep fried to succulence; salt cod fritters with moreish aioli... A very memorable, delicious meal. The Magdalen Arms serves brilliant food, intuitively assembled with great flavours and caring attention to even lesser loved bits. The whole experience here is created with love and served by delightful people in relaxed, convivial atmosphere. True, it can be variable: I've had amazing dishes here and some less so but still reliably very good. And what more can one ask, really? This is not some homogeneous brand concept engineered to kowtow to your every whim. (Besides, there's enough of that in Oxford). This is real, talented people, making something truly special as often as human ingenuity allows. More power to them. This is a local gem.

This is a lovely pub with a very nice ambience, great atmosphere and friendly staff. The food menu is ambitiously spanish, hence the gastropub status, but perhaps a little bit too ambitious. Me and my friends all had a few different courses (I had the Rabbit and chorizo). No complaints but the courses we had didn’t really come to live. But it’s a nice place and definitely worth a visit if you’re nearby. - Value for money? Yes - Worth a detour? No - Best for (occasion)? A few pints - Would I go back? Yes

Excellent food. We had the belly pork, my kids the kids menu and the cod. It was delicious and well done. The pasta souce was excellent. Very cosy place in Oxford. The focaccia they serve as an entry is also worth it.

We were a group of 11 tonight who enjoyed the sizzling prawns, mussels, pork schnitzel and (our favourite) the venison wellington! All the dishes were very tasty indeed👌 Thank you also to our server (tall lady, unfortunately we didn't get her name) who was an absolute superstar and deserves much praise! We will be back 😁

The staff and service were amazing! We went here 3 times during our 1 week stay. They were so kind to us. The food and drinks we ate were superb! Gin and tonics I highly recommend here. Very dog friendly and the whole restaurant and pub was so chill! Highly recommend

Friendly gastropub a bit out of the way of busy city centre. It has indoor and outdoor area, but unfortunately no parking - however, we didn't have a problem parking nearby. The menu is mouthwatering, from veggie to sharing dishes. We shared lamb, so had to wait for 40min I think, but it was worth it! Potatoes were melting in my mouth, while the lamb was full of flavour. While we waiting, a real owner of the pub- black cat- was entertaining us. I felt sorry for people who sat next to her bed, as everybody constantly kept coming to say hi to her. She just loved the attention! Looking forward to going back!

We ate the roast hereford beef rib as a family of 4 on a Sunday night for our last meal in England. We'd past the MA many times during our 2 week stay in Oxford, but it never made sense until it was just the 4 of us. Our children played with the toys by the couch area to the right of the Iffley Road entrance, while my husband and I chose a table to the left of the door with space for us to play cards. I love the open space of this place! Our meal included beef with horseradish cream and chips. We ordered a simple salad for the side and were served crusty bread as well. The beef was really fatty, but overall flavorful. The salad helped to cut the fattiness of the beef. The chips could've been crisper, but the boys mostly ate them, so I didn't mind. We ordered and paid at the counter, and service was attentive enough to give us what we needed at the table. 2019 Reviews #17

Amazing food, the roast rib of beef was absolutely amazing. Everything that came with it was equally brilliant, especially the huge Yorkshire pudding. They catered well for gluten free needs too with only cauliflower cheese and Yorkshire not being suitable. Will be back whenever we're in Oxford!

About the best pub food o have seen around the area, and I have tried quite a few them. That pheasant dish is so delicious that's like Michelin star level. Wow

Fair portion for 2 to share for the slow cooked lamb, tho not as "legendary". gratin dauphinoise was AMAZING. Service was way faster than expected (was told 30mins tho got served in 10) - the only downside is the price being a bit higher than normal pub food. Definitely fun experience tho and would go back again.

Had an excellent experience here. Had a late supper around 9:30 and ordered the ravioli. Handmade in house and delicious! My husband and I were just passing through Oxford and the staff was extremely friendly and offered loads of advice on where to go and what to see. Great atmosphere, great food, kind people.

What a place! Just up our street... Food great and well served. I used the pub when I was at Oxford and am not disappointed on my return. Whilst places change over the years, The Madgalen is not exempt, some places still hold The Magic. Still serve the best pint in the city. Well Done!!

One of the best pub meals I've had in Oxford. Really tasty, creative, gastropub fare at regular pub prices. It doesn't have the history that some Oxford pubs have, but this is an authentic British pub in the sense that it is a gathering place and hangout for locals of all ages. Here's a tip for out-of-towners like me - the college and the pub are pronounced "maudelin".

The food and service is always good here, however there's a hype surrounding it I don't feel it lives up to. Especially if you're vegetarian - there's always only one option out of eight main dishes, and one fish option which strikes me as a bit ridiculous. I went last night and everyone at the table ordered the veggie option so they ran out. Luckily they made me something else, but I think this proves - especially given non-veggies will often go for the veggie option - that they need more variety!

The Magdalen Arms reopened three days ago under new management and I've been twice. (Okay, so I live next door, but still.) The entire place has been re-done and the atmosphere is quite different from before; the new owners call it a "foodie pub." Though the new owners appear to be beginners, very few details have escaped their attention. The staff is lovely and eager to please, and the food is just fantastic, yet affordable. Give the new place a try. It's some of the best food I've had in Oxford.

This is paradigmatically gastro-pub in feel. The menu was very varied, very gourmond and the meal I had was large of portion, flavoursome and nicely cooked (roast lamb). Perhaps more of a meal deal section would be welcome. But for variety, quick service and cooking, this place is excellent.

A decent little pub. Seems a little fancy and you certainly pay that for the food and drink, a good place to treat yourself. For some reason usually walked past it to frequent other places more often but not a bad pub at all.

I've been to this pub a few times with my boyfriend. It seems like quite a 'local' pub where everyone knows eachother, but it they are not unfriendly. They show most of the sport so it's a good place to go to watch it, and it doesn't seem to get as busy as the other pubs in the area. It is close to Cowley Road, but doesn't have the same feel as the pubs there, it's hard to describe but I feel more comfortable in here. The prices are reasonable, and pretty average for the area. They do have tables outside, but not many and you're sitting on the main road so not great for summer or smokers.

Hmm I have heard it's great but it's closed until 17/08/10 and, frustratingly, the only way I found this out was by going up to the front door. No answerphone messages are taken (it just rings through) and the website is still under development. Will revise the review once I go as I cannot wait!

We had a number of small plates instead of two mains, and they all were delicious. The ham terrine was the best my partner had had in England (and he certainly tried a few!) and I thought the artichoke was pretty amazing. The service was friendly and the place was certainly packed. It felt like a local pub, and there were many nonstudents about.

No longer a "live sports pub", thank goodness. Now half restaurant and half friendly local pub. Since it's make-over this has become one of my favourite Oxford restaurants. Quite a "meaty" menu, but with some vegetarian options. Closed Sunday evenings !