The Eagle and Child

The obvious reason to visit this pub is clearly the history, which you probably know all about but I’ll say it again anyway because no review for this place would be complete without name dropping JRR Tolkien and CS Lewis. Who hung out here. With their literary club. There’s a plaque and everything.
So now that we got that out of the way, let’s get down to the serious business. The pub can get crowded as it’s quite a tourist draw. But that doesn’t seem to stop it from delivering good service and food. Unfortunately their Sunday roasts were all sold out, but the regular menu has tasty options galore.
Food arrived quickly and was good, the pub feels cozy and offers plenty of seating as well as books and games for patrons to use. Décor is typical British pub style.
Overall it was an enjoyable visit and I’d definitely return.

Love the history of the pub. We were seated in the back room but I’d recommend sitting closer to the front where there is a bit more ambience. Food was fine but not the best pub food I’ve had in Oxford. Recommend it for great beer or wine to cozy up on a cold British evening.

C.S. Lewis my favorite author, so when I found out that he and JRR Tolkein would frequent this pub in Oxford for their literary club meetings, I absolutely had to come here. There are signs decorated around the place with C.S. Lewis quotes and the room where they met in is still there as well.
The service here is a bit confusing, so let me explain. You go up to the cashier at the bar, tell them what you would like to drink and eat, and pay there. You wait for your drink at the bar, then they’ll bring you your food. You also seat yourself. That part was really confusing, so I sat with my companions, but wondered why they never came to take our order haha.
The food is typical British pub food, such as fish and chips, Sunday roast (which ran out by the evening), bangers and mash, etc. I opted for the fish and chips, and was completely shocked when it came out. In America, the fried fish sizes are comparable to chicken tenders. However, the one at The Eagle and Child was a whole fish de-​boned and deep fried. So my plate came out with a rather long piece of fried fish sitting on a bed of chips (fries), and with a side of mint mushy peas. I quite enjoyed all of it. I also love that they serve mulled wine too, but that might just be for the holidays.
Overall, super happy that I got to dine at such a historical establishment!

A must see in Oxford for any Tolkien or Lewis fans. Nothing quite like having a pint where your favorite authors hung out. The staff is very nice if constantly kept busy. The place is also consistently packed but this gives you a chance to talk to some of the locals which is a great experience in itself.

Such a cute pub to in which to escape from the rain! We sat in the front room in a cozy little corner. I tried the ham sandwich, which reminded me of those my grandmother used to me for me a child. How reminiscent! I also had a pint of cider and you can’t go wrong with one of those. I would come back if I happened to be in Oxford… it seems to be a pretty popular place among the locals.

The Bird and The Baby!
So The Eagle and Child is one of those spaces that everyone needs to check out in Oxford. Mostly because it’s where famous writers used to drink. Your C.S. Lewis and JRR Tolkein and others who were part of the Inklings group. It’s kind of neat.
That being said, beyond that, it’s just a pub. There are plenty of seating up front and in the back and the beer is served quickly and it’s easy to sit there and chat with friends and pretend you’re sitting where the Hobbit or Narnia might have been dreamed up. Why not?

Ok so the one downside is its crowded and touristy — but that goes for literally everything in Oxford city center.
This place has actually very cheap drinks (£3 for a pint of local ale!) and average tourist prices for food. It’s really not that pricey.
Given its location and history, and also its chilled out atmosphere and cheap broad selection, I really enjoyed it.

I had such a good time here. The only thing I did not like so much was the bathroom, which needs a lot of TLC. Everyone here just seems so happy! It’s eclectic and roomy and the food is yum. Sort of pricey, but I’m American so everything is pricey for me. This place has an earthy atmosphere, and so much history!

Calling all C. S Lewis and Tolkien followers, this pub is a must visit. Home of the inklings and a whole lot of history — you will not be disappointed!

Pros:
+ It’s the Eagle and Child! Tolkien! Lewis! Need I say more???
+ It’s every bit the English pub you think it is, complete with a drink and food menu. You can drop in for whatever occasion you have in mind. We came for dinner and it was great.
+ Bartenders and staff are friendly and welcoming.
+ Food was as good as pub grub gets; I had the puff pastry with a side of veggies, mash and gravy. My friends had the steak and bangers and mash. Our beers were even better. I had a fantastic ginger beer called Crabbie’s, will never forget it. I’ve been on the lookout for this stateside, though I haven’t seen it.
+ The place feels old, cozy, grimy and memorable. It’s the simple things, isn’t it?
+ Plenty of seating available in whichever nook you stumble into.
Cons:
— Touristy for obvious reasons. Who doesn’t want to have a pint at the local haunt of Tolkien and Lewis? Not a bad thing, just inevitable.

Classic pub, I took a friend here because I figured it would be interesting to see C.S. Lewis and Tolkien’s old haunt. For us, this was the main draw.
The dessert my friend ordered (berry crumble) was generously portioned and we didn’t feel out of place ordering tea and coffee in the early afternoon.
I’ve heard from other friends that is is a great place at night as well, regretting not checking it out before I left!

War während einer Dienstreise mit einem Kollegen von hier in Tolkien’s Pub. Super Atmosphäre, super Burger, super Bier. Was will man mehr?!

Superbe pub où Tolkien (lord of the ring) et Lewis (narnia) ont eu leur habitudes. Un pub tout en étroitesse et en recoin, à la nourriture de qualité et au cachet indéniable.

Waren heute zum Mittagessen im Eagle and Child. Die Atmosphäre war total urig, die Bedienung freundlich und das Essen super! Wir hatten nur eine kleine Reisegruppe im Pub, keine ganzen Busladungen. Es waren auch angenehm viele Einheimische dort, so dass nicht der Eindruck einer reinen Touristen-​Location entsteht.

L’endroit a servi de quartier général à quelques auteurs méconnus comme Lewis et Tolkien, qui y ont beaucoup discuté au point que d’aucuns considèrent désormais ce lieu comme un endroit sacré.
Le royaume de Narnia et la Terre du Milieu se rencontrent dans ce pub qui appartient au St John’s College et affiche quelques souvenirs de l’époque des Inklings.
Si, comme le père de Frodon et Golum, vous souhaitez trouver l’inspiration pour écrire des histoires dans lesquelles vous créez de nouvelles langues, c’est sans doute l’endroit qui pourra le plus vous y aider.
L’endroit dégage une atmosphère particulière, que les murs peinent à contenir.

Der ganze Tolkienquatsch hat mich herzlich wenig interessiert und ich käme auch nie auf die Idee nachmittags, wenn angeglich ganze Busladungen von Touristen die Räumlichkeiten blockieren, hier einzukehren.
Ansonsten herrscht in diesem langen, langen Schlauch mit einigen gemütlichen Nischen eine angenehm urige und authentische Atmosphäre vor, das Bierangebot ist gut, die Preise noch annehmbar, gezapft wird professionell und die Leute sind angenehm gemischt.
Wie nahezu überall in Oxford bzw. England wird natürlich auch hier um 11 dicht gemacht.

this is a very nice traditional pub. Always very busy which is a good sign! Good Beer too, so nothing to complain about!