Every undergraduate college (and most of the graduate ones) have a college bar, meant to serve as a venue for members of college to socialise, though friends from outside are welcome too. Some bars are more frequented than others, due to factors such as price, quality of drinks, or simply whether it’s part of the respective college’s culture to socialise there. Many also serve cocktails unique to the college – they are usually very strong, and at a decent enough value to get the average person comfortably tipsy on a night out. In our first year, we visited all 39 college bars in Oxford (check out our adventures at http://www.facebook.com/oxfordcollegebarreview) and lived to tell the tale. We are here to write a condensed review of our favourites.
BEST DRINKS: ST. JOHN’S AND REGENT’S PARK
If you’re looking for drinks to settle your palate, then look no further than these colleges. St. John’s cocktails were invented by friendly bartender Yannick, who is always ready to tell you about his many concoctions, such as the Apple Crumble, Ginston Churchill, and the ARRRRR. He’ll even make you a customised drink based on your flavour/alcohol preferences!
As for Regent’s Park, the first thing we hear a lot is “what’s Regent’s Park?”, but the quality of drinks served should put them firmly on the map. It’s a much smaller bar (and quite hard to get into unless you have a friend from the college and are not in a large group), but they serve an array of fantastic drinks, all equally delicious and cheap; our personal favourite is the Rheinberg, which is similar to a White Russian. Also, order the Mind Eraser: it works.
BEST ATMOSPHERE: QUEEN’S AND JESUS
Atmosphere is a category that is hard to judge, simply because some nights we went weren’t the same nights college members would visit, so this is more based on ambience and how the bar is laid out. (The upholstery at these bars played a huge factor in our rating.) Queen’s has a more ‘local pub’ vibe, and is rowdy most nights; unfortunately, you definitely need a friend in college to get in, and don’t forget to bring change to choose a song on the jukebox. It’s great for small groups, as it isn’t the largest of bars, but is definitely warm and cozy.
The recently refurbished Jesus bar is special in an entirely different way: it is beautifully decorated, with warm green walls and fairy lights, and has perks such as a UV room (where you can play UV ping-pong!) and comfortable beanbags to sit and play Mario Kart with your friends (and by that we mean lose friends due to Mario Kart).
BEST VALUE: BALLIOL AND ST. PETER’S
Balliol’s infamous Crazy Tuesdays live up to their name, as the price of their already cheap drinks is further reduced by half, making it a popular destination for many students across the university. You will definitely get your money’s worth, but the strength of their drinks also come with extreme sweetness. You can actually taste the low price in their drinks, but that’s a rant for another day.
St. Peter’s is well-known for their Cross Keys cocktail, which not only tastes delicious, but also sets you back a mere £5 for five lethal shots – in fact, it’s so famous, the recipe has been stolen/adapted by other college bars. Best of all, it comes in different flavours: mango (our favourite), tropical, cherry, apple, and summer fruits. At some point in your time here, someone will recommend going to Peter’s for pre-drinks or to socialise; take them up on it, it’s well worth it. These bars are perfect for pre-drinking or simply just having a good night on a budget.
NOT A DRINKER?: MANSFIELD AND SOMERVILLE
If you’re not a fan of alcohol, don’t worry, we haven’t forgotten about you! There are several college bars which double as a cafe during the day and are commonly used as workspaces for students who don’t want to be holed up in their rooms or a library. Mansfield’s bar, with its wide range of snacks, drinks, and desserts, is definitely worth a visit, and we’re a particular fan of their smoothies and cakes. In fact, people will work there into the night too, as the bar section just never seems to be open. Somerville’s Terrace bar is well-lit by the skylights, and their paninis are absolutely delicious. One of Somerville’s college drinks is even non-alcoholic: the sweet and fruity Somerville Sunset is the perfect cooler for a relaxing afternoon.
SPECIAL MENTIONS: CORPUS CHRISTI, WOLFSON AND ST. CROSS
Corpus has expanded its menu quite a bit since we reviewed it in our first year (and our page is constantly updated to reflect this), and its drinks all have delightful names like the Pelican, the Blue Whale, the Flamingo, and the Black Mamba. The drinks all cost a fiver but are of varying strengths, so choose wisely depending on how sloshed you want to be that evening.
As for Wolfson College and St. Cross, these two probably have the most inventive menus out of all the graduate colleges we visited – Wolfson has the added bonus of some fantastic pop-part on the walls, and last Trinity term served some Star Wars themed drinks for May 4th. However, we would advise to go with a friend and in small groups, as security at all of these colleges is quite tight.
If you would like to visit these bars but don’t have anyone to go with, have no fear – join our group Oxford College Bar Tours and will be organising regular visits. It’s a very relaxed social space, a great opportunity to meet other students, and you don’t have to drink to participate!
We are also organising our first ever bar crawl on the 1stof November to raise funds for a local homelessness charity – get involved here.
