Beefeater The Longwall, Cowley, Oxford

Facebook page of Longwall - www.facebook.com

Facebook page of Longwall - www.facebook.com

The Longwall is a Beefeater found adjacent to a Premier Inn, therefore acting as the hotel’s restaurant. The split-level sprawling interior has many seating areas, including a bar area. The bar counter supports a standard keg range alongside Peroni, and one of the two hand pumps was in operation, drawing Sharp’s Doom Bar. It was empty in here in the evening, but very busy for breakfast the next morning. I wouldn’t visit here just for a beer.

Located the other side of the Ring Road from the Mini Plant, this is a restaurant bolt-on to a Premier Inn, whose name is (given the location) a nod to the site of William Morris' original garage in the city. Internally, this is V-shaped, and you enter at the base of the 'V', heading either left to the restaurant or right to the bar, in both cases descending down three steps to do so. Busy on a weeknight, the inhabitants are predominantly Lenny Henry's cohorts, the majority of whom were on the fizz (and I don't mean Veuve Clicquot). There were two ales on: surprisingly Hook Norton Old Hooky and Sharp's Atlantic (one could easily imagine Doom Bar and London Pride as token gestures) and both of which were in excellent shape - I was even allowed to try both, before settling on a half of the former. There were also three BrewDog offerings as well as Guinness' Dublin Porter in the fridge all of which served as decent bottled alternatives. A bar menu was available and plenty were eating to boot and obligatory muzak played in the background. It's not a pub, and will (and should) never be on anyone's list of places 'to-do' in Oxford, but I've been to worse places in the city so they get a grudging nod from me for the ale choice.

Large Beefeater next to a Premier Inn on the outskirts of Oxford , the pub itself is on several levels , the rear room is the most pub-like with a large bar and two raised areas either end and a small outside seating area , the front of the pub is on at least three different levels with a lower level leading out to a nice outside area and steps lead up to a mezzanine level . Decor is standard Beefeater , usual Keg taps with only a reasonable Hook Norton Old Hooky on handpull .