Craig's reviews
Review of The Old Fire Station
01 May 08, 22:50
Safe and Great 
An old throw back to my days in Oxford and somewhere that i've still gone to all the way through.
80s and 90s and today (I'm sure that's a strapline for a radio station) I love this place and it's a nice environment. There's not sense of undercurrent of violence (which you sometimes get in this Oxford)
0 out of 0 people found this review helpful.
Review of Oxford Spires Four Pillars Hotel
01 May 08, 22:45
Great for Weddings
Right on the river with fantastic views. the hotel is really nice on the inside and the catering is great.
Certainly one of the nicest hotels in Oxford. I had a friend who had his wedding here and it's was a great location and the staff were well set up to cater for weddings and guests
0 out of 0 people found this review helpful.
Review of The Carling Academy
01 May 08, 22:34
Paying for the name 
I think this place seems to have lost a bit of soul since it changed from the Zodiac.
It takes ages to get a drink in here, unless you leave mid set (which defeats the point of going to see it) It's still a bit grungey (which is part of the charm) You'll stick to the floor, but you also have to spend a bit more on the tickets due to the Carling brand having taken over the place!
0 out of 0 people found this review helpful.
Review of The Randolph Hotel
01 May 08, 22:31
Afternoon Tea
I took my mum here for afternoon tea. The sandwiches were great and so was the tea.
There was a load of sandwiches and cakes and it's much nicer than your average starbucks. Certainly worth it for a bit of class in Oxford
0 out of 0 people found this review helpful.
Review of Park End Club
01 May 08, 21:56
Much Better
Finally refurbished which as has been said before. Thank god because it was a bit of a dive before.
But now the rooms are fully defined and nice places to be. And Park End will always have a place in my heart as I once met Joey Beauchamp here. I get the feeling he wasn't as excited to meet me
0 out of 0 people found this review helpful.
Review of The Officers Club
30 Apr 08, 22:27
Suits and Shoes
As you would expect. The Bib and tucker brigade and the well heeled.
Stuits and smart gentlemen's clothing are on offer here. It's a nice place to browse if you're after a suit, but not much ever jumps out at me.
More often than not, it's the place that I just pass by in the Calrendon Centre
0 out of 0 people found this review helpful.
Review of Turrill Sculpture Garden
30 Apr 08, 22:22
Hidden Gem
Not many people know about this place. A lot of them have lived in Oxford for a long time but still haven't discovered this garden.
I agree, that it's a good place to take an hour to avoid the hustle and bustle of Oxford. If you need to get away from work then you can waaste some time here
A bit of peace and quiet tucked away in summertown. If you don't want a pub garden for lunch tnen go down here
0 out of 0 people found this review helpful.
Review of Oxford Ice Rink
30 Apr 08, 22:14
No Holly Willoughby
If you want to try and recapture your Sunday afternoons watching Dancin on Ice then you should try and give it a go here.
The place is starting to look a little tired, but an ice rink is still an ice rink and you can have a laugh about it.
It's not that expensive, but sadly there's no holly willoughby in revealing dresses. You win some you lose some
0 out of 0 people found this review helpful.
Review of Oxford University Rugby Football Club
30 Apr 08, 22:10
Good Quality rugby
You'd be surprised how high the quality of rugby is here. Oxford have been captained by a previous Wallaby captain, although in the twighlight of his career
It's not all rah-rah students it's good rugby against qualit opposition and you're able to have a beer as you watch it too.
Not expensive and if you love rugby then you can do far worse than come here to watch a game
0 out of 0 people found this review helpful.
Review of Costa
30 Apr 08, 22:05
Costa
Located near Waterstones it's a great place to grab a book and then head into Costa for a coffee.
The coffee isgood and cheapre than Starbucks. It's quite a nice space in here and you can get a comfy seat. It's in Broad street which is much nicer and spacious than the high street... also a little bit quieter as well
0 out of 0 people found this review helpful.
Review of Burger King
30 Apr 08, 18:50
slow 
There is seating upstairs and they're used to taking orders quickly. However, once your order is taken there is normally a wait to actually get your food
Not sure if this is because it's being cooked fresh or (often how it seems) that they never have anything ready and haven't though ahead. You will see people disappear off to Macdonalds as it takes quite some time to get in and out
0 out of 0 people found this review helpful.
Review of McDonald's Restaurant
30 Apr 08, 18:38
Well done if you get in
This is a really big macdonalds with plenty of space upstairs.
However in tourist season, it's almost impossible to pick your way though the gathered throng of foreign students hanging around outside to get in to have a burger.
0 out of 0 people found this review helpful.
Review of Tootsies
30 Apr 08, 18:35
Great
A really nice place to eat. The area of the castle is beautiful at night and makes it a much more pleasant experience that it could otherwise have been
The food is good quality and the low level lighting makes it an ideal date place without being too pushy
0 out of 0 people found this review helpful.
Review of KFC
30 Apr 08, 18:33
Battery Chicken
If you're one of the people who likes to get into exactly what they're eating then you can fully do this here. It's really really cramped in here and you end up feeling like the battery chicken you're eating.
Typical KFC and not as busy as Macdonald's further up the street, but there isn't much room here so probably best to opt for a takeout
0 out of 0 people found this review helpful.
Review of Marks & Spencer
30 Apr 08, 18:28
Good Cafe
A large department for oxfordshire. It's a massive place, plus it has the obligatory food court.
You can also while away some time by hidig upstairs with a coffee at the cafe. The coffee I've had is just as good as Starbucks and half the price. Definately worth it if you've got time to kill in the centre of oxford and you don't want to be on your feet much longer
0 out of 0 people found this review helpful.
Review of Marks & Spencer
30 Apr 08, 18:23
Summertown
A food store for the north oxfordians who are wealthy enough to shop for groceries at Marks and Spencer
I hold my hand up to admit that the food is delicious even though it is expensive. They have plenty of tills so you can get in and out quickly. You can also get your hands of a sandwich if you want a spot of lunch up in summertown
0 out of 0 people found this review helpful.
Review of Hat Box
30 Apr 08, 18:20
Hats under cover
Inside the covered market is a load of shops that you might not notice if you weren't to enter the maze of this place
Hat box has a range of hats, mostly for ladies attending weddings. They'll do things that are not avaialable on the high street and if they don't have it they might just be able to find it for you.
0 out of 0 people found this review helpful.
Review of HSBC
30 Apr 08, 18:17
Rammed at Lunchtime
Once you've picked your way around the foreign students hanging around the Macdonalds restaurant next door you'll get into a lobby with cash machines then on into the bank (which is refreshingly cool in summer)
Don't go at lunchtime as it's a nightmare. It's always rammed so try and go when people won't be doing personal or business banking
0 out of 0 people found this review helpful.
Review of USC
30 Apr 08, 18:06
Good enough
A reasonable sized shop for USC in Oxford. The shop is easy enough to get around (Sometimes it can be cramped in other stores)
The clothes are nice enough and you'll find some designer brands tucked away in there, although a lot of it seems quite river island and burton esque
0 out of 0 people found this review helpful.
Review of Jack Wills
30 Apr 08, 17:54
Pip Pip
One of the few Jack Wills stores in the UK. They tend to be found in places with high consumer spend and disposable income (the only other one I've found is in Whitstable... basically, you probably won't find one in Walsall if you get what I mean)
It's expensive in here, but the clothes are of good quality. I worked with a guy who had a rugby shirt from here and it still looked like new after several years. Generally catering to the boating set, the clothes are good, especially if you're messing about on the river.
0 out of 0 people found this review helpful.
Review of Tie Rack
29 Apr 08, 23:28
Ties
A really tiny version of Tie Rack tucked away in the corner of the Clarendon Centre
Hard to get around but if you're in need of a tie then head here. you can always head through past the other shops in there
0 out of 0 people found this review helpful.
Review of HMV
29 Apr 08, 23:25
HMV
Quite a large store downstairs and just as big upstairs. Downstairs concentrates on music and games and upstairs is all about DVDs
Never buy anything at full price because it's much cheaper on the internet or at least check across the road at the Zavvi
0 out of 0 people found this review helpful.
Review of Virgin Megastore
29 Apr 08, 23:20
Huge Upstairs
The picture is a little out-dated as it's actually a Zavvi now.
If you look through the window, you could be mistaken to think it's quite small, but you need to go up the stairs where it really opens out and is massive.
If you can think of it, they've probably got it in several different formats
Worth a look as they hve everything from CDs to DVDs
0 out of 0 people found this review helpful.
Review of W H Smith
29 Apr 08, 23:15
Building with character
A large W H Smith that takes some time to explore as it goes back a long way and is on several levels (representative of the old building in which it sits)
A wide selection of books and stationary, however the DVDs are amazingly expensive considering how cheap you can find them a few doors down at Zavvi
0 out of 0 people found this review helpful.
Review of Borders Books
29 Apr 08, 23:08
Take an hour Out
This borders is great. People might not realise how busy Oxford can get evenin the non tourist seasons.
If it's hot outside then you head in here, pick up something that interests you and take it to the coffee shop. They have comfy chairs and you can lose an hour in here passing some time.
0 out of 0 people found this review helpful.
Review of Schuh
29 Apr 08, 22:57
Cramped
A small branch of Schuh that has a lot of stock out meaning that it's not very easy to get around the shop if it's busy.
Just when you think you've escaped the busy street outside you step into Schuh and find it just as difficult to get around.
0 out of 0 people found this review helpful.
Review of Walters & Co
29 Apr 08, 22:53
Great for DJ Hire
An outfitter of Oxford University students that has been around for ages.
If you want to look like an intellectual with green courdroy and elbow patches then this is a good place to start. The do a good range of shirts and jackets though and have on site tailors
I hired a dinner suit from here and the staff were very helpful and the price was very reasonable (plus I had the thing for nearly a week)
0 out of 0 people found this review helpful.
Review of Christ Church College
29 Apr 08, 22:46
Check Out The Meadows
This is the best known college of Oxford and simply it's the biggest.
The grounds inside the college are large and spacious (and found in many an episode of Inspector Morse) but the real treat here is the treat is the meadows that are the banks of the Isis (Thames) where you can laze away a summer afternoon pretending you're Lewis Carrol writing Alice in Wonderland
1 out of 1 person found this review helpful.
Review of BBC Radio Oxford
28 Apr 08, 16:52
Unrivalled Sports coverage
Trying to shake off it's over 60s image and make it a little fresher... however it's sports coverage is unrivalled
Oxford United is well and truly wrapped up by award winning sports coverage presented by local people who care about the teams in Oxfordshire.
A really good listen on a saturday afternoon and because Oxford are my football team, I'm never too far away from the internet to hear the coverage on the Yellows
0 out of 0 people found this review helpful.
Review of Gap
24 Apr 08, 18:17
gap
Gap is the US clothing giant delivering the college preppy look from across the pond. Their standard fare is chinos for boys with loose blue shirts and t-shirts underneath. You may well feel that you’ve seen it all before and if we’re honest you probably have.
0 out of 0 people found this review helpful.
Review of Gap
24 Apr 08, 18:17
Gap
The American college look is delivered by Gap in spades in this store. Menswear is upstairs and the shop has a bit too much floor space, making you wonder if it’s actually been finished. They could add some more stuff on the shop floor as it’s a bit sparse.
0 out of 0 people found this review helpful.
Review of Thorntons
17 Apr 08, 14:14
Neither one nor the other
All the chocolate you'd expect, but also with the added advantage of having a coffee shop that when you order a drink adds a chocolate for you
However, you'll find yourself queueing for a table most of the time as it's very small inside and doesn't quite know if it's a coffee shop or a cafe and has opted for the coffee shop without the floor space to pull it off
0 out of 0 people found this review helpful.
Review of Nando's Chickenland
17 Apr 08, 10:42
Chicken Heaven
Hooray for Nando's
Peri Peri portuguese chicken at an affordable price. The perfect place to head out to with freinds if you wnat a very informal meal.
Go out and have dinner for under a tenner and you'll still be full. Check out their range of food on the menu at their website
0 out of 0 people found this review helpful.
Review of The Varsity Shop (Castell & Son)
17 Apr 08, 10:35
Uni Souvenir
Famous for inveting the first modern necktie (apparantly) and has been around since 1850ish
You can get your normal fayre of university souvenir clothing, but they also act as an outfitters for the students and offer suit hire for everyone.
Worth a look in if you're interested in everything Oxford University.
0 out of 0 people found this review helpful.
Review of Town Hall & Museum Of Oxford
16 Apr 08, 22:35
Free
Worth a look as it's free
The story of Oxford through the ages from small town to university city run by the colleges
From stoneage to present day including jericho in the 19th century with mock ups of life as it was
definately worth a look especially as it's free to get in
0 out of 0 people found this review helpful.
Review of St. John's College
16 Apr 08, 18:52
A lot of building, not much else
Plenty of college buildings to see here, but not much in the way of maniacured Oxford quadrangle lawns. this is quite a built up college, so you'll get a lot of architecture on your tour, however you may feel a little lost with so many archways to walk through and you lose perspective on exactly where you are. It backs onto Trinity which is a much more attractive college to view with it's wide open grounds that you will be able to see from the street
0 out of 0 people found this review helpful.
Review of Trinity College
16 Apr 08, 18:46
Best Grounds
Probably the prettiest college. There's not a lot of college to see, but the grounds are the best in the whole of the University set up.
Meticulously kept lawns and long drives make this college a must see even though it's one of the smallest. There is a fee for viewing the college grounds and you don't see an awful lot that you can't see from the road.
0 out of 0 people found this review helpful.
Review of Sainsbury's Local
16 Apr 08, 17:54
Much needed
Very handy for a lunchtime sandwich if you don't want to fork out tourist prices for your dinner
Also quite handy that they do vegetables so you can pick stuff up for tea and not have to take a diversion on the way home for a bigger store
Lots and lots of checkouts so the line always moves quickly, definately one of the most needed shops in Oxford city centre. Thank You mr sainsbury
0 out of 0 people found this review helpful.
Review of Museum Of Oxford
16 Apr 08, 17:14
Free
It's Free... a great way to pass a couple of hours...and it's free
The history of Oxford from it's humble beginnings to his historic university city status
Interesting and not just concentrating on the middle ages, it also charts the rise of the car industry that can be charted back to Oxford.
You might find yourself rushing through parts, but it's definately worth a look especially as it's free to get in
0 out of 0 people found this review helpful.
Review of Pitt Rivers Museum
16 Apr 08, 17:11
Fascinating 
Quite simply one of the oddest museums, full of the oddest items you could imagine. I guess Odd would describe the whole thing except the experience which is fascinating
Where else are you going to find Shrunken heads on a Thursday afternoon on the edge of the Cotswolds.
Star of numerous Inspector Morse episodes (they steal a strange knife from here, but I can't remember "who done it")
Always a talking point from people who have taken time to visit it, I even had a conversation about it in Hong Kong from a chinese lady who thought it was brilliant. Word of Mouth is a powerful thing
0 out of 0 people found this review helpful.
Review of The Original Levi's Store
16 Apr 08, 16:05
Jean Jeanie
They sell Levis, apparantly they are original, so don't go in here accusing them of being knock offs.
a wide range of denim in a variety of cuts, styles, fits and colours. If you're looking for original red tabs and they don't have them exactly how you want, then your unlikely to ever find them under the Levi brand.
You're bound to find something you like... they are jeans after all... they're not all that different from one another
0 out of 0 people found this review helpful.
Review of Primark
16 Apr 08, 16:04
Cheap and Cheerful
Primark or to give it it's joke name... Primarni
Budget clothes and sold in bulk. You might be able to pick up some staples here, but don't look to invest in suits and clothes that will last forever.
the best way to describe it is Cheap and Cheerful, but you might always find a bargain, so worth a quick look
0 out of 0 people found this review helpful.
Review of Next Stores
16 Apr 08, 16:02
Staples
Slightly more mature than River Island, but around the same price
Women's and Men's fashions. Will fill up the staples in your wardrobe such as white t-shirts... they also do a good line in slim fit shirts, so if you have been to the gym and are no longer in need of a shirt that has been fitted to a space hopper.
They also do homewares, however they are much much more expensive than IKEA
0 out of 0 people found this review helpful.
Review of Austin Reed
16 Apr 08, 15:55
Suit-able investment
The place to go if you're looking to invest in a suit and not picky up a cheapy at River Island or Topman
It'll be a suit for work with the correct shirts and ties to go with it... not a baggy suit for your first court appearance.
Staff are helpful and knowledgeable, especially if alterations are needed. Clothes are of good quality and will last.
0 out of 0 people found this review helpful.
Review of New Look
16 Apr 08, 15:53
Knock Down Fashion
The latest fashions at knock down prices.
New look aims to bring you the latest fashions at the cheapest price possible
Don't expect high quality clothes as New look has to save money somewhere also they expect the clothes to have served their purpose quickly so they don't need to be longwearing
0 out of 0 people found this review helpful.
Review of River Island Clothing Co
16 Apr 08, 15:50
High Street Fashion
Standard fayre, slightly hipper and younger fashion than Next, but around the same price
Catering for slightly more fashion conscious (your mum would buy you next vouchers, but you'll probably have wanted River island if you're under 23)
Good for staples and not overly expensive. If your spending pocket money your'll come here, but if your investing in a suit or other work clothes look elsewhere
0 out of 0 people found this review helpful.
Review of Zara
16 Apr 08, 15:48
European Fashion
Providing european fashion from their base in Barcelona... Zara is at the higher end of high street fashion
Most of the clothes are cut slightly slimmer (as the Americanisation of the human form hasn't set in on the continent yet)
Mostly muted colours of pastels for colours... but then they'll have a season where everything is one shad of green. Great to shop in, nicely presented and you know that your shopping for quality in Zara
0 out of 0 people found this review helpful.
Review of The Eagle & Child
14 Apr 08, 18:51
Hobbits inside.
You won't be able to get to the bar without someone telling you it's where J.R.R. Tolkein used to drink... (J.R.R Tolkein was the J.K. Rowling of his day... maybe there's something in this initial thing, it all worked out for J.R. Hartley and his fly fishing book?)
It's a nice little pub with some nooks to get lost in, it's also away from the hustle and bustle of the town centre, so it actually has regulars as well as tourists trying to do a bit of hobbit spotting.
0 out of 0 people found this review helpful.
Review of Malmaison Oxford
14 Apr 08, 18:41
Stunning
This used to be Oxford Prison, but don't let that put you off. It's stunning, beautifully quiet, and seductively styled. The rooms are spacious (no they're not like a cell)
There's a bar in the hotel that featured in the recent episodes of Lewis that is stunning. It's head and shoulders above all the other bars in Oxford for sheer class and not full of foppish students talking about Keats and Shelley and hammering cheap cider down their necks... perfect
0 out of 0 people found this review helpful.
Review of Tooties Restaurants
14 Apr 08, 18:36
Good Food, good experience
Tootsies do a great burger. The interior is spacious, but still feels intimate.
It's not cheap and cheerful, but it's a welcome experience and a great place to take someone without it feeling like a romantic dinner for two. There's a bar for you to sit at, so if you get stood up, you can still get hammered and the bar tender might take pity on you and give youa few free drinks
If the date goes well, you can follow it up witha drink at the hotel bar in malmaison which is plush but not outrageous
0 out of 0 people found this review helpful.
Review of The Living Room
14 Apr 08, 18:33
Oxford who?
In most cities, this venue is the trendy hangout of all the footballers, with girls clamouring to get in with the hope of being the next News Of The World WAG. However in Oxford, the local football team play in the conference, so most of them earn less than the other punters and with average gates of a few thousand, hardly anyone's ever heard of them.
The venue however, is spacious plush and rammed at the weekend. Very nice though... what do you mean Who's Billy Turley?
0 out of 0 people found this review helpful.
Review of Bella Pasta
14 Apr 08, 18:26
Porta
Typical Italian pasta and pizzaria... but there's a great game you can play. Whenever someone comes in through the door all the waiting staff shout Porta (Italian for door). So whilst sat in the restaurant, just shout Porta at regular intervals to see the waiting staff scamper over to receive their non-existent customers.
Yes, I'm a very childish person. About the restaurant... yep it's good. Cheep and cheerful, and a good time out.
Porta!
0 out of 0 people found this review helpful.
Review of The University Of Oxford Shop
14 Apr 08, 18:17
I'm from Oxford... My jumper says so!
Ever been to Oxford... no? Ever attended one of the prestigious and highly pretentious universities... no? Then why not cover yourself in clothing to convince the plebs back home that you have.
It's got everything you could want, jumpers, jackets, teddy bears and mugs all emblazoned with the word Oxford. You can pick up some of the specific college scarfs that might go a touch further to convincing the odd local that you are a student but nobody else.
If you're after souvenirs it's perfect for generic oxford stuff... you might find more specific individual college souvenirs in the actual colleges themselves.
1 out of 2 people found this review helpful.