Review: The Old Black Horse

Sports aficionado? Tempted by tandoori? The Old Black Horse on St Clement’s wants to cater for you.

Perhaps you didn’t even realise that this hotel and pub also offered dinner. I’ll admit that I didn’t either, until an invite recently arrived in the Bitten inbox. It turns out that this family-run venue (they’ve owned it for over 20 years) is now aiming to refine their kitchen offer with what they claim is Oxford’s only tandoori mixed grill. I was intrigued.

My visit was on a recent Friday night, when the area between St Clement’s and the Cowley Road was lively with pedestrians. Nestled inside the old 17th century coaching inn, I found a brightly lit sports bar playing an Oxford United match on the big screen TVs. We were warmly greeted and led up to the main dining room on the side.

Warning – watch your head, as this old inn has exceptionally low ceilings.

This dining area was decorated with two more of the large TVs, and the game (tied 1-1 for most of our time there) was the muted backdrop to our conversation. There was a bar area on the otherside, where the drinking crowd gathered, which inspired us to have bitter and a lager while waiting for our food.

Our meal involved sampling a good choice from the menu, and I feel like we got a fair overview of what the chef can do. The absolute standout was the tandoori grill – a platter piled with freshly prepared lamb kebabs, chicken tikka and lamb chops atop a layer of grilled peppers and onion. The meat was beautifully cooked, and I especially enjoyed the juicy little chops with their richly browned crust. You can order a platter for one (£14.95) or for two people (£27.95) – the portions are generous, so pace yourselves accordingly.

We also tried three other main dishes…

There was a chilli paneer, in which the firm cubes were enrobed in an appetising sweet and sour sauce punched up with a bit of heat. Another bowl contained a meaty lamb keema: a combination of humble mince, a restrained number of spices, and sweet peas. And then there was the butter chicken that was pleasant without being memorable. The chicken was tender, but the mild and creamy sauce could have been a little more aromatic.

To round out our dinner we did some carb-loading with the very buttery and garlicky naan. Order this only if you like a LOT of garlic. We also tucked into a pile of chilli fries that had a bottled-sauce-on-top-of-thick-chips vibe, meaning they were easy to eat but didn’t match the quality of the lamb.

Final thoughts?

The Old Black Horse is in the middle of a cooking reboot, and I can see that they have
great potential as a welcoming venue for a very casual meal with a side of sports. We
thoroughly enjoyed the tasty grill, while the other dishes were not yet at the same high
standard. Overall, I’d guess they are still finding their feet.

The service was friendly (leisurely at times), and we had a lovely natter with the owner and Ace. You’ll recognise the latter if you come across a beautiful golden German Shepherd hanging out by the
bar. One more feature of the welcoming ambience!

Food is served Friday to Sunday, and takeaway is available.