After a short closure, refurbishment and a change of management, The Port Mahon in St Clements, is back open!

The Port Mahon, reopened its doors a few weeks ago, boasting a new menu and improved decor. I’ve visited the pub a few times in the past, but it has never really been a place I would have considered eating or popping in for a few pints. It always felt a bit cold, dull and impersonal. I am pleased to say, this time, it’s got a bit of a different feel and vibe to it.

First impressions were very positive as it feels warm and cosy when coming into the bar area. When we arrived, there were groups of people having a few ‘after work’ drinks, as well as ordering food. For me, when I see people eating when you come into a pub fairly early in the evening, it’s always a good sign.

We dined in the bar area, which provided a cosy and vibrant atmosphere. The new decor still has the original pub ambience, but feels cleaner and more welcoming than it did before.

The bar itself has 8 keg lines, including Guinness, as well as 2 cask ale lines. I liked that they had a local ale from the North Cotswold Brewery on. It boasts a good range of wines and spirits, including the ‘Mahon Gin’. Drinks wise, I went with a pint of the Tumbling Jack from North Cotswold, which was kept well and a great autumn ale. My wife, Sarah, went with the Mahon Gin which was light, and refreshing – so much so she had a second!

Looking at the food, they have a compact, yet interesting menu that I thought was reasonably priced for the portion sizes and quality. There is a selection of bar snacks, starters, mains and desserts that cater for just about everyone.

To start, we went with the pork belly bites and the taramasalata.

The pork belly was sweet and rich with nicely rendered soft fat that had a square of crispy skin on top. Very moreish! The taramasalata was rich and creamy with the right amount of tang to it. Coupled with the soft pitta and crunchy cornichons, it was a great dish.

We chose the flat iron chicken and beef & bone marrow pie for main dishes. The chicken came with triple cooked chips and a rich garlic jus, which was very luxurious and tasty, as well as the chicken being moist with crispy skin – who doesn’t love crispy chicken skin! The beef & bone marrow pie is quite a sight when it arrives with a piece of bone poking out of the top. It had a very rustic feel to it, with buttery, crisp pastry and good depth of beefy flavour. The accompanied seasoned greens were a great addition and helped cut through the richness of the dish. I think with an extra side, this dish could have been shared between 2!

Lastly, we come to dessert. The generous main portions left us wanting to share a pudding, so we opted for the apple and sultana crumble.

This had sweet, plump sultanas that combined with the rich apple very well. The apple still had texture which was great, as it’s a real bugbear of mine if it’s just mush! The topping was crunchy and I liked the sweet biscoff element. If I was to have one criticism, it would be the serving dish. This came in a tea cup, which looks great, but it means that if you want to serve enough filling you need to top it up quite high due to the shape, this led to me wanting a bit more crumble on the top. That aside, it was a really tasty pudding with a silky crème anglaise.

Overall, it was a great experience from all perspectives of food, service and atmosphere. We felt the prices were good given the portion sizes, starters from £7.50 – £8.50, mains £17.50 – £21.50 and desserts from £7. The Port Mahon is definitely a venue I will be returning to!

Port Mahon
St Clements, Oxford, OX4 1AW

Bitten were invited as guests, all views remain our own