About Oxford Tavern Hotel
Oxford Tavern Hotel is a hotel and pub located at New Canterbury Rd & Crystal St, Petersham NSW 2049. A legendary Inner West local with BBQ and cold beer. No gaming machines are recorded for this venue. It is rated 4 out of 5 from 1132 Google reviews. A food and drinks menu is listed below. Phone: (02) 8317 3057.
A legendary Inner West local with BBQ and cold beer
Located in the heart of Petersham, the Oxford Tavern is an iconic Inner West institution known for its transformation from a gritty dive bar to a vibrant community hub. The venue features a rock-and-roll aesthetic, neon lights, and one of the area's most popular beer gardens. It is famous for its American-style low 'n' slow BBQ, craft beer selection, and inclusive atmosphere.
What Oxford Tavern Hotel offers
Bar
Establishment
Events
Open now
Oxford Tavern Hotel location and map
Opening times
Frequently asked questions about Oxford Tavern Hotel
Where is Oxford Tavern Hotel located?
Oxford Tavern Hotel is located at New Canterbury Rd & Crystal St, Petersham NSW 2049. It is a hotel and pub in the suburb of Petersham, New South Wales.
What are the opening hours of Oxford Tavern Hotel?
Oxford Tavern Hotel opening hours: Monday: 4:00 PM to 12:00 AM; Tuesday: 4:00 PM to 12:00 AM; Wednesday: 4:00 PM to 12:00 AM; Thursday: 12:00 PM to 12:00 AM; Friday: 12:00 PM to 12:00 AM; Saturday: 12:00 PM to 3:00 AM; Sunday: 12:00 to 10:00 PM. Hours can change on public holidays, so check with the venue before visiting.
Does Oxford Tavern Hotel have pokies?
No gaming machines are recorded for Oxford Tavern Hotel in the NSW gaming machine register, so it is a venue without pokies.
Does Oxford Tavern Hotel serve food?
Yes. Oxford Tavern Hotel serves food and its menu with prices is listed on this page. Kitchen hours may differ from the venue opening hours.
Does Oxford Tavern Hotel have a bar?
Yes. Oxford Tavern Hotel holds a NSW liquor hotel licence and serves alcoholic drinks at the bar.
What is the phone number for Oxford Tavern Hotel?
You can phone Oxford Tavern Hotel on (02) 8317 3057.
How is Oxford Tavern Hotel rated?
Oxford Tavern Hotel is rated 4 out of 5 based on 1132 Google reviews.
Which venues are near Oxford Tavern Hotel?
Licensed venues close to Oxford Tavern Hotel include Petersham RSL Club Limited, Huntsbury Hotel, Livingstone Hotel, Public House Petersham. See the nearby venues list on this page for distances and details.
Tavern Services & Facilities
Dining & Bars
Black Betty BBQ
The heart of the kitchen featuring an authentic smoker serving low 'n' slow meats, burgers, and classic pub fare with a focus on Southern American flavors.
The Main Bar
A well-stocked bar offering a rotating list of local craft beers, natural wines, and creative cocktails in a casual, high-energy setting.
Entertainment & Leisure
Live Music and DJs
Regular weekend entertainment featuring local bands, vinyl DJs, and alternative performers.
Trivia and Drag Bingo
Weekly interactive events including themed trivia nights and high-energy drag bingo sessions.
Sports Viewing
Large screens located in the bar and beer garden areas for broadcasting major sporting events including NRL and AFL.
Family Features
Kids Menu
A dedicated menu for children featuring smaller portions of pub classics like cheeseburgers and fish and chips.
Dog-Friendly Beer Garden
A spacious, family-friendly outdoor area where well-behaved dogs are welcome to join their owners.
Functions & Events
The Beer Garden
A versatile semi-covered outdoor space available for group bookings, parties, and casual social gatherings.
The Back Room
A dedicated space for private events, functions, and community meetups with flexible catering packages.
Amenities & Services
The Tav Bottle Shop
An on-site retail outlet specializing in craft beers, independent spirits, and a curated selection of wines for takeaway.
Street Parking
Limited street parking is available in the surrounding Petersham residential streets.
Accessibility
Ground floor access is available to the main bar and beer garden areas.
Our Food & Drinks Menu
* Please note that all images are for illustration purposes only and actual serving will vastly differ.
Oxford Tavern Hotel reviews
1 Star Review by Iris Aisha
We booked here to have the Sunday Roast as it was supposed to be pretty good however, We probably went in a really bad day for the venue as we were waiting for over 1h for the food and when it came it was cold. It looked better than how it tasted. Also they were under staff so there was a massive queue even to order drinks, the girl was lovely but the poor thing was by herself at the bar Quite disappointing, maybe just avoid on Sundays?
2 Star Review by Phoebe
Had high hopes with the new renos and takeover by the Odd Culture group but disappointing food unfortunately ordered the beef burger and fries $23 and steak and fries @ $34 - fries were burnt for both and piece of steak was pretty bad - poor quality piece of meat chosen and the pepper sauce on top was thick, pasty and tasteless. Burger was very mediocre and not balanced with a too fat bun . Chicken liver pate was average. Cocktail (had the grapeshot) aint that great either. Not worth the prices charged and quite frankly not an enjoyable meal at all. The only plus were friendly staff and its dog friendly in the courtyard. Wont be coming back.
3 Star Review by Helena Tran
Went there when they were still running the drag bingo on Wednesdays and, while it was a quiet day, we still had fun. The ambiance of the place was good, I believe it could be great on more busy days, but the food was disappointing: the poutine didnt have enough flavours (maybe more gravy would have been great?) and the fries were hard rather than crunchy, the buffalo cauliflowers tasted burnt (and they forgot the celery sticks!), and the corn ribs had a decent flavour but were quite hard & dry. Also, the table was very sticky, and the bathroom was quite dirty and old. A nice plus though was that they were dog friendly and we could bring our dog inside with us.
2 Star Review by J V
Review is descriptive of experience during COVID-19 lockdown environment. We weren't able to make an order via the website so we called the business and placed our order via telephone. We were advised that the food would be ready in approximately 30 minutes for pick-up,which was standard. This call ended at 12:15pm. When we arrived at the Tavern at 12:55pm, we were then advised it will be another 10 minutes (approximately) until our order is ready. In reality, we didn't physically get our order until 2:04pm. We were hungry and I almost lost my patience waiting. I don't think I've ever had to wait close to an hour, ever, for food, including delivery via ordering apps. Seems ridiculous for pick-up. I would've appreciated being told an honest, indicative waiting time so I could've managed my time better. This was our first time eating here and as much I want to support local/small businesses, the wait was really unacceptable. The food itself was honestly subpar. The brisket tacos were on the bland side, the meat was cold. The beef brisket plate wasn't smokey and quite dry in texture, it wasn't pleasant. The NFC burger and chips was the best dish of the bunch, hence my 2 star review.
4 Star Review by Jenny Tran
A little bit pricey but food was delicious and staff were very friendly! Also dog friendly indoors
3 Star Review by Shano Travels
Bit of a mixed night. I was there for trivia as my local trivia place was still on summer break, nice of them to open the windows and doors to allow the sunlight in. Last time I'd been here was pre-lockdowns when they had the BBQ menu. This time the menu had changed, I mentioned this to staff who said it had just been updated. So I went for the $15 schnitzel special. It came out very fast, but it was a bit oily and didn't really taste like chicken at all, it tasted like it had the oil of several other meals fried into it. The chips were good though. I told staff about this who were really friendly and apologetic about it and welcomed any feedback. I respect that. I was a bit disappointed with the beers available, as last time I was there they had some excellent local beers on tap. $12 for a schooner of pilsner was a bit ridiculous for that area. I saw an altercation between the manager and someone on the other side of the bar, I had no idea what was going on but heard a lot of shouting, so I can't confirm or deny what was said in the previous review, but the mood at the bar definitely dropped when I went back for another beer. I felt reluctant to go up after that. I don't think I've seen that happen at a bar for a very long time. Trivia was fun though, a hefty number of groups there so they must be doing something right. I'm not sure if I'd be back in a hurry for the food or beers though, especially when Public House Petersham down the road does it better, and the manager altercation turned me right off. Maybe they'll pick it up again soon.
4 Star Review by Jacob Smith
No comment provided.
1 Star Review by Jordan D
Rudest lady ever at the bar!!!!! You should be ashamed of yourself. I was ordering food no alcohol, she asked for my ID. I said thats fine and showed her, and she then tried to yank my phone out of my hand. I said sorry please dont take my phone. She saw my ID visibly says 1996 and that I am also visibly pregnant! I asked to speak to management as she was verbally aggressive towards me from the start of the interaction. She did not want to serve me food and ruined our night out at trivia with a group of friends who we left and we will not be coming back again to trivia. This also was not her exercising her RSA, she just decided to be cranky and on a power trip. I have been in the hospitality industry for over 10 years now, I know this type of person. She knew all I was ordering was food, and she then saw my ID & age, stared at it for 30secs before then deciding to rudely yank at my phone. She wasnt worried about me being underage, she was just being incredibly NOSY of what my age was while pregnant & then went on a power trip. A cranky miserable lady behind a bar, deciding to refuse the service of FOOD to a pregnant person???!!! This lack of service - seriously not normal behaviour and I hope this is addressed. I left furious, upset, and also starving, my experience here on 10/01/23 was the opposite of hospitality. The silver lining is Im so glad my money wasnt wasted here. We will never come back here & will be telling others of this experience. I hope that the owner will see this comment and rectify this disgusting behaviour.
1 Star Review by Fatih Ceylan
Elderly Lady in the bar most rude staff ever seen. She ruined our Trivia night. We left in the middle of trivia because of her attitude And we are not going come back again. We don't recommend anyone else. Owner or manager has to talk with her. She can't behave to customer to like that. This is unacceptable.
5 Star Review by Richie Horton
Great food, great atmosphere.