The three historic Oxford pubs featuring in national UK guide

The Telegraph has launched a guide to the 650 Best Pubs in the UK, with a focus on unique character, history and good beer.

Following the success of its 500 Best Pubs in England guide in 2025, the guide has been expanded to include an additional 150 pubs from Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.

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To help pub lovers navigate the selection of pubs, a bespoke tool lets users search by postcode or county.

There are also filters – such as “pets welcome”, “beer garden” and “overnight stay” – to further their search.

The pubs have been selected by a panel of pub experts, using the same criteria established last year; a welcoming, lively atmosphere, high-quality drinks and a strong sense of community.

Will Hawkes returns as the pub expert for England and is joined by new experts for Scotland; Robin McKelvie and Mike MacEacheran; David Atkinson and Kerry Walker for Wales and Nicola Brady for Northern Ireland.

In Oxford, three pubs highlighted are The Rose & Crown in North Parade Avenue, The Lamb & Flag in St Giles, and The Bear Inn in Alfred Street.

All three pubs have featured in the past as the Oxford Mail Pub of the Week, and the Lamb & Flag is chosen once again for the title – as it is also catering for drinkers who used to frequent the Eagle and Child, on the opposite side of St Giles, which has been closed since 2020.

The Eagle and Child has been bought by the Ellison Institute of Technology and is due to reopen in 2027.

The Lamb & Flag was shut down by its owners St John’s College at the start of 2021 due to a fall in trade caused by the pandemic, but it reopened in October 2022 following a takeover by the Inklings community group and has been busy ever since.

It is now so popular that it stocks its own merchandise and is often packed with students and locals, serving a varied selection of local ales.

One of the guest beers has been the delicious breakfast stout Broken Dream, produced by Berkshire-based Siren brewery. At 6.5 per cent, it is probably best consumed some time after breakfast.

Tote bags and other merchandise at the Lamb & Flag (Image: Lamb & Flag)

This year The Telegraph has been campaigning to save Britain’s pubs, chronicling the economic pressures crippling the hospitality industry as an average of four pubs per day close in 2026. The Telegraph’s 650 Best Pubs Guide aims to encourage people to discover some of the UK’s finest venues.

Will Hawkes, The Telegraph’s beer, food and travel journalist, said: “Despite desperate operating conditions, Britain still has hundreds of magnificent pubs, offering warmth, atmosphere, character and fantastic drinks. You’ll find the best of the best in our guide.

“This year, we have expanded the guide to cover all of the UK, meaning there are now great pubs to discover from Shetland all the way down to Lands End.

“My colleagues and I have spent the first part of the year scouring the nation to find these magnificent pubs – a truly joyous experience. We’re sure that readers will enjoy discovering these amazing pubs as much as we did.”