Roxie marks her Turf (From Oxford Mail)

The blonde pooch checks out the city's favourite "hidden" local

11:43pm Wednesday 27th May 2009 in Drinks By Roxie

Pub: The Turf Tavern, 4 Bath Place Holywell, Oxford, OX1 3SU

Contact: 01865 243 235 or through their website www.turftavern.co.uk Opening hours: Mon - Sat 11 – 11PM, Sunday 12 – 11:30PM

Dog friendly: Yes. There’s no official puppy proclamation posted anywhere, but over the bank holiday weekend I walked around and was greeted by friendly staff, and lots of people wanting to scratch my ears.

Water bowl: No

Biscuits: No

Garden: Yes, several. They are all set up with tables, umbrellas for rain or sun and heaters when it’s cold. They even have a ‘no smoking’ beer garden which is refreshing for a pup with a sensitive snout.

put them back where they belong- in your handbags

Roxie

Fireplace: Not that I could tell, but it is a maze of crooks and crannies and I might have missed it.

Other notes: It’s popular. So many town and gowners might make more nervous members of my breed a bit twitchy. Also mini-toy pups could get stepped on so put them back where they belong- in your handbags. The Turf Tavern is a bit tricky to find. My mistress needed me to search it out using my finely tuned beer bugle.

For the humans: They serve food Mon-Sun 12-7:30. Most of my people had the pies, which were good at £7.95. I doubt it’s all home-cooked fair, but still smells tasty. My mistress split a gigantic Caesar salad with chicken for £6.95. Winner of the Abbot Ale Perfect Pub Awards 2007, you know it is going to have a lot of real ale. Last weekend they served everything from Three Castles Bunny Hop to White Horse Village Idiot, all for £2.80 a pint. For non-beer drinkers, a Sartori Pinot Grigio, £4.15/250ml made my mistress smile.

Verdict: 3 Paws