Half Moon

Recently when returning home to the south we called in at the restaurant for an early dinner. How fortunate that was! We enjoyed the most friendly service and what turned out to be a superb meal from a menu that offered a good selection of dishes. The presentation of the food was excellent and the service very prompt but not at all intrusive.
We are really looking forward to our next visit, hopefully in the near future. Conrad Tucker

I have been lucky enough to eat at the Half Moon twice since the new management took over this year. I can definitely say both instances were pleasurable experiences. The food was great and the staff were very friendly. I ate here on occasion a few years ago, and I can confidently say both the atmosphere and quality of the food have improved since (as has the style, with the food now having a French theme).

While I feel sorry for one or two of the reviewers on here and their seemingly poor experiences, I'm finding it rather hard to believe we ate at the same establishment!

5 stars from me.

I'm afraid we have to agree with Suziepilk. The Half Moon used to be one of our favourite pubs but we won't be going back there after a visit at the end of July (I also feel forced to comment after reading a recent glowing review in the Oxford Times). The food was mediocre, overpriced, and the portions ungenerous. The once beautiful garden is overgrown, the grass unmown, and the hanging baskets contain weeds. When asked if everything had been ok, I offered some constructive criticism - that it would have been nice if someone had cleared up the dog's mess that another customer's pet had made, and which the waiter kept narrowly avoiding treading in. We were told 'it's not our dog.' When I mentioned the lack of soap in the outside toilet (the one we've always used when seated in the garden), I was virtually told that I shouldn't have been using that toilet. The landlady's defensive attitude made it clear it was futile to mention the quality of the food or the state of the garden. The Oxford Times recommends booking, which we had done as the pub was always full. Bad news clearly travels fast, as it was nowhere near full when we were there. A real loss.

The Half Moon used to be fantastic with a great menu, friendly atmosphere and fun decor. I must have had in excess of 20 great meals there. I went last weekend on a Saturday night and was disappointed to find it had been taken over. The menu was unexciting, the service was lackluster and the food was average. Nowhere near as good as it was and I won't be going back. It's gone from outstanding to average.

Six of us had dinner at The Half Moon on Saturday 7 August, and what a dinner it was! The food was delicious and thoroughly enjoyed by everyone. At first glance the menu seemed a little limited but not so; we sampled a great range of nibbles, including delicious courgette fritters and Poacher and pineapple with an amazing shallot and chilli pickle. the pickled egg was great too! Trout scotch eggs and duck hearts on toast went down very well, as did the John Dory, fillet steak and risotto. The only area for improvement I'd say is the Pink Fir Apple chips. I'm all for eating as much variety of food as possible but I know that there are potatoes with far better chip-making properties than this one. The service was warm and friendly, with a genuine interest and knowledge about the food. This pub is definitely going to become a favourite - in fact we're already discussing who to take there for our next visit!

Fantastic food, attentive service but still with a friendly pub atmosphere. The beer was nice but maybe something more interesting than just Brakspears standard bitter would be a good idea. Overall highly recommended.