Crazy Bear

Had a lovely time here. Took my wife out for a special lunch. The place is eccentricity personified. The reception is a double decker London bus. The walls are decorated in leather the ceiling with bottles. The food was exquisite and not too expensive considering the quality. We were here for a Christmas three course lunch. If this place was a film it would be the Grand Budapest Hotel!

Had a lovely Christmas lunch here. All the usual Crazy Bear interior features plus a Christmas garden full of baubles and glitter balls. We had their Christmas set menu; traditional turkey & veg option plus game options etc. The goats cheese starter was delicious. Puddings were hearty and full of Christmas zing. Service was good, staff helpful and attentive. There's not much wriggle room between the tables, we ate in the English restaurant and it required a bit of coordination to get into our seats! Price was pretty reasonable, but we were made to feel a little rushed off our table for the next diners and the meal of 3 courses took about two hours all in.

Certainly lives up to it's name.

As soon as you arrive it is a bit weird: the receptions is in an old London double decker bus which is nice and quirky but probably a bit of a pain if it's raining.

We dined in the Thai restaurant which is a small, lower level area that is a bit cramped. Food was great but seating was very squashed. I'm 5' 10" and was OK but anyone over 6' might struggle. Bar ambiance was good but again a bit cramped - it's long and thin with people coming through a lot of the time so not a great place to stand.

The room was a bit strange (see photo) but comfortable although (and there's a theme developing here) the bathroom was a bit small and the door was not well placed - I trapped my fingers in it once.

Overall a fun experience with good food so well worth a trip but I would book the more spacious English restaurant next time!

I've been here twice now, and think it's something to be experienced - especially their longer tasting menus.

It's pretty much in the middle of nowhere, so you'll need to drive. Upon arrival you'll be met by a big red London bus - that's the hotel check-in desk, which almost makes me want to fork out the hundreds of pounds for an overnight stay alone. The gardens and outside space are fantastic. If you live locally, it would make a great place for a warm evening drink.

But inside we went - and it's tiny. What feels like a converted farm building, the timbers are low slung and the tables squeezed in. Luckily we've been placed up the small stairs in the restaurant area both times, which is a little more spacious, as the tables by the bar do feel a little cramped. This is clearly a local pub too, and so you'll find the bar area to be very busy. Looks like the downstairs area is the Thai food, and upstairs the English menu.

The decor in the upstairs section is a complete contrast to the farmyard setting - it's all leather padded walls and mirrors. Not my taste to be honest, but it somehow works. Certainly adds a feeling of grandeur anyhow.

But it's the food that matters to me. And it's great. The seven course menu was varied, exceptionally tasty and well timed. You need only make one choice; for your 'main'. Everything else is set. The menu no doubt changes every now and then but my personal favourites were the pea and ham soup, the chicken pie and the trio of pork. The champagne sorbet is a real treat too!

Overall, a great experience. Having been here both times using Groupon/Amazon discount vouchers for the tasting menu, I'm not sure I'd want to pay full price for it, but it's definitely an experience.

In the top 5 of our East Oxford team's favourites, the Crazy Bear is great. It is stylish, with wonderful food (offering both English and Thai menus) and drinks (wines, cocktails, champagne...).