The New Oxford

Ian Jones, Food and Drink Editor

Last Updated 15 April 2021

The New Oxford, 11 Bexley Square, Salford, M3 6DB – Visit Now

Finally, we can make our long-awaited visit to The New Oxford on Salford’s Chapel Street. That’s right, pubs are back – but with a few caveats. Let’s not get ahead of ourselves, things aren’t completely back to normal, and we still need to take precautions.

They could hose us down with sheep dip and we’d still line up to get in

To get a pint you need to follow the one-way system to the bar, place your order, pay with contactless then leave through the back to rejoin your mates. It’s simple and mostly friction-free. Truthfully, they could hose us down with sheep dip on the way in and we’d still prefer that to the stay-at-home monotony of the past few months.

Bexley Square has been repurposed as an alfresco drinking area and it’s better than it ever was. You can still drink inside, and there’s a sparsely-populated room at the back showing football on the TV, but outside drinking is set to be the defining feature of summer 2021, and it’s all the better for it. You can smoke, drink, laugh and chat just like those pre-2020 months and years and there’s a genuine crackle in the atmosphere – as if everyone can’t believe their luck, delighted and excited to be back out drinking in public again.

One of Salford’s finest boozers, up there with The Kings Arms and The Eagle Inn

As for The New Oxford itself, it has a solid – some might say ‘vast’ – selection of real ale and craft beers, if that floats your boat. If you just fancy a pint in pleasant surroundings, with a good spread of fellow drinkers (from old school Catweazle regulars to snazzily-dressed movers and shakers from the nearby new-build apartments) this is one of Salford’s finest boozers, up there with The Eagle Inn, a stone’s throw from here if you fancy stretching your legs and seeing the best of the ‘Other City’.

Speaking of which, it’s also a great live music venue, part of the annual Sounds from the Other City music festival and hosts regular events such as open mic sessions – although they’ll be on the back burner for a while, obviously. In the meantime, The New Oxford is what you always dreamed your favourite local would be like: friendly, no-nonsense and packed with fascinating characters.