Rose & Crown, The

For those who like their food and drink with a touch of academia, look no further than the Rose and Crown. This really is an Oxford institution, as much loved as the venerable and ancient colleges, many of whose inhabitants frequent the pub with affection and regularity. Here, eccentricity of the higher order is vibrantly alive and reassuringly well.

The gourmet menu for instance features sausages and mash and a quick glance at the thoughtfully provided Sausage Indicator will show you the snorker of the day, selected from a satisfactorily wide range. Grills all have chips or baked potato alongside, with a crisp salad, none of those limp, sad offerings that give even garnish a bad name, and the 10 oz rump steaks come from the nearby covered market.

An enticing array of dips, sandwich fillings and breads make construction of a custom built sandwich, roll or ciabatta suitable work for a PhD, nor is the traditional English all day breakfast overlooked. Good to see that sturdy meal staging a comeback - but did it ever really go away?

The cask beer is, of course, kept to within an inch of its life, and includes two contributions from Adnams, and Hook Norton's "Old Hooky". Bulmers Original weighs in at 4.5%, and on the top shelf, but well within sight is a Collection (that just has to have a capital C) of single malts that will bring tears of joy to the connoisseur of such liquids of higher understanding.

A recent review of The Rose and Crown reported that at 18,188 feet above sea level on Mount Everest, a small blue tent carries a sign that reads "Rose and Crown - Best pub Oxford UK". Now there's a man who has his niche market advertising really organised.