Steve Daniels, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Eat and drink · Banbury
The Apothecary Tap, Banbury
Banbury's specialist craft beer bar and bottle shop on Butchers Row, run by Rob and Karen since April 2019, with twelve changing keg lines, comedy in the Atic and live music. No food.
Dog-friendly · Car-free
Go for the beer and the calendar. Twelve changing keg lines, cans to take home, and a run of comedy, quizzes and bands make this the place in town for anyone who cares what is in the glass. There is no mention of food and it is shut on Mondays and Tuesdays, so eat first.
- Good: 12 keg lines of changing craft beer and cider, with vegan and gluten-free options
- Good: Cans and bottles to drink in or take away
- Good: Home of Atic Comedy, with bands through Strummer Room Records
- Good: Dogs welcome
- Worth knowing: Closed on Mondays and Tuesdays, and Sunday hours depend on events
- Worth knowing: Children only until 7pm, and the site mentions no food
About
The Apothecary Tap opened on Butchers Row in the middle of Banbury in April 2019, run by the husband-and-wife team Rob and Karen. It calls itself the town's only specialist craft beer bar and bottle shop, and also its music and comedy venue. It is a short walk from the Market Place.
The bar has twelve keg lines of changing craft beers and ciders, at least one box cider, and cans and bottles to drink in or carry home. There are vegan, vegetarian and gluten-free beers, independent cider and spirits, a wine list and alcohol-free choices. The site says nothing about food, so plan on eating elsewhere.
The calendar is what sets it apart. It is the home of Atic Comedy, with new-material nights and the Rock The Atic shows, and it runs live music with Strummer Room Records. When we checked in November 2026, the list showed a free new-material comedy night, a Banbury Comedy Festival show, a music quiz, Strummer Room Records gigs (one free but needing booking), local bands and even a 5km running club that starts from the bar.
Dogs are welcome. Children may come until 7pm, but must not be left alone in the bar. The hours are short early in the week, from 5pm to 9pm on Wednesdays, so check before making a special trip.
Opening hours and season
| Monday | Closed |
|---|---|
| Tuesday | Closed |
| Wednesday | 17:00 to 21:00 |
| Thursday | 16:00 to 22:00 |
| Friday | 14:00 to 23:00 |
| Saturday | 12:00 to 20:00 |
| Sunday | Closed |
Closed Mondays and Tuesdays. Sunday depends on the event. Last orders 30 minutes before closing, and the site asks you to check its page and socials for changes.
The details
- Features
- Bar · Live music · Dogs inside · Shop
- History
- Opened in April 2019
- Without a car
- About half a mile from Banbury station, by our measure between postcodes.
Photos
The Apothecary Tap on Butchers Row
Location
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Nearby walks, places and things to do
- The Coach and Horses, Banbury 0.0 km away
- Good Game, Banbury 0.1 km away
- Ye Olde Reine Deer Inn, Banbury 0.2 km away
- The Old Auctioneer, Banbury 0.2 km away
Sights nearby
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Banbury Market Place
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St Mary's Church, Banbury
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A round-towered classical church on Horse Fair in Banbury, built after the medieval church was brought down, in part with gunpowder. Grade I, by S. P. Cockerell. Open most mornings.
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Oxford Canal, Banbury
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The Oxford Canal through the middle of Banbury, from the lock and Tooley's Boatyard, a scheduled monument, past the museum to Spiceball Park, with a towpath north to Cropredy. Free, open always, and a few minutes from the station.
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Fine Lady statue, Banbury
Sight · Monument · Banbury
A bronze of the rhyme's fine lady on her white horse, on a Hornton stone plinth where South Bar meets West Bar in Banbury. The people of the town paid for it, and the Princess Royal unveiled it in 2005. Free to see at any time.