Oddfellows

This review appears in the The List's Eating & Drinking Guide 2008 – in the shops now or buy online.

Oddfellows is housed inside a beautiful building, which has been transformed into a student-friendly refectory by the Festival Inns chain. There are no booths or romantic nooks in this place, and you're unlikely to want to gaze into the eyes of another as the university rugby group at the next table shovels down another round of ale and chips. No, Oddfellows is a real meal machine. But it fulfills this function extremely well and will have you shuffling to the bar, attracted by the hearty food, ridiculously huge portions and bargain basement prices. All the pub grub favourites are here: steak pie and mash, sausages and mash, fish and chips and club sandwiches. One side of the menu is dedicated to burgers with a selection of pizza-style toppings such as Hawaiian (pineapple, bacon, cheddar) Mexican (salsa, red pepper) and the English (bacon, cheddar and beans – what else?). If you feel like something a bit healthier, opt for flatbreads with a choice of oak-smoked salmon and avocado or spicy Spanish sausage. Oddfellows will undoubtedly not be to everyone's taste but it's hearty, value for money and these rugby player-sized portions are not for the faint-hearted.

• High point: Speedy delivery of giant-sized portions
• Low point: Badly designed layout