The Perch, a 17th century thatched inn,
is located in the ancient village of Binsey.
Across the River Thames is Port Meadow,
making the inn a peaceful retreat from the city
Writer Henry Taunt wrote that The Perch had been known as "The Cathedral", due to its landlord serving alcohol on a Sunday. A popular local saying was "First the Church, then The Perch".
Although The Perch is positioned in one of Oxford's most gorgeous locations and is owned by ChristChurch College, it has always suffered from being that extra mile out of the city centre.
After years of neglect, the beautiful gem that is The Perch was taken over by Johnny Mignon in 2006. The place needed completely gutting and refurbishing, and Johnny, armed with a bunch of friends, a couple of pennies and the determination of an ox set to work to transform the place. Being a Chef himself, Johnny's vision was always to feed people. This vision came into its own when it became apparent that should The Perch survive the bleak and desolated winters on the Port Meadow it would have to be a destination, not just a pub relying on the odd dog walker or snowman builder.
After months of hard work and fine tuning, The Perch was opened in September 2006, as a traditional pub, combined with a homely French restaurant. Johnny's concepts & ideas were gradually being realised when the Perch was once again victim of the flames and reduced to nothing following the devastating fire of May 2007. Yet more adversity left Johnny with nothing else than his lease when shortly after the fire, the burnt pub was completely flooded. victim of the 2007 great floods. Not one to let his vision fizzle away or his determination take a punch, Johnny set to work again, surrounding himself by new people to rebuild the pub.
After 19 months of hardship, The Perch opened again in September 2008. The next 3 years are history, and after tumbles and victories the Perch is finally where it should be; a successful restaurant recognised for its traditional yet innovative French food also serving drinks in a lovely, cosy environment for dog walkers, ramblers and every walk of life with the river Thames as a backdrop to its beautiful cottage garden.