The food at Pembroke is better than average and excellent at functions. Meals are served in college throughout term time, and lunches, to a limited extent, will be provided for students staying on during the vacations. During term time, breakfast and lunch operate on a pay-as-you-go method, while you must sign up for dinners in advance on the sign-up sheet found in the lodge staircase (the charges for dinners go on your battels).
This is available from the Pantry (see below), Monday to Friday from 7.30 to 12am. A variety of a cooked breakfast items, cereal, fruit juice, toast, tea and coffee are available, at a very good value for the price (around a pound or less).
This is served in hall from 12.30 to 1.30 pm, Monday to Friday. It, too, is self-service, cafeteria-style, with a selection of hot lunches and a salad bar — cheap, reasonable food (and a great chance to meet up with friends in the middle of the day before heading back to class or work).
Dinner is served every night except Saturday, alternating between informal and formal hall.
Informal Hall: From 7 to 8pm, on Mondays (carvery night, yum!), Wednesdays, and Fridays, dinner in Hall is self-service, cafeteria style.
Formal Hall: On Sundays, Tuesdays, and Thursdays, formal hall is served from 7pm and lasts about 45 minutes. It is a three-course meal, which costs about £4, served by the kitchen staff. Everyone must wear gowns and dress is appropriate to the occasion. After everyone is seated, those dining at High Table process in and stand behind their chairs. The fellow presiding at High Table bangs on the table, and everyone rises. Grace is said in Latin, after which everyone sits down again to enjoy the meal. On Sundays wine is provided; on Tuesdays and Thursdays you are allowed to bring your own. Is it a very good idea to go to dinner — especially formal hall (one of those grand Oxford traditions). It's a great place to meet and get to know people. There are four tables reserved for MCR members at the top of the Hall on formal hall nights.
Pembroke students have the choice of dining at Christ Church for dinners on Saturdays (the early sitting at 6:20pm. Don't arrive later than this!). Very atmospheric, very Hogwarts, smart dress, no gowns—it is a formal, served dinner. The food is unfortunately considerably worse than Pembroke's. You must sign up for those dinners ahead of time, by 10.30am of the Saturday you intend to dine, on a separate sheet found next to Pembroke’s sign-in sheet. On Saturday and Sunday mornings a very nice, cheap brunch is offered at Christ Church from 11am to 1pm — it is a buffet-style meal, with offerings ranging from a cooked breakfast to a selection of lunch items, desserts, cereals, toast, etc. No sign-in is needed for brunch— just show up. However, the line tends to be long and the eggs tend to get cold, so it’s best to arrive around 11.30 am or earlier.
Open 7:30 to 12:00 and 1:30 to 4:30pm Monday to Friday, and is found in the corner of the Old Quad, in Staircase 2. The Pantry offers food at some of the lowest prices in town. Alba will provide a huge selection of hot and cold food, pizza, bagels, toast, chocolate, crisps, coffee, drinks, milk, candy, ice cream – just about anything you could want. Extremely handy for the MCR, especially when Hall is closed.
Graduate students who wish to attend dinners at Pembroke should sign in on the forms found with the Porters by 10am of the day you wish to dine. Guests are welcome -– just add ‘+ 1’ (or however many guests you have) after your name.
Vegetarian / Non-Pork requests: the sign-up board for dinners is also the place to request special dietary requirements — simply write “V” or “No pork” after your name. Vegetarians are required to obtain a vegetarian card from the Catering Office, found in Staircase 10. If you send the catering manager an extra passport-sized photo in advance, your card can be waiting for you when you arrive. (It’s quite a hassle trying to get a vegetarian meal without the card.)
