Guest Nights & Formal Hall

Guest Nights and Formal Halls are three-course meals, open to all members of College and Common Room. Both dinners can be booked using the Wolfson Gateway booking system. 

Guest Nights

Guest Night dinners are elaborate, served formal dinners, with wines. They provide a convivial atmosphere and the chance to meet other Wolfsonians. Dress code is smart, academic gowns are not worn, and ties are optional. 

Guest Night dinners usually take place every Thursday during weeks 1-8 of term.  Pre-dinner drinks are normally at 7.00 pm, followed by dinner at 7.30 pm.  

Bookings for guest nights open shortly before 0th week of each term.

The cut-off time for bookings, changes, cancellations and seating requests is 9am on the Monday before each guest night, when the booking list closes.   Include any seating requests in the additional information box on your booking.

All dinners that are still booked when the list closes will be charged for at the full rate.

If you have any queries that are not answered in the points below, please email catering.administration@wolfson.ox.ac.uk.

Book for guest nights using your single-sign-on via the Wolfson Gateway, where you can also see each night's menu. 

Guest Night prices

Category of member

Guest Night charge

Non-student members

£49.60

GUEST of non-student member

£49.60

   

Existing student members booking their own meal

£21.50

GUEST of student member (including guests who are also students)

£49.60

GUEST Supervisor (subsidy for supervisor as a guest of a student can be used once per year)

£21.50

 

Please note:

  • Phones - Please refrain from use of phones at Guest Night dinners.  Ideally, turn your phone off.
  • Charging - Student diners are charged immediately, via their Top-up account.  Others are charged on their monthly battels.
  • Drinks with dinner - The total cost of the dinner includes drinks.  This covers both wine and non-alcoholic beverages. 
  • Special dietary requirements - Any special dietary requirements or seating requests must be noted on the online booking form.  Those with special dietary requirements should retain their place card during the 'remove' after dessert.  They should place it back on the table, in front of them, when they return.  This allows the Front of House staff to advise on which cheeses are appropriate in each case.
  • Supervisors - Students may bring their supervisor at the subsidised rate to one guest night per year.  Please select the use of the allowance when booking on the Gateway.  Note that the supervisor must be the official supervisor.
  • Children - Children aged 11 years and over are welcome.
  • Booking courtesy - Please refrain from 'block booking' and then cancelling.  This blocks other people from planning to attend.
  • Student tickets - Student tickets are not transferrable.  All guest bookings must be made under the name of their host, and will be charged at the full (non-subsidised) rate.

 


Formal Hall

Formal Hall is a served three-course meal that takes place two or three times each term. Dress code is smart, though black tie is not required, and academic gowns are not worn.  Drinks are at 7.00 pm, with dinner at 7.30 pm. Formal Halls are open to all members of College, and members may invite up to three guests to attend with them.  

The booking list for Formal Hall opens 14 days before each dinner. 

Bookings, changes and cancellations cannot be made after 9am on the day that the booking list closes.  If the dinner is on Friday, the list will close at 9am on Wednesday. If the dinner is on Tuesday, the list will close at 9am on the Friday before.  Please note that cancellations made 7 days or less before the list closes will incur a fee of £5 per cancelled place.  

All dinners that are still booked when the booking list closes will be charged for at the full rate.

You can book for yourself and your guest(s) using your single-sign-on via the Wolfson Gateway.  

To enable us to give our best service for such a large dinner, there is no informal supper on the nights when there is a formal hall.

If you have any queries that are not answered in the points below, please email catering.administration@wolfson.ox.ac.uk.

Book for Formal Hall using your single-sign-on via the Wolfson Gateway

Formal Hall Price List

Student Members booking for themselves: 50% subsidy from College

£14.97

Non Student Members booking for themselves: No subsidy + VAT is added.

£35.94

Guests including children aged 11 and over.  A Wolfson student attending as a guest is charged at the guest rate, not at the student member rate. No subsidy + VAT is added.

£35.94

Children aged three to ten years (at named Family Formals) No subsidy + VAT is added. Members should include their child’s age when booking.  We need this to help plan the food, arrangements, high-chairs, etc.

£12.48

Child guests of two years and under (at named Family Formals)  are not charged for and are not given a meal.  To arrange sufficient space, we DO need to know about them attending, so we ask parents to add this information in their own booking. 

£0.00

Cancellation fee if cancelling 7 days or less before the booking list closes

£5.00

 

Please note:

  • For Formal Hall, wine is not included in the price, and can be bought by the bottle in the Kitchen.  BYO is not allowed.
  • Student diners are charged immediately, via their Top-up account.  Others are charged on their monthly battels.
  • Any special dietary requirements should be noted on the online booking form.
  • There is no seating plan.  Seating is as diners choose among the places available.
  • Children aged 11 years and over are welcome at regular formals.  Children aged 0-10 years are welcome at named Family formal halls.
  • Please refrain from 'block booking' and then cancelling.  This blocks other people from planning to attend.
  • Student tickets are not transferrable.  All guest bookings must be made under the name of their host, and will be charged at the full (non-subsidised) rate. 
  • There is no informal supper in Hall on the night of a Formal Hall.