The Jolly Postboys, Oxford

The Jolly Postboys is an L-shaped pub with seating that runs along the front faced by the bar and seating in the left rear where there’s a hatch for the Thai kitchen. The kitchen runs independently to the bar, they both just share the same building. The bar counter supports premium keg and I counted four hand pumps that were drawing Little Ox Brewery’s Dark & Seedy and Wipeout alongside Loose Cannon’s Abingdon Bridge. The fourth was unused. The décor is very bland which makes the pub very forgettable. Polite service and I’d return to try the Thai which smelt very nice, but I wouldn’t bother going out of my way for just a beer.

Originally the Jolly Post Boys, the pub was built for Morrells in 1935 for the Florence Park estate, built by William Morris (no, not that one) for workers at the new Cowley car plant, now home to the Mini. The GK sign has gone and there’s no need to book, this pub is a long way from the city centre, being beyond the rather depressing Cowley Centre, on the edge of attractive Florence Park. The interior is very stripped out, with a shades of grey colour scheme and canteen furniture, with tweedy banquettes, along with a modern tubular steel and mirrored bar back. There’s virtually no décor apart from a few modern art paintings, the whole illuminated by filament bulbs and all to a Bebop soundtrack. There were just five studenty customers in at 9.15 on a Saturday night, with a fairly large group of Swampy lookalikes outside on the patio. Just two ales were available, in the form of Abingdon Bridge Loose Cannon and Little Ox Wipeout at £2.15 a half and fine, served by friendly staff. This isn’t a bad pub, but was a little lifeless on a Saturday evening; perhaps things will pick up when the universities return, but it’s a slog to get to.

Official site of The Jolly Postboys - jollypostboys.com

Official site of The Jolly Postboys - jollypostboys.com