The Boat Inn, Kidlington

Not a great experience with this one. After spending a very enjoyable Friday morning walking the nearby Oxford canal on a fine day, we planned to utilise this one for lunch. That was until we entered the pub via the front door at 12.30pm , not that long after opening, only to find the queue to be served stretching out of the bar and virtually out into the garden. Now I know the hospitality industry is still struggling with staffing issues post Covid, but there’s understaffed and then there’s woefully understaffed. Can’t comment on the food and beer as we decided to cut our losses and carry on down the tow path to the Jolly Boatman as I calculated that we would be there before we got anywhere near the bar here. Fortunately for once I had a decision vindicated and we found the landlady of the Jolly Boatman doing a very good impression of someone who knows how to run a waterside food lead pub on a fine weather Friday lunchtime. As for this one, I think they have lost the fur coat as well, and this one doesn’t look good naked.

Official site of The Boat Inn - www.theboatinnthrupp.co.uk

The Boat is nowadays basically an unbadged Chef and Brewer trading heavily on its role as a location for the Inspector Morse TV show and its not so canal-side location. A sanitised multiroom affair inside, knives and forks on the tables, and I expect that goes for the public bar too on a weekend. Nice garden which you expect to be by the canal but isn't. Mundane GK beers. All fur coat and no knickers.

Official site of The Boat Inn - www.theboatinnthrupp.co.uk

Sadly I can remember this pub as an unspoilt Morrell's local. Now a Greene King food-led house, still a very attractive building in a picturesque location, but lacking the atmosphere to match. OK for a quick pint or food though. Cask Marque listed.

A fine looking building in Oxfordshire stone in a very attractive canal hamlet,it featured in an episode of Morse where a body was discovered in the nearby canal.There is an entrance corridor with exposed stonework and a very low ceiling and the layout is with four distinct rooms.To the right is a dining area with set tables,while further along the corridor is a back dining area,small and with a carvery servery operational at weekends.To the left of the corridor is a bar room with wooden floor,rectangular with just four tables,a set of bar stools,real fire with wood burner ,charity bookcase and the best place to settle if you just want a drink.There is an alcove room here with two very low tables and a flatscreen ,off during my lunchtime trip.It's a Greene King tied house with ,on my visit,GK Old Golden Hen,Olde Trip and Belhaven Grand Slam (an average brew in average condition). Unsurprisingly with that line up,food was proving more popular than ale.The constant muzak did create the vibe of a chain pub,it's not quite as atmospheric within as the exterior may suggest. Given the location and back story ,I was surprised how reasonably the food was priced,mains generally £9-£15 with a median price if £11,daily specials a bit cheaper.There are veggie options and light bites together with good value paninis and baquettes with chips at £7,mine was well cooked and tasty. Besides daytime visitors the pub will be popular with boaters who dont know much about beer,and from a real ale fans perspective this is a better place to eat in than go to for a session.