The Boat Inn in Cherwell

Not the best best meal I've had there 😕

We took a table in the Morse room - my favourite programme back in the day. Food was good and so were the drinks

Great carvery. Veges could have been warmer. Lovely staff.

Lovely place with lots of Inspector Morse memorabilia, but could have done with a bit of a broader menu plus the central heating ought to have been on, on what was a really cold day. Mash was out of a packet, so that was a bit disappointing. Managed to nick a few of the chips which accompanied my husband's leviathan portion of fish - and they were gorgeous!

Lovely position on the Canal. The staff are friendly and helpful. Food is nice tasting pub grub.

They forgot our drinks order. After 15 minutes I went to the bar but it was unmanned. Staff came to the till then disappeared. After a further 5 minutes I was asked what I wanted and we finally got our drinks. I realised after I had paid the bill, that a “ discretionary “ service charge of 10% had been added without this being notified to me, which I obviously would not have paid if I had been made aware. Otherwise it’s a lovely pub in a great location.

Beautiful area, lovely peaceful surroundings and delicious food! Will definitely go back again

Really nice for lunch out, was yummy food and sunshine can’t go wrong.

Lovely location with very welcoming staff. We had the carvery. Beautifully cooked meat , real vegetables and wonderful crispy Yorkshire pudding. Unfortunately we couldn’t manage a dessert. Thank you to all the staff

Well kept beer and good location for boaters, if moorings available. Food menu a bit disappointing

We were staying near by and decided to book a table at the Boat Inn for dinner for 5 ( including 3 children) and 2 dogs, we received a lovely email from Grace the owner about our dogs being welcomed. When we arrived we received a very warm welcome from all the staff including Angel the pubs dog ! The food was very yummy we all enjoyed our meals the chips were a particular favourite!! The locals were also so friendly chatting to us which made for a great evening in a pub with great service, fantastic food, and a wonderful atmosphere. Thank you for such a lovely evening we look forward to returning.

Lovely canal side setting and very pretty gardens. The food was very good and the service quick and friendly. A very enjoyable lunch whilst on a narrowboat holiday.

Went for lunch with friends all good 👍

We stopped here on a Sunday afternoon, lovely location by the canal and nice beer garden. Excellent service with kind staff and great food.

Always great service from ollie and jack, both make you feel welcomed and always happy to see you

Visited on a Saturday lunchtime. Service was quick and friendly. Menu covered most tastes, good value for money. Chips were amazing. Large garden and dogs welcome.

We had our sons wake at pub. Very nice pub. People food and service

12 WRAC AND 2 WRN veterans met for lunch today. Service was excellent. Food was excellent. Thank you to Gracie and the team from us all.

Arrived, placed order for food, waited an hour, asked about & was told it was nearly ready, but was told the brie cheese had run out, would Cheddar be OK. So obviously not nearly ready, very sad as usually it's brilliant. I'm so sad about today. Had to go elsewhere.

Stayed overnight in our motorhome, the food was excellent and fairly priced. Good selection of beers, very helpful and pleasant bar staff even moved his car so we could park nearer the pub. We will be back.

Stopped on our way past on canal holiday. Nice pub sat in the garden, food was good, was a Sunday so limited menu and a carvery. Staff were all very friendly and helpful. Would happily recommend.

Great family friendly pub serving great food . Ideal if cruising the cut . Excellent staff and setting . This place was used to film one of the Morse episodes. Would I visit again - yes .

They are part of the Green King group and served us the same bland, rubbery "vegan burger" as the others, on a dry, flavorless white bun. Maybe it was made of Inspector Morse's shoes... This mediocre sandwich is starting to feel like survival rations at these pubs. We've eaten at other, presumably non-Green-King pubs and been served very tasty vegan burgers made locally. These chain pubs need to stop throwing down barely-edible food for vegans like it's some kind of consolation prize and step it up, or they're going to lose the vegan crowd entirely.

We went for lunch as a group of friends all travelling independently and even though it was busy we all managed to park ok. We sat out in the lovely garden and had a drink while we selected from the menu. There isn’t a huge choice of food and the focus is on pub favourites, but all the food was delicious, with generous portions. I would definitely recommend the fish and chips, which was excellent. The pub had a very nice, relaxed atmosphere, the staff were very accommodating and the beer was great too. It’s a dog friendly pub and there are plenty of water bowls available in the garden should your dog need one.

Tonight we had a lovely meal to celebrate Mums 91st birthday at The Boat Inn. Grace, the landlady was so kind and professional, the food was delicious and the service excellent. Thank you Grace & Co. We will return!

It's a green king so you know roughly what your going to get. Food in a green king can be variable but here it was good value, hot, well presented arrived reasonably quickly given they were very busy and did advise us there was a delay. It is a nice setting and close to the canal for a pleasant walk after lunch. The car park is very small for the customers it attracts but many park on the road which is narrow but if you park sensibly it's ok. Staff when we were there were very friendly and efficient. In fact if I had to use one word it would be efficient.

Food was barely acceptable for a the price, 12 chips, some lettuce that had seen better days and branson pickle on the baguette that was listed on the menu as chutney?. It wasn't just our order I saw a few other similar sandwich orders. If you can't do a basic baguette with small salad right for over £8 I would look at changing your cook and.menu.

If you are looking for a venue for a small private function then I would highly recommend the Boat Inn. Location wise it is situated in the picturesque hamlet of Thrup, next to the canal with it's moored narrow boats. The pub itself is a mix of old and not so old, with thick walls and in places low beams, giving it a charm of it's own. The Morse Room, especially so and it was this room, with it's pictures on John Thaw and Kevin Whately a fantastic nod to the fact that Morse and Lewis sat and drank a pint in the room. The pub also has a fantastic beer garden with a covered section and a beautifully maintained garden with tables, if you wanted to sit out. Having sold the pub and it's location, I have to tell you that the hot and cold buffet we had for a party of 20 was possibly one of the best buffets I've ever had. Great value for money, Grace and her team did us proud with unexpected canapés, that were simply amazing, to a selection of sandwiches and hot samosas, duck spring rolls, sausages rolls and onion bhajis. A lively side and dressing and potato salad. The service was excellent and we were well looked after with the food replenished as needed and a selection of cakes to finish off. We asked if we could have crisps, nuts and olives on the table and Grace took all our requests in her stride.

We had a fond farewell for my mum's passing for 20 guests in the Morse Room at the Boat Inn yesterday. It couldn't have been more perfect. From the initial enquiry, the communication to the actual event. The hot and cold buffet surpassed expectations and was beautifully served and replenished throughout. The service from all the staff was without fault and they went above and beyond, all the facilities could not be faulted. I'll would highly recommending The Boat Inn to anyone looking for a perfect venue for a small private occasion.

Fabulous place near the the Oxford canal path famous for an episode of Morse filmed there Great home cooked food Would highly recommended their venison pie

17 May. Booked ahead for 7pm dinner for just 2 people. We've both worked in and managed busy pub and hotel dining. Confusingly, when we arrived the sign outside said there were only drinks available as they had a large party in. We battled on and afterwards assumed that the sign had been left out from earlier as it had gone when we came out an hour later, having come across a large family party in the garden looking like they were at the end of their celebration. That sign wouldn't have done their trade much good that evening! A young lad behind the bar gave us lunch menus which we didn't notice until seated in the garden. No attempt to offer/bring drinks at the bar despite being really quiet and other staff around. We went back in to get dinner menus and drinks, then had to go back in to order. The food came in a timely fashion but then we were told by the young waitress that we had to go back to the door to get condiments and cutlery, as we hadn't realised (been advised) that was the process. As it was so quiet it would have been nice (given a good impression) had she offered to do that for us. The food was hot and the venison pie delicious but frozen veg and a watery sauce did somewhat detract from the experience. The young barman was working hard clearing glasses from the large party. We saw no more of any waiting staff and left thinking that with a little more care and attention paid to us, we would have spent a bit more time and money there. Hey ho.

Had a lovely meal and enjoyed the quiz night

Staying in area and looking for somewhere to eat. Friendly welcome, good service and the food was really good. Nice location too by the canal.

Booked a table for 4 (evening), friendly greeting, offered a choice of table on arrival. The food was really good, served promptly, nicely presented.

Was there for a birthday meal recently. The staff made us all feel very welcome and catered for our every need Would highly recommend! Also, if there's any Morse fans reading this, the pub featured in many an episode of Inspector Morse... There's a lot of memorabilia from that show throughout the inn. Beautiful setting too

A really enjoyable value for money Sunday carvery lunch, choice of three meats, fresh vegetables and potatoes delicious gravy just like you make at home, highly recommend it and a great price.

What a find. Great little pub by the canal. Fantastic fish and chips. 5 stars

Popped in for a quick lunch today, just a bar snack. I choose a panini with really tasty flavoursome cheddar and think cut ham. This was served with some of the best chips I’ve ever had. Golden brown, thick cut, crunchy on the outside and fluffy on the inside. I highly recommend.

Probably the best steak we've had. I think they mixed up my wife's medium with my rare but they were both delicious and tender. Service a little slow but worth the wait.

They asked us 3 times about our order. When it came 2 orders were forgotten. They then asked us about it again. When our last order came some of us had finished our main. Not acceptable. They gave us a couple of free drinks.

Great place, nice food, cool staff and Angel the greyhound is just so chill!

Popped in for a lunchtime drink mid-week just after New Years. Very quiet, but I can imagine it gets busier when the weather's warmer. Expect a lot of people doing canalboat holidays on the Oxford Canal will stop there. Service was good. Others I was with had some food, which they seemed to enjoy.

The meat from the carvery was tough.

Great food from a good menu and a very friendly welcome. Nice enclosed garden at the back with a walk along the canal with its barges nearby.

Carvery and normal menu available. Very good food. Staff are lovely. Dogs are welcome. Small quaint pub near the canal. Make sure you book

Went there to play crib,,what a lovely pub,,I looked at the menu and it seems really nice,,going to go for a meal ASAP. Definitely worth a try. 😁

Lovely old pub, warm greetings and good was excellent

The food was very good, and the dog was so sweet

As soon as you walk through the door you know you are going to get great food and service. Looking forward to returning.

It really is a lovely pub and I think we may have caught them on a bad day, particularly as we were told they couldnt initially find the burgers resulting in quite a delay compared to others. My friend and I both ordered a burger, the burger itself was fine possibly a little over cooked, but was served in a plain toasted bun so very dry, the salad was a few green leaves thrown on the plate and nothing like pictures I have seen on other posts, and because of the delay finding the burger the chips were not as warm as good be. The poor server seemed stressed and wasn't overly impressed by how much I left or indeed that we were ambivalent about the food. Shame as such a lovely venue.

Great location, nice enough pub, though slightly careworn. Atmosphere is relaxed and staff are friendly and welcoming. Food was poor though - looked like it was all straight out of the Brake Bros van and into the microwave/fryer. The descriptions on the menu didn't match what appeared on our (cold) plates. Wouldn't go back.

Inspector Morse fanatics eat your heart out, this pub has fame of hosting one of the episodes as the location. We had a lovely drink and can't fault the owners one bit very well run venue and all the hostile reviews, I put that down to keyboard warriors having one too many drinks.

I went with my daughter and husband. My daughter is autistic and 34. We went in the bar which was very quiet, and was met by a gorgeous greyhound. There were a couple of families eating, and we went to bar to order drinks. Tge landlady was busy talking to a couple at the bar, and she instructed a young girl to deal with us, who clearly hadn't got a clue what she was doing. My daughter ordered a nettle of cider, abd the girl picked up the required bottle abd opened it. The cider fizzed all over the place, wasting a quarter of the battle. The landlady just butted in and said, oh that's ok, just wipe it so the girl proceeded to wipe it up, not very well, and handed my daughter a glass three quarters full without apology from her, or the landlady! The whole experience was most unpleasant, abd very unfriendly staff there. We have vowed never to set foot in there again!! A nasty, expensive experience. Just because they have filmed Morse there, it doesn't mean they can use that to get people in. Definitely NOT. It is not on the canal, anyway, its across the road from it, and in the back garden you cannot even see it. Avoid it, except for the lovely dog

We came for an evening meal on a Saturday night and we were very surprised at how quiet the pub was. We were the only family eating between 0630pm and 0800pm. We were given a warm welcome on arrival. Food was hit and miss. The streak pie and butternut squash wellington were piping hot but the accompanying chips and seasonal veg were luke warm.

Great sausage and mash. Cosy welcoming feeling, friendly staff

To have had a morning walking around Blenheim Palace we came out wanting to find a Pub. And we most certainly did, The Boat, from the moment we walked in greeted with a smile and asked did we need a drink. Coming back from spotless toilets back in the bar we had drinks on the table awaiting. Somehow I had gone back in time everything was just so cosy and the staff were sheer delight. Conversations back and forth made us feel like regulars. Keep it up you cannot lose, in a world of “ madness “ you made two old timers very warm inside. Bless you all, your a credit to the industry. And to walk outside and see the Canal Boats a real bonus. Baz & Chris Gurr

Visited for Sunday lunch food was great just a couple of tough rosties, apart from that was a great lunch , in the most idilic setting,

Had a good lunch here today. Nicely greeted by two lads behind the bar. Ordered a simple lunch of baguette and panini. Food came out promptly and was fine. Freshly cooked and nicely presented with a few salad leaves and an adequate handful of chunky chips. Cheap mayo & ketchup in sachets but perfectly ok (I’m a Heinz & Hellmanns snob 😂) Overall it was a good lunch at a reasonable price with friendly & efficient service. What more do you want. It’s in total contrast of the Tea Room 50m away where you’ll feel you’re a hindrance and you’ll get garbage on a paper plate with zero effort. Would I go back to The Boat? Hell yeah, we’ll worth the extra few minutes walk past Annie’s.

Have just been to the Jolly Boatman Thrupp service dreadful , customers were complaining when we walked in !! About poor service and food we had booked for 8 with children so could not really go else were !! Ordered drinks , we’re not told we’re to sit or how to order food whent back to bar after finding out own table !! They bought menus said it was a 45 min wait it we didn’t have carvery !! Had a small child who just wanted nuggets this took 30 mins waited for her meal so we could all eat together, they ran out of Gammon, Yorkshire pudding, all veg was cold also roast potatoes were rock solid !! Asked for more gravy to the lad behind the counter he went off , as he needed to no the football score 😤 had to go back to the bar to ask could I please have some gravy ??? It eventually came !! Complained and was told the reason for so many problems that they had been so busy !! My answer if you can not cater for more customers, then they should be sent away!! and concentrate on the customers that have booked !! I complained to the manager who was very sorry and deducted the price of a pudding !! Poor very poor !!!! Food 1 Service 1 Atmosphere 1

We walked from Bletchingdon along the river and found this beauty. Gorgeous building in the local stone, lots of little rooms and a big garden. One of the dining rooms seems haunted. Very, very cold and the sense you're not alone! In another pub, met someone who worked there for years was talking to us said that too, pinpointed the spot. Made it all the more exciting!!

Great pub serving great food. Look out for the adorable Angel.

Rang up tonight at short notice and Grace got us booked in no problem at all. Lovely pub and proper traditional meals. We are down this way quite often so now we have found you we will definitely be back. A little gem in the countryside. Biggest piece of cod I've seen in years. Top quality service and staff. Thank you.

Had a very pleasant meal at The Boat Inn this evening. Tasty food, nice wine and good service. Vegan Wellington was really good.

Food is good old pub food - fish and chips/liver and bacon/scampi - nicely presented and big portions although it did take along time to be delivered to the table. Staff really friendly especially the new bar person on her first day. If you like dogs 🐕 you will love the pubs big greyhound that roams around the restaurant. Atmosphere is casual with plastic table clothes and rickety chairs - we sat in the 'Morse Room' - the Derective series showing photos when they visited during the series. Next to the lovely Thrupp Canal. Would visit again but would allow time it takes for food after ordering - don't go if you are in a hurry.

Travelling to Witney and found this great hidden gem, fabulous food and great quaint surroundings. Canal close by for a walk and explore the variety of narrow boats.

Four of us went for Sunday carvery. I don't eat meat so I had something else. When the others came back with their carvery I had food envy! The veg looked fab. Fresh and not at all overcooked or wilted from being under heat lamps. Red cabbage ( which is my favourite) lovely broccoli and Cauliflower. And a tasty cheese sause which was separate so you could have it or not , my husband was very happy as he loves cauliflower but hates cheese. Everyone said their meat was delicious, and the beef looked great, nice and pink and juicy. I pinched a couple of stuffing balls and they were yummy! Good service and a fabulous friendly atmosphere. 👍😋

The Sunday carvery was well cooked, presented well and was really tasty. Tigger the whippet strongly recommends the beef.

Four of us went for Sunday carvery. I don't eat meat so I had something else. When the others came back with their carvery I had food envy! The veg looked fab. Fresh and not at all overcooked or wilted from being under heat lamps. Red cabbage ( which is my favourite) lovely broccoli and Cauliflower. And a tasty cheese sause which was separate so you could have it or not , my husband was very happy as he loves cauliflower but hates cheese. Everyone said their meat was delicious, and the beef looked great, nice and pink and juicy. I pinched a couple of stuffing balls and they were yummy! Good service and a fabulous friendly atmosphere. 👍😋

Food was nice and a good portion. Staff very friendly and a lovely pub with nice canalside walks.

This is a cozy pub with generally decent food. The cheese plate was a stand out. Generous portions and lovely. The service is hit and miss. We are on a canal cruise and were very pleased to arrive for lunch only to be told that stop serving at 230 and that was regular pracrltice. Both website and dock side sign said 3. Plus a mix up in a dinner order with half the meal coming late and partially wrong.

Friendly and helpful staff including Angel the greyhound. Excellent pub food and great value for money. Would definitely recommend.

Sadly, not what we expected from the reviews. The staff were pleasant but the quality of the food was poor. The pie we ordered was OK in itself but came with frozen veg and what I’m sure was instant mash. The kind of pub food you could get away with in the 80s but not today when there are so many decent places. Our starter was overlooked by the kitchen so the mains arrived before it. We sent the mains back while we ate the starter but they returned having apparently been kept just warm. My wife had to request some fresh mash to replace the now crusted over original and all the veg had gone rubbery. Character pub let down badly by the food…

As others have said, a great place for a meal and overnight stop on the motorhome. But make sure you can get in as a very small car park and not really anywhere to park on the road.

Lovely food, staff very pleasant and helpful. I highly recommend.

A lovely dinner at the Boat Inn. We all tried a different pie and we loved them. Superb piping hot and delicious chips. The staff were super friendly which made for a very relaxed evening. Dogs are welcome.

Lovely location brilliant pub and food was excellent ..carvery on a Sunday looked stunning but we opted for there grimsby fish and chips because it was a really hot that day ...fish was the best iv ever had from a local canal side pub...chips just melted triple cooked size not silly skinny chips here...home made sauces amazing...all four of us enjoyed the whole afternoon and atmosphere..and obviously the food...staff at bar where amazing great service 👏 👍.....Will definitely be visiting again....excellent...thanks again Steve...

Enjoyed the outdoor Duane the swift service. Highly recommend. An Oxfordshire eating experience bolt hole.

Lovely food, only been there once and I enjoyed my snack. Only reason it was given a 4 star for food. We arrived not long after opening so was nice and quite and we sat in the bar area as had been walking and wanted to be somw where cool. So never saw any other part of the place, dog friendly which for us is a bonus.. The staff were very friendly and helped you if needed with choosing whats good . Will visit again for sure.

Very nice pub with lots of character. Well worth a visit if in thrupp. The food was great, and drinks were reasonably priced.

Very impressed with choice, quality and value. Service good too. Friendly atmosphere and great location. Parking only drawback

Grace and her team went all out for our private function here. They were flexible and energetic. Food was lovely and the garden was a perfect setting for a big family lunch.

We received a very warm welcome from staff and locals alike. Everyone was very friendly. Having moored up about 100 yards away we popped in for a drink but ended up staying for a meal too. The portions were generous and the food was tasty. Thanks to Jack for looking after us. We shall return next time we are in the area. 👍🏼

An excellent pub lunch in a genuine, lovely village pub. The 3 of us all had something different and everyone enjoyed their mea. This is the 3rd time we have visited the Boat and have never been disappointed. Well done and many thanks

Watched the Mikron theatre. Wonderful. Didn't eat this time around but the food smelled amazing. Definitely going back to sample the food 😋 👌

Sadly not up to scratch in my opinion. The service wasn't great, they were pleasant enough but never offered us more drinks, forgot us between courses and only produced a spoon to eat dessert with when clearly a fork was needed too. The carvery was average. Some of the meat was cold, I've never seen flat Yorkshire puddings before, and the Parsnips were rather chewy. I won't be returning in a hurry.

Mediocre fare. Disinterested and unsympathetic staff. Pleasant location.

We went on a Saturday night in the last week of July. We were staying in nearby hotel and ate there on Friday night but were rather underwhelmed so we decided to find somewhere else. Pub was busy but we managed to squeeze into a...

Nice pub for food and drink just by the Oxford canal 😎👍🏻

Prefer it without dogs inside or a dog eating leftovers off plates left on tables in the garden. Like dogs but not near my food. Lovely place otherwise and wine ok. I know things aren't easy at the moment

Lovely spot, great food with generous portions ! Super friendly staff well worth the detour off the motorway.

Excellent food and friendly service. We had dinner in the evening and had Squid starters followed by a couple of pies and a couple of fish and chips. Everything was good and well presented. The two young ladies who served us (one of which was...

Visited the Boat at Thrupp on Saturday for a meal. One of the best meals I had in a long time. Two of us had the steak which was a reasonable price for the 10oz size. We had the chunky chips and opted for the...

Great food, nice people, cute dog. Check it out when in the Oxford / Bicester area.

Very attentive and when my steak was not quite right it was simply replaced. Excellent customer care. Highly recommended

Dropped in for lunch on a Thursday. Friendly good service, tasty food served really quickly. Good atmosphere. I'll happily come again!

Spacious garden. Very pleasant on a summer's day. We paddled up from Oxford, pulled up just opposite. Real ale very nice. They clearly know how to look after it.

Very close to the moorings if you are on a boat. Food good, service and atmosphere was fantastic

All round disappointment with Sunday Calvery and Burger. Calvery was left unattended and none of the food was covered so the flies and free reign on the food before the customers. The meat had become dry and veg was soggy. Service seemed understaffed and disorganised making it hard work. Had to wait 40mins for a burger and chips which I wouldn't mind if it was great quality but it was terrible. Feeling robbed at £14 pound a head before drinks. The general cleanliness was a concern, I had to clean the baby seat as it was covered in old food from a previous customer, the condiments area looked disgusting and there was a old plastic bucket with half smoke cigarettes by the entrance. If that's what they happy to have on display for customers god only knows what the kitchen looks like behind closed doors. Disappointed doesn't even begin to describe a Sunday ruined with my family.

Beware the portions are big, we made a mistake in ordering the nachos to share as a starter because neither of us could finish our main course, much to the pleasure of Angel the greyhound who finished off my wife’s steak (by invitation they didn’t...

Have to say, was very dissapointed with my meal. Had the sausage and mash, it came without the parsnip crisps. My brother had the same, after enquiring two small bowls of burnt looking something was given to us. The sausages looked well overcooked and had hardly any flavour. When in here a few days ago the same meal served to someone else looked absolutely fabulous, that is mainly why i ordered it. What a shame.