KATHERINE MacAlister takes a gaggle of teenage boys to try out a new pizza pub

The human food chain is alive and well I was pleased to see when we visited The Red Lion Pizza Kitchen & Bar on Friday night.

Lots of girls in tiny shorts and no tights swanning about next to tables of predatory males. And, as if to demonstrate what happens when these two tribes unite, round the corner in the restaurant quarter were tables packed with couples, families and children. It was like walking through an interactive meaning of life exhibition, complete with food.

But that’s the thing about The Red Lion’s new get-up, it’s not pretending to be something it isn’t. It’s a townie pub in Europe’s biggest village, and it’s now selling food; fun food with a proper pizza oven, and pizza bar, where you can watch everything being made. Not a new concept admittedly, but it keeps the kids distracted.

And then there’s an adult only side, which is still the pub it’s always been, complete with live bands, live sport and some serious boozing. In short, The Red Lion has been updated and upmoded, with a funky new decor, hoping to compete in a modern market where pubs are losing punters quicker than the X Factor. But has it changed? Not fundamentally.

I’m only telling you all this because I don’t want you to arrive and say, ‘oh, it’s just a pub with pizza, why didn’t she say so’, but also because I think what they’ve done is great. We had a really fun evening, even though as soon as you arrive you know what you’re getting, and that’s fine.

We were shovelled up the end of the family section, away from the pizza kitchen itself. Our lovely waitress Hannah took our orders very consciensciously, and with a party of teenage boys to impress, we settled down to some serious school gossip until the starters arrived.

It was rather an unItalian menu offering with the crispy duck platter and the ring of fire, but the kids loved it and shared all the offerings. And while some might sniff at the ‘round the world’ type menu, it went down well with a bunch of starving adolescents.

The homemade dough balls were only £2.49 for 12 and much larger, doughier and cheaper than their Pizza Express counterparts, the basil pesto and roast garlic spiral dough with Italian cheese and sunblaze tomato mayonnaise for £2.79 was more of a wrap chopped into sections, but tasty and the crispy duck board (shredded duck, spring onions, cucumber and Chinese pancakes served with hoisin sauce was a steeper £7.49) but could have been shared by a family of four easily, and was a big hit.

Then there was the £3.79 ring of fire – a chilli spiked stone baked bread ring, like a large bagel, served with chilli oil and sweet chilli sauce for dipping. The double dip was the challenge at our table, accompanied by much yelping, bravado and burning of tonsils.

In next to no time the home-made pizzas were up and we tried a good range from the Tikka Chicken with peppers, cherry tomato and red onion, with fresh coriander and a spiced mint yoghurt (£8.49) (I know, teenage boys what can I say?,) the Mediterranean style meat medley (salami, chorizo, prosciutto crudo, pepperoni and meatballs (£8.49), the Inferno (Peri-Peri spiced tomato sauce, fresh chilli and crushed red chillies with mushroom, red onion and rocket) (£7.49), as well as a Smoky BBQ chicken with pancetta, peppers, Taw Valley mature Cheddar and smoky BBQ sauce (£8.49.).

All were well cooked, crispy, laden and fresh, arriving within minutes. You could choose between six or 12 inches, or 14 for an extra £2 for the seriously hungry.

But in our case, after so many starters our eyes were bigger than our stomachs and only one managed to finish the whole thing, the rest being carted home in boxes. The Ultimate Burger – a hand pressed British Saxon beef burger and chicken breast topped with Taw Valley mature Cheddar, pancetta and sticky BBQ bourbon glaze was less of a success, being too dry and the bun too crumbly.

Of course all the boys made room for dessert, one growing 14 year-old managing the most enormous slice of double chocolate fudge cake with Cornish dairy vanilla ice cream for £2.99.

The hazelnut and honey parfait, a honey and marsala wine frozen mousse topped with caramelised hazelnuts and drizzled with honey (£2.99) was like a panacotta shaped Cornetto complete with biscuity nutty topping, which also disappeared without a trace. Where do they put it?

And then we paid up and disappeared, full and happy, the evening being a real success. But romantic dinner for two? Hmm, not sure.

* Red Lion Pizza Kitchen & Bar is at 5 Oxford Road, Kidlington.
Call 01865 373435 or visit pizzakitchenbars.co.uk