The latest iteration of the Oxford Blue pub has come to life on Marston Street. The set-up is now pizza, pots & pints. Basically the menu is divided between pizzas cooked in a wood fire oven and bubbling pots of stew and lasagne. It proved a surprisingly effective combination to meet our group's taste buds when we popped in to try them out.

Picking a table outside, our party perused the menu and decided on a mix of pizzas and pots. From the pizzas, our group chose the Aloha (pulled ham hock, mozzarella and caramelised pineapple), the Kayleigh (halloumi, curly kale and sweet potato) and a children's Margot (mozzarella and basil). Children can have anything off the menu at half the size for the half the price, which is a simple solution that manages to make children more included in the meal. From the pots, we went for a sweet potato & chickpea stew and the pulled beef brisket lasagne.

With our food ordered we returned to our table to bask in the pleasant weather. It didn't take long for our food to arrive, a bonus when you have a hungry two-year-old. We all seemed to pick well, finding just the right item that we wanted on a Sunday lunchtime. The pizzas at Oxford Blue are great, demonstrated by my daughter's rapid demolition of hers. The toppings had the right proportions and mix of ingredients, with the chunks of halloumi being particularly appreciated.

Had my pulled beef brisket lasagne not been such a fabulous choice I might have been jealous of the pizzas. But it was perfect, arriving with a bubbling heat that gave way to a hearty, comforting meal. It really was a contender for the best lasagne I've had (apart from my mum's, of course) and its presentation added to its appeal. The chickpea stew was a very good example of a Moroccan-type meal that was flavoursome even if it could have been a touch spicier.

I loved the food at Oxford Blue and will definitely be returning in the near future. The relaxed vibe and a menu packed full of scrumptious options makes another visit a necessity, and added to that that the pots of food feel quite unique for the Oxford food scene. While I was a fan of the previous incarnations of this establishment, with its heavenly BBQ food, this is a more than adequate replacement. Fingers crossed this one lasts in the challenging Oxford food scene.