Pub recommendations off M40

[Piccalilli2]

Hello, we are driving from Sheffield to Portsmouth on Sunday and need somewhere to stop for lunch, looking for OK food but more importantly child-friendly and preferably a beer garden or even play area. We ideally need to be just north of Oxford around lunchtime - any ideas?

There's a pub called the Porridge Pot just off the Warwick exit (J15) which has a large indoor childrens play area. I'm not sure what the food is like but I know that the play area is the soft play type. Any good for you? If you wanted outdoor play then the best I can do is recommend you drive into Warwick itself (5mins off the M40) on a straight road to St Nicholas Park where there is a cafe, play area, paddling pool etc. Huge car park too.

J9 go into bicester and head for the BUre Park pub. you'll hit a hungry horse pub first but that will be busy because of the retail park. follow the road into bicester and take the spur to aynho and the Bure PArk pub is on left.

J11 (banbury) has a toby inn carvery just off motorway - head towards banbury, its on first roundabout

neither have childrens play areas but both have outdoor areas and the food in both is very good.

they both welcome children too!

Thanks! All good suggestions so it might be a question of how far we've got when the kids start getting ravenous (probably Chesterfield knowing my two)