The Bullingdon

Located in the back room of an otherwise rather chavvy pub, the back room at the Bully lives and dies on how well the promoters have promoted the particular night you’re at. The sound system is pretty good, the bar staff are friendly and the drinks are reasonably priced.
The stand out night there is Simple/​GYGO, which often has unbelievably great guest DJs. Unfortunately, most Oxford residents/​students are too clueless to even know who they are. Such is Oxford.

The Bullingdon (pub area) is essentially the lobby for «The Back Room», their music venue in the rear. The pub is small, it is unembellished, definitely not a classic pub, but it serves its purpose. The price for drinks is reasonable and provides your usual selection.
I was here for their Tuesday jazz night and arrived slightly early with my friends so we settled at a table and waited. Good thing about being so small in the front is that it doesn’t get too loud and you can hold a half decent conversation. Upon the jazz night finally starting we filed into «The Back Room». Quite a decent sized venue (for Oxford). A bit like a slightly smaller Oxford O2.
The music wasn’t great. I’ve heard better jazz from grade school bands, but as a venue and pub, the Bullingdon is just about A-​OK.

The Bully is one of the best, Jazz night on a tuesday is the exact reason why, amazing free entertainment which is a shame to miss.

An Oxford institution that never loses its pulling power.
Some of the bands that have played the Back Room at the Bully down the years point to its sense of fun (a Wurzels gig in 2001 sticks in the memory), while the regular jazz performances are worth heading in for. With Zodiac gig prices sometimes prohibitive, the allure of the Bully is even stronger.
There’s no doubting the décor’s 20 years out of date, it can get pretty cosy when busy; but the beer’s top notch, the people guarantee there’s always a lively, friendly atmosphere, and the range of gigs help get in a mixed crowd who appreciate music.

I love the Bully!
Great for a few drinks on the cowley road! and the bully backroom holds regular gigs
the main bar is quite small so your likly to be standing on a weekend night

A great venue for jazz or just a casual beer. Lots of interesting musicians perform here on Tuesday nights and it’s relatively cheap given the quality. Seats are hard to come by but if the music is good, you don’t really want to sit down! A perfect midweek venue in the heart of Cowley.

The bully is a great pub across from tesco and located near cash machines. Its not overly decorated, nor is it traditional… but at night it does have a nice atmosphere and seems quite relaxed.
It is frequented by locals and students alike and the mix works well. No one dresses up here (unless theyre off out afterwards) and if you are lucky you will frequent the bully when they have a music/​gig/​band on. They put posters up in the window to let you know when someone is playing and who. I have seen a few bands here and all have been good fun. Its cheap to see the bands (£3−5 depending) and the music takes place in the gig hall towards the back of the pub.
Whilst in the pub you cannot hear the bands so it does not ruin your night if you did not come for the live music.
I do not usually spend my whole nite in the bully but i do spend about an hour here. its better than the hob as it seems cheaper and has a better atmosphere. Its not as cheap as the arms but it is closer to town.