The Folly hosts private lunches, drinks receptions, company dinners and wedding receptions on the River Thames, from a table for 16 in its private dining room to 35 guests in the White Dome, or the whole restaurant on an exclusive-use basis. The independent, family-owned restaurant stands at 1 Folly Bridge in Oxford, a few minutes on foot from the Westgate Centre.
Seminars and company events
The Folly does not sell meeting rooms or conference packages. Its offer for companies is built around food and the river: a client lunch in the Private Dining Room, a team dinner in the White Dome, a drinks reception on the floating terrace, or a full evening with the restaurant, the terrace and the river launches booked for the group. The venue lists corporate gatherings, parties and drinks receptions year round, and the festive season adds Christmas parties. For a working day, an organiser would hold the sessions elsewhere in Oxford and bring the group here for the meal.
Weddings and receptions
Wedding receptions are part of the exclusive-use offer, with a planning service that adapts menus and decoration to the couple. Guests can arrive by river launch, take drinks on the terrace and dine beside the water. The site does not state a ceremony license or a wedding capacity, so couples should confirm both with the team before choosing a date.
Rooms and capacities
The Private Dining Room seats up to 16 guests and looks over the Thames and Folly Bridge, with furnishings themed on Oxford. It suits lunches, afternoon tea, evening dinners and drinks. The White Dome takes up to 35 guests for private hire all year: it opens on the sides in summer and is closed and heated in winter. Smaller glass dining domes for up to six guests each run from October to March, which works for a small group within a larger booking. Exclusive use covers the restaurant, the floating terrace and the river launches for a day or an evening.
Catering
All food comes from the in-house kitchen. Menus are seasonal and draw on local produce, and the chefs adjust them for each private event. A river package pairs a 40-minute launch cruise before dinner with three courses from the à la carte menu, served on the terrace. Afternoon tea and cocktail cruises are also offered, with boats run by the partner Oxford River Cruises.
History and setting
The restaurant presents its stretch of river as the birthplace of Alice in Wonderland. Lewis Carroll, a mathematics don at Christ Church, regularly hired rowing boats at Folly Bridge, and on July 4, 1862 he began telling the story to Alice Liddell and her sisters on a trip that started near the site. The dining room, the domes and the pontoon all sit at water level, so most events have the river in view.
Getting there
The address is 1 Folly Bridge, Oxford OX1 4JU, at the southern edge of the city center near the Westgate Centre. Oxford railway station is a short walk or taxi ride away, with direct trains from London. Guests can also come by boat when a river launch is part of the booking.
