Royal Oak

An excellent little pub, which is like stepping into a 40s timewarp. A London outpost of traditional Sussex brewers Harvey's whose beers might not pack the hop punch of rivals like Dark Star, but are very charming and satisfying in their own way: their Mild and Old Ale are particularly top-notch. Don't expect much else other than the odd guest ale, and a few taps of cooking lager no-one in their right mind would choose over the house beers. No airs or graces, or restaurant pretensions here, which may explain why a few of the reviewers below didn't have such a great time (if you want a restaurant, go to one.) I've only eaten here once, and found the game pie to be spectacular, though the side veg of canteen standard.

Wow this is a truly terrible pub! I was very disappointed. I had read that the Sunday roast here were worth a try so I called and booked a table for 2, I rocked up at 10 to 2 and waited at the bar to be served, attempted to make eye contact with anyone one of the people who appeared to be bar staff very few of whom were actually serving, they were mostly just hurrying around without actually apparently achieving anything. If there is one thing the staff are capable of it is an ability to totally ignore the customers and then be surprised when you have to say excuse me very loudly when they have been polishing a glass for 5 minutes less than 2 feet from a bunch of thirsty customers. Anyway I booked, I waited, I waved for attention, had a word with the girl who finally responded asking for a pint and which table was the one I reserved, she said she would look into it, she then went and stood at the other end of the bar and did nothing, she did not even bother to pour my pint, I went over and asked what was happening she walked away without saying anything, I then asked another bartender who appeared and he just said the table was taken. I have never been so rudely treated in my life and I hope you don’t have the misfortune to go to this pub!

I like this pub, it's not fancy, it's a proper boozer, which sometimes is just what you want in London. The food is good, nice large portions, and never had a problem with the beer either. It's a great place to go with a few mates for a quiet catch up or something like that. This is not the pub to go to for a wild night out or a date.

I'm almost glad that people like Ciaran don't like it. Helps keep this great pub the way it is. Great pubs are ones with character and local history, and the clientele is definitely part of it. If you don't get it, you don't. Unremarkable? How so? If you want "kicks" this is not the sort of place for you. The fact that this pub is run by people who know better to keep it the way it is proves they're worth their salt and the five star rating. Well kept ales and honest food. A gem in this urban wasteland filled with gimmicks and marketing junk.

A potentially good pub with a pleasant atmosphere and a decent range of ales. However, service is somewhat lackadaisical and it took several minutes after arriving to even be noticed by the bar staff. When, after 3 rounds, we got a 'cloudy' half-pint of Harvey's Best, response involved a lot of wandering about, consultijg the manager who seems to spend most of his time in front of the bar and eventually changing the barrel afer which another cloudy half-pint was delivered. This process took a good 15 minutes. After 10 minutes of settling down, the drink looked no better and this was drawn to the attention of the staff member collecting glasses. Response was to simply collect the deficient drink and do nothing else. It was only on leaving that my companion requested a refund which was given without argument. Potentially a nice pub but I shan't be going there again.

An excellent pub and the food is nice. Well worth the trip.

What? It's just a normal boozer... the food was barely ok, not 'excellent' at all. Nothing wrong with the place, its just very unremarkable. I took the tube to get there beacuse I thought it would be worth the effort. Very dodgy review by TimeOut

I came to this page and found everything I wanted. A good review, interactive map, and nearby pubs. A bloody sight more than what's in my telephone directory. Excellent site!

Came to this page hoping to see the revered Time Out's "Bar Review" of this pub, and there's little more than I'd get from a telephone directory. What a rubbish site.