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Disappointment of the week with Mobyduck
on the Pub Forum
Image posted by paulof horsham
Submitted on Monday, 5th September 2022
With picture contributions to 4577 other pubs
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Detail Pages
The Royal Oak, Borough, SE1
SE1
SE1 4JU
Served areas
Reviews of The Royal Oak (Average Rating: 8½ of 10) see review guidelines
Just a quick pint, then I'm off left this review about The Royal Oak
A proper pub, retaining a two-bar layout (the front room fairly plain, but attractive traditional decor in the back). Friendly atmosphere and efficient service. With four handpumps on each counter, the choice of Sussex, Dark Mild and Wild Hop on my latest visit was less than often found, but the quality was exemplary as usual. Overall, absolutely top of the range.
On 1st September 2023
- rating: 9
[User has posted 8086 recommendations about 8086 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
. Wittenden left this review about The Royal Oak
A cracking back street pub as described before.Long on my wish list,and finally visited early doors on a sunny mid May Saturday. Quiet on our arrival,it gradually filled up with a convivial crowd.On the beer front, my Harvey's Dark MILD was exemplary, as was the Armada Ale, a suave elder brother of the ubiquitous Sussex Best.
Leaving the pub, my compadre wished that it was his local:while not wanting to live in London,I tend to agree.
On 21st May 2022
- no rating submitted
[User has posted 283 recommendations about 282 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Tris C left this review about The Royal Oak
This pub dates from 1790, but I suspect that it was rebuilt in the 19th century.
A first in here the other night and I suspect that nothing has changed to this Harvey’s pub since the reviews over the last 10-odd years: it’s still a pub with rare (though possibly not original) seated entrance vestibule, modern boarded floor, modern furniture, excellent Regency-style cast iron columns, fine ceiling roses and a great egg and dart cornice, with acorn augmentation; the shades of brown and cream Farrow & Ball gastropub colour scheme is what I would describe as ‘Wild Mushroom Medley’. Décor comprises framed prints, including a trio of lithographs featuring 1930s’ pub life by Edward Ardizzone, one being of my favourite snug at Maida Vale’s Prince Alfred, Ardizzone’s local. However, as Nick Davies points out, the current interior is a modern restoration, undertaken by Harvey’s, possibly dating back little more than a decade but certainly no earlier than Harvey’s acquisition, affording the pub a citation on CAMRA’s list of pubs of Outstanding Conversions and Restorations. Customers were nothing like as old as I had imagined, with some young Americans in, with fairly good business, considering the day of the week.
There were four Harvey’s beers on and all halves tried: Dark Mild (£2.10, nice mellow), Royal Oak IPA (£2.20 a bit bland and really too weak to be an IPA), Sussex Best (£2.35, trademark toffee apple taste) and Old Ale (£2.40, toffee apple, but more so) all in top condition, served by friendly staff.
This is one of the better pubs in SE1, but I don’t think I could handle Harvey’s beers all night; a couple of imaginative guests would get the score up, as would a cosier environment.
On 1st April 2022
- rating: 6
[User has posted 1983 recommendations about 1949 pubs]
View more reviews of The Royal Oak (29)
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- Official site of The Royal Oak - www.royaloaklondon.co.uk
- Facebook page of The Royal Oak - www.facebook.com
- Historic Pub Interiors - ocrpubs.camra.org.uk
- Randomness Guide to London - Royal Oak entry
- CAMRA WhatPub :: The Royal Oak - whatpub.com
London Bridge, 0.57 miles, 10 min walk (show)
Elephant & Castle, 0.69 miles, 13 min walk (show)
Pub Details
Pub details supplied by members of this site to the best of their knowledge. Please check with pub directly before making a special trip.
- Accommodation : No last updated 07 October 2017 by Quinno _
- Bar Billiards : No last updated 07 October 2017 by Quinno _
- Beer Festivals : Yes last updated 21 October 2022 by Komakino .
- Beer Garden : No last updated 07 October 2017 by Quinno _
- CAMRA Discount : No last updated 07 October 2017 by Quinno _
- Car Park : No last updated 07 October 2017 by Quinno _
- Child Friendly : No last updated 07 October 2017 by Quinno _
- Darts : No last updated 07 October 2017 by Quinno _
- Dog Friendly : No last updated 07 October 2017 by Quinno _
- Function Room : Yes last updated 07 October 2017 by Quinno _
- Hot Food : Yes last updated 07 October 2017 by Quinno _
- Jukebox : No last updated 07 October 2017 by Quinno _
- Karaoke : No last updated 07 October 2017 by Quinno _
- Live Music : No last updated 07 October 2017 by Quinno _
- Live TV Sports : No last updated 07 October 2017 by Quinno _
- Micropub : No last updated 07 October 2017 by Quinno _
- Pinball : No last updated 07 October 2017 by Quinno _
- Pool Table : No last updated 07 October 2017 by Quinno _
- Quiz Night : Yes - Wednesdays 19.30. - last updated 30 March 2022 by Tris C
- Real Ale : Yes last updated 07 October 2017 by Quinno _
- Real Cider : No last updated 30 March 2022 by Tris C
- Wheelchair Access : No last updated 07 October 2017 by Quinno _
- WiFi : No last updated 07 October 2017 by Quinno _
