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Disappointment of the week with Tris39
on the Pub Forum
Image posted by Quinno _
Submitted on Saturday, 18th June 2016
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Detail Pages
The Oak, North Kingston, Kingston Upon Thames
Kingston Upon Thames
KT2 5EN
Served areas
Reviews of The Oak (Average Rating: 4½ of 10) see review guidelines
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Quinno _ left this review about The Oak
A pub that is desperately struggling, the exterior looks decent but inside it’s a gloomy staple-shaped place that’s been too stripped out. It has a smart but overbearing grey/blue paintwork with white trim, exacerbated by the entire right side of the pub being unlit and in darkness. TV football provided the only glimmer of uplift. Four pumps, three on - Adnams Bitter (vinegar and exchanged with an apology by the Slavic barman and turned), Caledonian Flying Scotsman (insipid) and Youngs Special. Looking around, the clientèle were not the ale drinking type, so why bother selling it? Seemed like an aimless, listless place that might be on its last legs unless it gets a thorough repointing.
On 4th July 2016
- rating: 3
[User has posted 5072 recommendations about 5055 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Malden man left this review about The Oak
This is a typical late Victorian corner pub but has now been given the modern treatment being a stripped out single bare boarded room with a central bar on the back wall and decor including the prolific use of various shades of brown. Furniture is typical of the type, some scrubbed or inlaid standard level tables, but also lots of sofas and high tables with scramble on stools. There are some stripey banquettes around the edges. One end contains a pool table.
A fair few large flat screen TVs are dotted about the place, all showing SSN on mute yesterday afternoon while an Oasis CD played. The lighter coloured walls have occasional football related quotes stencilled on, including Bill Shankly's famous one regarding the game's relationship with life or death but also the lesser recent infamous faux pas between Sky Sports presenters' commenting on female officials understanding of their own careers, which really shouldn't be celebrated in my opinion. Other decoration consists of a few arty B&W photographs plus posters for Friday live music and occasional karaoke.
The add on to The Oak name(suburban bar and kitchen)hints at a priority for food but no evidence of this on my visit; there were small clipboard style menus on the tables, but not fancy stuff and reasonably priced eg Bangers & Mash £6, Sunday roasts £7.95. I noted the 5* Scores on the Doors sticker on the way in which is the highest accolade for cleanliness awarded by the inspecting authority.
Just two handpumps, both dispensing Sharp's Doom Bar, but it was in good shape and reasonable these days at £3.10.
In fairness although these modern makeovers are not to my taste, the pub was clean, inoffensive and the beer ok. I'm sure it suits its intended customer base too.
There is a bit of a garden area to the rear plus a handful of picnic tables to the front and side facing the street.
On 11th March 2011
- rating: 5
[User has posted 1707 recommendations about 1681 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Gerry Lane left this review about The Oak
We were taken here by friends who live locally. They knew quite a few of the early-doors crowd who were there when we arrived, so we had plenty of advice about the place, its beers and its food. We heard no adverse comments, and enjoyed the beer, staying longer than we'd intended. Certainly not one of those places to avoid.
On 22nd September 2008
- rating: 6
[User has posted 4 recommendations about 4 pubs]
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- Official site of the Oak, contains menu - theoakkingston.co.uk
- Facebook - 98 The Oak
- CAMRA WhatPub :: The Oak - whatpub.com
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 04 July 2016 by Quinno _
- Bar Billiards : No last updated 04 July 2016 by Quinno _
- CAMRA Discount : No last updated 04 July 2016 by Quinno _
- Child Friendly : Yes last updated 04 July 2016 by Quinno _
- Hot Food : Yes last updated 29 July 2013 by Dave McNally
- Karaoke : Yes last updated 11 March 2011 by Quinno _
- Live Music : Yes - Friday - last updated 11 March 2011 by Dave McNally
- Live TV Sports : Yes last updated 04 July 2016 by Quinno _
- Micropub : No last updated 04 July 2016 by Quinno _
- Pinball : No last updated 04 July 2016 by Quinno _
- Pool Table : Yes last updated 11 March 2011 by hondo .
- Real Ale : Yes last updated 04 July 2016 by Quinno _
- Real Cider : No last updated 04 July 2016 by Quinno _
