The Royal Oak, Lewes

Visited 10/12/24 Three cask options, Harvey’s Sussex Best and the Old Ale plus a cider from South Downs. Keg options were Guinness, Stella, Camden Pale, Neck Oil, Harvey's Pilsner, Moretti and South Downs Silver Lining cider. Quaint village pub, which was shut for a while but back open in new management for about the last year. Bare boarded throughout apart from a section on the right-hand side with a corner banquette and a round table with a mannequin seated at one of the fabric bucket chairs, and L shaped with the bar counter just inside the front door. Regular tables and chairs on both limbs with some tall tables around the front of the bar counter. Low ceilings and beamed but not as low as in a few venues in this neck of the woods. If anything, the lights were turned up a tad too high and the ambiance would be even better with lower lighting this time of the year. Felt like a proper village pub. Bet most here during my visit were here most evenings! Felt very festive with discrete but classy Xmas decorations.

The Royal Oak is an attractive village pub that was surprisingly quiet on bank holiday Sunday afternoon. There was only one available parking space outside with only two small groups in the pub so I’m not sure where the cars go when this place is busy. The front of the pub is lined by some picnic tables and the entrance leads to a narrow bare boarded bar area with a wood paneled serving counter that faces the entrance and some high tables along the front wall. The bare board continues to the left where there is seating by a fireplace, and then down to the sunken left rear which feels more like a dining area. Two more fireplaces on the left-hand wall suggest that this area has been opened up at some point. To the right of the bar in the front right corner is a small carpeted area with a couple of armchairs adjacent to the door to the toilets at the rear. Stella is available, but this is a rustic well-to-do country pub so also available are craft keg and draught South Downs Elderflower Fizz. Yes there are plenty of rugs on the floor around the pub! Half of the four hand pumps were in use drawing Harveys’ own Best and Forwards Choice. Traditional pub food is served, the burgers, including South African goat, are £12.50. Folk and jazz evenings are advertised as well as a quiz and an upcoming visit from some Morris dancers. There wasn’t much going on during my visit other than a bit of jazzy background music. This is a well-tended pub with very friendly service that I would visit again for a spot of lunch.

Traditional village pub, undergoing some exterior refurbishment when I called in. Partly opened out inside, with the bar in the centre, the dining area going back on the left-hand side and another room with the pool table and skittle alley (and probably also used for live music and other events I guess) up a few steps to the right. As a Harvey's house, I found Armada (£4.80) and the inevitable Sussex on two of the four handpumps, with a pair of the local South Downs ciders on the others.