The Royal Oak, Bushey

Paid an early Sunday evening visit to this one as it looks like a decent pub from the outside. Still has a bit of a local feel to it and there were quite a few locals in the front bar section who seem to still be there after Sunday lunch service. Found out from them that the pub had actually shut down in 2017 but was purchased and reopened in 2018 after a refurbishment to make it more of a Gastro pub. And indeed the section beyond the bar area was certainly laid more as a restaurant and recent TripAdvisor reviews would indicate that this one does function as a Gastro restaurant nowadays. But the front section with the bar is not too Gastro despite its bare brick wall sections and bare wooden flooring and has some comfortable seating especially around the large fireplace opposite the bar. And then there is a decent size garden outback and some outside bench tables to the front of the pub. There are four Ale pumps on the bar which for our visit had Wandsworth 6X, Sharps Atlantic Pale, 1 unclipped and a cider on the fourth and there were chalk boards showing a craft beer list and a cocktail menu. Was a decent enough stop but not one to have me rushing back for the beer but more likely to return to try the food. But certainly sounds better now than when the previous review was posted.