The Royal Oak, Loughborough

The Royal Oak has a wooden floored front bar area to the left of the entrance where a serving counter faces a banquette under the front window where three or four locals had assembled during a recent Monday afternoon visit. Through the back bar I noted a rearwards facing counter that serves a rear public bar that houses a pool table and dartboard, it was empty in here so I didn’t investigate any further than noting that the same standard keg was available on both bars and only one of the two hand pumps was in use drawing Pedigree. To the right of the counter is a strip of carpet that runs up the centre of the pub from a banquette that is found under the front window that sits between a right-hand fireplace and a left-hand dartboard to the rear where a table and a beer shelf are located. Up the right-hand side of the pub is a raised wooden floored area with more seating and a dartboard. There was some background music playing from the 1960s and I noted advertisements for the weekly Wednesday evening quiz and Sunday afternoon Karaoke. I didn’t find this to be the most welcoming of pubs so I’ll not be walking down this way again.

A large corner pub on the main road south out of the town. Community focused and just Pedigree on one of the two pulls. Looking round at my lager and cider drinking fellow drinkers the Ped’ was as expected, not off but not sparkling or inspiring but then it hasn’t been a decent beer for many years. Happy punters and the banter was as good as in the Peacock down the road, although a bit quieter. Good mix of traditional seating, nice carpet, screen and dart board. The telly was on an afternoon game show TV which suited most of the clientele.

Facebook page of The Royal Oak - www.facebook.com

Facebook page of The Royal Oak - www.facebook.com

Decent size - one room, but only Pedigree and Doombore on hand pump, I'm afraid. so not one for me,