The Royal Oak, SW1

You get the feeling that this old corner pub is trying to be a trendy cocktail bar but not quite making it. The various musical instruments, album covers and concert flyers decorating the wall at one end by the stairs to the toilets were quite interesting, and the young foreign barmaid was helpful, even providing us with extra beer in small glasses to top up our pints – she did an excellent job front of house. The TV screen was mute, which gave us an opportunity to chat. Four dry pumps meaning the only beer on was Pimlico Pale Ale, which sadly tasted a little insipid. It was an enjoyable session, but the beer quality and variety doesn’t make me want to come back too often.

Official site of The Royal Oak - royaloakpimlico.co.uk

The pub dates from 1831, rebuilt in 1872 and now operated by the Ram Pub Co. This is quite a pub. There’s no real surviving bar back, the front being plain, with metal shaded lamps above. The ceiling is modern and white, with strange objects like acoustic baffles suspended from it. The interior is really quite stark, with tall furniture, coordinated into different styles, with at least three styles of upholstered banquette, the tables where I was seated, seemingly fashioned from galvanised scaffold poles, with a matching, wobbly footrest. Although the kitchen remains closed, there were trays of cutlery on tables, for some reason. The rear of the pub’s wall is plastered with flyers from trendy bands’ gigs over the last 40plus years. Above, is a shelf with musical instruments and vintage radios, including a lovely old Bush. Presumably then, this must be a noted live music venue, with gigs taking place in the basement, but no it’s just the kazi down there. Customers were few and exclusively confined to the rear, being a vocal lot and all friends, perhaps students from the nearby Vincent Square halls of residence. There was the one older bloke to the front, with long hair, looking like an aging rocker, perhaps lured in by the flyers. There were three unused pumps, Special (reversed) and London Original at a very agreeable £2.30 a half and unbelievably good; I never knew this beer could taste like this. This is a bit of a bleak, spartan pub and with just the one, though inexplicably good beer, isn’t really worth the effort, especially as it’s closed at weekends.

Official site of The Royal Oak - royaloakpimlico.co.uk

Young's pub with two entrances. Nothing of any strength on the real ale front but the barmaid was pleasant enough.

The Royal Oak is a wedge shaped pub with high table and stools in the ‘wedge’ that are faced by a bar that supports a standard and premium draught range. I counted five hand pumps, three of which had reversed pump clips (Sharps Doom Bar, Youngs London Gold and one guest ale). This left Youngs Ordinary and Wells Bombardier as the cask ale options. Up on the wall is a menu that lists various cocktails that are available for £7.50 each. These cocktails are two for one on Thursdays and Fridays. Food is available daily from midday until 21:00 and this pub has early closing at 21:00 on Sundays. There was a decent crowd in attendance, but it was the afternoon of the Thursday before Christmas when everywhere was busy. Whilst at the bar waiting for service I noted the presence of a dartboard and a TV that was airing rolling news. This was muted in favour of some very low background music. To the right of the bar are a few standard tables and chairs where a flight of steep stairs lead down to a grotty little toilet. Even though I found the service to be polite I wouldn’t go out of my way to visit here again.

An unusually shaped pub, built to fit into the apex of a street junction. One room nowadays, which accentuates the odd shape. The pub had a rather spartan feel having no seating other than stools at window ledges to the front bar area, and just a few tables at curved green banquettes along one wall to the rear area. Wooden floor, limited decor consisting of a few framed old adverts and a selection of artifacts looking a little forlorn on a few small shelves. There was a TV high upon an end wall and some form of gaming/quiz machine. Nothing much else really, although I don't think the ambience was particularly helped by the pub being quiet and also cold with a small fan heater struggling to take the chill off. Young's beers plus Sharp's Doom Bar as listed on the previous review, the beer quality and service were fine.

This is a Young’s house, and on my recent weekday, late afternoon, visit two handpumps were clipped as Bitter, one as Special, and a fourth as Sharp’s Doom Bar. The pint of Bitter I had was fine, and at the fairly standard price for the area of £3.10 a pint. I didn’t see any signs of food or menus, although I did spot a wine list (which I didn’t look inside). I thought that this pub had a very empty feel to it, and not just because there were only two or three other punters in there. At the front of the room there are some tall stools at a ledge by the windows, a bit of banquette seating with two or three small tables at the back and to the right of the bar counter, leaving the middle of the room pretty much devoid of anything. I guess that this could cater for large numbers of vertical drinkers, but when they’re not there it does make it seem a bit soulless. There were a few odds and ends on a couple of shelves at the back, but as far as decor went that was about it. But it’s not a bad pub as such, the pint I had was fine, the service was OK – it’s just a bit desolate. I certainly wouldn’t object to visiting again, but there are better pubs in the general area that I would prefer to return to.