Royal Oak, Tunbridge Wells

With a clientele ranging from young tattooed goths to tipsy grannies, via your Mum & Dad (and Pubs Galore reviewers), this is truly a proper 'local'. The good crowd indicates its value to the community and I have to say that I thoroughly enjoyed my recent visit. Wood panelling and subdued background music ensured that conversation was not drowned out. Beer was of good quality and variety - Larkins, Dark Star & Harveys on 3 pumps (the 4th left unused). Only 1 of the 3 barrels on the bar was labelled - this had Harveys Christmas Ale and would have been sampled had it not been for the regrettably early calling of last orders (at least there was no shooing-out, so we finished our pints in peace). My exploration of Tunbridge Wells's pubs is in its early stages, but this is definitely one to revisit.

After a nice walk through Calverley Park I found this pleasant, traditional pub and popped in for a quick pint. The interior is fairly traditional with its dark wood panelled walls and faded carpets framing the room which is dominated by the large island bar. The pub is essentially one big room, but the way the bar is positioned means that it feels like there are plenty of different spaces to explore. There is a small front section with a dartboard and a much larger area at the rear with banquettes and a few standard tables and chairs. To one side of the bar there is a large sofa underneath a big bookcase and a wall full of framed photos of various movie stars. There were four ales on - Dark Star Old Chestnut, Harvey's Best, Larkin's Best Bitter (£3.10) and Tunbridge Wells Golden Sovereign. The Larkin's was in top condition, despite an apology from the barman who confessed to accidentally kicking the barrel earlier in the day. He offered to replace the pint if it was cloudy, but it settled quickly and was very enjoyable. Food is available from Wednesday to Saturday as well as Sunday lunchtime, but I arrived too late in the day to give it a try. There is a decent sized seating area out in the front garden, including a small smoking shelter, which was almost full thanks to the fine weather that day. This was a nice spot for an afternoon rest and I would have happily stayed for another pint had I not needed to move on.