The Royal Oak, Twickenham

A sort of a modern take on a pub, very different to traditional but not totally unpleasant. Soft furnishings and sofas abound, even on the outside veranda, while the décor is in a sort of shabby chic style. The island bar is topped with a couple of Truman's lager tanks and some industrial lighting, while behind is a tabled gastro dining area with the kitchen on view to the side. On handpump were Twickenham Grandstand and TT Landlord, in fair condition although a little cold.

Official site of The Royal Oak - www.theroyaloaktwickenham.co.uk

Official site of The Royal Oak - www.theroyaloaktwickenham.co.uk

Large central bar serves 2 real ales and numerous "craft keg" including Truman's raw lager served from 2 tanks above the bar.

There is a brace of pumps on each of the left and right of the counter. Having noticed that the two on the left were clipped for Twickenham Naked Ladies (£1.95 a half) and London Pride, I walked round to the other side just in case there was something more interesting there. I needn’t have bothered, as one was Doom Bar clipped and the other unclipped. As seems to be usual around here, single sheet menus were attached to clipboards, all stored in a wooden box at the far end of the bar counter, but as I wasn’t eating I didn’t bother going to get one. I doubt whether there would have been any surprises. I did spot a chalkboard on one of the walls that mentioned the “burger of the month” (a Florentine – spinach apparently involved) for £8.50, and sandwiches, including one containing steak and cheese for £6.95. These prices don’t seem excessive to me. It doesn’t seem to have changed since the previous reviewer’s visit. Decor is still a mix of charcoal and something akin to magnolia, with little decor on the walls worth mentioning. All quite typically minimalist. We now have a central island servery with the main bar area at the front; a bit of more comfortable seating at the back; and what might be regarded as a dining area on the right, but no-one was dining when I was in on Monday afternoon. There is a shelf on the left with magazines and flyers on it. There are odd quotes all over the place, including one from Goldfinger about the hero’s preferred method of preparing a Martini; and one on the bar counter that I hadn’t seen before “the relationship between the the Welsh and English is based on trust and understanding. They don’t trust us and we don’t understand them.” Not sure who they and us are, but it could work either way I suppose. I’m not sure it’s true though. I found this place a bit too characterless and minimalist for my taste, but of course many might prefer their pubs like this. My Naked Ladies was in good shape, and the service was friendly enough. But I never seem to really like places that have been madeover to such an extent that they are unrecognisable from the original pub, and that brand themselves as a “bar and restaurant”. But that’s just my personal perspective.

A pub has stood on this spot since 1635, although the present building dates back to 1900 when the original Glass and Bottle pub was rebuilt and named the Royal Oak. The pub has more recently been known as the Twickenham Tup and the Hedgehog and Stump, but took on its current name in February 2014 when it reopened after a period of closure. The name refers to Frederick Stokes and Francis Moncreiff who respectively captained England and Scotland in the first ever rugby union international fixture. The pub however, has no other discernable link to rugby, presenting itself instead as an upmarket, minimalist restaurant and bar. The corner entrance leads you directly into a vast bare boarded bar area with a large central servery opposite. The whole room is painted in various shades of bland and the only items of interest in this part of the pub were the mirrored bar back with the pub's logo on it and some strange tusk shaped items on a shelf nearby. The left side of the room has a single banquette with low stools opposite and a short drinking shelf with high stools to one side. A large vase under a silver sculpture of a deer's head provide debateable visual distraction. High stools and regular banquettes run under the large front windows, whilst to the right there is a spacious area with lots of standard tables and chairs ideal for diners who can view the open kitchen to the rear. The end wall has a brink print effect covered with letters of various sizes in a non-linear sequence which I eventually realised spelt the pub's name. A few drink related quotes have been painted on pillars and beams throughout and there are a few nice light fixtures reminiscent of old street lamps but to be honest, I was really struggling to find anything that makes the place either interesting or even remotely warm and inviting. To top things off, one of the dreariest soundtracks I've ever heard in a pub plodded away in the background. On the bar, just the three ales, none of which will get the pulse racing - Sharp's Doom Bar, Sambrooks Wandle and Taylor Landlord. The Wandle was expensive and in a bit of a sorry state - I was glad I only had a half. The keg range included several national brands, plus Symonds Cider. One redeeming feature was the friendly barman who seemed to enjoy being there a lot more than I did. I thought this new venture might offer up something new and exciting but this has to be one of the dullest places I've ever visited. It's completely devoid of character and whilst I understand that an austere environment might reflect the state of the nation, it doesn't translate to a pleasant pub-going experience. Perhaps this one will bed-in over time, but I'll let someone else run the reappraisal.