The Royal Oak, Kingsbridge

Visited May 2013, the Royal Oak has apparently been an inn for about a hundred years, a former blacksmith’s now being the bar area to the left and the adjoining houses now providing the larger restaurant area to the right. Consequently the design is quite intriguing. The whole interior is painted over in pale colours however, and a variety of old cameras, binoculars, copper kettles and teapots and suchlike adorn the various shelves and spaces, and slightly incongruously a dominoes table by the entrance to the bar side, which also has a dartboard to the rear. It felt as if they had stripped out the traditional character of the place, and then tried to find ways to add it back in. On the plus side, the toilets in the small building to the rear were the most immaculate outside toilets I’ve ever seen. As well as the usual drinks offering, three of four handpumps were pulling Otter Ale, Teignworthy Reel Ale ad Dartmoor Jail Ale, those we tried being well kept, and we ate in the restaurant area, finding the food to be good quality, slightly above average price, and not particularly generously portioned. All in all I’d probably come here again if in the area, but wouldn’t go out of my way to do so.

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

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