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Submitted on Thursday, 16^th May 2024
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The Famous Royal Oak, Muswell Hill, N10

73 St James Lane
N10
N10 3QY

Phone: 02084442504

Correct details

Served areas

Muswell Hill

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TheFamousRoyalOak It’s going to be a hot one today, so Joshua is firing up the BBQ 3-9pm this afternoon. Showing the French Open & Ch… https://t.co/N0vZtSvFCN 8:42 AM Jun 10th 2023 from Twitter for iPhone

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Reviews of The Famous Royal Oak (Average Rating: 6½ of 10) Add Review see review guidelines

David Walton left this review about The Famous Royal Oak

Visited 15/01/25

Two beers on hand pump, Doom Bar and a very enjoyable pint of Bass (can't remember the last time I had a pint of Bass in a London pub leave alone a very fine pint of Bass). Keg offerings were Moretti, Guinness, K1664, Gamma Ray, Carling, Inch's, Cruz, Amstel and Neck Oil.

This venue was centred around the bar counter and its congregation of punters on tall stools. Otherwise, quirky interior with a few nooks and crannies and a variety of seating options on an evening packed with footy watching customers. Lots of bric a brac, quite a nautical theme with model ships, shelves housing books and miniature bottles and jugs on shelves just under the boarded roof. On my visit the entire venue was turned over to showing the Arsenal v Spurs game with commentary and everyone here was tuned into watching the game. Quite a few gaming machines seemed out of place here and the colonial era ceiling fan felt very in-needed albeit on now suddenly a very mild January evening, tropical it still was not! Plenty of seating options, including some red leather banquettes, on a carpeted interior and tall backed stools at the bar counter. There is some seating at the front and side of the pub on a paved area, with good cover for many of the tables.

On 20^th July 2025 - rating: 6
[User has posted 777 recommendations about 774 pubs]

Please Note: This review is over a year old.

Tris C left this review about The Famous Royal Oak

Dating from the late 18th century, this was probably once a coaching inn, quite possibly rebuilt as an estate-style pub in 1965 and as mentioned, Dennis Nilsen’s local – I walked past 23 Cranley Gardens on the way – though his nefarious activities took place in the Golden Lion (W1) and Black Cap (NW1).
With an empty Taylor Walker/Meux sign bracket outside, it’s not the most attractive pub, though the flowers to the raised beer patio were well tended. However, inside this is really something of a time warp pub, with a very ‘60s’ interior: an attractive bar array with stained glass leaded pot shelf, carpeted and furnished with traditional furniture, oxblood banquettes to part of the hexagonal periphery with exposed rafters above. Framed photos of the area from yesteryear sit alongside much bric-à-brac and nautical knickknacks, with a grandfather clock; to the rear is an upright piano for live singalongs, the silent unwatched televised sport an unwelcome distraction. Customers were locals, though not the more prosperous residents of Muswell Hill Central, everyone outside on my balmy Friday evening visit. The cask selection still amounted to an unused pump, then Doom and Bass, tasting well…like Bass, served by a friendly barman.
This is a surprisingly good pub which I would like to have seen when the customers were in to generate some ambience; an improvement in the ale lineup would have got the score up an extra point; where’s the Ghost Ship?

On 20^th July 2024 - rating: 6
[User has posted 2266 recommendations about 2218 pubs]

Please Note: This review is over a year old.

Quinno _ left this review about The Famous Royal Oak

Round the corner from Dennis Nilsen's old gaff is this purpose-built estate pub from 1965. Don't be put off by that, it's really nice inside with seemingly little (if any) changes in the last 40 years and has been kept to a high standard. We have dark varnished wood, pub carpet, wine coloured leather banquettes, original baffled windows and original bar. Plenty of maritime ephemera once you get your eye in, including a very nice collection of model ships on the upper shelves by the semi-hexagonal banquette. Three pumps with just Doom Bar on (there's often Bass but no delivery this week). My Doom was passable (NBSS 2.5), lacking turnover but then again I was the only person in on a grey and sodden Bank Holiday Monday afternoon. I’d be happy to see this one again with a pint of Bass in my paws.

On 11^th June 2024 - rating: 7
[User has posted 5657 recommendations about 5638 pubs]

View more reviews of The Famous Royal Oak (11)

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