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Beer of the Week (w/e 27th April 2025) with Thuck Phat
on the Pub Forum

Image posted by Al Bundy
Submitted on Friday, 3rd July 2015
With picture contributions to 3443 other pubs
View all this pub's pictures (4 more images)
Detail Pages
The Royal Oak, Hoole, Chester
Hoole
Chester
CH2 3BD
Reviews of The Royal Oak (Average Rating: 7½ of 10) see review guidelines
Old Boots left this review about The Royal Oak
As stated a traditional pub in a pub, bar and niche shop laden area. Three rooms, two small sitting rooms either side of the entrance corridor leading to a larger bar where the counter lies on the left. Four pumps on the counter but only two in use, a very drinkable Rev James and Brakspears Gravity. Two low T-Bars offer a standard fare of eight national kegs. Three screens offered different sports, two on different horse races the other with test match cricket. Seating is a mix of banquette and mid height tables and stools, the side rooms are with banquettes and more screens; the bagatelle table has gone. Definitely still one to visit in spite of Marstons ownership and less than exciting beers. It has Marstons (or Captive) wi-fi but you need to register and answer a set of intrusive questions allowing them to spam you or worse.
On 15th September 2024
- no rating submitted
[User has posted 3599 recommendations about 3279 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Rex Rattus left this review about The Royal Oak
What a delightful little pub this is - a real community local. As is the way with many of these Northern pubs, you enter into a short corridor and to both the left and right there are small snugs, and to the rear another room that contains the bar counter on the left, and with a bit of traditional seating. The room on the right contains what I thought was a bar billiards table, but having spent a few more days in Chester might well have been a bagatelle table, which is something that I have never seen in London. All furnishings are traditional - banquettes, normal chairs, small stools and normal tables. There's a garden at the back. The walls are covered mainly with fielded wooden panelling, and although there's little in the way of decor, a pub with the character of this one doesn't really need it.
Let's not forget the beers. They had five on - Hobgoblin, Fuller's Quintessential, Okell's Saison, Adnam's Fat Sprat (£1.50 a half), and Brakspear's Bitter. Again I forgot to ask for the sparkler to be removed, but the Fat Sprat was in good nick nonetheless. There was no sign of any food on Tuesday afternoon; nor at any other time according to one of the locals that I spoke to.
This struck me as an absolute gem. It was friendly and welcoming, comfortable and with five real ales to boot. This was an absolute winner for me, and well worth the short walk from town to visit.
On 14th September 2015
- rating: 8
[User has posted 2606 recommendations about 2520 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Al Bundy left this review about The Royal Oak
A nice little pub just a short walk from Chester rail station. Has 4 real ale pumps. Unfortunately what ales were advertised outside were completely different from what was being sold inside. Has one of those bagatelle tables inside.
On 25th February 2015
- rating: 7
[User has posted 3487 recommendations about 3390 pubs]
View more reviews of The Royal Oak (5)
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- The Royal Oak page at the Chester Tourist site - www.chestertourist.com
- CAMRA WhatPub :: The Royal Oak - whatpub.com
Pub Details
Pub details supplied by members of this site to the best of their knowledge. Please check with pub directly before making a special trip.
- Accommodation : No last updated 31 May 2020 by ROB Camra
- Bar Billiards : No last updated 31 May 2020 by ROB Camra
- Beer Festivals : No last updated 31 May 2020 by ROB Camra
- Beer Garden : Yes last updated 31 May 2020 by ROB Camra
- CAMRA Discount : No last updated 31 May 2020 by ROB Camra
- Car Park : No last updated 31 May 2020 by ROB Camra
- Dog Friendly : Yes last updated 31 May 2020 by ROB Camra
- Hot Food : No last updated 31 May 2020 by ROB Camra
- Live Music : No last updated 31 May 2020 by ROB Camra
- Live TV Sports : Yes last updated 31 May 2020 by ROB Camra
- Micropub : No last updated 31 May 2020 by ROB Camra
- Real Ale : Yes last updated 31 May 2020 by ROB Camra
- Real Cider : No last updated 31 May 2020 by ROB Camra
- WiFi : Yes last updated 31 May 2020 by ROB Camra