The Royal Oak, Dartford

Dating from the late 17th Century, the Royal Oak is one of the oldest pubs in town and certainly one of the better pubs in town. An early 90’s refurbishment restored much of its old character and there are plenty of original features on show. A few of the patterned windows survive and inside is an original 2 sided fireplace that was opeoend up during the restoration. The ceiling is precariously propped up by a couple of thin pillars and much of the brickwork has been exposed. The main bar has bare floorboards, soldin seating and a few barrels doubling up as tables for the vertical drinkers. The sunken rear section has a tiled floor, a fine brick arched fireplace (no longer used) and a dart board. There are a couple of large flat screen TVs and a couple of smaller one and live sport is a regular feature. The music can be a bit intrusive but will appeal to rock fans. On the beer side of things there are 5 hand pumps with a decent range of Sheps beers and usually decent quality but getting a bit on the pricey side. The customer base generally comes from a pool of loyal regulars and is generally a hassle free pub devoid of the Saturday Night meat brains. Whilst it rarely gets too crowded, there is always a seat to be found although you may have to share it with the cat. There is also a small beer patio to the rear. Overall this is one of the more recommended pubs of my home town.