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Detail Pages
The Royal Oak, Oxford
Oxford
OX2 6HT
Pub Type
Castle (Mitchells & Butlers)Reviews (Current Rating Average: 5½ of 10) see review guidelines
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Tris C left this review about The Royal Oak
On 27th December 2017 - rating: 6
I'd always thought that this was a slightly rough pub but was pleasantly surprised by my first-ever visit the other day. As mentioned, this pub is a mixture of styles - some quite attractive and historic and some more modern - which hints as various extensions over the years. Furniture is mixed and there's the ubiquitous blue/grey paint applied to parts; less attractive were the sauce bottles littering tables. It's quite a large pub with some nooks and crannies and seems to attract a fair number of tourists from South-East Asia, despite being quite some way from the historic tourist centre to the south-east.
Ales: Fuller's London Pride, Sharp's Doom Bar and Hook Norton's Old Hooky at £4.00 which is about right for the area and was on good form - nice staff too.
I'd definitely come here again, particularly as part of a crawl combined with the Gardener's Arms (Plantation Road), Rose & Crown and Victoria.
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A recent makeover has resulted in a pub with a predictable grey blue colour scheme, (natch) and a modern tubular steel bar back, (natch) and spun copper shades over the bar, (natch) (see photo). Overall though, it now no longer looks so modular, with new décor comprising trendy arty things on shelves, (natch); at least the lovely front left-hand snug appears to have survived molestation.
The ale front initially seemed to have improved, with, Doom aside, Landlord, Fyne Ales Jarg and Titanic Plum Porter on great form; sadly a return a few days later revealed just Doom then Salopian Shropshire Gold in rather soggy condition.
I’m not really sure if this pub is better than before, but it’s still worth including on a crawl, but the reliance on the awful Doom Bar is a negative; Oxfordshire has no end of quality breweries and the Plum Porter is always a winner.
On 18th December 2022
- rating: 6
[User has posted 1985 recommendations about 1951 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Quinno _ left this review about The Royal Oak
Long roadside pub with bolted-on extensions either side which makes for an odd shape. Multi-roomed warren inside, a little modernised in places but a bit of character nonetheless. Four ales; Doom Bar, Brakspear Oxford Gold, Woodfordes Flagondry (fairly good) and Ilkley Mary Jane (reported good). Leftfield (for Oxford) keg selection including Freedom lager. Upmarket pretensions, bar snacks a cut above pork scratchings (cider battered black pudding?!), though I noted all the olive jars were empty. No sighting of the bar billiards table mentioned elsewhere. Not a bad stop at all, I’d be happy to drop in again.
On 21st April 2014
- rating: 7
[User has posted 5099 recommendations about 5082 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Nigel Sheppard left this review about The Royal Oak
Nice Pub inside, distinct lack of real ale.
On 7th September 2009
- rating: 4
[User has posted 192 recommendations about 192 pubs]