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The Royal Oak Hotel, York

Market Place
Helmsley
Postal town: York
YO62 5BL
Phone: 01439770450

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Pub Type

Leased (Marstons)

Reviews (Current Rating Average: of 10) Add Review see review guidelines


Graham Coombs left this review about The Royal Oak Hotel

A good traditional market town pub, with a few nice historic features surviving, including the carved bar front and some stained glass work. Despite the doors being labelled bar and lounge, the rooms are all knocked through behind, leaving an island bar. There is also an outdoor area behind. A strong food trade seems to be in the lead, but it offered a drinkable Wainwright and Hobgoblin from the handpumps.

On 3rd April 2023 - rating: 7
[User has posted 3322 recommendations about 3259 pubs]


Please Note: This review is over a year old.


Rob Hunter left this review about Royal Oak

Paid a visit today while in Helmsley. The layout is as previously described, whereby you enter into a small lobby and have a door to the left labelled LOUNGE, and one to the right labelled BAR. The bar feels traditional, with bare boards, dark wood and some ornate carving on the bar. The room to the right has a few tables, a pool table and a wood burner. This then loops round in a horseshoe round the bar to the lounge - though I did not investigate this area.

Three real ales on the hand pulls, today offering Pedigree (£1.90 for a half), Razor Back and Wainwright. The Pedigree was served with a particularly generous head.

The Royal Oak feels like a fairly nice down to earth pub, but the beer selection would not have me rushing back.

On 19th March 2019 - rating: 6
[User has posted 750 recommendations about 598 pubs]


Please Note: This review is over a year old.


Ian Mapp left this review about Royal Oak

Most down to earth of the three pubs in Helmsley.

Beer choice was pedestrian - with Wainwright and Bombardier on offer.

Lovely B&B.

Visit blogged at http://bit.ly/2Jb9inN

On 20th April 2018 - rating: 7
[User has posted 1329 recommendations about 1315 pubs]


Please Note: This review is over a year old.


Will Larter left this review about Royal Oak

There's a choice of doors in the lobby when entering the Royal Oak. The lounge to the left looked smart, so I went to the right where the bar has bare boards and a dark wood bar counter with rails and carvings. There were three hand pumps serving Wainwright, Hobgoblin and Ringwood Wild Boar. I went for the latter, which turned out to be probably the best beer I've had recently from the Marstons stable. There was some background music, a solid fuel stove, and a smattering of local drinkers. It's slightly more expensive here than across the square at the Feathers, and about £1 a pint dearer than the Helmsley tap, but that wasn't open on this midweek night. Would I return? Not with a skip in my step.

On 1st December 2017 - rating: 5
[User has posted 3700 recommendations about 3439 pubs]


Please Note: This review is over a year old.


Lester Ford left this review about Royal Oak

Again this review is from end of May 2016 when the wife & I were staying in the village for a few nights

The Royal Oak is a Marston's pub and hotel that's a real locals pub. The lounge and public bar that each have their own entrance, the pub is open plan inside so you can walk all the way around while the lounge is more for diners with the tables set out for food, while the public bar has a pool table and 3 TVs.

3 ales on with the Pedigree on good form during all my visits over the weekend, other choices were EPA and Hobgoblin.

During our 3 night stay in the village we visited here 3 times, once a day. I watched 2 games of football here on Saturday evening and spent over 6 hours, drinking the Pedigree and also had the scampi and chips, which was excellent.

Friendly bar staff, well kept ale and a good juke box, even though it doesn't look as good as the other 2 pubs internally its the most welcoming and honest pub.

On 6th March 2017 - rating: 8
[User has posted 80 recommendations about 78 pubs]


Please Note: This review is over a year old.


Alex Conway left this review about Royal Oak

A Marstons tied house in the middle of Hemlsey. There is a standard carpeted interior with many tables for dining in the lounge area and more standing space in the bar. There are three real ale available from the standard Marstons range but only two were on when i visited leaving me with either Banks's bitter or whycwood piledriver. I opted for the Banks at £3.40 and this was a very average pint that left me very underwhelmed compared to the superb beers I had just had at the Helmsley brewery. This is an outrageously expensive tourist trap pub in helmsley with frankly ridiculous prices for north Yorkshire. Ales are usually priced at £3.60 with Carlsberg £3.70, Carling £3.90, Coors £4.20, Peroni £4.80, and Guinness £3.90 as well as a few others. I really did not take to this pub and would be in no hurry to rush back.

On 12th April 2016 - rating: 6
[User has posted 455 recommendations about 455 pubs]