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Disappointment of the week with Real Ale Ray
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Detail Pages
The Royal Oak, Horfield, Bristol
Horfield
Bristol
BS7 8TN
Reviews (Current Rating Average: 7½ of 10) see review guidelines
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Alan Winfield left this review about The Royal Oak
I quite liked the look of this pub from the outside.
Once inside the main room is L shaped with the bar facing,the room is bare boarded,there are pew seats to the front with chairs and a raised area to the left,the right side has an oblong shaped room which has comfy bench seating and chairs plus a few settees.
There were four real ales real ales on the bar,i had a drink of Dawkins Bristol Blonde which went down very well,the other beers were Butcombe Bitter,Yeovil Spring Forward and Doom Bar.
There was some decent background music playing.
This is a very pleasant and comfortable pub to have a decent drink in.
Pub visited 2/4/2016
On 2nd May 2016
- rating: 8
[User has posted 6113 recommendations about 6113 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Blackthorn _ left this review about The Royal Oak
Since my previous visit the service seems to have improved somewhat and beers on this occasion were Mad Goose Purity, Bath Ales Gem, Adam Henson’s Rare Breed from Butcombe and Doom Bar. Ciders were well represented with Thatcher’s Gold, Thatcher’s Heritage, Symonds Founders Reserve and Addlestones.
The menu consisted broadly of “pub grub” dishes, although perhaps a step or two up from the usual both in style and price. Options included Lasagne, Ham, Egg & Chips, Fish & Chips, etc., and these were mostly priced in the £10 - £12 range. My Pulled Pork Burger with fries and a chilli slaw was a decent enough dish even if they did insist on serving it on a wooden board rather than a plate.
Previous review from 31/08/2011 -
A good sized, street corner pub that looks as though it has had a recent makeover. From the outside it’s got a bit of a gastropub look about it, but thankfully that’s not actually the case. Whilst there is food available, it certainly doesn’t dominate and most punters were drinking rather than eating on a recent Tuesday evening visit.
The pub is split in to two halves. The left hand bar is on two levels, with a raised area up a couple of steps. There is dark wooden flooring and the ceiling paint is almost black which gives it a slightly gloomy feel. That said, there is cream paint elsewhere, and dual aspect windows so that makes up for it a little. Most of the lighting is simple downlighters, but there was also a chandelier in the rear corner and small candles on all the tables. The cubicle doors in the gents loos were painted to look like an old phone box which was an unusual touch.
A brick chimney with a wood burning stove separates the two bars. The bar to the right also has part wooden flooring, although with some slate tiles as well. This feels a little cosier with a few leather sofas clustered around a fireplace. This leads out in to a large beer garden/patio area. That patio is partly covered to keep out any inclement weather, and the garden has a colourful mural on one wall as well as a kids play area with a couple of small cars to ride around in. The only letdown was really the service, since I really don’t like being ignored when I’m stood waiting at a bar, especially when I’m the only punter waiting and the barmaid can’t fail to notice me.
Beers on tap were Doom Bar, Gem, Butcombe Gold and Timothy Taylor Landlord. Ciders were Thatcher’s Gold, Thatcher’s Heritage, Addlestones and Stowford Press.
On 2nd June 2014
- rating: 7
[User has posted 1947 recommendations about 1860 pubs]