My wife and I went here while looking for somewhere local to have lunch. The name initially caught…read moreour interest so we thought we'd give it a go. We were incredibly pleased with how lovely the place is. Great outdoor dining area, and incredibly cosy inside. The staff were incredibly courteous, and the food was just unbelievably good. I'll admit, when I first ordered, I did think that they were a little expensive. However, it turns out that was because I was expecting the food to be of a lower standard. What they brought out to us was worth every penny. This is a fantastic little place, a hidden gem. Worth driving over an hour to go to, seriously.

I visited this excellent pub-restaurant on Tues 15 March 2011 for my father's birthday, and was…read morevery impressed with the place. Apparently there have been some changes here recently, and these have certainly worked wonders. The real ales were on top form, the service friendly and efficient, and the meal (in the dining area at the back of the establishment) was of a very good quality (they have an extensive chalkboard menu including a wide range of steaks to appeal to even the hardest-to-please carnivore). Location is on the main high street through Ledbury. It's not cheap but it is highly recommended.

If you are from the USA, do not go to the Royal Oak in Painswick!!…read moreWe were first in line at 6 pm when they started taking food orders. We waited for our food to come for over an hour, with the waitstaff assuring us they were working on it. Meanwhile, the tables patronized by "locals"--both inside and out--were being served their dinners, even though they put their orders in after we did. Finally, they told us our dinner would be there in 15 minutes. When that didn't happen, we paid for our drinks and left. They did not seem to care at all. We went down the street to The Falcon pub, where the staff was very attentive and the food and wine was very good. I can only conclude that the Royal Oak is not fond of Americans. Worst service EVER!!!

The Royal Oak pub is one of the most delightful I have ever visited…read more It is in Painswick, a village of enormous charm constructed almost entirely of local Cotswold stone. The stone has a soft, beautiful beige cast which sets off the darker stone shakes that make the roofs. The Royal Oak is a perfect example of this lovely architecture. Due to some rather odd bureaucratic nonsense one can enter the pub to the right of the main entrance or the left. This oddity makes one wonder which is the best side to alight on. If one enters right you will see a fireplace festooned with chalkboard dining options, a small bar, and a piano. We choose to enter right and ordered the excellent local beer (Gold) and got our bearing from the owner/chef, Michael who helped by making helpful item suggestions. If one follows the British Telly series "Pie in the Sky", one is bound to be reminded of the late Richard Griffiths for Michael is indeed a man who has created a family in his pub and a pub in his family. The atmosphere is just wonderful and Michael's staff are clearly part of the act. I liked the pub instantly and was now curious about Michael's food. It was all good. I ordered a huge pork rib, so sweet and tender it melted in my mouth. It was surrounded by baby peas and thick chips. My partner ordered battered cod and chips. The fish was fresh, perfectly combined with a light batter, and cooked to perfection. Pudding was a wonderful Spotted Dick so plentiful that we needed to share. During and after our meal we chatted with other patrons, one of whom took to the piano. Michael is a native of Bristol and allowed me to pick his brain for some local lore at the bar after our meal. He suggested I look in his courtyard and see the way it protects patrons from unwanted breezes. I found it a comfortable place to sit if one wanted quiet. I peeked in the window of the "other" side of the pub and found several patrons watching a game and gossiping. I wanted to go in, but Michael said with a twinkle, "That's where I put the naughty patrons." It's a week bit smaller than the piano side, but just as warm and friendly. Michael has created an atmosphere that is hard to find almost anywhere and deserves six stars in the pub category.

Winner of Good Pubs Guide, newcomer of the year 2013 Excellentread more

Drove through a lot of winter fog and had a great family reunion there last night. Top notch pub…read more Cosy with games room, bar and dining area. Looked like there was a beer garden but too cold to investigate. My mum has been talking about the steak and ale pie all day and my niece is raving about the steak. Really friendly and relaxed atmosphere, home cooked food and really excellent value - honestly could not ask for more.

With best bitter at only £2 a pint and excellent wines chosen personaly by the proprietor it is a…read moregood pub for a drink. The food is of a high quality prepared by a good chef. meals like roast breast of duck on red cabage with chestnuts and Aberdene Angus ribeye stake on a mashed potatoe and marrow fat pea rosti are served as well as vegitarian options and fresh fish. A two course lunch can still be had ,mondays to Fridays for £6.95. In the evenings meals range from liver and bacon at £6.95 to fillet of sea bass with olive tapanard at £13.95. All meals are served with a lovely fresh vegetable selection.

A proper pub with a fantastic atmosphere. Historic building with loads of character. Good range at…read morethe bar, friendly staff and excellent food.

This is a top notch little boozer! I say little but with the restaurant and in the summer, the…read morebeer garden, this 14th century welsh long house is surprisingly big. The lounge has a lovely calm feel about it and the bar is proper cozy. Winter is the best time to visit when the log fires are burning. A good range of beer, wines and spirit and bar snacks. The food is really good. The menu and daily specials board has a good choice and at the time of writing, the current chef puts a lot of effort into turning out quality food with a touch of flair. The staff are all very friendly and professional. All in, this is a good place.

A very memorable experience here on Christmas Eve 2015…read more The place was rammed. It was Christmas of course and there was carols being sung, lead by the local vicar, Rev Julie. How wonderful. After the singing there was mince pies and sausage rolls being brought around on trays by staff, compliments of the house. How wonderful. I gather from what people were saying, it's not just Christmas that draws in the crowds. The Farmers Arms is always busy, especially on the weekend. Regardless of how remote this wonderful English pub is, it attract a good crowd. My verdict? You guessed it: Wonderful!

This pub is one where the term out in the sticks is just perfect. It is down a series of narrow…read morelanes off the old road between Malvern and Gloucester. As you weave your way down the lanes the road suddenly opens up, and the Farmers Arms is laid out in front of you. It is a beautiful, old, black and white building that is straight off the cover of a chocolate box. The food is good hearty pub fare, and in winter there is always a roaring open fire. I would recomend this to locals and tourists alike. It really is worth the effort it takes to get there.

A most wonderful place with a most wonderful staff! The food was great! Lord and Lady Carnarvon…read morecame by with some of their staff.

Ended up at the Yew Tree Inn by following a small road sign reading "Sunday Roast" that led us down…read morea little windy road to the river. It was a lucky dip that ended in a wonderful meal and a very nice experience thanks to the pub owners. We rocked up around 4pm and were told by a staff member in the parking lot, who kindly offered to take our photo, that they were probably out of roast being it was so late in the day but he would speak to the chef. 20 mins later we had a couple of beverages at a nice table in the lounge overlooking the water and a delicious beef roast dinner with root vegetables, cauliflower cheese, Yorkshire puddings and gravy. We cleaned our plates and followed lunch up with a sweet and tasty slice of homemade carrot cake. It was absolutely fantastic. The staff were ever so friendly and really looked after us. What a great little find and we are so pleased to have stumbled upon it! Now, hours and a couple sofa snoozes later, we are still stuffed!