Charming, cozy tavern on Oxford's Woodstock Road. We came for a proper Sunday Roast and a proper Sunday Roast is what we found. The Sticky Toffee Pudding with ginger ice cream was a really good variation from the usual vanilla ice cream. read more

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We stopped in at The Royal Oak for dinner and drinks with a group of 4 adults and 2 kids and had a great time. The pub was busy but not packed by any means, and the majority of the patrons seemed to be locals and students, besides us American tourists of course. There's so many room layouts and seating options that you're bound to find a spot that seems just right. We found a table and ordered some pints and plates at the bar. Drink wise, they have the ales, beers, ciders and wines you'd expect, if not more, but I also spotted a chalk board listing out various cocktails to boot. Their menu offers the standard pub fare, fish & chips, pies, bangers & mash, etc. but there was also a handful of more exotic choices. We shared a bite of each others' plate and this was probably my favorite pub food stop of our trip. I had the Steak & Ale pie, and it was one of the best I've had. Great pub! read more

The bangers and mash are top shelf. Great selection of Beers. Friendly staff. Classic English pub.

Excellent pub food. I came to Oxford with a group of 7 and we had initially planned on going to the Eagle and the Child for lunch, but it was too busy to accommodate us and I was not disappointed by Royal Oak as a backup! Several friends and I wanted to try each others dishes so we all ordered something different. We tried the roasted lamb, which came with a huge portion but was completely delicious. Definitely big enough to share with another person...or maybe two! The meat was fall-apart tender and the roasted potatoes had a nice seasoned skin. The Caesar salad was good, nothing spectacular. I was afraid to try the southern fried chicken, having lived in Texas, but I gave it a whirl. It was fine, but the crust/breading was not seasoned enough to be classified as southern. Plenty crispy and the chicken was fairly tender, but I will stick to British food next time. They do that very well. I'm trying to remember some of the dishes others at my table ordered, but I didn't get a chance to try all of them. The cheese and meat boards were nice--great selection. The sticky toffee pudding was truly AMAZING! In America, it is hard to find classic British food. In fact, it's almost impossible. I had been telling my friends about toffee pudding in the weeks leading up to the trip and I'm glad we tried it at the Royal Oak...definitely lived up to the hype! Our service was a bit slow, but we did have a large group and ate at a slightly abnormal time of day so I wasn't too bothered by it. I loved all the wood interior touches, it made me feel like I was sitting in an oak tree. Well, sort of. read more

This pub has great atmosphere. Lots of nice variations on seating, interesting furniture and plenty of cubby holes to snuggle into during the winter months. The staff are good (ok, I used to be one), a couple of real ales normally on, the food is excellent (although pricey) and the crowd are science building geeks and locals. I've also known the Oxford Uni Women's Cricket team to spend the odd post-training afternoon in here i.e. plenty of space for a really good drinking session. They also have traditional bar billiards. I've knocked a star off for the slight slim selection of real ales, and sometimes the London Pride isn't top notch. But otherwise, cracking! read more

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Really lovely pub in the quieter part of Oxford away from the tourists. The pub itself is lovely and quaint. The beer selection is always good (pint of Doom Bar, please!). I've eaten here a few times and the food has always been good. The burgers are great and the other standard pub fare (fish and chips, pies, sandwiches) are all great. They also do some BBQ and some more exciting options that are good, but not great. Also, and maybe best of all, they have a quiz on a Monday night that is always fun. read more

The Royal Oak - Pubs Near Me - Oxford, OXF

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Everything a pub should be. Lots of indoor and outdoor spaces, nooks, and tables in a cozy tunnel-like setting. There were a number of options on tap and I went for some sort of cider (Addleman's? Appleman's?), which turned out to be quite good. Tart. Not too sweet but not too dry. Foodwise there were a number of delicious and un-British (a good thing) sounding items on the menu. I ordered the oyster mushroom tart, which was an absolutely fantastic concoction involving generous portions of whole mushrooms, caramelized onion strings, creamy filling and a gorgeous flaky crust. The real draw, however, is the pub quiz - Monday Nights. Several teams compete for a prize of 20 pounds, testing their knowledge in such mystical realms of knowledge as James Bond films with single-word titles and the British word for 'fannypack' ("bumbags"). And the announcer? Completely Amaze-balls!. He has two states: relaxed and jovial ROAR! Enjoy your beer :). read more

Despite being Americans who were obviously on holiday, staff at the Royal Oak, treated us as if we were neighborhood regulars. This is a traditional pub, meaning that customers order at the bar, and drinks and food are brought to the table. Royal Oak staff were patient when we had questions, and food was prepared and delivered quickly. Servers checked on us but did not smother us. The four of us sampled an appetizer and several meals, the worst of which we would unanimously rate as "good". The environment was very inviting. We sat in a small alcove near the entrance: there is room for larger groups and many spaces for more privacy. Though we did not participate in trivia night, we were entertained by the crowd's humorous reaction to the announced answers. This has easily been our favorite pub so far, and our only disappointment is that we cannot visit more often. read more

I came here on my first day out of the country, so of course I am pretty much very excited about EVERYTHING. And I can't say much about the service because I came to this restaurant with a group that had already decided our meal choices a week in advance. However, my Lentil Burger was pretty bomb, and the red wine gravy on my friend's Sausage and Mash was pretty bangin'. I really liked this place and I am LOVING England! read more

The Royal Oak - Lentil burger and Sausage and mash! - Pubs Near Me - Oxford, OXF

The same menu as the Jericho, the Royal Oak was the first pub I saw in Oxford. Turned out to be a great place! Food, drink, service, and atmosphere are all great. I would recommend coming here during the day for food, or at night for a drink, but don't expect to have a table for dinner because it always seems to be packed. Came here to celebrate the end of a week of exams and it was a great place to celebrate. Plenty of games, a few smaller rooms to carve out your own space, and a good crowd. Not always the cleanest fabric on the seats, but it is a high traffic area and it does not seem to be from neglect. There are two outdoor seating areas, but the Oak is on what would be considered a busy road for Oxford. I think especially in the winter, this is the place to be if you're around Woodstock Road. Unfortunately, I don't find myself here a lot, because it always seems to be full to the brim when I am walking by. read more

As a pub: 4.5 stars As a restaurant: 2.5 stars (main courses: 2; desserts: 3.5) Excellent atmosphere. The staff members are nice, but they seem to get overwhelmed frequently and don't always manage the demand efficiently. The unique mixed drinks often sound better than they taste (e.g., "warm butter rum" in the winter), but they get points for trying. We've eaten there 3 times, and although the desserts are quite good, we've yet to have above average dinner food here. (E.g., the fried chicken is extremely greasy.) In short, go for the atmosphere, drinks, and dessert. read more

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The Royal Oak is fantastic. Good quality beers and great service. It is like a maze - lots of rooms - easy to get lost so remember where you left your friends and your beers! I spent many a happy hour there playing Foozballl, but sadly I think the table has gone now (sob!). A mix of students and locals create a pleasant and proper pub atmosphere! read more

Not sure I can judge its quality as a proper British pub, but I can say it was delightful. Because I have a limited idea of what I am talking about, I feel I shouldn't give it five stars. First, having never been inside a British Pub, my friends and I had no idea what the hell we ever doing. But, no fear! A great waiter helped us out with how to order and also explained how pubs work in general. If not for him, we'd have sat their all night wondering how to order food. Food was most excellent. I had some macaroni and cheese and wow was it fabulous! My colleagues all loved their meals. Breads were all great and the salad was tasty. Atmosphere was cozy and warm. Had local beer, which was super. I told the waiter (?) what I liked in a beer and he quickly recommended a local brew for me to try. I loved the layout of the inside, but again, maybe it's how all pubs look. No idea. I felt like this was a place I would hang out frequently if I lived here. read more

The interior doesn't look like a lot of the pubs in Oxford - that is to say movie sets of the Edwardian era - it has a somewhat modern look and is quite comfortable to sit in, while still maintaining a sense of age. The food is just so-so, which is why I only give it four stars, but the bar service is good, the real ale selection is decent, and they actually have some good (i.e. non-Becks) European beer on tap, which is a nice change of pace. A good place to go if you get tired of sitting in the 500 pubs that all look the same in Oxford and also get tired of the 500 ales that all taste the same. read more

Another typical British pub in the heart if oxford. Small, cosy rooms and a selection of real ales on tap. Despite the traditional feel I've been able to enjoy some football matches there, though I think just during international tournaments. There's a lovely garden and the dinner specials are great. read more

it's a pub, i know this. and yet, it is the sausage roll with mustard and hot chocolate i can't get out of my mind. got caught in the rain one day and ducked in to wait it out (only 3 hours), but was pleasantly surprised. what i expected to be an awkward time with a pint of beer in a strange pub turned out to be very relaxing. i had a good book on me, i tried a strawberry beer (i accept the criticism you may express due to this strawberry beer). rain was unrelenting, i ordered a sausage roll and hot chocolate. several hours later i was still soaked from the initial drenching that made me run in, but happy. read more

A great place for a group. The food isn't the best of all the pubs in Oxford, but the service is friendly and fast (not always the case) and the beers and ales are great. read more

The Royal Oak, or 'The Old Bloke' as it is fondly known by locals is just out of the town centre, so is nicely affordable and never too crowded. The bar staff are generally very friendly and it feels nice and cosy. There are lots of different rooms to lose yourself in and some tables outside for those long summer evenings. There are a few traditional ales, but the drinks are nothing special; this is a place with an excellent atmosphere where drinks are an added bonus. There are board games like Monopoly, so you can easily spend a day here playing, chatting or even just reading on your own. It's usually pretty quiet during the day, but crowded on Friday and Saturday nights. read more

so happy to see my local pub hasn't changed much with the times don't recognize much of the Radcliffe I spent 20 months working in, but I am glad to see my digs & local made the cut what has been said reminds me much of the place I knew well so many years back & hope it thrives during the changes about it as it appears to be read more

This is a very decent pub just north of the city centre. It has good beers, decent staff, and loads of different rooms to sit in. Some have a very different feel to others -- some more relaxed, some more gastopub-y -- and the food is also OK. It tends to be very quiet in the day and then bustling at weekend nights. Great for a fun pint if you're up Woodstock Road way or coming from an afternoon in University Parks. They recently improved the loos! read more

Great Pub on Woodstock Rd. The food is consistently good, it offers plenty of space without feeling too industrial and the bar usually woks efficiently. If you catch a busy night it might take a while till you'er served but they do their best. read more

I had dinner at The Royal Oak with two friends and was extremely disappointed by this pub. There was no vegan (and hardly any vegetarian) option on the menu, which per se is not a problem. I asked the waiter whether it would be possible to have a vegan salad or platter with vegetables, as many of the dishes had a side of vegetables. The waiter responded that this was not possible in a rather unfriendly way. I then asked whether I could have one of the salads, but vegan (i.e. without cheese). As these were sides, he asked me whether I wanted to have a mix of two salads. I was eventually served one side salad with greens and tomatoes with no sauce, and was charged 10£ for this. In addition, the smell inside the pub was not pleasant, and the heating was turned down although it was November and hence already quite cold outside. We were sitting next to the window and it was freezing. I really don't recommend this pub to vegans or even to vegetarians, given the limited selection of healthy options and the unfriendly service. read more

Paul, employees, was simply the nicest man we've met in England. Made us want to come back again. And small tip - fish and chips and sweet potato fries were excellent! read more