please note - reviews on this site are purely the opinion of site visitors, so don't take them too seriously.
One of the best pubs in Bath, with a great selection Butts and Downton plus guest ales (and I believe guest ciders, though don't quote me on that, I'm not much of a cider drinker) and the owner and his wonderful dogs are wonderfully friendly.
A true classic pub, for someone looking for just that!
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Its a good pub and I like the beer, but the cider ! its just not kept well.
Weekends are good though.
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Prices seem to be changing,all snacks a pound now.
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Revisited after a couple of years. New owners seem to have given the place a lick of paint, but it still retains its "rural pub in the city" charm, still has the nice beer garden, and (most importantly) still has the great choice of well kept beers and ciders.
Unfortunately I no longer live within walking distance of this pub (spent many happy nights drinking here as a student) so can no longer work along the bar trying all the beers!However i'll have to find more excuses to drink here!
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Simply the best pub in Bath - and possibly the world!
This is a true 'real ale' pub, with a wide range of everchanging beers. There are always three regulars from the Butts brewery, and several others on tap at any one time. They also have a huge range of ciders, and bottled beers, and now the addition of Guinness and Budvar - so something for everyone. Beesting a 7.5% perry is also very popular. There is also the added benefit for Camra members of a 50p discount per pint (beer) on production of a valid Camra card. What more could you want?
Chris, and all the bar staff have really tried hard since the departure of the previous landlord, to make improvements with the pub. They also have regular live music and folk sessions, and in general there is a fairly diverse range of clientele - so you may well end up in a lively conversation at the bar, with one of the locals.
Certainly well worth the visit.
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This is a real oasis. A fantastic real pub. No airs and graces just good, well kept ale and cider. If you visit Bath you should give this a go. A little way out of the centre of Bath but well worth the wander or short drive.
Ales when I visited:
Barbus Barbus, Jester, Keel Over, Porthleven, Smart Arse, Spring Dayz, Butt's Traditional
Ciders when I visited:
Kingston Press, Firedancer and a few more but can't remember!
Perrys when I visited:
Beesting
Fantastic friendly bar team, good location and very friendly regulars make this a lovely pub to visit whether rain or shine? If you do one thing when visiting Bath before you die, visit this wonderful traditional pub with lots of atmosphere and chatty locals. Thanks to Chris the landlord and all his staff for being such a knowledgeable and affable host!
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Under new management a lot of work seems to have been done with a new back bar and improvements to the garden .
The range of beers still is a massive part of this pubs appeal but also now have up to 16 different ciders on offer .
Also now having music ever wednesday with traditional folk sessions and most weekends a variety of local acts .
all in all a nice place to relax and have a pint or 2 .
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A prominent, stone built pub on the main road towards Bristol, but a little way from the centre, this is popular with the Camra types due to it�s wide range of beers, although on this occasion it didn�t have quite as many as I was expecting. Nonetheless, the ones that they did have were quite unusual.
It�s a fairly basic pub, with a large central room, and a smaller room down a couple of steps to one side. The main room has black wooden boards on the floor, a mustard colour paint scheme, a small fireplace, piano, juke box and a book shelf in one corner. The ceiling was covered in beer mats, presumably ones that have been previously served in the pub. Music seems to feature prominently here and there was some sound equipment off to one side as well as numerous posters detailing upcoming bands.
The smaller room also has a piano, and is perhaps a little cosier. The flooring here is part natural stone and part wooden boards and it also has a fireplace. Outside is a smallish, and slightly shabby, courtyard garden with an unusual mural covering the wall behind the smoking shelter. There is also a barbeque, although whether I�d actually want to eat anything that had been cooked on it is another matter.
There were three Beers from Butts on tap with their Barbus Barbus, Organic Jester and Blackguard Porter. These were joined by Smart Brewery�s Wild Thing and Red Cuillin from the Isle of Skye. Ciders were Kingston Press, Bee Sting Pear and Lilley�s Fire Dancer.
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Hooray,its back on course,man with the lovely dog is now running it and its had a coat of paint and a clean up ( still need a dish-washer though )
Also got rid of overcharging Steve Reeves ( Google it and work it out )
Nicer 'feel' to it as well.
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What a real pity. This was a great unpretentious drinking house, saved from being turned into flats by the present owner. Admittedly, it was out on a limb, away from the centre and with limited parking for those in a car so the foot fall was obviously too small to make it viable, and I was a guilty as everyone in not using it as much as I should have done. The place had a really good ethos and a refreshing approach to the pub trade though, food was also great in here, although they stopped doing that about 3/4 years ago. I just hope the present landlord is not put off the pub trade as a whole, as he had some really good ideas and in a better position, could have, and should have, done well. Tragically, this pub has had pretty well the best chance it could get to survive, I can�t see much of a future for it if its present model has failed.
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now closed .
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Q. How do you spend nothing and get something back ?
A. You can not,you have to spend in order to receive.
Why oh why do they keep running out of beer and cider,you can't get used to anything,because they run out,or the 'delivery lorry broke down '---Yeh,right ! Again ?
Great people, but I think the owner,has a problem with his wallet.
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Art Brew and other lovely beers,great range of gigs and local artists work displayed on the walls. Locals are friendly intelligent and good looking. Bar staff tolerable.
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If you claim to open at 12pm, then open at 12pm. Having travelled some distance to visit the Royal Oak, it was found to be shut at 12.30pm, with no indication of when it would be opening. As such, I can only award the pub a big fat zero.
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Nice enough place, had a big range with 9 beers on but it was dead as a Dodo on a Sunday, we were the only people in there so it was lacking atmosphere. We only stayed for the one.
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Went a bit back when in Bath and really enjoyed it. A proper real ale pub with 9 rotators all in good nick. Landlord freely gave us samples and answered our questions about the various beers. Would return for an evening without hesitation!
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An excellent pub - 6 ales all from micros on a Monday night.
Barman very knoweledgable about all of the beers on offer - samples freely offered, a real beer paradise.
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Don't get me wrong I like spit and sawdust pubs as much as the next man, but this pub takes filth to a whole new level. Visited midweek afternoon, not busy, barman sat at a table more interested in his laptop than serving me.Tables dirty and sticky, used glasses lying around, floor was filthy, windows so dirty you would think that they had been whitewashed over, didn't check out the toilets, left my chemical warefare suit at home. Beer was ok, but not brilliant, not worth the walk out of town, try the Chambery arms just up the hill, clean proper locals pub serving Butcombe and Bath Ales.
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Superb choice of beer - probably the best in Bath.Well worth the walk out of the city centre and an essential visit.
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Went last week for the cider festival. Twn great cask ales availalbe plus 20 ciderrs. The Whicky Matured cider was especially good. Great atmosphere in a simple setting. Possibly the best ale selection in Bath.
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Went to the punk and cider festival last night. An absolutely brilliant night, great perries and ciders (Loved the fruit ones), the usual good choice of beers and great music. Not forgetting the usual cheery bar staff. I am so lucky, living near this great pub.
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Returned here on Sunday 9th may before the Bath City v Woking play-off final (which was won by Bath!).
Was quite busy when I arrived at 1pm. Still enough time for a couple of well kept pints before heading off to Twerton Park for a victorious match which saw Bath City get promoted to the Conference Premier.
Returned after the game very much in need of lubrication after a tense 2nd half in the match. A pint of Bristol Beer Factory Milk Stout and a pint of Rich's Farmhouse cider did the trick.
The gents toilets appeaer to have been spruced up and the bar staff are their usual cheerful selves.
A friend of mine had a couple of pints in here the other week before the Bath City v Chelmsford play-off semi-final. He said a group of Chelsmford supporters entered the pub, looked at the bar and the many ales and ciders on offer and said "this is an ale pub - they haven't got any lager!" and they walked out (probably to the Euro piss funhouse Golden Fleece down the road!)
Good riddance - I hope you enjoyed your watered down pint of Fosters!
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Went along to this pub on wednesday night, brill, enjoyed the atmosphere and was very chilling listening to music. Just great people enjoying themselves and being social. If this is your kind of thing, get down there and be part of it. This is how a pub should be. Also good choice of ales and very good too!!
Will be back!
Ps dog friendly!! Met jack the lovely big German Shepherd!!
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Excellent range of beers, most were unfamiliar to me, but from those with me, all appeared to be well-kept. Definitely a drinker's pub, not too comfortable, and not one for a date! Knock's spots off many pubs in my part of the world but local CAMRA Pub of the Year 3 years running? Better pubs in Bath IMO, but still a good boozer.
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The folk and beer festival again delivered fantastic family entertainment. With quality music, Magic Matt, cheese spread sandwiches and an ever changing array of fantastic beers, I'm amazed I only missed two trains. Brilliant.
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Visited twice during the last week and there is no doubt that it carries a great range, perhaps too much for the turnover? The bar staff are friendly and knowledgeable about their beers, the building itself has seen better days and is a little scruffy, but perhaps that is the look they are after. A great pub, worth the walk from town.
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Great pub, good choice of real ales, no alcopops, or anything with an umbrella. Usually an Irish music session on Wednesdays. Not a band, musicians just turn up. Book club as well. I live locally and rate this pub very highly....
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Easily one of the best pubs in Bath beer-wise. Pleasant & friendly atmosphere and live music some evenings, well worth the short walk out of town.
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Another lovely time in the royal oak on Saturday (07/03/09). Stopped off on the way to weston super mare for the football. Was waiting outside at quarter to 12, didn't open till 20 past, but certainly worth the wait. All the beer kept brilliantly with a great selection. Art brew was top notch as before. Comfortable atmosphere, guy behind the bar helpful and polite. Had a chat with a couple of really nice fellas about Wimbledon F.C. All in all pretty much bliss for me, shame we were only there for an hour! Honestly cannot recommended this pub enough. Wish more places would use the royal oak as an example of how to run a pub. Brought the father along this time, and he also enjoyed. Will be back to Bath again soon, but only to come to the royal oak!
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Made a special effort to visit this place and the verdict? On the plus side, there is a good choice of ales. Many of these were pretty strong though, out of ten on offer 6 were 5.5% +, with three over 6.5% - pretty unusual. Not many people in the place, apart from what looked like what someone on this site would refer to as 'beer tickers'. Soundtrack to the Wicker Man in the background and the barman looked fairly well oiled. Bloody strange place all in all, and the toilets were pretty damned awful. May come back, but I wouldn't go out of my way again.
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I love this pub. I think the owners have worked really hard to create the sort of pub that they would like to drink in and they've got it right. The atmosphere is great, beer is great and the music is alway very well chosen (and from my era). My husband and I had a do there last summer and all of our friends (who came from all over the UK) loved the pub too.
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Visited last month, and enjoyed the ale from the massive selection. Made me homesick for the Wellington in Birmingham when I saw the line of pumpclips along the bar! May be in need of a clean up, but nothing wrong with the beer quality.
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Regarding the comment from back2ploughlane and Wimbledon FC (or is that AFC Wimbledon!?!) I now live in Liverpool and will be travelling down to London for the Wimbledon v Bath City game on 14th February. I'm then travelling over to Bath and the 1st pub I will be going to (after spending the night at a friends house in Trowbridge) will be the Royal Oak.I lived for 8 years in Bath and this is the best pub in the South West! Okay, it was the best pub in the South West but I haven't been there for 7 months - Ihope it hasn't changed!!
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In my top 3 pubs in Bath, beer is excellent and a good choice. People are really nice as well, never any trouble and a good function room out the back that is used for big football/rugby matches. Also nice garden. If I had to be picky the toilets could do with a bit of a redecor but apart from that its great!
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Cracking pub. Great selection of ales and ciders. Isn't the cleanest of places, but the best pubs never are! Lone barman stayed chirpy even though he was up against it after being inundated with us Wimbledon fans. Would love this place to be my local.
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Went over today
great selection of cider on offer plus a full bottle of jamesons Kingston press is a GREAT CIDER WELL RECOMENDED
fantastic
plus no Chris
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Worth the trek or bus ride from the city centre and a useful stopping off point on the way tyo or from the football ground. An excellent choice of ales along with real cider and perry. Yes it's a bit plain, especially from the outside, but I can't say that bothers me. The pub seems to work well as it is so, if it ain't broke, don't mend it.
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Excellant pub and chav free. Nice little beer garden too.
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Best pub in Bath (if you like good quality beer). CAMRA pub of the Year 2007 & 2008. However if toilet decor is more important to you than beer choice & quality then you probably should try somewhere else.
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Royal Oak folk and Beer festival 2008 - FANTASTIC! This pub gets better and better. An amazing choice of beers and great music of all varieties. You've missed it for this year so make a date for next year. Of course, they have other beer festivals too - I'm looking forward to the winter beerfest.
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A good local boozer. Great beer selection, and I don't think I've ever had an off beer. Friendly atmosphere. Nice garden. It ticks all the boxes.
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I visit this Pub regularly, and love the place. There are now about 6/7 beers on at a time, and I find the quality comments strange, as I have not had a bad pint in a long time. Some that are not to my taste, but not gone off. On the negative side, it is barren, the colour scheme is too brown, it gets cold in winter and the toilets are not great (Gents is all too visible from the bar!). I love it, but I can understand why it may not appeal to all - Maybe it is now time to move forward and broaden the client base, without compromising on the beer range and quality of course.
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What is the matter with hamandeggs and an_ecumenical_matter? Far from getting it right, they have got it horribly wrong. And I speak as one who almost certainly goes there a lot more than they do. On the very rare occasion that I thought the beer was going, I've only had to say so, and it's been taken back, the pump clip promptly turned around, and I've been offered another one without any quibble, which is more than you can say for some pubs. Nor have I ever found the staff surly - but then, I'm polite to them. Make no mistake about it, for real ale drinkers, this pub is absolutely the tops, with the beer supply managed to perfection.
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Sorry folks but something is never right when I visit this pub. There's are beerfest on the moment aimed primarily at the beertickers of this world,so thats a lot of people happy-but the quality here is always indifferent. The effort is here(year old RCH Firebox and plenty strong ale,paintings for sale on the wall etc) but the place just never seems to hit the spot.
Couple that with slightly surly staff and regulars,and toilets like a cesspit-well whats the point in persevering with subsequent visits? I've said i'll never go back about 10 times,maybe I might mean it this time.
Hamandeggs has it got right.
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Great Ale Selection, Quaffed 5 new ales here on sat afternoon,the freshly made pizza tastes great too, 8/10
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Admire what they have done here to the pub and initially I loved it- great choice of beer from all over the place served with passion in a relaxed atmosphere.But the problem here is that due to the high number of pumps (10) the beer can sometimes sit around for a longer than desired time, and this obviously effects the quality. They used to do great food here but have sacked that off for whatever reason- hear they have pizza on but who wants that with ale? Always a friendly crowd and opens late every night which is a nice change as Bath does'nt have too many late night options, has just taken Budvar on draft which was good. The guy who runs it with the dark hair is as miserable as sin though.
On the whole I think this pub needs to have a good long look at itself and work out what it needs to to get passed the first level- just opening a pub that has a large selection of beer is'nt enough.
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Apart from the bar man Chris who's beard looks like tooten karmoon the pub is fantastic..
every friday lunchtime we venture over for food and lots af jamesons....
New for tomorrow is Pizza's on the menu so visit the royal oak when you can
Brilliant !!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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Quite superb. An excellent selection of (mostly) well-kept beer, plus proper cider and perry! Good session on Wednesday nights, including random sword dancers from time to time. What more could you want?
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Crap
anonymous - 1 Sep 2007 15:13 |
The best beer choice in Bath, the perry (When on) is excellent, and a great atmosphere. If you are looking for a real ale crawl of Bath, its proximity to Oldfield Park station makes it an ideal place to start/ end.
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Don't know who the whingers are - mainly because most of them seem to be reluctant to be anything other than anonymous - but they can't know much about beer. This is just the best pub in Bath - despite some very good pubs among the competition. End of story.
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Worthy of being pub of the year, since my first visit it has now become my favourite pub in bath. Great range of ales, the food is fantastic.... though it does has scary hairy barstaff... only joking Fi!
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Bath CAMRA Pub of the year?? There must be at least 5 pubs in Bath which are better. Anyone can have 10 pumps but it's the quality that counts or is it Who you know.
anonymous - 5 Jun 2007 23:52 |
I'm wondering if mr Anon has actually visited the Oak! Warm and friendly staff!!! it's their slightly rude ( in a nice way ) sarcasm etc that keeps the place unique. As for average beers, 10 handpumps, beers sourced from far and wide, ok you may get the odd wrong 'un but it is down to taste. on one point we agree it does need a clean.
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The Royal Oak average beers could do with a good clean but warm friendly staff.
anonymous - 29 May 2007 19:29 |
Bath CAMRA just voted " The Oak " Pub of the year, 'nuff said. Still the best pub in town for the real ale lover.
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Heard about this pub on Scoopergen and decided to check it out myself and I'm so glad I did. Great beer and a warm welcome. The barman knew his stuff but not to the point of patronising. The choice was just astounding and I found four beers that I had'nt tried yet. They also do food and was so impressed with what I saw coming out the kitchen I decided to try it and was not dissapointed, will go back and try the Sunday roast which a regular described as " bloody massive ".All in all a real gem of a pub!
anonymous - 25 Apr 2007 07:54 |
Fair point and well made Henners. Bath ales don't even brew in Bath and have a fairly decent pub over the bridge for those who desire their beers. I also agree that the comments posted were not needed and hope you will not be put off Bath in the future. Just don't bring any Lager drinkers ( joke ).
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mr anon,The landlord told me, "why would I want Bath Ales you can get that anywhere around here,which was a good point ,but goes against what you are saying.I live in St. Albans ,Is that ok for you,or is it not up to your standards.Some of my mates drink crap lager,its up to them,I cant help it.Why do negative people never leave their name?
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henners, not wishing to be rude but you and your friends missed the point somewhat. It is a real ale pub,Bath Ales lager is a lot better than Budvar and is from a local(ish) brewery which should be supported. Bath is not a " fair city " though probably a lot better than where you live.
anonymous - 20 Mar 2007 08:50 |
Real beer, in a real pub! WOW there is a beer heaven and I have found it, not being a local, however, I venture in whenever I'm in town and a warm glow incased in glass is served, bliss.
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Whayhey the Annual Royal Oak Winter beer Festival 1 - 4th of Feb at least 40 beers to try ( oh the stress ) Live Music, Food and Rare Beers from all over the place. Also on the 25th of Jan Burns night with Haggis and hairy men in skirts.
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I visited your fair city of Bath this weekend and although I was in beer heaven in this pub I couldnt stay long as my friends were Lager drinkers.They didnt like the organic stuff and so I had to leave .When I go out with people I often insist where we go has a good ale,but it would be hypocritical of me to try and make them stay where they cant find a suitable beverage.Lots of my mates would go for a Budvar or some other genuine lager,which surely wouldnt be an offence?Your host wasnt to keen to get into conversation either,even though I was polite and obviously enthusiatic about beer.Is this pub just his hobby?Still gets a seven from me,but with a bit more effort could be a nine.
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coming soon Organic beer week from the 10th to 16th Dec Live music most nights more info to follow
anonymous - 22 Nov 2006 08:39 |
11 handpumps of beer heaven. I believe food is now served all week (used to be just Sunday Lunches ). The natives are friendly and the folk behind the bar know their onions. Glad to see a place sticking to their guns on the Lager / Alcopops front too. My favourite Pub in Bath.
anonymous - 20 Nov 2006 09:41 |
A really splendid pub.
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I agree that the Royal Oak probably pips the Raven from a devoted ale-drinker's perspective. The sheer range, depth and quality of John's beers really are a sight to behold, even in a city that is bestowed with numerous good real ale pubs, and where good beer is commonplace. He and his wife have deservedly won plaudits for their efforts to resurrect this long-forgotten pub that could so easily have fallen into the hands of private property developers. It is a genuine local which fosters very traditional, but I think absolutely essential values. The whisky-glasses with a sample of each beer next to each handpump is a nice touch - maybe not that practical in hotter weather, but still!
I found the landlord to be perfectly charming, although I was enthusiastic and full of respect for what he's doing and he could see that. I suspect that those who feel they have not been received in as friendly a manner as they would like might be those who perhaps don't tend to favour or appreciate boozers with an dedicated, almost puritanical focus on ale variety, and might miss the p(o)int. A preference for drinking fizzy UK-brewed pseudo-continental over-priced lager over real ale does not make them unworthy people per se, and they deserve courtesy like any other pubgoer. But the fact remains that in the eyes of regulars (and possibly the landlord) at a place like this, they have very little discernment in their palate and are considered by many not to be keen to open their minds to alternative flavour, and the chance to support good locally-produced real British product in a sound local pub environment. You probably assume real ale enthusiasts to be a bit dated, a bit boring and a bit eccentric. If you fit this category, good luck to you, but don't waste the Royal Oak's time by pitching up there expecting to have a night out on the fizz, without a bit of light-hearted derision from the those punters who really do enjoy what pubs like this offer!
We need more places, and more licensees, like this.
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The beer pump count now goes all the way up to 11. That is 11 ever-changing brews from micros across these isles. Every visit is like a beer festival but without the tricky tokens.
How did the bland, predictable Raven beat this place to new Bath pub of the year?
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Lots of beer- discounts for CAMRA members which to be honest just makes you feel like youre being ripped off if youre not a member but oh well. Good books in the corner and they have samplers of all the beers to try if you want. Sunday roasts at the moment but more food should be coming soon. Nicely done-up.
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Good pub, but the landlord is too picky, does not like selling lager, spirits, cider and black. Maybe could do with being a little bit more friendly. Other than that nice pub, and good to see it open again
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Heard good reports about The Oak but very dissapointed with the quality of the beers.Pub didn't look to clean as well.However I will give it another try soon.
anonymous - 20 May 2006 15:00 |
looking forward to the folk festival! (shaico are playing 5.30pm on friday!)
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We had a very pleasant Saturday afternoon in here. A roomy place which has scrubbed up well. There were seven real ales available, most of which were new to us. Number 5 bus calls nearby if you're not up for the walk.
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A great real ale pub which had eight beers on when I visited. As stated before,well worth the short walk from the city centre.
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Top Pub, Fantastic ever changing range of real ale. All well kept and well presented. The knowledgeble, friendly and hardworking staff make you feel right at home.
Its well worth the stroll out of the town centre.
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Specialising in real ale from micros across the UK, this is a pub that is more than just a lovely local.
So what if the location is a little out of town, it is well worth stumbling along the Lower Bristol Road for. With ten ales on a at time, plus a cider, there are few pubs to match The Royal Oak in quality or quantity of beer.
There is even a lager, just one mind. And it's organic.
The staff are friendly and knowledgeable and there is a second, non-smoking bar.
They even do a roast on a Sunday and stew on a Wednesday to fit in with the popular Irish music night.
At the moment, it is a little unpolished with very cold toilets - but then at least that has kept out many of the chinless fools who spoil The Raven or The Green Tree in town.
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