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Royal Oak (Harvey's Brewery)

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Beer (sort)Average Score (sort)No. Samples (sort)
Harvey's - Lewes Castle Brown AleExcellent1
Harvey's - Sussex Best BitterExcellent4
Harvey's - Old Ale (or Sussex XXXX Old Ale)Excellent1
Harvey's - Tom PaineExcellent1
Harvey's - IPAExcellent1
Harvey's - PorterExcellent3
Harvey's - Armada AleExcellent1
Harvey's - Dark Mild (or Sussex XX Mild)Good2
Harvey's - Bonfire BoyGood2
Harvey's - Southdown HarvestNot Tried0
Harvey's - Christmas AleNot Tried0
Harvey's - OlympiaNot Tried0
Harvey's - Wild HopNot Tried0
Harvey's - Star of EastbourneNot Tried0
Picture 1. Royal Oak, Borough, Central London
Picture 2. Royal Oak, Borough, Central London
Picture 3. Royal Oak, Borough, Central London
Stephen Harris

Visits Details

15 Jul 2023 (Philip Pirrip)
Evening visit until close. Few in but livened up with just two left, with a philosophical confab with a Welshman.
BeerABVScoreNotes
Harvey's - Tom Paine5.50Excellent4½* In moreishly superb form, making a second pint a must
Harvey's - Sussex Best Bitter4.00GoodAt the bitter end of the beer's wide taste spectrum
Harvey's - Dark Mild (or Sussex XX Mild)3.00Not Tried
Harvey's - Wild Hop3.70Not Tried
31 May 2023 (Philip Pirrip)
Evening visit. Raucous as always amid Wednesday quiz time.
BeerABVScoreNotes
Harvey's - Sussex Best Bitter4.00Excellent4½* Almost unmatchable condition
Harvey's - Old Ale (or Sussex XXXX Old Ale)4.30ExcellentLovely condition. Getting near end of the Old season but pub still has several more casks in the cellar
Harvey's - Dark Mild (or Sussex XX Mild)3.00Not Tried
Harvey's - Lewes Castle Brown Ale4.80Not Tried
Harvey's - IPA3.50Not Tried
24 May 2023 (Philip Pirrip)
Evening visit in midst of Wednesday quiz. Wrong Wednesday as it should be last of month for London Drinker pick up - my miscalculation.
BeerABVScoreNotes
Harvey's - Lewes Castle Brown Ale4.80ExcellentA lovely drop
Harvey's - Sussex Best Bitter4.00Not Tried
Harvey's - Dark Mild (or Sussex XX Mild)3.00Not Tried
Harvey's - Old Ale (or Sussex XXXX Old Ale)4.30Not Tried
Harvey's - IPA3.50Not Tried
29 Mar 2023 (Philip Pirrip)
Evening visit. Steamy inside, noisy with a quiz and humid so just a quick half.
BeerABVScoreNotes
Harvey's - Porter4.80ExcellentEven more refreshing given the humidity inside the pub
Harvey's - Sussex Best Bitter4.00Not Tried
Harvey's - Dark Mild (or Sussex XX Mild)3.00Not Tried
Harvey's - Old Ale (or Sussex XXXX Old Ale)4.30Not Tried
Harvey's - IPA3.50Not Tried
21 Mar 2023 (Philip Pirrip)
Early evening visit.
BeerABVScoreNotes
Harvey's - Porter4.80ExcellentExcellent condition, difficult to better
Harvey's - Sussex Best Bitter4.00Not Tried
Harvey's - Dark Mild (or Sussex XX Mild)3.00Not Tried
Harvey's - Armada Ale4.50Not Tried
Harvey's - Old Ale (or Sussex XXXX Old Ale)4.30Not Tried
Harvey's - IPA3.50Not Tried
04 Mar 2023 (Philip Pirrip)
Evening visit. Nicely relaxed in back room.
BeerABVScoreNotes
Harvey's - Sussex Best Bitter4.00ExcellentIn fine form, quite zesty
Harvey's - Armada Ale4.50ExcellentFirst rate - lovely subtle hoppiness
Harvey's - Dark Mild (or Sussex XX Mild)3.00Not Tried
Harvey's - Old Ale (or Sussex XXXX Old Ale)4.30Not Tried
Harvey's - Olympia4.30Not Tried
Harvey's - IPA3.50Not Tried
25 Jan 2023 (Philip Pirrip)
Mid evening visit.
BeerABVScoreNotes
Harvey's - Porter4.80GoodGood but a slight feeling of being a little fresh
Harvey's - Sussex Best Bitter4.00Not Tried
Harvey's - Dark Mild (or Sussex XX Mild)3.00Not Tried
Harvey's - Old Ale (or Sussex XXXX Old Ale)4.30Not Tried
Harvey's - IPA3.50Not Tried
09 Jan 2023 (Philip Pirrip)
Evening meeting in upstairs room until close.
BeerABVScoreNotes
Harvey's - Dark Mild (or Sussex XX Mild)3.00GoodNew cask just on, a tad fresh
Harvey's - Bonfire Boy5.80GoodBordering on 4*
Harvey's - Sussex Best Bitter4.00Not Tried
Harvey's - Old Ale (or Sussex XXXX Old Ale)4.30Not Tried
Harvey's - IPA3.50Not Tried
Harvey's - Christmas Ale7.50Not Tried
05 Dec 2022 (Magnus Greel)
Lunchtime and fairly quiet so we purloined the vacant rear bar for our annual Friday Evening Group Xmas get together albeit much earlier these days with most of us retired. The Lebanese meze lunches folk were tucking into in the front bar smelt and looked delicious..
BeerABVScoreNotes
Harvey's - Sussex Best Bitter4.00Excellent
Harvey's - IPA3.50Excellent
Harvey's - Dark Mild (or Sussex XX Mild)3.00Good
Harvey's - Bonfire Boy5.80Not Tried
Harvey's - Star of Eastbourne5.50Not Tried
Harvey's - Southdown Harvest5.00Not Tried
30 Nov 2022 (Philip Pirrip)
Evening visit. Noisy quiz in operation, lots of London CAMRA bigwigs in a meeting upstairs.
BeerABVScoreNotes
Harvey's - Bonfire Boy5.80GoodBroke the £5pp barrier
Harvey's - Sussex Best Bitter4.00Not Tried
Harvey's - Dark Mild (or Sussex XX Mild)3.00Not Tried
Harvey's - Star of Eastbourne5.50Not Tried
Harvey's - Southdown Harvest5.00Not Tried

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About the Royal Oak

The pub sign. Royal Oak, Borough, Central London

Summary of Beer Scores

 Total
Exceptional11
Excellent129
Good85
Acceptable29
Poor3

Website.

The pub is found in Borough, Central London, SE1 4JU.

Harvey's first tied pub in the capital. Corner pub in Tabard Street, near Borough Underground station. Feels like an oasis from the bustle of London Bridge / Borough High Street. Two bare-boarded rooms in a pub with a central bar and an off-sales hatch. Superb John Harvey Room upstairs may be used for meetings and functions and is freely available. Lots of dark wood and cream walls. 4 handpumps on each bar counter so 8 in all. Comfortable atmosphere. Also has comprehensive selection of Harvey's beer in bottles. Became a managed house after the departure, to retirement, of long term tenant licensees in January 2019. Local CAMRA branch Overall Pub of the Year 2023 having been runner-up in 2022.

We have visited this pub 146 times, seen 50 different beers and tried 29 of them.

Map location

Postcode: SE1 4JU