PubsandBeer
Royal Oak (Harvey's Brewery)
| Beer (sort) | Average Score (sort) | No. Samples (sort) |
|---|---|---|
| Harvey's - Armada Ale |  | 5 |
| Harvey's - Lewes Castle Brown Ale | | 1 |
| Harvey's - Porter | | 3 |
| Harvey's - Sussex Best Bitter | | 3 |
| Harvey's - Sussex XX Mild (or Sussex Dark Mild) |  | 1 |
| Cottage - Armada | Not Tried | 0 |
| Harvey's - Georgian Dragon | Not Tried | 0 |
| Harvey's - Old Ale (or Sussex XXXX Old Ale) | Not Tried | 0 |
| Harvey's - Olympia | Not Tried | 0 |
| Harvey's - Sisters Table Beer | Not Tried | 0 |
| Harvey's - XX Dark Mild (or Sussex XX Mild) | Not Tried | 0 |
Stephen Harris
Visits Details
06 Aug 2025 (Philip Pirrip)
Evening visit. Too humid and airless to stay beyond the one pint.
| Beer | ABV | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Harvey's - Armada Ale | 4.50 |  | Disappointment, right temperature, no nose, no head of note, no lacing, tasted flat |
| Harvey's - Sussex Best Bitter | 4.00 | Not Tried | |
| Harvey's - XX Dark Mild (or Sussex XX Mild) | 3.00 | Not Tried | |
| Harvey's - Olympia | 4.30 | Not Tried | |
| Harvey's - Georgian Dragon | 4.70 | Not Tried | |
| Harvey's - Sisters Table Beer | 3.40 | Not Tried |
30 Jul 2025 (Philip Pirrip)
Evening visit to pick up the new edition of London Drinker magazine. Noisy quiz and high humidity led me to leave without imbibing.
| Beer | ABV | Score | Notes |
|---|
21 Jun 2025 (Philip Pirrip)
Late evening visit until close. Only a couple of customers in situ.
| Beer | ABV | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Harvey's - Armada Ale | 4.50 | | Seemed tired. Sourish aftertaste |
| Harvey's - Sussex Best Bitter | 4.00 | Not Tried | |
| Harvey's - XX Dark Mild (or Sussex XX Mild) | 3.00 | Not Tried |
16 Jun 2025 (Philip Pirrip)
Mid evening visit.
| Beer | ABV | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Harvey's - Sussex Best Bitter | 4.00 | | Very refreshing on a balmy night. £5.70 a pop |
| Harvey's - XX Dark Mild (or Sussex XX Mild) | 3.00 | Not Tried | |
| Harvey's - Armada Ale | 4.50 | Not Tried | |
| Harvey's - Lewes Castle Brown Ale | 4.80 | Not Tried |
28 May 2025 (Philip Pirrip)
Brief mid evening visit. Weekly quiz nearing its climax.
| Beer | ABV | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Harvey's - Lewes Castle Brown Ale | 4.80 | | Cool and refreshing in a sweltering quiz people filled pub |
| Harvey's - Sussex Best Bitter | 4.00 | Not Tried | |
| Harvey's - XX Dark Mild (or Sussex XX Mild) | 3.00 | Not Tried | |
| Harvey's - Georgian Dragon | 4.70 | Not Tried | |
| Cottage - Armada | 4.60 | Not Tried | |
| Harvey's - Sisters Table Beer | 3.40 | Not Tried |
12 May 2025 (Philip Pirrip)
Evening visit until close. Pub was presented with its local CAMRA branch Pub of the Year award tonight.
| Beer | ABV | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Harvey's - Armada Ale | 4.50 | | A tasty drop but little head or lacing |
| Harvey's - Porter | 4.80 | | Pleased to see this still on. A tasty drop but little head or lacing. £6 a pop |
| Harvey's - Sussex Best Bitter | 4.00 | Not Tried | |
| Harvey's - XX Dark Mild (or Sussex XX Mild) | 3.00 | Not Tried | |
| Harvey's - Georgian Dragon | 4.70 | Not Tried | |
| Harvey's - Sisters Table Beer | 3.40 | Not Tried |
10 May 2025 (Wittenden)
Mid afternoon on a sunny May Saturday. Third stop on our Conclave,adding a fourth theologian.Pleasantly busy; a great pub. I drank exactly the same beers on our most recent pilgrimage.
| Beer | ABV | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Harvey's - Sussex XX Mild (or Sussex Dark Mild) | 3.00 | | Nourishing,dried fruit. |
| Harvey's - Armada Ale | 4.50 | | Suave,bitter oranges. |
| Harvey's - Sussex Best Bitter | 4.00 | Not Tried | |
| Harvey's - Olympia | 4.30 | Not Tried | |
| Harvey's - Georgian Dragon | 4.70 | Not Tried | |
| Harvey's - Sisters Table Beer | 3.40 | Not Tried |
05 Apr 2025 (Philip Pirrip)
Evening visit until close. Just 3 or 4 in each of the two bars.
| Beer | ABV | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Harvey's - Porter | 4.80 | | Spot on in every way except the £6er break price |
| Harvey's - Sussex Best Bitter | 4.00 | | So difficult to know what HBB should taste like but this was good |
| Harvey's - XX Dark Mild (or Sussex XX Mild) | 3.00 | Not Tried | |
| Harvey's - Old Ale (or Sussex XXXX Old Ale) | 4.30 | Not Tried | |
| Harvey's - Sisters Table Beer | 3.40 | Not Tried |
10 Mar 2025 (Philip Pirrip)
Evening visit until close. The quietest of nights with only 3 others in.
| Beer | ABV | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Harvey's - Armada Ale | 4.50 | | Lacking the expected floral hop nose |
| Harvey's - Porter | 4.80 | | A really good porter on its seasonal appearance |
| Harvey's - Sussex Best Bitter | 4.00 | Not Tried | |
| Harvey's - XX Dark Mild (or Sussex XX Mild) | 3.00 | Not Tried | |
| Harvey's - Old Ale (or Sussex XXXX Old Ale) | 4.30 | Not Tried |
07 Jan 2025 (Philip Pirrip)
Evening upstairs until close.
| Beer | ABV | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Harvey's - Sussex Best Bitter | 4.00 | | Good condition but rather uninspiring in taste alas |
| Harvey's - XX Dark Mild (or Sussex XX Mild) | 3.00 | Not Tried | |
| Harvey's - Armada Ale | 4.50 | Not Tried | |
| Harvey's - Old Ale (or Sussex XXXX Old Ale) | 4.30 | Not Tried | |
| Harvey's - Sisters Table Beer | 3.40 | Not Tried |
About the Royal Oak
Summary of Beer Scores
| Total | |
|---|---|
 | 11 |
| 140 |
| 113 |
| 35 |
 | 4 |
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 and 2025, having been runner-up in 2022.
We have visited this pub 173 times, seen 55 different beers and tried 31 of them.
Postcode: SE1 4JU