PubsandBeer
Royal Oak (Harvey's Brewery)
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| Beer (sort) | Average Score (sort) | No. Samples (sort) |
|---|---|---|
| Harvey's - Primus Ale |  | 1 |
| Harvey's - Bonfire Boy | | 1 |
| Harvey's - Elizabethan Ale | | 1 |
| Harvey's - Sussex Wild Hop | | 1 |
| Harvey's - Sussex Pale Ale |  | 9 |
| Harvey's - Star of Eastbourne | | 1 |
| Harvey's - Sussex Best Bitter | | 5 |
| Harvey's - St Richard's Ale | Not Tried | 0 |
| Harvey's - Southdown Harvest Ale | Not Tried | 0 |
| Fuller's (part of Asahi Europe) - Wild River | Not Tried | 0 |
| Franklins - Sussex Best Bitter | Not Tried | 0 |
| Harvey's - XX Dark Mild (or Sussex XX Mild) | Not Tried | 0 |
| Harvey's - Porter | Not Tried | 0 |
| Harvey's - Old Ale (or Sussex XXXX Old Ale) | Not Tried | 0 |
| Fuller's (part of Asahi Europe) - Gale's HSB | Not Tried | 0 |
| Harvey's - Georgian Dragon | Not Tried | 0 |
| Harvey's - Knots of May Light Mild | Not Tried | 0 |
| Harvey's - Copperwheat Beer | Not Tried | 0 |
| Harvey's - Tom Paine | Not Tried | 0 |
| Harvey's - Lewes Castle Brown Ale | Not Tried | 0 |
| Fuller's (part of Asahi Europe) - Two Halves | Not Tried | 0 |
Stephen Harris
Visits Details
26 Nov 2014 (Philip Pirrip)
Evening until close. Serendipitous unplanned meet up with 2 most unexpected people.
| Beer | ABV | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Harvey's - Sussex Pale Ale | 3.50 |  | Seemed a tad fresh to me |
| Harvey's - XX Dark Mild (or Sussex XX Mild) | 3.00 | Not Tried | |
| Harvey's - Bonfire Boy | 5.80 | Not Tried | |
| Harvey's - Old Ale (or Sussex XXXX Old Ale) | 4.30 | Not Tried | |
| Fuller's (part of Asahi Europe) - Wild River | 4.50 | Not Tried | Had run out |
| Franklins - Sussex Best Bitter | 4.00 | Not Tried | |
| Harvey's - St Richard's Ale | 5.00 | Not Tried |
08 Nov 2014 (HSB)
11:30 to 16:30 A meeting of the CAMRA Pub Heritage Group in the upper room. The bar was very busy every time I went down stairs to get another pint. Too many ankle biters.
| Beer | ABV | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Harvey's - Bonfire Boy | 5.80 | | Very tasty beer. |
| Harvey's - Sussex Best Bitter | 4.00 | | Had three in total. First one was just about OK. Next two were bordering on excellent. I have scored an average result. |
| Harvey's - Star of Eastbourne | 5.50 | | Not what I was expecting. Little sweet and lacking hops. |
| Harvey's - Sussex Pale Ale | 3.50 | | Tired. Probably first one out of the pump. |
| 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 |
03 Nov 2014 (Philip Pirrip)
Evening. Rarely for me early enough (just) to see some diners eating.
| Beer | ABV | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Harvey's - Sussex Pale Ale | 3.50 | | |
| 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 | |
| Harvey's - Star of Eastbourne | 5.50 | Not Tried | Ran out |
| Fuller's (part of Asahi Europe) - Wild River | 4.50 | Not Tried | Ran out |
| Harvey's - St Richard's Ale | 5.00 | Not Tried |
07 Oct 2014 (Philip Pirrip)
Evening until close.
| Beer | ABV | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Harvey's - Sussex Pale Ale | 3.50 | | Top notch |
| Harvey's - Sussex Best Bitter | 4.00 | | |
| Harvey's - XX Dark Mild (or Sussex XX Mild) | 3.00 | Not Tried | |
| Harvey's - Southdown Harvest Ale | 5.00 | Not Tried | |
| Fuller's (part of Asahi Europe) - Wild River | 4.50 | Not Tried | |
| Harvey's - St Richard's Ale | 5.00 | Not Tried |
25 Sep 2014 (Philip Pirrip)
Evening until close.
| Beer | ABV | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Harvey's - Primus Ale | 5.00 | | Interesting new branding. Small roundel on the pumpclip says "Sussex's Heritage County Town Beers from Harvey's Georgian Micro Brewery" |
| Harvey's - Sussex Best Bitter | 4.00 | | Poor head and lack of carbonation |
| Harvey's - Sussex Pale Ale | 3.50 |  | Rather sour and quite unpleasant aftertaste. Not right or near the very end of cask perhaps |
| Harvey's - XX Dark Mild (or Sussex XX Mild) | 3.00 | Not Tried | Ran out |
| Harvey's - Southdown Harvest Ale | 5.00 | Not Tried | |
| Harvey's - Sussex Wild Hop | 3.70 | Not Tried | |
| Fuller's (part of Asahi Europe) - Two Halves | 3.50 | Not Tried | Ran out |
14 Aug 2014 (Philip Pirrip)
Evening until close. SPBW's second in command Alistair was quiet in the corner until disturbed!
| Beer | ABV | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Harvey's - Sussex Best Bitter | 4.00 | | |
| Harvey's - Sussex Pale Ale | 3.50 | | Disappointing. It quickly lost its edge as the pint went down |
| Harvey's - XX Dark Mild (or Sussex XX Mild) | 3.00 | Not Tried | |
| Harvey's - Lewes Castle Brown Ale | 4.80 | Not Tried | |
| Fuller's (part of Asahi Europe) - Two Halves | 3.50 | Not Tried | |
| Harvey's - St Richard's Ale | 5.00 | Not Tried |
30 Jul 2014 (Philip Pirrip)
Early evening. Numbers swelled by diners and a London Regional CAMRA meeting.
| Beer | ABV | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Harvey's - Sussex Pale Ale | 3.50 | | Tad fresh I thought |
| Harvey's - Sussex Best Bitter | 4.00 | Not Tried | |
| Harvey's - XX Dark Mild (or Sussex XX Mild) | 3.00 | Not Tried | |
| Harvey's - Copperwheat Beer | 4.80 | Not Tried | |
| Harvey's - Tom Paine | 5.50 | Not Tried | |
| Fuller's (part of Asahi Europe) - Gale's HSB | 4.80 | Not Tried | Ran out |
| Harvey's - Sussex Wild Hop | 3.70 | Not Tried |
11 Jun 2014 (Philip Pirrip)
Evening until close. Some Irish fiddle players were entertaining us. Unusually depleted beer range - oh the heat does it, the heat.
| Beer | ABV | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Harvey's - Sussex Best Bitter | 4.00 | | Moreish |
| Harvey's - Sussex Wild Hop | 3.70 | | |
| Harvey's - Knots of May Light Mild | 3.00 | Not Tried | |
| Harvey's - Georgian Dragon | 4.70 | Not Tried |
28 May 2014 (Philip Pirrip)
Evening until close.
| Beer | ABV | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Harvey's - Sussex Pale Ale | 3.50 | | |
| Harvey's - Elizabethan Ale | 7.50 | | Lovely nightcap |
| Harvey's - Sussex Best Bitter | 4.00 | Not Tried | |
| Harvey's - XX Dark Mild (or Sussex XX Mild) | 3.00 | Not Tried | |
| Harvey's - Knots of May Light Mild | 3.00 | Not Tried | |
| Fuller's (part of Asahi Europe) - Gale's HSB | 4.80 | Not Tried | Ran out |
| Harvey's - Sussex Wild Hop | 3.70 | Not Tried |
12 Apr 2014 (Philip Pirrip)
Afternoon. Rare daylight visit - just not the same as at night.
| Beer | ABV | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Harvey's - Sussex Pale Ale | 3.50 | | Fresh, yeasty and chilled |
| Harvey's - Sussex Best Bitter | 4.00 | Not Tried | |
| Harvey's - XX Dark Mild (or Sussex XX Mild) | 3.00 | Not Tried | |
| Harvey's - Porter | 4.80 | Not Tried | |
| Harvey's - Old Ale (or Sussex XXXX Old Ale) | 4.30 | Not Tried | |
| Fuller's (part of Asahi Europe) - Gale's HSB | 4.80 | Not Tried | |
| Harvey's - Georgian Dragon | 4.70 | Not Tried |
About the Royal Oak
Summary of Beer Scores
| Total | |
|---|---|
 | 11 |
| 140 |
| 113 |
| 34 |
| 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 171 times, seen 55 different beers and tried 31 of them.
Postcode: SE1 4JU