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Royal Oak (Harvey's Brewery)

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Beer (sort)Average Score (sort)No. Samples (sort)
Harvey's - Sussex Pale AleExcellent7
Harvey's - XX Dark Mild (or Sussex XX Mild)Excellent3
Harvey's - PorterExcellent2
Harvey's - Sussex Best BitterExcellent4
Harvey's - Sussex Wild HopGood3
Harvey's - Armada AleGood1
Harvey's - Tom PaineGood1
Harvey's - Old Ale (or Sussex XXXX Old Ale)Not Tried0
Fuller's (part of Asahi Europe) - Gale's HSBNot Tried0
Harvey's - Lewes Castle Brown AleNot Tried0
Harvey's - KissNot Tried0
Fuller's (part of Asahi Europe) - Bengal LancerNot Tried0
Harvey's - Georgian DragonNot Tried0
Harvey's - Knots of May Light MildNot Tried0
Fuller's (part of Asahi Europe) - Brewers BraggNot Tried0
Harvey's - Copperwheat BeerNot 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

14 Aug 2013 (Philip Pirrip)
Evening.
BeerABVScoreNotes
Harvey's - Sussex Pale Ale3.50Excellent
Harvey's - Sussex Best Bitter4.00Not Tried
Harvey's - XX Dark Mild (or Sussex XX Mild)3.00Not Tried
Harvey's - Tom Paine5.50Not Tried
Harvey's - Lewes Castle Brown Ale4.80Not Tried
Harvey's - Sussex Wild Hop3.70Not Tried
03 Aug 2013 (Ian)
Lunch Saturday. Love this pub out of this world.
BeerABVScoreNotes
Harvey's - Sussex Best Bitter4.00ExcellentGreat aroma and flavour just not perfect condition
Harvey's - Sussex Wild Hop3.70GoodLovely hop flavour
Harvey's - XX Dark Mild (or Sussex XX Mild)3.00Not Tried
Harvey's - Copperwheat Beer4.80Not Tried
Harvey's - Sussex Pale Ale3.50Not Tried
Harvey's - Tom Paine5.50Not Tried
31 Jul 2013 (Stephen Harris)
Attending a CAMRA meeting in the upstairs room to discuss the future of the ‘Capital Pubcheck’ feature in London Drinker magazine. Other beers as reported by Pip.
BeerABVScoreNotes
Harvey's - XX Dark Mild (or Sussex XX Mild)3.00ExcellentDark and scrumptious.
Harvey's - Sussex Wild Hop3.70GoodGolden and hazy. Bitter hop tastes. Quite dry.
31 Jul 2013 (Philip Pirrip)
Evening.
BeerABVScoreNotes
Harvey's - Sussex Pale Ale3.50Excellent
Harvey's - Sussex Best Bitter4.00GoodThe variability of this beer amazes me - this was fruity
Harvey's - Tom Paine5.50GoodHazy but a good end of evening sipper
Harvey's - Sussex Wild Hop3.70AcceptableTaster (only) was hazy and bitterish but overall tasted like a wheat beer. BUT it did turn out to be the very last drops out of the cask!
Harvey's - XX Dark Mild (or Sussex XX Mild)3.00Not Tried
Harvey's - Copperwheat Beer4.80Not Tried
15 Jun 2013 (Philip Pirrip)
Evening.
BeerABVScoreNotes
Harvey's - Sussex Pale Ale3.50Excellent
Harvey's - Sussex Best Bitter4.00Not Tried
Harvey's - XX Dark Mild (or Sussex XX Mild)3.00Not Tried
Harvey's - Armada Ale4.50Not Tried
Harvey's - Copperwheat Beer4.80Not Tried
Harvey's - Knots of May Light Mild3.00Not Tried
Fuller's (part of Asahi Europe) - Brewers Bragg3.90Not Tried
30 May 2013 (Philip Pirrip)
Evening until close. Quietest I have ever known it. Frank and John enjoying Glyndebourne tonight.
BeerABVScoreNotes
Harvey's - XX Dark Mild (or Sussex XX Mild)3.00ExcellentPretty much the only Mild I enjoy these days
Harvey's - Sussex Pale Ale3.50Excellent
Harvey's - Sussex Best Bitter4.00Not Tried
Harvey's - Armada Ale4.50Not Tried
Harvey's - Knots of May Light Mild3.00Not Tried
Harvey's - Georgian Dragon4.70Not Tried
Fuller's (part of Asahi Europe) - Brewers Bragg3.90Not Tried
11 Apr 2013 (Philip Pirrip)
Evening.
BeerABVScoreNotes
Harvey's - Porter4.80Good
Harvey's - Sussex Pale Ale3.50Good
Harvey's - Sussex Best Bitter4.00Not Tried
Harvey's - XX Dark Mild (or Sussex XX Mild)3.00Not Tried
Harvey's - Old Ale (or Sussex XXXX Old Ale)4.30Not Tried
Harvey's - Georgian Dragon4.70Not TriedCommemorates a lesser known hero, Dr Gideon Mantell, the original Father of Paleontology. The respected Lewes Doctor has become regarded as the person responsible for clearly identifying the prehistoric reptiles we today refer to as ‘dinosaurs’. The clip depicts Dr Mantell discovering his Iguanodon near Cuckfield, in Sussex in 1821.
30 Mar 2013 (Philip Pirrip)
Evening. Business ticking over.
BeerABVScoreNotes
Harvey's - Porter4.80ExceptionalFaultless
Harvey's - Sussex Pale Ale3.50Excellent1st rate
Harvey's - Sussex Best Bitter4.00Not Tried
Harvey's - XX 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
Fuller's (part of Asahi Europe) - Bengal Lancer5.00Not TriedJust ran out - £4 pp
16 Feb 2013 (Philip Pirrip)
Evening. Both bars very crowded certainly justifying Saturday opening which they did not always do here.
BeerABVScoreNotes
Harvey's - XX Dark Mild (or Sussex XX Mild)3.00ExcellentEarthy and malty
Harvey's - Sussex Best Bitter4.00GoodFruity and oily. How complex it is with variability
Harvey's - Armada Ale4.50Not Tried
Harvey's - Kiss4.80Not Tried
Harvey's - Sussex Pale Ale3.50Not Tried
Harvey's - Old Ale (or Sussex XXXX Old Ale)4.30Not Tried
30 Jan 2013 (Philip Pirrip)
Evening. Back bar busy with CAMRA London Regional Group post meeting personnel.
BeerABVScoreNotes
Harvey's - Sussex Best Bitter4.00Excellent
Harvey's - Sussex Pale Ale3.50Excellent
Harvey's - Armada Ale4.50GoodNo distinctive flavour or nose
Harvey's - XX Dark Mild (or Sussex XX Mild)3.00Not Tried
Harvey's - Old Ale (or Sussex XXXX Old Ale)4.30Not Tried
Fuller's (part of Asahi Europe) - Gale's HSB4.80Not Tried
Harvey's - Lewes Castle Brown Ale4.80Not Tried

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About the Royal Oak

The pub sign. Royal Oak, Borough, Central London

Summary of Beer Scores

 Total
Exceptional11
Excellent140
Good113
Acceptable34
Poor4

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 and 2025, having been runner-up in 2022.

We have visited this pub 171 times, seen 55 different beers and tried 31 of them.

Map location

Postcode: SE1 4JU