PubsandBeer
Royal Oak (Harvey's Brewery)
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| Beer (sort) | Average Score (sort) | No. Samples (sort) |
|---|---|---|
| Harvey's - Knots of May Light Mild |  | 1 |
| Harvey's - Armada Ale |  | 2 |
| Harvey's - Sussex Best Bitter | | 4 |
| Harvey's - Old Ale (or Sussex XXXX Old Ale) | | 4 |
| Harvey's - Copperwheat Beer | | 1 |
| Harvey's - Porter | | 2 |
| Harvey's - Sussex Pale Ale |  | 1 |
| Harvey's - XX Dark Mild (or Sussex XX Mild) | Not Tried | 0 |
| Harvey's - Olympia | Not Tried | 0 |
Stephen Harris
Visits Details
27 Nov 2008 (Ian)
Came here with Reakt from Ratebeer for a few beers. Sat at the bar in the back and supped a few beers and tried the impy stout in bottle again.
| Beer | ABV | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Harvey's - Sussex Best Bitter | 4.00 | | Best pint of this bitter that I've had in this pub. All of the flavours were perfectly in balance and the intensity of the flavours and condition were also perfect. |
| Harvey's - Old Ale (or Sussex XXXX Old Ale) | 4.30 | | Very tasty, drinkable grainy dark winter beer. |
| Harvey's - XX Dark Mild (or Sussex XX Mild) | 3.00 | Not Tried | |
| Harvey's - Sussex Pale Ale | 3.50 | Not Tried |
21 Oct 2008 (Ian)
The race from the lights down Borough High Street was incredible, about a dozen cyclists all going hell for leather. This is a great pub. I sat at the bar chatting with someone about mild and ate a bowl of chips with mayonnaise.
| Beer | ABV | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Harvey's - Old Ale (or Sussex XXXX Old Ale) | 4.30 | | Really quite soft as an old ale. Even quite hoppy, very soft, good malts. Harvey's yeast dominates, but unbelievably drinkable. Almost like a mild. but with hint of the sourness that will develop over the coming months. |
| Harvey's - Sussex Best Bitter | 4.00 | Not Tried | |
| Harvey's - XX Dark Mild (or Sussex XX Mild) | 3.00 | Not Tried | |
| Harvey's - Sussex Pale Ale | 3.50 | Not Tried |
20 Jun 2008 (Ian)
Not particularly busy, but I love this pub. I spent some time chatting with the landlord about different Harvey's beers.
| Beer | ABV | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Harvey's - Knots of May Light Mild | 3.00 | | Reddy amber colour. Farty Harvey's yeast aroma, then this lovely light mild flavour. Oh this is scintillating. So drinkable it's untrue. Foret Brew Dog Edge or Thornbridge Hall Sapphire, this is how to make a low ABV beer. Brilliant. Lovely toffee malt and then some hop on finish. Brilliant. |
| Harvey's - Copperwheat Beer | 4.80 | | Odd cereal, orange-y citrus flavour on this one. A bit like a tangerine with a woody flavour to it. A bit like a wooden box of oranges. Some clove spice. Bit of juicyness from the malt. Didn't like it at first, but it grows on me. Good strongish bitter. |
| Harvey's - Sussex Best Bitter | 4.00 | Not Tried | |
| Harvey's - XX Dark Mild (or Sussex XX Mild) | 3.00 | Not Tried | |
| Harvey's - Sussex Pale Ale | 3.50 | Not Tried | |
| Harvey's - Olympia | 4.30 | Not Tried |
09 Apr 2008 (Ian)
Got here just before 16.30 and it was an oasis of calm. Love this pub.
| Beer | ABV | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Harvey's - Armada Ale | 4.50 | | My first pint and just wonderful. I remember it being a bit more tangerine fruity, but still an excellent mid strength beer. |
| Harvey's - Porter | 4.80 | | Everything in the right proportion, lovely choc, coffee, roasted malt, bitterness, bit of dark fruit. Superb. |
| Harvey's - Sussex Best Bitter | 4.00 | Not Tried | |
| Harvey's - XX Dark Mild (or Sussex XX Mild) | 3.00 | Not Tried | |
| Harvey's - Sussex Pale Ale | 3.50 | Not Tried |
09 Nov 2007 (Ian)
One of my favourite pubs in London. A Harvey's tied pub, but with real character and an excellent clientele.
| Beer | ABV | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Harvey's - Old Ale (or Sussex XXXX Old Ale) | 4.30 | | Superb, and I wanted to come back the next day to try it with maybe a hint of sourness, but never made it back. |
| Harvey's - Sussex Best Bitter | 4.00 | | Perfectly lovely beer with good yeasty aroma. |
03 Jul 2007 (Steve)
Had a meeting at London Bridge decided to visit some of me old haunts with some old mates pleased to see this pub hasn't changed excellant pub excellant well kept beer this pub and the Garland at Redhill are fantastic examples of Harveys Pubs
| Beer | ABV | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Harvey's - Sussex Best Bitter | 4.00 | | One of the best pints of Harveys I've ever had |
| Harvey's - XX Dark Mild (or Sussex XX Mild) | 3.00 | Not Tried | |
| Harvey's - Armada Ale | 4.50 | Not Tried | |
| Harvey's - Sussex Pale Ale | 3.50 | Not Tried | |
| Harvey's - Old Ale (or Sussex XXXX Old Ale) | 4.30 | Not Tried |
26 Jan 2007 (Ian)
I have never seen this pub so full. Absolutely heaving, standing room only. This was partly because it was Friday around 6 in the evening and partly because the Burgundian Babble Belt had taken over one half of the pub. Joris Pattyn was there too, one of the foremost writers and drinkers of Belgian beer.
| Beer | ABV | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Harvey's - Old Ale (or Sussex XXXX Old Ale) | 4.30 | | I really love this beer and this slipped down within seconds. Lovely roasted malts. |
| Harvey's - Sussex Best Bitter | 4.00 | | Good nutty bitter, with distinctive Harvey's yeast. |
| Harvey's - XX Dark Mild (or Sussex XX Mild) | 3.00 | Not Tried | |
| Harvey's - Armada Ale | 4.50 | Not Tried | |
| Harvey's - Sussex Pale Ale | 3.50 | Not Tried |
29 Nov 2006 (Ian)
I came here with some friends from Ratebeer.com. It was about 16.15 when I arrived and there were a handfull of locals in, but as 17.00 ticked round, it got quite full with after work customers. Friendly pub with the feel that time has stopped inside. An oasis from the hustle and bustle of nearby Borough High Street.
| Beer | ABV | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Harvey's - Armada Ale | 4.50 | | One of my favourite pints to have. Emminently suppable and has that usual Harvey's yeast with a sweetish marmalade fruit and then dry hoppy finish. |
| Harvey's - Sussex Best Bitter | 4.00 | Not Tried | |
| Harvey's - XX Dark Mild (or Sussex XX Mild) | 3.00 | Not Tried | |
| Harvey's - Sussex Pale Ale | 3.50 | Not Tried | |
| Harvey's - Old Ale (or Sussex XXXX Old Ale) | 4.30 | Not Tried |
31 Mar 2006 (Ian)
I had been on a course over lunch by Green Park and I took the train/my push bike to get to here. Mid afternoon and this was my first hit on an extended pub crawl through the city
| Beer | ABV | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Harvey's - Porter | 4.80 | | I was really pleased to find this on cask. Black beer with lasting bubbly beige head. Good aroma of dark malts, choc/coffee and toffee. Full in mouth, touch of sourness before more toffee/choc/grainy coffee. Some juicyness too. Certainly one of my favourite porters. Tad sweeter maybe than most, but with a dry finish |
| Harvey's - Sussex Pale Ale | 3.50 | | Red copper colour with bubbly beige head. Distinctive Harvey's yeast aroma. Some caramel. Good in mouth with yeasty, hoppy (biting) finish. Good flavour for a 3.5% beer. Just very interesting to drink |
| Harvey's - Sussex Best Bitter | 4.00 | Not Tried | |
| Harvey's - XX Dark Mild (or Sussex XX Mild) | 3.00 | Not Tried | |
| Harvey's - Armada Ale | 4.50 | Not Tried |
About the Royal Oak
Summary of Beer Scores
| Total | |
|---|---|
| 11 |
| 141 |
| 120 |
 | 37 |
 | 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 179 times, seen 54 different beers and tried 30 of them.
Postcode: SE1 4JU