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Royal Oak (Harvey's Brewery)

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Beer (sort)Average Score (sort)No. Samples (sort)
Harvey's - IPAExcellent1
Harvey's - PorterExcellent2
Harvey's - Armada AleExcellent2
Harvey's - Old Ale (or Sussex XXXX Old Ale)Excellent1
Harvey's - Bonfire BoyGood2
Harvey's - Dark Mild (or Sussex XX Mild)Good8
Harvey's - Sussex Best BitterGood4
Harvey's - Tom PaineNot Tried0
Harvey's - In Harmony Pale Ale (in collaboration with Burning Sky)Not Tried0
Harvey's - Star of EastbourneNot Tried0
Harvey's - Southdown HarvestNot Tried0
Harvey's - Christmas AleNot Tried0
Harvey's - Wharf IPANot Tried0
Harvey's - Royal Oak IPANot Tried0
Harvey's - OlympiaNot Tried0
Gun - Scaramanga Extra Pale AleNot 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

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
28 Sep 2022 (Philip Pirrip)
Evening visit.
BeerABVScoreNotes
Harvey's - Old Ale (or Sussex XXXX Old Ale)4.30ExcellentThe best Harvey's Old I have had in many a year
Harvey's - Sussex Best Bitter4.00Not Tried
Harvey's - Dark Mild (or Sussex XX Mild)3.00Not Tried
Harvey's - Armada Ale4.50Not Tried
Gun - Scaramanga Extra Pale Ale3.90Not Tried
Harvey's - Royal Oak IPA3.50Not Tried
07 Sep 2022 (Philip Pirrip)
Evening visit until close. Front room was quiz busy, we used the upstairs meeting room.
BeerABVScoreNotes
Harvey's - Sussex Best Bitter4.00ExcellentProbably as good as you'll usually get
Harvey's - Porter4.80ExcellentNew cask on - best beer of evening
Harvey's - Dark Mild (or Sussex XX Mild)3.00GoodGood on taste but did lose head quite quickly
Harvey's - Royal Oak IPA3.50Not TriedConfusingly the IPA pumpclip clip was in use in the other bar - same beer of course
Harvey's - In Harmony Pale Ale (in collaboration with Burning Sky)4.20Not TriedPumpclip implied a citrus beer so, to me, a waste of time
27 Jul 2022 (Philip Pirrip)
Evening visit. A noise shop tonight, unpleasantly so, so pleased to drink up and skedaddle.
BeerABVScoreNotes
Harvey's - Dark Mild (or Sussex XX Mild)3.00Acceptable
Harvey's - Sussex Best Bitter4.00Not Tried
Harvey's - Armada Ale4.50Not Tried
Harvey's - Tom Paine5.50Not Tried
Gun - Scaramanga Extra Pale Ale3.90Not Tried
Harvey's - Royal Oak IPA3.50Not Tried
06 Jun 2022 (Philip Pirrip)
Evening visit for presentation of local CAMRA branch runner-up Pub of the Year 2022 award.
BeerABVScoreNotes
Harvey's - Sussex Best Bitter4.00Acceptable
Harvey's - Dark Mild (or Sussex XX Mild)3.00AcceptableLong wait whilst cask changed. Found new one fresh and rather thin
Harvey's - Armada Ale4.50Not Tried
Harvey's - Olympia4.30Not TriedRan out
Gun - Scaramanga Extra Pale Ale3.90Not Tried
Harvey's - Royal Oak IPA3.50Not Tried
27 May 2022 (Philip Pirrip)
Evening visit until close. Good chat with the barman about Harvey's beer of late and included a teeny sip sample of the Jubilee ale now in the cellar probably on tomorrow.
BeerABVScoreNotes
Harvey's - Armada Ale4.50ExcellentBest of tonight's bunch
Harvey's - Sussex Best Bitter4.00Good
Harvey's - Dark Mild (or Sussex XX Mild)3.00GoodVery refreshing first pint, did dissipate on condition a tad as the glass emptied
Harvey's - Olympia4.30Not TriedSaw none sold whilst there
Gun - Scaramanga Extra Pale Ale3.90Not Tried
Harvey's - Royal Oak IPA3.50Not Tried
14 May 2022 (Wittenden)
I arranged to meet some old friends here, early doors on a sunny cup final Saturday.My first visit here: I really enjoyed this pub.
BeerABVScoreNotes
Harvey's - Dark Mild (or Sussex XX Mild)3.00ExcellentDelicious on a warm day.
Harvey's - Armada Ale4.50ExcellentSBB's suave elder brother.Oatty.
Harvey's - Sussex Best Bitter4.00Not Tried
Harvey's - Olympia4.30Not Tried
Gun - Scaramanga Extra Pale Ale3.90Not Tried
09 Mar 2022 (Philip Pirrip)
Evening visit.
BeerABVScoreNotes
Harvey's - Porter4.80ExcellentIn fine form
Harvey's - Dark Mild (or Sussex XX Mild)3.00GoodGood starter ale
Harvey's - Sussex Best Bitter4.00Not Tried
Harvey's - Wharf IPA4.80Not Tried
Harvey's - Royal Oak IPA3.50Not TriedRan out

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About the Royal Oak

The pub sign. Royal Oak, Borough, Central London

Summary of Beer Scores

 Total
Exceptional11
Excellent133
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 149 times, seen 51 different beers and tried 29 of them.

Map location

Postcode: SE1 4JU