PubsandBeer
Royal Oak (Harvey's Brewery)
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| Beer (sort) | Average Score (sort) | No. Samples (sort) |
|---|---|---|
| Harvey's - Old Ale (or Sussex XXXX Old Ale) |  | 3 |
| Harvey's - Tom Paine | | 1 |
| Harvey's - XX Dark Mild (or Sussex XX Mild) | | 3 |
| Harvey's - Armada Ale |  | 3 |
| Harvey's - Southdown Harvest | | 1 |
| Harvey's - Sussex Best Bitter | | 5 |
| Harvey's - Wild Hop | Not Tried | 0 |
| Harvey's - Olympia | Not Tried | 0 |
| Harvey's - Star of Eastbourne | Not Tried | 0 |
| Harvey's - IPA | Not Tried | 0 |
Stephen Harris
Visits Details
31 Jan 2024 (Philip Pirrip)
Evening visit mid quiz night. The higher or lower card draw ended harshly and quickly.
| Beer | ABV | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Harvey's - Old Ale (or Sussex XXXX Old Ale) | 4.30 | | First rate in every way and very refreshing in the balmy quiz night ambience of the pub |
| Harvey's - Sussex Best Bitter | 4.00 | Not Tried | |
| Harvey's - XX Dark Mild (or Sussex XX Mild) | 3.00 | Not Tried |
09 Jan 2024 (Philip Pirrip)
Evening visit until close. Problems with double booking of a meeting room resolved with empathy from the other booking party. Poor beer range alleged to be because of some imminent cellar work / changes.
| Beer | ABV | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Harvey's - Sussex Best Bitter | 4.00 | | New cask on - rather fresh |
| Harvey's - XX Dark Mild (or Sussex XX Mild) | 3.00 | | The price differential between this and the other ales has closed considerably here |
| Harvey's - IPA | 3.50 | Not Tried |
04 Dec 2023 (Magnus Greel)
A small group of us arrived and hung around until 12.00 opening upon which we occupied the rear bar with many others joining us until I departed early evening. The sole barman was kept busy with many groups coming and going until 16.00 when reinforcements arrived to help out.
| Beer | ABV | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Harvey's - XX Dark Mild (or Sussex XX Mild) | 3.00 |  | Everything from temperature, condition and bursting with ripe fruit flavours was perfect. |
| Harvey's - Old Ale (or Sussex XXXX Old Ale) | 4.30 | | A soft but hearty beer with a nutty palate |
| Harvey's - Southdown Harvest | 5.00 | | Full bodied rich malty fare |
| Harvey's - Sussex Best Bitter | 4.00 |  | All the expected flavours nullified by being served ice cold. Disappointing :( |
29 Nov 2023 (Philip Pirrip)
Brief evening visit. A balmy atmosphere as packed in both bars with quizzers. Christmas Ale will come on on Friday 1st.
| Beer | ABV | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Harvey's - Sussex Best Bitter | 4.00 | | Perfectly refreshing |
| 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 | |
| Harvey's - Southdown Harvest | 5.00 | Not Tried |
07 Oct 2023 (Philip Pirrip)
Evening visit until close. Strictly closed for a private party but a bit of blagging worked. Good chat with a fellow blagger visiting Aussie who had escaped his wife, daughter and mother-in-law for an hour or so.
| Beer | ABV | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Harvey's - Old Ale (or Sussex XXXX Old Ale) | 4.30 | | More bitter than I expected and very full bodied. Hope it stays like this this winter |
| Harvey's - Armada Ale | 4.50 | | I was disappointed as the expected highly hop floral nose was missing |
| Harvey's - Sussex Best Bitter | 4.00 | Not Tried | |
| Harvey's - XX Dark Mild (or Sussex XX Mild) | 3.00 | Not Tried |
27 Sep 2023 (Philip Pirrip)
Brief evening visit, balmy inside with a crowd of quiz people.
| Beer | ABV | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Harvey's - Armada Ale | 4.50 | | The hop flavour did not come through fully |
| Harvey's - Sussex Best Bitter | 4.00 | Not Tried | |
| Harvey's - XX Dark Mild (or Sussex XX Mild) | 3.00 | Not Tried | |
| Harvey's - Wild Hop | 3.70 | Not Tried |
02 Sep 2023 (Philip Pirrip)
Afternoon one-pinter visit picking up a supply of London Drinker magazines.
| Beer | ABV | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Harvey's - Armada Ale | 4.50 | | 4½* Everything this should be - superb hop bittering and floral aftertaste |
| Harvey's - Sussex Best Bitter | 4.00 | Not Tried | |
| Harvey's - XX Dark Mild (or Sussex XX Mild) | 3.00 | Not Tried | |
| Harvey's - Wild Hop | 3.70 | Not Tried |
06 Aug 2023 (Philip Pirrip)
Evening visit until 9pm close. Just one other customer in who had just had the last of the Armada!
| Beer | ABV | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Harvey's - Sussex Best Bitter | 4.00 | | As it should be |
| Harvey's - XX Dark Mild (or Sussex XX Mild) | 3.00 | Not Tried | |
| Harvey's - Olympia | 4.30 | Not Tried |
26 Jul 2023 (Philip Pirrip)
Brief evening visit on a rainy and humid night. The Wednesday quiz crowd made it even warmer inside.
| Beer | ABV | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Harvey's - XX Dark Mild (or Sussex XX Mild) | 3.00 | | A really wet and humid night. This went down as a great thirst slaker |
| Harvey's - Sussex Best Bitter | 4.00 | Not Tried | |
| Harvey's - Armada Ale | 4.50 | Not Tried | |
| Harvey's - Wild Hop | 3.70 | Not Tried |
15 Jul 2023 (Philip Pirrip)
Evening visit until close. Few in but livened up with just two left, with a philosophical confab with a Welshman.
| Beer | ABV | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Harvey's - Tom Paine | 5.50 | | 4½* In moreishly superb form, making a second pint a must |
| Harvey's - Sussex Best Bitter | 4.00 | | At the bitter end of the beer's wide taste spectrum |
| Harvey's - XX Dark Mild (or Sussex XX Mild) | 3.00 | Not Tried | |
| Harvey's - Wild Hop | 3.70 | Not Tried |
About the Royal Oak
Summary of Beer Scores
| Total | |
|---|---|
| 11 |
| 138 |
| 107 |
| 33 |
 | 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 165 times, seen 54 different beers and tried 31 of them.
Postcode: SE1 4JU